England Senior Team General Discussion Thread

Through with how Southgate has talked about Saka this year I think he would use him as LWB reluctantly. It’seems Southgate prefers him playing in other positions.

 

His best position now is right wing though

 

Kane?

 

Yeah .. Kane is excellent.. for Spurs

I do worry about cover for him though as he does pick up injuries

 

I wonder how many players we could be having in Qatar who have only played 50% or less of possible minutes.

 

It looks as though everything possible will be stacked against us to be honest

The only good thing is that we shall be shut of Gareth afterwards

 

The more things stacked against us the more likely he will be seen as doing his best under difficult circumstances. If Kane gets injured there would no expectation of any success at all so people would see even getting out of the group as big achievement.

France are as well having a poor buildup - injury and fitness decline of key players, poor nations league, rumours of dressing room splits.

 

Na ..

I’m sure that they will make the right decision next so that’s either Graham Potter or Eddie Howe or Brendan Rodgers

 

Rodgers is most likely of the three to be unemployed then so could be in contention.

I think this World Cup will be quite unpredictable through. I could easily see it being quite surprising with some teams in form struggling (I can see a poor tournament for at least one of Spain, Germany, Brazil or Argentina.) and some less in form teams doing well. Southgate has twice before suddenly improved performances at tournaments from turgid buildups so I’m not counting that out until the World Cup starts.

 

How did I miss Harvey Elliott !!

Currently running the game on Sky Sports

 

I think he is one for 2023 onwards. I don’t think he has much chance of making Qatar.

 

He’s arguably our most in form midfielder

 

It’s hard to judge form after two matches of the season. Making radical changes just to fit lots of in form players who have never played together doesn’t work very often. And especially a player younger than all bar Bellingham when Southgate has told us he is going to use more older players.

 

Hes also excellent for England

 

In realty it’s only really right back and attacking midfielders where we don’t have major form or depth concerns.

The notable ones.
Left Back - Shaw out of form and I can see him being dropped from Man United starts soon. Chilwell looks like he won’t get many more first team minutes before the World Cup and is not really in the picture. Mitchell doesn’t seem to have really impressed Southgate. Is going to be a postion of weakness for England for a long while to come.
Centre back - Maguire out of form. Stones not playing. Mings up and down. Coady and Dier only fitting certian systems. White seems to be injury prone. Tomroi not impressed for England yet.
Defensive midfielder - Big drop off if anyone is injured.
Centre forward - Big drop of Kane is injured. Again a position of long term weakness,

 

Plus with two weeks to go this transfer window as not been that great for English players. Many moves that have concerned many of us have happened.

 

Plus CBs and CFs ...

So that’s just about the whole damn team

 

I put them. We have one outstanding centre forward and centre backs are a mess of out of form and inexperienced at international level.

I imagine you won’t be happy to hear Jamie Carragher has predicted Rice is the next England Captain.

https://insidefutbol.com/2022/08/15...ch-would-be-bad-news-for-everton-star/573473/
I really don’t see it unless Pickford has a terrible time in September or is injured.

 

Saka and Bowen are the right attackers

both deserve to play be in the squad but using Saka as a lwb in a system proven to lose against good sides is dumb to me

Southgate has done well but I think he’s reached his peak. Not good enough tactically to get over the line

we have so many better options than a mason mount in a free role 5 at the back

Imo he should not be starting for England and is part of the problem (work rate over creativity)

 

The problem is not that many really experienced LWB for Southgate to choose from. Chilwell has been told he will only be a sub at club level for the foreseeable future. Shaw is out of form and possibly heading towards being a sub only as well. The others don’t seem to be rated by Southgate much. Picking someone with tournament experience could better than trying someone Southgate doesn’t really trust.

I don’t think Southgate rates Foden as much as some people. Even since he lost his starting place during the euros he has felt like a second choice player. Will be intresting to see if in September he can make it back to a starting role in a near first choice line up. If you take his comments at face value him and Mount are challenging for one starting place.

 

If I remember correctly, you were 100% sure last December that Chilwell would not recover in time. Yet he did.
You are equally sure that he will not play then. And as a BL participant Chelsea will certainly not push through the autumn with only one left-back, but it doesn't matter.
You also seem equally certain that Shaw can be written off after two games, maybe his whole career is over.
What else is there to worry about with less than 3 months to go until the World Cup?

 

Has Chillwell actually been told that?

 

Well Tuchel was quoted as saying he is keeping Chilwell as a sub for the next games as he lacks rhythm as he comes back from injury

 

Ok, that’s not that bad and probably understandable. I presumed you meant he’d just been dropped because of the new signing.