[Valley Blues]

 azul, on 20 June 2024 - 09:53 PM, said:

I heard loads of pundits pushing for this. I wouldn't be surprised if Keane and Neville were amongst them.

Interesting how Southgate admitted Alexander-Arnold struggles defensively but sees him fit to play in central midfield in this formation.

Are there any world class holding or central midfielders that can?t do the defensive part of the game?

[Wooden Spoon]

Tactically inept and was exposed as such against the Croats in the semi final years ago.


Rice as the 6, Bellingham as the 8 Foden the 10 Kane as 9, Saka right, Gordon left.


It almost picks itself.


Playing two holding players and a back 4 against 1 up top? Saying we?re struggling because we don?t have Calvin Philips? Nonsense

This post has been edited by Wooden Spoon: 21 June 2024 - 01:42 AM

[Paragon of Virtue]

 Blue roan lily, on 20 June 2024 - 09:00 PM, said:

Tournament success yes
To be fair he has not got a lot to pick from
Booby Robson Terry Venables etc had far better players
This crop are average at best
There are better players we havent taken
Out in the last 16

Which better players haven't we taken?

[BlueRodneyFern]

 Paragon of Virtue, on 21 June 2024 - 05:55 AM, said:

Which better players haven't we taken?

I would say only grealish as for the rest they were bang out of form but with Grealish you still would have had that splash of brilliance

[Search & Destroy]

Out of 10 outfield players, he played 3 right backs

[hilly81]

azul, on 20 June 2024 - 09:53 PM, said:

I heard loads of pundits pushing for this. I wouldn't be surprised if Keane and Neville were amongst them.

I think TAA is good enough to play in midfield but these things don't happen overnight. He needs games there to learn the role. Experimenting with something like this in a major tournament is just ludicrous.

[Bonnyman]

Wooden Spoon, on 21 June 2024 - 01:39 AM, said:

Tactically inept and was exposed as such against the Croats in the semi final years ago.


Rice as the 6, Bellingham as the 8 Foden the 10 Kane as 9, Saka right, Gordon left.


It almost picks itself.


Playing two holding players and a back 4 against 1 up top? Saying we?re struggling because we don?t have Calvin Philips? Nonsense

and get rid of trippier at left back

Search & Destroy, on 21 June 2024 - 06:32 AM, said:

Out of 10 outfield players, he played 3 right backs

a great point

[JonB]

Bonnyman, on 21 June 2024 - 11:31 AM, said:

and get rid of trippier at left back

Think the talk was that Shaw would be available for the last group game, that would help a lot to have a natural left back in there.

Bonnyman, on 21 June 2024 - 11:31 AM, said:

a great point

2 are a necessity currently due to Shaw being injured and no other left back taken as none jumped out to be picked in the squad, Trippier has played there numerous times for England before. The third one is TAA who has played right back less for his club recently as well where he has also played in midfield. There is a reasoning behind three right backs in there and it doesnt show the full picture to blindly say we played three backs!

[Goku]

 JonB, on 21 June 2024 - 11:36 AM, said:

Think the talk was that Shaw would be available for the last group game, that would help a lot to have a natural left back in there.


2 are a necessity currently due to Shaw being injured and no other left back taken as none jumped out to be picked in the squad, Trippier has played there numerous times for England before. The third one is TAA who has played right back less for his club recently as well where he has also played in midfield. There is a reasoning behind three right backs in there and it doesnt show the full picture to blindly say we played three backs!

They should?ve brought Mitchell from Palace. Natural left footed left back who had a good season. If you play Foden on the left you need a fullback who can overlap and cross with their left foot.

[hilly81]

JonB, on 21 June 2024 - 11:36 AM, said:

Think the talk was that Shaw would be available for the last group game, that would help a lot to have a natural left back in there.


2 are a necessity currently due to Shaw being injured and no other left back taken as none jumped out to be picked in the squad, Trippier has played there numerous times for England before. The third one is TAA who has played right back less for his club recently as well where he has also played in midfield. There is a reasoning behind three right backs in there and it doesnt show the full picture to blindly say we played three backs!

Shaw hasn't played a single minute of first team football for 4 months. It's madness to suggest he will drop straight back into a team in a European Championships and make a huge difference.

[Osborne again]

 Search & Destroy, on 21 June 2024 - 06:32 AM, said:

Out of 10 outfield players, he played 3 right backs

He must have been watching Jeff King trying to defend for us and thought, safety in numbers 😁.

[danblue]

Top and tail of it is unfortunately we're f*cked as a national team if the manager can't get a tune out of the embarrassment of riches he has.
Unless he tactility flips 180? and attacks teams, we'll stumble through the group and then get knocked out at the business end.
Tuesdays game would be ideal to go and attack team, but we all know Southgate will play for a draw

[Osborne again]

 hilly81, on 21 June 2024 - 12:13 PM, said:

Shaw hasn't played a single minute of first team football for 4 months. It's madness to suggest he will drop straight back into a team in a European Championships and make a huge difference.

The only other in the squad who's capable of playing left back and that's Joe Gomez, who can play anywhere across the back four positions. Shaw should have been left at home, because, as someone has already stated, he isn't going to come back firing on all cylinders from the off. Isn't there any decent left backs knocking about?

[whittman]

Wooden Spoon, on 21 June 2024 - 01:39 AM, said:

Tactically inept and was exposed as such against the Croats in the semi final years ago.


Rice as the 6, Bellingham as the 8 Foden the 10 Kane as 9, Saka right, Gordon left.


It almost picks itself.


Playing two holding players and a back 4 against 1 up top? Saying we?re struggling because we don?t have Calvin Philips? Nonsense

what message does that send to the squad when Southgate pines for a player that hasnt played regular first team football since Moses was a lad for f**** sake

[Wooden Spoon]

 whittman, on 21 June 2024 - 02:39 PM, said:

what message does that send to the squad when Southgate pines for a player that hasnt played regular first team football since Moses was a lad for f**** sake

AND plays a RB in a role in CM when he has a couple of CM who can play there.


He has arguably the worlds best No8 in his squad. A sensation in Madrid. He has arguably the best No10 in the premier league. In Saka he has arguably the best right sided attacking players and in Rice one of the premier leagues best CM.


The back 4 and Keper are adequate

[Paragon of Virtue]

 Wooden Spoon, on 21 June 2024 - 03:03 PM, said:

AND plays a RB in a role in CM when he has a couple of CM who can play there.


He has arguably the worlds best No8 in his squad. A sensation in Madrid. He has arguably the best No10 in the premier league. In Saka he has arguably the best right sided attacking players and in Rice one of the premier leagues best CM.


The back 4 and Keper are adequate

Bellingham's success has been as a number 10 for Madrid though. He was good at Dortmund as an 8 but moving him further forward has pushed him to another level.

[Mr Mercury]

Once again the English officials fuckk up with VAR!

[azul]

Netherlands robbed by VAR.

[azul]

Mr Mercury, on 21 June 2024 - 08:34 PM, said:

Once again the English officials fuckk up with VAR!

It makes you want to give up on top flight football.

I assume the directives have changed as I thought it was the on field official who had to make the final decision on that sort of call (interfering with play, etc.)

[Blue roan lily]

azul, on 21 June 2024 - 08:34 PM, said:

Netherlands robbed by VAR.

The irony.

Technology was supposed to stop teams being robbed

It has not