You make this same post ad nauseum but it seems very unlikely that the Nations League is actually going to make any difference. Is tougher Nations League opponents 18 months before the next tournament really going to teach us an awful lot that we didn't just learn at the Euro's immediately prior? I would like us to be in the top of the Nations League and to actually compete for it, but you seem to be massively overplaying how much impact the games would actually have. As Fireburn points out if we'd finished above Germany in the last nations league our group would be Netherlands, Bosnia, and Hungary. Would a couple of games against the Netherlands - who we literally played a couple of months ago - make or break this side?
Case in example - France were pretty bad in the 2022 as well as well but later that year made the World Cup final.
Do I really need to explain why someone professing to be a nationalist isn't potentially concerning ?
Well I think ultimately the more 'difficult' games you play the better prepared you'll be. Playing against a team that you dominate easily will tech you less than against a team that's going to give you 'problems to solve', Ireland couldn't give us anything that Spain would give us and if we need to be prepared to match up against teams with equal or better players than ours, teams that will cause us the problems Ireland couldn't then we need to be well 'practiced' against such things, games against teams like Spain or France or Portugal are a completely different ball game entirely than games against Finland, Ireland and Greece. It might all be 'small margins' but at the highest level 'small margins' become important.
Lee Carsley says England "will make two or three changes" to "freshen the team up a bit" against Finland on Tuesday night.— James Olley (@JamesOlley) September 9, 2024
Man City star Rico Lewis set to start England's Nations League clash with Finland as Lee Carsley prepares to make multiple changes after impressive debut win over Republic of Ireland https://t.co/wEwMXpboJQ— Mail Sport (@MailSport) September 9, 2024 England predicted XI: (4231): Pickford; Trent; Stones, Konsa, Lewis; Gomes, Rice; Saka, Grealish, Gordon; Kane 🚨 Lee Carsley has confirmed England will ring the changes against Finland at Wembley@johncrossmirror predicts how England will line up against Finland at Wembley 👇https://t.co/iIayp54MCA pic.twitter.com/GpeRR58FBM— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) September 9, 2024 England (possible): Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Konsa, Lewis; Rice, Gallagher; Saka, Gordon, Kane https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...-city-england-finland-wembley-nations-league/ England (probable, 4-2-3-1): Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Konsa, Lewis; Rice, Gomes; Saka, Grealish, Gordon; Kane. Finland (probable, 4-2-3-1): Hradecky; Stahl, Hoskonen, Ivanov, Galvez; Peltola, Kamara; Lod, Nissila, Antman; Pohjanpalo Lee Carsley hints at new roles for Cole Palmer and Phil Foden to get England ‘controlling games’ https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/lee-carsley-england-manager-foden-palmer-b2609830.html
Is that Palmer and Foden down the middle as false 9s? Lots to like about Carsley. Not all the bad stuff in the second half was on him. He just took too long and the players phoned it in. Gomes starting will be interesting to watch. Grealish and Rice down the middle, Grealish looked good in that first half when we got him going. Looked much better.
That last article is exactly what I want to hear. Something you'd never see come out of Southgate's mouth. Basically pick midfielders who can control the ball and don't be surprised when we fail to control midfield against elite teams when we pick our midfield based on physicality and athleticism
What?? What makes you think that? We beat a pretty poor Ireland side on Saturday, not a Spain or Argentina.
He seems to really like Grealish and it seems like it might be Rice v Bellingham for one spot and he was really praising Rice again today. With Gomes getting the other spot. Logically Rice would be more likely to miss out than Bellingham but who knows.
I wonder if Curtis Jones could be in the next squad even if he doesn’t start a PL or CL match before then.
Some really concerning info regarding the reasons why Southgate refused to pick Anthony Gordon.@CraigHope_DM is reporting Southgate was "miffed" by him using his phone leading to him crashing his bike and then telling the media that England's style was "too predictable".#NUFC pic.twitter.com/fTEpCfGATP— 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝘆𝗻𝗲 #NUFC (@ToonMouthTyne) September 9, 2024
Bellingham will start every big game for England, that is not in doubt. I think we all like Grealish here but Jude is levels better. They could also potentially even play together if you packed the defence with passers.
Logically he is but the way Carsley has praised Grelaish makes me think he sees him in his first choice 11. Could Gomes, Bellingham and Grealish work?
Let’s see those stats vs Italy or Spain. All well and good vs Ireland, the equivalent of Man City vs Stoke City.
Jenks, some people can’t help but bring ideology and politics into our national pastime. The game is poisoned enough by money.
Rice was our best player against Italy in the Euro 2020 final. Either way any player on the pitch against Ireland could've stepped up and put in a MOTM performance but Rice only did.
I think you’re overthinking things with Grealish, just because he’s praising him doesn’t equate to him starting ahead of Bellingham after one game against Ireland. Carsley is just doing good management, Grealish didn’t have the best of seasons last season and obviously left out of the Euros squad so he’s probably praising him to help build up his confidence so he hopefully goes on to have a good season and continues to get picked for England as an in form Grealish is a bonus for our squad.
Yeah there's really no need to start him against Finland with the amount of minutes he's played over the last few years. Especially when we're all eagre to see what Madueke can do.