He'd be some midfielder. He has a great range of passing and carries the ball very well. He is just a joy to watch and given a nearly 30 year old Bonucci is valued at £50-60m, hasn't kicked a ball in the PL and isn't as mobile, what would he be worth if we held an auction? In the last week Jamie Redknapp has called him our most important player. He's the one we haven't lost to injury or suspension (never going to happen given how clean his defensive work is) or rested significantly. Whilst I'd love to see CCV get a run out of a few games but I don't want to find out Toby's the glue holding it all together by him not being there. I gave up on having a 'favourite player' when Graham Roberts left, not any more.
We'll see how Carter-Vickers and Wimmer perform in his absence against Liverpool, I expect. It'll be a real test for them, but a good display would make a big statement.
NSFW, due to both the challenge and Klinsmann's understandably sweary reaction: Shocking. Not even a foul.
Southgate's chosen an England team containing Cahill, Rooney and Sturridge. It's only Malta but if that's an indication of a willingness to ignore form or even playing regular football, it's more of the same and an indication that Southgate's not the man for the job. Our front 4 are: Rooney - Not playing for United and stinking up the pitch when he comes on as a sub; Sturridge - See Rooney (only his club prefer to play with no forward to putting this lazy fecker back in the team); Lindgard - hasn't done enough to get a cap for me, yet but Southgate knows him pretty well. Not a game that we can lose, so it can't go too badly wrong. Walcott - Theo's back. Merited on his early season form but experience screams that it won't last. Given he'll get much worse service than at the Gooners, this could be a short reprise as he loses focus and heart very easily. No place for our most in-form striker in Rashford is very surprising. Dele looks as though he's playing deeper which doesn't suit him these days and doesn't see the best of him. Still, no Dier or Rose and that suits me just fine. It's a shame that Walker has to play this ridiculous fixture and next week as well.
The early signs indicate that we've learned nothing, again and we'll be picking the out of form, sick and over the hill, as usual, whilst trouncing Malta, Slovenia, Scotland to the cheers of all and sundry. When we do the same at the WC and get our arses handed to us by slightly better teams, the media will turn on the manager and players. Same old, same old.
Against a team that is going to be on the back foot for the entire game, why play Sturridge who wants to come deep and go wide all the time?
Well done, Southgate. It's not like you've got tons of options in both positions or anything. You pillock. Another funny injury on the Wembley turf, too. Seems to happen in virtually every game there. Is something wrong with the surface?
On his own, too. Silly. Trying to introduce the pressing style that's popular in the Premier League now and I don't remember it being used in the U21s. Looks like he's going with the tactics of the day, to me.
