I watched some of the build up on SSN before the announcement and apparently he reckons Alexander-Arnold can be played as a midfielder and Walker has played in a back 3 previously for England.
He would do well to play players in their natural positions. I’ve grown up watching England doing mental things like playing Paul Scholes on the wing and it never leads to success.
Southgate is a ****ing bottle job. **** scared to leave a couple of full backs out, what a ****er. 4 right backs? Is he for real Maguire is **** as well and so is Shaw. How the **** those 2 are at Manchester United I'll never know. He was the easy appointment by the FA, soft as ****e bottle job 'yes' man.
26 man squad for the first time so you can comfortably have an extra player in a certain position. Clearly going to play 3 at the back to start games with Walker or James on the right hand side of the 3. 2 in centre mid so 4 players for that position is ample. Loaded with attacking midfielders. I think the squad is fine. Not saying we will win but we shouldn't disgrace ourselves.
do sterling and henderson really deserve a place?...henderson has hardly kicked a ball in anger all season and sterling has struggled right through to regain his form, while henderson may well be a great help in the squad/leader/old head etc then just take him along as part of the back room team and give the place to a lad in form. problem every time england choose a national squad, go with 'tried and tested' and never the main ones in form, cricket used to be very much the same (dont really take much notice of it now so may have changed?)...lads working their socks off in below par teams while the ones made to look better than they actually are because of the good players around them get the slots, said it many times and until we dare choose a manager to break that mould we will win nothing, unless we have a freak competition like greece did.
Sterling doesn't start for me but maybe worth a squad place. Henderson is a shoe in. Best player in that position by a country mile. Ward-Prowse has had a decent season but international quality? I'm not convinced.
possibly agree about sterling, not really much other choice...if henderson had been getting game time and was at least up to speed then yes, he has to be included, ward prowse for his deliveries? hopefully calvert lewin hits the ground running as well, great start to the season but faded more as it went on...after that i think it would really be a lot of 'taking a gamble' but we will see and hope for a surprise.
Tin hat in but I probably wouldn't have picked Henderson. No room for sentiment in this tournament or the world cup. The schedule of games and intensity is brutal even for players who are fully fit. Tournament footy is different to a league season. I think (but obviously hope he doesn't) he may break down injured again. Not many England mangers actually have the balls for the job. They are all the same type, pick the players based on who they play for. Ollie Watkins should be in the squad imo
It's going a bit under the radar but the semi finals of the u21 Euros are on Thursday. Spain v Portugal at 5pm and Holland v Germany at 8pm. 'Aidy' ****ing Boothroyds England have the summer off. Another prick who hasn't got a scooby.
Is it just me or don't I recognise 1 conventional centre mid in that team bar Hendo? The rest are attacking players who fit well in to an AM type role but we don't have 1 Kante type player who will sit and 'protect' the back 4 or even a conventional CM who can play the traditional CM role. For me, we're basically looking at playing with no midfield and just going defence and attack. Bullshit team for me, midfield is the heart of a team and we have none on this squad bar Henderson. I actually thought better of Southgate.
Maybe we just have quite a bit of talent in all areas And that’s the first in many years Now it’s his job to pick the correct squad Weather it’s he’s picked the correct players remains to be seen I’m ok with who we have however there is some good ones left out
Declan Rice plays defensive midfield. He's an absolute Rolls Royce of a player. I get to watch a lot of West Ham (when Covid isn't preventing us from getting into grounds) and I think I've only ever seen him give the ball away once. Two more West Ham players, Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard, should have made the squad on merit. They offer something different to whats in there now.
If Henderson is ****ed, then I wish Rice all the best. Doubt he will play the Leeds lad much as he isn't from a popular club.
I agree Lingaard should have been in, had an absolute unreal year since going to Wear Ham but again, not your traditional CM...
We have had talented players for years imo. Scholes, lampard, Gerrard, Owen, Beckham, Shearer, Seaman, Adams, Ashley Cole and now Sterling, Walker, TAA, Grealish and they all get mis managed and end up ****ing it up because the fear to win for England runs right through from FA top level to the manager. I love England and want them to win but they have criminally underachieved since I can remember watching them (I vaguely remember Italia 90). I reckon we will 'achieve' a fairly routine QF elimination once we come up against our first decent side. Most likely with a couple of 'I told you Pickford was dodgy' and 'Grealish hasn't played for 2 months' type comments.
