The England Thread

[DJS]

Phillips and Maguire shouldn’t even be in squad, let alone starting.

If you’re not starting for your team, how can you then be starting for England?

As others have also said, Southgate can be a bit boring as Bellingham could have played alongside Rice with Maddison in 10 role, or even a three man midfield with Maddison and Bellingham as 8s.

Good to see Guéhi and Dunk given opportunities thoughl but Trippier at left back with Chillwell on bench…

 

[Trent Crimm]

No man of Gary’s age should be rocking a short sleeved zip up knit.

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

Four years? Honestly I switched off after Tel and Glen, the managerial appointments the FA have made since then have been absolutely atrocious and don’t do anything for the players at their disposal!

I was talking about 4 years of negative football at Spurs. Though I'm sick of it at the England level as well.

 

[Frank Blank]

Four years? Honestly I switched off after Tel and Glen, the managerial appointments the FA have made since then have been absolutely atrocious and don’t do anything for the players at their disposal!

Not one to agree with Souness normally, but as he said last night, this current England squad (on paper) is arguably the best of all time, even including the WC winning one.

What this team has yet to achieve though is winning a trophy. If it ever does it will be in spite of rather than because of Southgate.

 

[ItsBoris]

Very few teams in the world win consistently, even the very best. Italy are shit, Germany are shit - but presumably they don't have players of the quality of Trippier and Rashford .

We are consistently competitive with the very best and have gotten closer under Southgate than for the very longest time. Would I like it if he was a little more adventurous - yes, but he generally gets results. Scotland are clearly shit but the crowd was bang up for it and it could easily have been a banana skin. Southgate's managed to form a very strong group who play for each other and seem to get on. We are seeing at Spurs now with Ange, the importance of a positive environment and good team ethic.

I think managing a national team is a really odd job and not comparable with City, Madrid, Bayern etc where they basically live in each other's pocket and can tweak things per opposition, which is why I think he sticks with players who fit the dynamic and work well together. I personally think he is wrong with Maguire and Henderson, but I can at least understand why he does it.

TLDR: I think your expectations are a little unrealistic, but it's all about onions. What I didn't like was calling him a moron or a fraud, I think it's wrong and unnecessary.

Not really - look at the last few tournaments and tell me - of the teams you say England are on a similar level with, how many games have been won and lost? Basically the only big team England have beaten is Germany. Southgate has had easy runs at tournaments and for the most part the team falls flat against the first quality opponent.

With Ange we've also seen the importance of playing the right way - playing in a way that suits the players at your disposal.

If you want England to win at a tournament, there's really no room for managerial stupidity. If Southgate is picking the wrong players and playing others out of position, England is not going to win. Simple as that. The margin of error is too small to be making mistakes like starting Maguire and Henderson, and it will cost England just like it has with previous managers.

 

[rossdapep]

Phillips and Maguire shouldn’t even be in squad, let alone starting.

If you’re not starting for your team, how can you then be starting for England?

As others have also said, Southgate can be a bit boring as Bellingham could have played alongside Rice with Maddison in 10 role, or even a three man midfield with Maddison and Bellingham as 8s.

Good to see Guéhi and Dunk given opportunities thoughl but Trippier at left back with Chillwell on bench…

I dont necesarily have a problem with players who have missed a few games for their team or dont play every game week in week out as the team they play for are stacked in that position.

For example, Phil Foden. Doesn't start as frequently as you would like from an England perspective but he still always has an influence.

I dont even have an issue with picking players if they have had a short difficult period with their club but still do it internationally, as sometimes games helps players turn it around and players do go through rough patches.

But the Maguire and Phillips situations are WAY beyond all of those examples I gave.

Maguire has been a laughing stock for over 2 years now and has spent the last year permanently relegated to the bench.

Meanwhile several CBs have played well and consistently in that time to deserve a squad spot over him.

Imagine if we lose one of these CBs to another nation cause they believe Southgate has blocked their path?

Phillips has been either injured or largely unplayed by City. I am not even on board Ward Prowse as I don't believe he suits what we need and think beyond his set-pieces he is quite average but he has more of a right than Phillips.

Southgate is starting to send mixed messages now.

Players should be in form and playing but Maguire and Phillips dont count?

Foden doesnt play midfield so I wont play him there. But Trippier doesnt play left back for Newcastle, Walker doesnt play CB for City, Maddison doesnt play on the left for Spurs?

How long before he loses the players?

