Doesn't help when Delph gets picked for absolutely no reason. I can see why he might make a tournament, due to versatility. Starting in a match like that, alongside an inexperienced holding player? No. Picking Ward-Prowse or Will Hughes would've been better, but they don't play for top clubs.
None of them good enough at this level and we don't have any that we can put in that can change it massively !
Holland to win it. They should beat Portugal. If Ajax had won the CL, could've been the beginning of an era for the Dutch. Probably still is tbf.
Games like this show that you scatter one or two English midfielders in each PL side and they look class. Bring them all together and they're ****.
I disagree. The selection was an incoherent mess and Southgate took far too long to make changes, then got them wrong. If he didn't want to pick the Champions League final players, then leave them out entirely and pick some who are fit and firing. The tactics didn't make much sense and really didn't work.
That's true to an extent, I was looking at the depth of our midfield. But even in our starting line up, I think the midfielder options are pretty thin. Where was Loftus Cheek today btw.
Loftus-Cheek played a friendly for Chelsea prior to the Europa League final and got injured. Out for six months, IIRC.
Him and Sancho I like, possibly Lingard as he at least takes on players, but inconsistent. That's about it.
Mason Mount and Gibbs-White look like good prospects, but it's early for both of them. Not sure why Maddison didn't make it, though.
As a team? Yes. As individual players? No. The England team always seems to lack identity and a settled system. The squad selection is constantly wonky and players aren't picked on form, consistency or ability, but on name and profile.
We don't have that top quality that knits it together though do we ? We always look more static than the top teams and we seriously need our young players to go to some if these top Euro teams !
Netherlands have a great CB partnership, a world class CM in De Jong and the odd bit of talent scattered around but nothing special. Going forward Portugal are by far the better side, they should comfortably win the final imo.
I'd add Wijnaldum and Blind to that. It should be a good final between both sides. Probably better for the final England did get knocked out. Up front Holland are lacking but everything up to that point I think they'll outplay Portugal.
