Shaw is by far and away the best LB we have and it’s a position no one else has staked any kind of claim to. Gomez is probably going to start the tournament and is solid enough, but he’s not world class in that position. It makes perfect sense to take Shaw for me. He’s the Anderton of the time - always injured for club but effective in tournament football
So Grealish comes on in last friendly and again creates chances, as he usually does, but doesn't get a sniff, then we have how many defensive midfielders ? Southgate again showing his stripes, yellow ones !
Is Grealish developing a drink problem? ie nearly fell off the Man Citeh bus the other day, due to being pi$$ed....Allegedly. Surprised, then not that he's not going.
There's one in the squad, if Rice gets crocked, we're ****ed. Kalvin Phillips and Hendo both dropping this season has caused a bit of an issue.
i don't know what you've been watching, but 99 times out of 99 grealish gets the ball, has a quick dribble, doesn't take on a man, comes to a stop, dribbles back to where he got the ball, and passes it backwards to whoever passed it to him. something isn't working and i don't know what it is. creating chances? really? our televisions must be showing different realities.
The cross for Alexander-Arnold was good but I don’t think he puts that ball into the box if Guardiola was screaming at him from the touchline. Guardiola’s an amazing coach, one of the best, but the way he stifles some players individual brilliance and creative freedom has ruined them imo. £100 million for someone like Grealish was absurd to begin with as he was a £60 million pound player max but to then turn him into a bit-part player whose main role is to just keep the ball and recycle it constantly is painful to watch. He was a much more expressive and entertaining player at Villa. He’s been coached to not take a man on, not cut inside and have a shot, not even put a cross in for Haaland yet Doku was signed and allowed to do precisely that.
Rice is the only proper defensive mid, I agree. Gallagher’s box-to-box and even been playing as a number 10 in a similar role to Tufan for Chelsea. Mainoo has some defensive qualities but again is more box-to-box. Wharton is a deep-lying playmaker, not a ball-winning midfielder. Only other player in the squad who could do the same role as Rice for England is Stones playing as a defensive mid and having Konsa at centre-half if there’s any injuries. Other than Phillips and Henderson, the there aren’t a lot of English defensive mids who could deputise for Rice. After them, it’s probably Ben Sheaf at Coventry which is insane.
"I’m so proud. To go to a major competition like the Euros is so special, and I’m so excited. I never dreamed that I would get the chance to play at a tournament. It’s going to be incredible. I’m confident I can make a difference to the team." - Jarrod Bowen.
That Palmer lad is the calmest player I've seen since Cruyff. Plays the game like he's lying by the pool with a G 'n T.
I am surprised he created 2 goals when he came on in the first friendly. What was the point of him coming on as sub if he's then dropped after being one of the few who did anything in the game. He's perfect to come on late in the game if we're winning to hold the ball up and draw the foul Think it's a big mistake not taking him
Grealish as a poster said earlier is a victim of over inflated transfers fees against actual quality. Flavour of the month for a while ( longer than a month) but never in the class of Saka, Foden ,Rice or Bellingham.
Pickford, henderson, dunk, trippier, konsa, watkins,bowen, eze, toney, bellingham, wharton, stones, gomez, guehi n walker from the euro 2024 squad have all played in the championship Thought it was interesting
One paper in an article about PL clubs not giving a toss about the football pyramid mentioned how many players in the England squad had started in the academies of clubs in the lower divisions.
