England Senior National Team General Discussion Thread

Hope he takes rice and saka off at half time. Sheffield utd are the type of side to break a player's legs

 

Bloody hell they are giving Saka a rest.

 

Ben White is in very good form at the moment.

 

Shame he doesn't want to play for England because he'd be another good option at centreback

 

It's a real, real shame that Ben White fell out with Gareth Southgate.

Elite technical ability, excellent in the air, leader and unrelenting aggression.

He's a top, top player.

— Dougie Critchley (@DougieCritchley) March 4, 2024

Reportedly because he wasn't willing to do player analysis during the World Cup... I'm skeptical. Hopefully it comes out one day.

— Dougie Critchley (@DougieCritchley) March 4, 2024

 

Arsenal have taken off Saka, White and Rice and now have no English players for the rest of the match

 

Saka Kane Bellingham Foden and Rice is why I am not scared of anyone. They should be scared of us. It’s on other teams to acknowledge and contain the superiority of our side, not the other way round.

 

White not being in at least the squad is mad

can play in multiple roles and is technically good

no slouch either, would love to know what happened at the world. Cup

 

Talksport are saying Saka might have been subbed at half time because of injury rather than because of tatics.

 

Ugggh

 

I agree but unfortunately we know that’s not how Southgate works, his default setting is to be weary of whoever we play and protect the defence first and foremost.

 

PL- Week 27
PL English Players of the Match - Week 27
Cole Palmer - Brentford v Chelsea
Anthony Gordon - Newcastle v Wolves
Ollie Watkins - Luton v Aston Villa
Phil Foden - Manchester City v Manchester United

Pl English players of their Club - Week 27
Cole Palmer - Chelsea
James Tarkowski - Everton
Anthony Gordon - Newcastle
Craig Dawson - Wolves
Harry Toffolo - Nottingham Forest
Eberechi Eze - Crystal Palace
Alfie Doughty - Luton
Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa
Charlie Taylor - Burnley
Phil Foden - Manchester City
Marcus Rashford - Manchester United

BBC Sport English players of the Match - Week 27
Cole Palmer - Brentford v Chelsea
Anthony Gordon - Newcastle v Wolves
Ollie Watkins - Luton v Aston Villa
Phil Foden - Manchester City v Manchester United

BBC Sport English players of their Club - Week 27
Cole Palmer - Chelsea
Jarrad Branthwaite - Everton
Lewis Dunk - Brighton
Anthony Gordon - Newcastle
Eberechi Eze - Crystal Palace
Ross Barkley - Luton
Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa
Phil Foden - Manchester City

Second and third places

Pl - Jordan Pickford, James Ward - Prowse, Jason Steele, Adam Lallana, Max Kilman, Sam Johnstone, Joel Ward, Carlton Morris, Lewis Cook, Ben Osborn Declan Rice,

BBC - Conor Gallagher, James Tarkowski, Tino Livramento, Craig Dawson, Tommy Doyle, Adam Wharton, Sam Johnstone, Alfie Doughty, Lewis Cook, Marcus Rashford, Oliver Arblaster, Declan Ride

This week’s PL goal involvements.

Goals
Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
Tino Livramento (Newcastle)
Carlton Morris (Luton)
Ollie Watkins x 2 (Aston Villa)
Phil Foden x 2 (Manchester City)
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Ben White (Arsenal)

Assists
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
James Garner (Everton)
James Ward - Prowse (West Ham)
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)
James Maddison (Spurs)
Reece Burke (Luton)
Alfie Doughty (Luton)
Lewis Cook x 2 (Bournemouth)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

 

📰{NEWS}📰

Jurgen Klopp is clamouring for one Liverpool player to be given a seat on the plane to Germany for Euro 2024 ✈️ #LFC

🔴: @MailSport

👇TAP TO READ👇https://t.co/91D8gA78HM

— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) March 4, 2024

 

Its written in the stars that Joe Gomez gets his first professional goal in the Final of the Euros winning it for England.

 

Ollie Watkins has been sensational this season. 

He and Harry Kane have never shared a pitch for England but what if they did?

A front of six of Rice, Bellingham, Foden, Kane, Saka, Watkins would be fascinating to see

My @theathleticfc columnhttps://t.co/ZjZe80Qglq

— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) March 5, 2024

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England will go into Euro 2024 in June with the most individual quality they have ever been able to deploy at a major tournament.

Five of the front six are guaranteed starters: Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Sakaand Harry Kane. Those players, all of them enjoying brilliant seasons, make up five of the best front six in world football.

But there is one spot in the team still up for grabs. Everyone will have their own opinion about what Gareth Southgate should do in the three months between now and England’s opener in Germany against Serbia, about who should be the missing piece of the jigsaw along with those five names above.

We know that Gareth is most likely to go for the stability provided by an extra midfielder, just like he did with Kalvin Phillips at Euro 2020 or Jordan Henderson at the Qatar World Cup. I don’t think England need that extra layer of protection but clearly, Gareth does. Or maybe he would want another creative midfielder. Or to gamble with Trent Alexander-Arnold in there instead, an experiment he has been trying out in recent years.

