England Senior National Team General Discussion Thread

I think the safe answer is yes. No top Club is going to take him and not on his current wages, even PSG would be mad to. He would have to consider a big drop in wages which he wouldn’t take.

 

Because if fit hes one of first names on the team sheet,hes squeaky clean and well liked by the public and the other players. I think its between him and Bellingham.

 

Yeah, but does Saka have any apparent leadership qualities? Or the ability to motivate a team like maybe a Bellingham or Rice? Or even the strength of character to tell Mikel Arteta to do one, the next time he tells him to skip England to rest up for Arsenal's next game?

 

Southgate basically had two captains for years. Kane was the public facing one and Henderson the squad one

 

Yeah that's just pure conjecture.

 

Telegraph suggesting Stones and/or Walker could leave Man City in January and that Wharton, Branthwaite and Guehi are all on their radar

 

The England Captain is more a PR job. If it was based only on leadership qualities Henderson would have got it instead of Kane.BTW I really like Kane as Captain.

 

I agree. The captain of England gets held to certain (often stupid) standards, best to give it to someone uncontroversial who's well liked and performs consistently well. Saka would be my pick too.

 

The England captains of the recent past (Kane, Rooney, Gerrard, Beckham) might not always have been the most vocal, but they were invariably the one player everyone else looked to to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and take it to the opposition. Bellingham and, to a lesser extent, Rice, have that same quality. They're pretty much always at the centre of the action and leading the charge. I just question whether you can say the same for Saka.

 

The problem for Bellingham is dealing with the media is a major part of being captain and he hates the British media and is unlikely to change his mind anytime soon,

 

Goal machine Cole Palmer is set to make an ice little earner - by trademarking his shivering celebration. (The Sun)

Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope is a doubt for Saturday's visit of Leicester, in what has been a bruising week for Eddie Howe. (Daily Mail)

 

World Cup qualifying draw - Serbia, Albania, Latvia & Andorra.

 

Thomas Tuchel on Cole Palmer:

"Everybody enjoys watching him. He's cool, he's composed, and he's very clinical in finishing and assisting." [Sky Sports]

 

Tuchel has confirmed he seems to want Ben White back.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/england-thomas-tuchel-ben-white-34310389

 

The Times (In a pretty negative article which goes on about all the critics of Tuchel’s appointment including themselves.) suggest it could be good news for Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount, Danny Welbeck, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell,

https://www.thetimes.com/sport/foot...ld-cup-2026-qualifying-draw-england-nrhp3q5kk

 

Total guesswork. Tuchel has just said he's going to get a full rundown on all the players Lee Carsley's been using. It's naive and lazy journalism to suggest the German is simply going to select the familiar names or the ones he remembers from his time at Chelsea.

 

Particularly some of those. Sterling and Rashford looks miles away from a call up.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...-trip-USA-June-World-Cup-qualifying-draw.html
One qualifier and one friendly in March and June according to the Daily Mail.

 

Ben White is the perfect international footballer – an England return is a no-brainer for Thomas Tuchel

How England could line up.
Pickford.
White, Stones, Colwill
Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Bellingham , Shaw
Saka, Kane, Gordon

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...land-return-thomas-tuchel-arsenal-right-back/

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Arsenal defender covers two positions and can fit into at least three different systems while working in tandem with Bukayo Saka

Based on footballing ability and consistency of performances, it is quite remarkable that Ben White has made only four appearances for England. Few defenders in the English game, of any nationality, have been as reliable and adaptable in recent years as the 27-year-old, who has developed into one of the Premier League’s most multifunctional players.

Of course, there are wider reasons for White’s lack of game-time on the international stage, which go far beyond his quality on the field. His strained relationship with the previous set of coaches is now common knowledge, even if some of the details remain disputed.

Thankfully for England’s hopes of international success, the departure of Gareth Southgate and the arrival of Thomas Tuchel could herald the return of White to the international stage. Tuchel has said he will contact the Arsenal defender and has insisted that he will have a “clean start” next year.

