The Footie Thread

[Billysboots]

Now was the time to look forward to the future.

Terrible selections a plenty.

Eric Dier - awful. Not a Premier League defender, never mind an international one.

Harry Maguire - don’t care if he “never lets England down”, he’s not playing football.

Jordan Henderson - time to be put out to international pasture, surely.

James Maddison - we all know he won’t get a kick. Waste of a squad number.

Kalvin Phillips - not playing football, hasn’t done for months.

Ivan Toney - from a football perspective I get it. But huge question marks whether his inclusion is the right call.

So that’s six players very lucky to be there. We could doubtless make arguments for why others should not be on the list.

 

[Bdill93]

Eric Dier - awful. Not a Premier League defender, never mind an international one.

Harry Maguire - don’t care if he “never lets England down”, he’s not playing football.

Jordan Henderson - time to be put out to international pasture, surely.

James Maddison - we all know he won’t get a kick. Waste of a squad number.

Kalvin Phillips - not playing football, hasn’t done for months.

Ivan Toney - from a football perspective I get it. But huge question marks whether his inclusion is the right call.

So that’s six players very lucky to be there. We could doubtless make arguments for why others should not be on the list.

Walker - 32 years old - how many younger RB's could we have chosen instead?!

Trippier - exactly the same as Walker.

Not saying they're not okay for now, but we should be planning for the longer term

 

[Neilds]

According to Southgate, as Toney is still free to play in the PL and has not been suspended, then he cannot see a good reason to not pick him
But then again, he also states that the evidence against Walker is not clear - unlike the video of him dropping his pants!

 

[Orikoru]

Maguire plays terrible for his club - still gets in England team. Maguire doesn't play at all for his club - still gets in the England team. What is he blackmailing Southgate with? This is beyond strange now.

I know he's been playing right back but surely Ben White is worth a look on the right of the three CBs? It's frustrating because we have such a good team on paper now, except for at CB where we're severely let down. Which undermines the whole team, even up to the point where he has to play 3 of them and sacrifice someone further forward.

How good would this be if we had players for the gaps?

James - - - Shaw
Rice - Bellingham
Saka - Foden - Rashford
Kane​

 

[PJ87]

Maguire plays terrible for his club - still gets in England team. Maguire doesn't play at all for his club - still gets in the England team. What is he blackmailing Southgate with? This is beyond strange now.

I know he's been playing right back but surely Ben White is worth a look on the right of the three CBs? It's frustrating because we have such a good team on paper now, except for at CB where we're severely let down. Which undermines the whole team, even up to the point where he has to play 3 of them and sacrifice someone further forward.

How good would this be if we had players for the gaps?

James - - - Shaw
Rice - Bellingham
Saka - Foden - Rashford
Kane​

Our keeper depth is actually very good.

Pope is a good back up
Ramsdale could make a good number 1 and Pickford has never let England down

 

[Orikoru]

Our keeper depth is actually very good.

Pope is a good back up
Ramsdale could make a good number 1 and Pickford has never let England down

Look at the quality of the front six & James though. None of our keepers are near that level - they're just adequate. And it would help if they had a decent CB in front of them but they don't.

 

[hairball_89]

Look at the quality of the front six & James though. None of our keepers are near that level - they're just adequate. And it would help if they had a decent CB in front of them but they don't.

I said it before the World Cup, and I'll say it again now. The future of Englands centre backs are White, Tomori and Guehi. Tomori in particular should be the present. He's the best English centre back out there.

Rest of your team, completely agree. With the likes of Mount, Grealish, Trent (yes, yes...), Chilwell, Watkins there's also depth.

Or there should be, if the boss could see any merit in having fun...

 

[Swango1980]

Eric Dier - awful. Not a Premier League defender, never mind an international one.

Harry Maguire - don’t care if he “never lets England down”, he’s not playing football.

Jordan Henderson - time to be put out to international pasture, surely.

James Maddison - we all know he won’t get a kick. Waste of a squad number.

Kalvin Phillips - not playing football, hasn’t done for months.

Ivan Toney - from a football perspective I get it. But huge question marks whether his inclusion is the right call.

So that’s six players very lucky to be there. We could doubtless make arguments for why others should not be on the list.

Can't disagree with much of that.

I look at some of the teams that are doing well, and think there might be one or 2 English players they have that would be worth a shout. Given England are a bit dodgy in the centre back area, would someone like Dunk not be worth a shout? There must be English players out there that play regularly, and would be better than Henderson (I suspect Henderson has begged to be in the squad so he can continue to tap up Bellingham).

I do get Toney, and I don't blame Southgate for picking him. After all, he is not judge and jury. I blame the authorities or the tardiness of the legal system in regards to Toney.

 

[BrianM]

Ben White is not in the squad because of what’s gone on before in my opinion, he’s probably playing the best football of his career, his team are flying as well.
Some really strange choices in that squad.