But there is another viable option, one that I would like to throw into the mix. I don’t expect Gareth to go for this approach but there are circumstances when it would be exactly what England needed.

Play Ollie Watkins in the No 9 role. Kane can drop back into the No 10 space, which we all know is a natural part of his game and one where he has been so key in creating for England, Tottenham and Bayern Munich. Bellingham would take up a deeper midfield position alongside Rice. Foden and Saka still cut in from out wide.

Yes, it would be a first, as the two have never shared a pitch for England — but this season, Watkins is looking like the most improved player in the Premier League. He has 16 league goals already, his best top-flight return, with 11 games left to play. This is already the season of his life. Some of the credit for that must go down to Unai Emery, who appears to have told Watkins to do the vast majority of his work between the width of the penalty area. It’s not genius but it certainly works.

I always say that the one thing defenders hate doing is running back towards their own goal. That is exactly what Watkins makes you do because he is constantly running in behind them, a nightmare for them to play against. There is a little bit of Jermain Defoe to how he plays: he’s very intelligent with his movement, he’s got good feet, he’s quick and is always looking to find space in the box.

Another thing I love about watching Watkins this season is his huge passion and love for the game. Maybe his pathway to this point — playing for Weston-super-Mare in non-League, Exeter City in League Two and then Brentford in the Championship — makes him appreciate the top flight a bit more, a bit like Ian Wright in my day, but Watkins looks as if he has a great zest for what he’s doing right now. He probably feels that when walks out onto the pitch, he’s no longer just hoping to score — he’s expecting to score. Believe me, that is a great feeling for a striker to have.

So if something were to happen to Kane in the next few months, and he was unavailable for the European Championship, then Watkins would be the obvious answer to replace him. My point here is that we should consider Watkins as a possible partner to Kane, rather than just a replacement for him.

There will be times in Germany this summer when the situation will call for it, times when England need to change things up. I’ve played in Euros and World Cups before and know what these difficult group games are like. Everyone back at home expects you to demolish the opposition but we should know that very rarely happens. It’s going to be hot out there, and we will be facing three teams — Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia — who are not going to just roll over and make it easy for us. England are going to need a Plan B.

That is why I like the idea of having Watkins as an extra forward, rather than picking an extra midfielder. We all know how much joy Kane has had over the years just off someone who likes to run in behind: Raheem Sterling or Marcus Rashford for England, Son Heung-min for Spurs. With Watkins’ constant running in behind, Kane could drop into that No 10 role, get the ball, turn and play balls over the top for Watkins to run onto.

Elsewhere in the front six, Gareth has an embarrassment of riches to choose from. We’ve seen this season that Foden is bloody special, one of the first names on the sheet for Pep Guardiola. There is no doubt at all now that he is world-class and you simply have to find a place in the team for him. Bellingham getting into this mighty Real Madrid team, making it look so easy and scoring the goals that he has, is remarkable. Rice is doing exactly what Mikel Arteta bought him for, and Saka is a great player too, I absolutely love his attitude.

So there is no doubt that Gareth already has some great individuals to choose from. He just has to pick one more for that front six and get the best out of the whole team. And while I expect him to go for an extra midfielder again, I don’t think it is a crazy idea to think of Watkins up front. I get what everyone will say. Do I think it will happen? No. Could it work? Absolutely.

 

I like Shearer but this is a bit of nonsense from him tbh. Just because Kane can pass it doesn't mean he has everything else required to play at the 10, and there's also the fact he's plainly a better goalscorer than Watkins so I don't know why we'd be shifting him out of position to accommodate Watkins. Not that Southgate would ever consider doing this so it doesn't really matter.

 

Thank god some of these former players never went into management long term!

 

Manchester United intend to sell England winger Jadon Sancho this summer following the 23-year-old's loan spell with Borussia Dortmund, irrespective of whether Erik ten Hag is still United manager. (Football Insider)

Chelsea sent scouts to watch 21-year-old English defender Archie Brown, who plays for Belgian side Gent, at the weekend. The former Derby County youngster is also being watched by Leeds United and West Ham United. (HITC)

 

He's a perfect player where you have a squad limit due to his versatility. A 4th CB option that can cover other areas is massive in giving more flexibility in the attacking positions.

 

I think Gomez has a better chance of that spot as he can also cover Left Back.

 

Anyone like that is worthwhile. The chances of your 4th choice CB being needed is generally slim, so there's little value in a Tomori or Konsa taking that spot, even if they may be a slightly better CB than the versatile option.

 

When you pick 3 RBs (Trippier also a backup LB and Trent a midfield option) like Southgate has pretty much done his whole tenure, you don't really need a RB/CB hybrid player like White, you can afford to just pick a specialist 4th CB.

 

I’m not sure if Southgate sees Trippier as the back up LB with Shaw out. Could easily see him starting him over Chilwell if both are fit. Chilwell surely will be in the next squad through as if not that means Colwill is the back up LB.

 

Chilwell has been injured or not match fit for a long time, so you/we have no way of knowing, and Shaw might be back for the Euros (and this discussion was framed around a squad limit (23 man)) hence why I was making the point you don't need 4 RB options in the squad.