 

[DJS]

I dont necesarily have a problem with players who have missed a few games for their team or dont play every game week in week out as the team they play for are stacked in that position.

For example, Phil Foden. Doesn't start as frequently as you would like from an England perspective but he still always has an influence.

I dont even have an issue with picking players if they have had a short difficult period with their club but still do it internationally, as sometimes games helps players turn it around and players do go through rough patches.

But the Maguire and Phillips situations are WAY beyond all of those examples I gave.

Maguire has been a laughing stock for over 2 years now and has spent the last year permanently relegated to the bench.

Meanwhile several CBs have played well and consistently in that time to deserve a squad spot over him.

Imagine if we lose one of these CBs to another nation cause they believe Southgate has blocked their path?

Phillips has been either injured or largely unplayed by City. I am not even on board Ward Prowse as I don't believe he suits what we need and think beyond his set-pieces he is quite average but he has more of a right than Phillips.

Southgate is starting to send mixed messages now.

Players should be in form and playing but Maguire and Phillips dont count?

Foden doesnt play midfield so I wont play him there. But Trippier doesnt play left back for Newcastle, Walker doesnt play CB for City, Maddison doesnt play on the left for Spurs?

How long before he loses the players?

Spot on, they don’t have to necessarily start every game but Phillips hasn’t really done anything for city so surely can’t be match-fit even?

Foden does tend to be part of the pool if rotation and does get game time.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

"MUUUMMMMM! Shut uuuupppp!"

Honestly, it just goes from bad to worse for him, really. Take a break, Jodrell-Bank-face, rest up for a bit and shut them up on the pitch, not by letting your mum go and shout at them

 

[easley91]

Spot on, they don’t have to necessarily start every game but Phillips hasn’t really done anything for city so surely can’t be match-fit even?

Foden does tend to be part of the pool if rotation and does get game time.

I don't get why people are upset that Phillips started and Maguire came on in a meaningless friendly. If it was truly meaningless as some here suggest then why get so uptight over it? Perhaps that was a way for him to get "match-fit"?

 

[Rocksuperstar]

I don't get why people are upset that Phillips started and Maguire came on in a meaningless friendly. If it was truly meaningless as some here suggest then why get so uptight over it? Perhaps that was a way for him to get "match-fit"?

Because it would've made more sense to field some of the youngsters. 45 minutes isn't going to knock off all the rust the lack of games has built up on Maguire, it told Southgate nothing more than we already knew. Would've made more sense to bring on Tomori and let him get some steps in.

 

[rabbikeane]

No one cares about these games, but it points to him being there next tournament as well.

As it almost always is, it's not the fault of the fans that boo a player, it's the manager that hasn't dropped him before it came to it.

 

[easley91]

Because it would've made more sense to field some of the youngsters. 45 minutes isn't going to knock off all the rust the lack of games has built up on Maguire, it told Southgate nothing more than we already knew. Would've made more sense to bring on Tomori and let him get some steps in.

I'm not saying it was right or wrong and I have my own opinions on it, just merely pointing out there seems to be a lot of uproar from some for a meaningless game. It just seems a bit contradictory to me to be upset over stuff happening in a game you apparently do not care about?

 

[muppetman]

No one cares about these games, but it points to him being there next tournament as well.

As it almost always is, it's not the fault of the fans that boo a player, it's the manager that hasn't dropped him before it came to it.

 

[HNIM]

Hey, @Bulletspur, this silly international break being over, where's the Sheffield match thread?

 

[Bulletspur]

Hey, @Bulletspur, this silly international break being over, where's the Sheffield match thread?

Submitted as you requested Sir!

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Interesting choices...

 

[ItsBoris]

Interesting choices...

Stones and Tomori could be a decent CB pairing but Southgate will persist with Maguire probably.

Anthony Gordon has been better than Rashford lately, I think he deserved a call up. Really the team picks itself - Rice Bellingham Maddison midfield, Kane up top, Saka or Foden on the right, Rashford left, Walker RB Colwill LB.

 

[nailsy]

Bowen and Watkins are good picks. Not sure why JWP is out.

We all know the players who shouldn't be in there.

 

[Mycroft Jones]

Enough said already about Maguire, Henderson and Phillips. Is Stones even match fit? Rl

 

[Yid-ol]

Enough said already about Maguire, Henderson and Phillips. Is Stones even match fit? Rl

If not, I would still pick him over Maguire