This period of the England squad (and I mean from 2020ish) is by far the best squad, comparative to other teams, that we've ever had. Ever. We should be winning the Euros quite easily (if you look at the other teams, there's only really France that are anywhere near the squad in terms of quality), and frankly, I don't see better squads across the world. The frustration is that this golden opportunity is being wasted by someone very good at 'team' management, but pretty hopeless at football management. EDIT - I don't actually know if he is very good at team management. But where he does deserve a lot of credit is in getting the squad, and the national feeling towards the squad, out of a hole. He took a bunch of individuals and created a team. That was incredibly necessary and important. But his usefulness since then is negligible.
I think the squad management was excellent at the beginning and by and large he still seems popular with the players, but I think he is showing faults there now as well. For example bringing on Maguire at half time yesterday when we were completely solid in the first half was totally unnecessary and put him in the firing line, he could actually do with a break. I actually think it was poor man management, which is supposed to be Southgate’s strength.
This. I don't understand why Southgate doesn't pick Tomori as a CB. He is quite comfortably better than Maguire and he's only 25. I accept he has less options in DM (hence why Phillips stays in the squad). Hopefully he considers using Stones as a DM. He also questioned Foden's wish to play centrally. Did he see him run the show against Newcastle as a CAM? And Bellingham is one of the most talented players on the planet. I don't think any other team can boast a player who can play in so many positions so well.
The Portugal squad right now is disgustingly good. Belgium still have a lot of quality. Argentina and Brazil are as good, if not better than England for squad depth. The squad we have now is fantastic, but I strongly disagree it's our best ever. The squad Sven had was outrageous. Even the Euro 96 squad was arguably as good (and France/Spain/Belgium were all sh*t back then) In 2016, when we were embarrassed by Iceland, and sh*t the whole tournament, we still had the likes of Kane, Sterling, Rooney, Rashfood, Stones, Walker, Alli (when he was good), peak Vardy. Our fans have an incredibly short memory. Yes, Southgate has his faults, but he's the first manager in my living memory who has tried to create a team, rather than just going with whatever the fans and media want. And funnily enough, he's achieving better results than anyone before him in the modern era. Let's not forget, it could have very easily been Sam Allardyce managing this lot.
Nah, this squad is much better than the squad Sven had for me. Portugal have a strong squad, but now Ronaldo is over the hill lack that star player. I wouldn't call them disgustingly good. Belgium have an ageing squad. Southgate is achieving better results because he has so much quality at his disposal. I appreciate that he's got everyone playing as a team, but he's blinded by his loyalty to certain players. I know he trusts Maguire but he's sitting on the bench week in week out for Man United while he totally ignores Tomori, playing every game for one of the biggest teams in Italy. And Pep called Phillips unfit, yet still gets in the squad. He needs to grow a pair and tell them that if they want to continue playing for England, they need to find new clubs.
Yeah England have the best squad in the world atm and should be winning stuff. This squad is the best in my lifetime on paper at least The Sven squad was over hyped because of a lack of knowledge about other teams due to international domestic football not being as easily accessible as it is now. The majority of fans knew **** all about the players playing for other countries outside of the big names as they couldn’t watch them on Sky/highlights on YouTube etc like nowadays. Plus you had Sky bigging the PL up at every opportunity calling it the bestest league ever with the best players
For me Dunk was class and should play with stones. Would like to see Tomori given a chance too. Maguire is past it and I have no idea why Southgate is opening himself up to this criticism. I think France are easily the best international team, but we are certainly not far off them. I agree that our current squad is crazy. We need to be aiming to win the next two tournaments. Whether that’s with or without Southgate
I just looked back at Sven's 2005 squad and it was at least on a par with this one. The defence was miles better. The midfield just needed someone to work out how to play Gerrard and Lampard together to be insane. Up top we still had Owen and Rooney. If you take Bellingham out of this current side, the starting xi doesn't compete. That said, the squad depth in 2005 was miserable. Shaun-Wright Phillips on the bench??
I think Sven’s squad had the quality individuals but they failed as a team, that’s what Southgate has done well. However, I think modern players (for the most part) are a much more mature and professional bunch than 20 years ago because of improvements in development. So recent results have been down to the success of coaching across English football as a whole.
Sekou scored for the France U21s on Monday. Probably because he was being played as a striker, at a guess.
“Just needed someone to work out how to play Gerrard and Lampard together” is easier said than done. As was shown at the time. The actual answer was this more modern system of a loan “number 6” with two 8s. But there were multiple issues with that: - (most obviously) we didn’t have that player. Hargreaves was for a time but he was both underrated and then always injured - I don’t recall us having proper wide forwards that such a system usually employs now. Especially on the left. I’m not sure beckham and Joe Cole would have cut it but maybe fully unlocking those two 8s would make up for it. - such a system tends to call for a sole striker leading the line. Neither Rooney or Owen could do that and it would mean dropping one anyway
Reading have been hit with a three-point deduction for failing to meet the expectations of the Independent Disciplinary Commission. https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/...c-trigger-three-point-deduction-ahead-return/
Sorry just seen this! Im normally not one to overhype players.. everyone knows I’m a pretty negative bloke when judging players. But I think Bellingham is really special. His touch, his intelligence on the ball, his strength and pace. Plus he also seems to have an elite mindset & mentality. Barring injury I think he will be better than Gazza. He really has the world at his feet IMO. Hopefully he won’t have the expectations dumped on him like Theo and Rooney did when they were young. He is surrounded by other good players so they can share the burden.
Sorry for being a bit of a knob, but these two sentences seem a bit hypocritical, haha. I mean, I get the excitement about him, I really do. He's an excellent player. But how many times have we been here before?; Owen, Gerrard, Rooney, were all hyped in the same way. And to be fair to them, each was world class at certain points in their careers. But none of them managed to replicate their club form on the international stage when it mattered. When I read comments on the Beeb after the Scotland game like 'future Ballon d'Or winner', it's just think, 'here we go again'. Foden was talked about in the same way but he hasn't done it for England. Dele Alli was talked about in the same way. Countless others. England fans, pundits and media are ridiculous when it comes to hyping their own players. Potential doesn't mean sh*t until it is reached. Let's just hope you're right and he's the one to break the mould.
Yep, you're not wrong. The media just love to sensationalise any good young player with potential, the fans lap it up, and then when it doesn't work out, their downfall is all the more glorious. And the problem you have nowadays is that social media just exacerbates things. Maguire being a case in point. Ridiculous the way he gets treated.