It remains to be seen whether White truly wishes to return to England duty. For now, he is focusing on his rehabilitation following knee surgery last month. That operation means he will be out of action for a “few months”, in the words of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

If you remove the emotion and off-field disagreements of recent years from the equation, it could be strongly argued that White is the perfect international footballer. The Brighton academy graduate is a versatile, mouldable defender who can play a number of different roles in a number of different ways.

In recent seasons at Arsenal, White has predominantly played as a right-back. At first, he did so almost as a third central defender, rarely pushing forward beyond the halfway line. Gradually, though, he began to add attacking flair to his game, to the extent that he has become a consistent offensive threat as he overlaps on the right flank.

If Arsenal need White to provide attacking width, he can do it. If they need him to sit deep, creating a back three, he can do it. If they need him to “invert” into midfield, moving inside to help the team dominate possession, he can do it. On the international stage, White covers two positions and fits into at least three different shapes.

An example of his versatility came earlier this season, when Arsenal defender William Saliba was suspended for their meeting with Liverpool in October. White had hardly played at centre-back for two seasons but he slotted in without fuss and produced a superb individual performance against one of the most fearsome attacks in Europe.

In theory, at least, White is perfectly suited to the position on the right side of a defensive trio, if Tuchel wishes to revive the flexible 3-4-2-1 tactical system that helped him to win the Champions League with Chelsea. Such an approach requires players who are as comfortable defending their own box as they are duelling with wingers on the touchline.

Perhaps apart from Kyle Walker – and even he is in the midst of an astonishing collapse in form, from which there may be no return – there is no other English player who is as capable of fulfilling both of those defensive requirements as White.

Whether he would start ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold in a back four is another question. The Arsenal defender does not boast the same creativity, passing range or set-piece prowess as Alexander-Arnold. He is a more solid defender, though, and international tournaments are a squad game. There can be little doubt that the presence of White would make Tuchel’s squad stronger (and, indeed, more streetwise).

You certainly would not find any Arsenal supporters who would happily swap White for any of Tino Livramento, Rico Lewis, Ezri Konsa or Joe Gomez. All of these players have been involved with England in recent months, while White has not. Reece James, meanwhile, simply cannot stay fit.

Perhaps most importantly of all, White helps to bring out the best of Bukayo Saka. For much of the past few seasons, White has provided a platform on the right flank that has allowed Saka to thrive. Their relationship on the pitch is a powerful one, as evidenced by Saka’s goal against Liverpool in October: it was White’s long-range pass, weighted to perfection, that allowed the winger to score a spectacular opening goal.

For Arsenal, Saka has become one of Europe’s most devastating attacking players. If White can help to further enhance Saka’s game for England, then his value to Tuchel becomes even greater. On a purely footballing level, his return to the international fold would be a no-brainer. As for the rest? Time, and the upcoming conversation with Tuchel, will tell.

 

First match is home to Albania on Friday 21sf March then home again with Latvia on Monday 24th. (How have they go two home matches? That’s rare)

Away to Andorra at 5pm on Saturday 7th June. I dread to think what line up we might get there. Then a friendly presumably on the 10th or 11th June.

Home to Andorra Saturday 6th September.
Away to Serbia Tuesday 9th September
Likely friendly 9-11th October
Away to Latvia Tuesday 14th October
Home to Serbia Thursday 13th November
Away to Albania Sunday 16th November.

 

The Andorra at home match will not be at Wembely due to Coldplay concerts. Calls for it to be at Everton’s new stadium.

 

That's a brilliant shout. Everton are set to be handed the keys to Bramley-Moore Dock by Laing O’Rourke next week after a three and a half year build, and the stadium just looks stunning with its waterfront setting on the banks of the Mersey.

 

If Ben White is open to a return, then he needs to give the full details from his side about why he opted out for so long.