 

[Orikoru]

I do get Toney, and I don't blame Southgate for picking him. After all, he is not judge and jury. I blame the authorities or the tardiness of the legal system in regards to Toney.

Agreed, he's not banned and he's in form, it would be stupid not to pick him.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Look at the quality of the front six & James though. None of our keepers are near that level - they're just adequate. And it would help if they had a decent CB in front of them but they don't.

Will you still think Pickford is adequate when you buy him for £50m in the summer

 

[GB72]

Not making excuses for the selection but this is partly a problem due to pretty much all matches being competitive. No matter how tin pot the tournament, everything is to qualify or progress in something and the press are going to crucify the mangement team if they lose. As such, there are so few opportunities to actually try out players and combinations, you almost have to go with what you know.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Not making excuses for the selection but this is partly a problem due to pretty much all matches being competitive. No matter how tin pot the tournament, everything is to qualify or progress in something and the press are going to crucify the mangement team if they lose. As such, there are so few opportunities to actually try out players and combinations, you almost have to go with what you know.

Are they really competitive though? Does anyone care about the Nations League or whatever it's called? They are the games to experiment in. We need to know what players can do when we come to qualifiers.

 

[GB72]

Are they really competitive though? Does anyone care about the Nations League or whatever it's called? They are the games to experiment in. We need to know what players can do when we come to qualifiers.

I agree but, again, media thing. May be a Tin Pot Tournament but the media will still be full of 'England Flop' 'England Crash Out' 'Turnip Southgate' headlines. This is not a football thing. England teams across a number of sports are simply poor at evolving becuase the pressure is on to win every time.

 

[Swango1980]

Are they really competitive though? Does anyone care about the Nations League or whatever it's called? They are the games to experiment in. We need to know what players can do when we come to qualifiers.

The next matches are Euro qualifiers, are they not?

I can see the rationale about not experimenting too much. Though, if you are an international manager, you've got to allow for some experimentation, as you don't have the time to watch players in training, have a pre season, and have many games where rotating players is quite a natural thing anyway.

Agree with Nations League, that is a great opportunity to be more flexible and experiment, arguably against teams at a similar level to yourselves.

 

[Hobbit]

The next matches are Euro qualifiers, are they not?

I can see the rationale about not experimenting too much. Though, if you are an international manager, you've got to allow for some experimentation, as you don't have the time to watch players in training, have a pre season, and have many games where rotating players is quite a natural thing anyway.

Agree with Nations League, that is a great opportunity to be more flexible and experiment, arguably against teams at a similar level to yourselves.

But the England manager has a network of people to watch matches. Picking those in form shouldn’t be an issue. Obviously there’s a core of players you might want in the squad but surely Henderson & Maguire shouldn’t be there. Maguire isn’t playing, and Henderson is a shadow of his former self. One of them as a squad player to help bring in new players and integrate them into the dressing room… poor(typical) Southgate rubbish.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The next matches are Euro qualifiers, are they not?

I can see the rationale about not experimenting too much. Though, if you are an international manager, you've got to allow for some experimentation, as you don't have the time to watch players in training, have a pre season, and have many games where rotating players is quite a natural thing anyway.

Agree with Nations League, that is a great opportunity to be more flexible and experiment, arguably against teams at a similar level to yourselves.

They are. I didn't realise when I posted but then heard it on the radio on my way home . Saying that, my point about the Nations League being Mickey Mouse and the place for experimenting still stands.

 

[Swango1980]

But the England manager has a network of people to watch matches. Picking those in form shouldn’t be an issue. Obviously there’s a core of players you might want in the squad but surely Henderson & Maguire shouldn’t be there. Maguire isn’t playing, and Henderson is a shadow of his former self. One of them as a squad player to help bring in new players and integrate them into the dressing room… poor(typical) Southgate rubbish.

I'm sure he does have scouts. But, simply plucking players on great form for different clubs, and throwing them into an England side doesn't mean they'll play well. They'll all play within different team styles and different team mates.

I can absolutely see why there are question marks about certain players, especially when not playing for club. He obviously thinks they are invaluable members of the squad. But, would Dunk be worth a chance? Even over Dier if he doesn't wanna drop Maguire.

 

[Billysboots]

Oh my God, how slow is Maguire?

 

[Hobbit]

I'm sure he does have scouts. But, simply plucking players on great form for different clubs, and throwing them into an England side doesn't mean they'll play well. They'll all play within different team styles and different team mates.

I can absolutely see why there are question marks about certain players, especially when not playing for club. He obviously thinks they are invaluable members of the squad. But, would Dunk be worth a chance? Even over Dier if he doesn't wanna drop Maguire.

Your answer is below from @Billysboots I wouldn’t have Maguire in a pub team at present. He’s a busted flush.

As to taking a few other players, why not? Would a player who is playing regular first team football and is perceived to be good enough for a call-up be worse than Maguire. Take Henderson for the dressing room, at least he’s playing first team football, and take Maguire to the local bingo hall.

Oh my God, how slow is Maguire?