That would be a bit humiliating for the player though, basically being taken as a "cheerleader" as people would term it.
🚨 Liverpool stance on Rio Ngumoha, not just today but for months: untouchable. 🔐Seen as crucial part of the project and no chance for his exit, #LFC view is clear. 🏴 pic.twitter.com/ZyaceMg0Zy— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 5, 2026
Konsa is doing the press conference so is likely starting tomorrow- maybe so that Stones can rest for the World Cup.
Diomande can play on both sides though, right? I can't really see Liverpool going into another season with just Ngumoha and Gakpo as options on the left, so signing someone who's capable of being picked in the same team as Ngumoha might be the best-case scenario.
I don't usually post on here but I can't resist on this. England have definitely underperformed in tournaments. Especially the Euros. People laugh at Italy for failing to qualify for the World Cup for 16 years but I would gladly swap that for getting over the line against them at Wembley in 2021. You don't always need to have the greatest players to win the Euros. You do need to have a committed team and maybe a bit of luck. There are lots of reasons I think we have failed. Gerrard has said he looks back on the teams he was involved in as losers because they couldn't get over their club rivalries. They were cliquey and prioritised domestic success. I don't think Bayern players do that. They know they're going to win 10 league titles in their careers if they stay in Munich. International football is the ultimate aim. If they win a Euros or World Cup that puts them in a higher bracket and they will prioritise that whilst Premier League players are busting a git in the most competitive league. Lots of English club supporters say they don't care about the England team. I think this is a weakness in their character in that they can't hack losing and they would soon jump on the bandwagon if we won. Even so it pervades the conversation. Players that play abroad always want to show their homeland what they're about when it comes to international football. You know that Argentines in European leagues put Argentina first. Maybe the increase in English playing abroad will help with that? It should also help with a broader football education. Most of all I think we've had a lack of belief that has built up over the decades. Spain always underperformed until they had an exceptional team. France to an extent too. Winning is a habit. If we get over the line once then we might win another. I don't see it this time but the Euros at home is an excellent chance. It would be nice to have that national moment of joy and celebration that only a football triumph would bring.
I was going to say, he'd be daft not to get an EU passport if he can, if only for easier travel. My last Irish ancestor is too far back or I'd absolutely get one.
I should be able to get an Irish passport but it's complicated due to adoption. Went to Germany in April. Had to stand in the leper queue as neither of my passports were any help whilst the EU citizen line was empty. Frustrating
I'm probably out on a limb here, but I'm not sure I would. I'd dearly love for us to win a tournament, of course, but what actually makes me feel excited about England is the sense that we're going into every tournament with a real chance. I can deal with the disappointment of falling short far better than I could deal with the feeling I had in 2012/14/16 that, barring something completely improbable, we were out of the running before a ball was even kicked. Italy's a weird situation - I don't know what you can make of a side that has been so bad in World Cup qualifying for so long and still managed to win the Euros. Same set of players though, which probably does say something about the role that luck and "perfect storms" play in success and failure.
Glad to raise you out of your slumber. On the clique aspect, I actually considered this as a reason but not sure how much of a factor it is given that I accounted for other national teams with arguably more heated rivalries, particularly Spain. Barcelona/Real Madrid rivalry was at its peak precisely when they won their titles, and even WC 2006 Italy, Juventus and Milan had been recently competing in a UCL final against each other, although this one is a bit more understated. It could be that Spain's players knew how to set aside their differences for the national team but they were also quite public with their club passion. I think maybe, and this might be reaching as I don't know these players personally, the English players maybe put more of a focus in their club careers vs. national team careers. That could be an unfair thing to say though. It's definitely interesting for sure though.
I was in two minds about posting that part. If we had won any tournament in my 48 years I definitely wouldn't have. This summer would be grim if we hadn't qualified. Offer Italians losing in that final and qualifying for all these World Cups, would they take it? I don't know. I am excited to see how we do this year. What I think matters most of all is having a team that works for each other and knows what it is doing. In this World Cup using substitutes will be more important than ever before. I think Tuchel will be better than Southgate here. To win this World Cup we would need to win two matches where we're not favourites and not lose any where we are. It is possible.
It is the impression that I have had that England players of some eras put club football first. That may well be unfair. It definitely has not always been the case. I wouldn't suggest to Stuart Pearce's face that this applied to him or his era. Gerrard and Scholes, maybe it does apply to them. Beckham was the same era and he put everything in. It only needs a percent or two of commitment to make a difference. I would never doubt Argentines 100% commitment to country over club. Spain is an interesting one. Barcelona are Catalan before Spain so that is a bigger divide to bridge. Their national team underachieved for a long time. I think their World Cup winning teams were just so far ahead of everyone else that they could hardly fail. That success has bred an arrogant confidence. No Real Madrid players in this Spain squad is bizarre. England's current team? I think they do care a lot. There probably are squads that care even more. If we win a tournament it will change a lot because it would be bigger than any club success. I don't think the players realise just how big it would be. Although, I don't know them so this is just my impression.
More unusual stuff from Tuchel. Thomas Tuchel plans to give everybody valuable game time v New Zealand with 2 different sides playing 45 mins. 11 substitutions each side. Tuchel will gamble nobody picks up an injury. Happy with the first week. pic.twitter.com/pRfGXV9ALp— Ian Dennis (@Iandennisbbc) June 5, 2026
Yeah I’ve got a Swedish passport mainly due to uncertainties at the time straight after Brexit but also due to it being easier to travel which I can say is definitely a benefit of which I’ve witnessed first hand.
I think this is pretty normal and logical. It's largely what other nations have been doing in their friendlies.
Yeah was just about to say this, seems quite sensible to me especially given the pictures I’ve seen of the pitch on social media make me think they don’t want to risk any pointless injuries and give everyone a decent run out at the same time. It’s essentially a training exercise so we shouldn’t be reading anything into this game.
Why is it unusual? Most of our players haven't had a game for two weeks, so I'd have thought it would be standard practice for everyone to get a run out in a pre-tournament friendly like this.
I thought most have been subbing 6-8 and at least trying not making it a training exercise in all but name.
"I have a clear idea of 14 or 15 starters for us."Thomas Tuchel on whether he knows his starting XI for England's first World Cup fixture against Croatia 🇭🇷 pic.twitter.com/uGfkZMx7Cs— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 5, 2026 Tuchel on pitch: ‘I just saw it. It will not affect my selection. I heard it should be OK. We want it to be OK. I saw a photo that made me a little bit worried and concerned. We can always react when we are there.’— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) June 5, 2026 Harry Kane is England's target-man, talisman, record man and it was no absolutely no surprise to hear Thomas Tuchel describing his captain as "key" for the team out here at the World Cup. Tuchel outlined the circumstances when Olly Watkins or Ivan Toney would come on for Kane but… pic.twitter.com/MhwbXChlhr— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) June 5, 2026
That video that Jenks put up a few days ago pretty much mentions the 14 or 15 players and the style of play. The only alternates are Stones/Konsa, Rogers/Bellingham and Gordon/Rashford. Maybe the 15th is the left back. It is very precocious to rely on an approach that can pretty much quickly fall apart because a good portion of your replacements do not fit the style imo.
One thing that hasn’t got much of a mention about this World Cup is seemingly the difference in quality regarding the pitches for the friendly games compared to the WC venues. World Cup hosts should be offering up high quality pitches in all circumstances. These things would not be happening in Europe.