@mooneyman I am surprised that Maddison has been selected too, had a great start to the season, hasn't been the same player since coming back from injury and furthermore is a bit of a liability when it comes to discipline.
@Glenactico The message he is giving those actual LBs is terrible - so little does he regard their ability to fill the roll right now that he would rather fill the position with makeshift players. With one eye to the future though, no, sorry, nothing doing, there is a 7th CB and a 4th GK that we must have a look at right on the eve of this tournament and that is a higher priority. Feels like they are being told that the manager just simply doesn't rate them.
Gomez, Ricoh Lewis and Trippier arguably offer more from Left back and have performed better there than some of the standard left backs on offer, not sure this will be a problem.
Some suggestions that he'll "go full Pep" and start playing inverted fullbacks pushing into midfield, experimenting like that late on concerns me more.
Yes, Rico Lewis, best option for left back. Interesting that you mention Pep Guardiola, his opinion of Lewis is considerably higher than Southgate's in that he is prepared to play him in matches albeit at the considerably lower level of domestic football.
I know that Trippier can play there if necessary but he should be first cover option at RB with Walker starting there. Both are 33 years old, so for both of them to remain fresh and injury free throughout the tournament, they should be sharing duties there. Using Trippier as first choice LB means we go into the knockout stages with both of them having played three games, fatigue, cautions, it is nowhere near ideal and it should not be Plan A. Luke Shaw is not Plan A either, he is injured, only a slim chance of him playing.
Joe Gomez I can live with, if Southgate intends to use him at LB that would be the best outcome but we still lack cover.
I thought that last night’s friendly pushed a few claims for squad places further and one or two backwards.
Eze demonstrated that he can get past several players and cause packed defences to lose their shape
Grealish gave a reminder of how he can suck two or three players towards him and still either get past or find room to move the ball into threatening positions
Gordon’s injury and the qualities of the two above make him third choice on the left wing. If he isn’t able to stake a claim against Iceland, I think he might miss the cut.
Bowen had an excellent game on the right flank, a no-brainier alongside Saka for that side of the park.
Guehi’s distribution skills make him a concern for the Southgate ideology of passing it around and through the press.
Also, Watkins, I just don’t see him thriving in the England system. The minutes he gets ba Toney suggests that Southgate prefers him but I feel that Toney has more to offer in the box in terms of strength, positioning and sharpness, whether he gets to showcase those strengths against Iceland remains to be seen.
Yeah, Watkins doesn’t offer much as a back to goal CF, he likes to run onto through balls. Given that many teams will bank up deep against us, can’t see him getting many minutes. Toney is a better all round alternative to Kane.
I think your question is spot on. Bookies don't make predictions per se, they set odds to try and take as much money as possible while minimizing their exposure. In England, many English fans will bet on us because we are decent, so we will have very short odds with English bookies to minimize the risk.
I have no idea on other countries, but I would be a little surprised if France are not the favourites with French bookies, etc.
Apparently that's a bit outdated as all the bookies have exchanges now and it's set on what people are backing worldwide not just by the bookies looking to take advantage of mugs. Ignore any free bet ads btw as they are usually only offering the odds for maximum £1 bet
Kane and particularly Bellinghams form , loads of promising young players and our recent upturn in how we go through tournaments is what will do it but to really be favourites you'd want to see us playing with a consistent style and regularly beating good opposition. France probably have the best strength in depth across different positions, loads of good players didn't make their squad and they have Mbappe.
I think there might be some pressure from the FA here to try and give Watkins as much opportunity as possible over Toney due to Toney having had a major suspension this / last season.
I agree with you, I think Toney has more about him and his game to offer the squad something similar but slightly different than Kane. However having a small insight into how the FA think, there will be people in the organisation that will be annoyed that he's still allowed to represent England.
We live in a footballing world where cheating the ref and your fellow players is ‘intelligent play’ but costing the betting firms a quid or two is well beyond the pale. The FA are currently trying to hound Paqueta out of the game for a decade for picking up a deliberate yellow card here and there - fcuk the betting firms, they are a bunch of blood suckers and by extension fcuk the FA
England have been there or thereabouts for the last few tournaments. It's almost as if some people forget that.
You can't get much closer than losing on pens in the final.
We'll have a decent chance but naturally there's other superb teams in there.
Doubts with us are can Southgate find a way to unleash our array of attacking talent, and break the habit of being too cautios when the situation cries for the opposite.
Comments
@mooneyman I am surprised that Maddison has been selected too, had a great start to the season, hasn't been the same player since coming back from injury and furthermore is a bit of a liability when it comes to discipline.
@Glenactico The message he is giving those actual LBs is terrible - so little does he regard their ability to fill the roll right now that he would rather fill the position with makeshift players. With one eye to the future though, no, sorry, nothing doing, there is a 7th CB and a 4th GK that we must have a look at right on the eve of this tournament and that is a higher priority. Feels like they are being told that the manager just simply doesn't rate them.
Yes if it's on form, I'm not sure how Toney, who has been very underwhelming post ban gets in over him.
Gomez, Ricoh Lewis and Trippier arguably offer more from Left back and have performed better there than some of the standard left backs on offer, not sure this will be a problem.
Some suggestions that he'll "go full Pep" and start playing inverted fullbacks pushing into midfield, experimenting like that late on concerns me more.
Yes, Rico Lewis, best option for left back. Interesting that you mention Pep Guardiola, his opinion of Lewis is considerably higher than Southgate's in that he is prepared to play him in matches albeit at the considerably lower level of domestic football.
I know that Trippier can play there if necessary but he should be first cover option at RB with Walker starting there. Both are 33 years old, so for both of them to remain fresh and injury free throughout the tournament, they should be sharing duties there. Using Trippier as first choice LB means we go into the knockout stages with both of them having played three games, fatigue, cautions, it is nowhere near ideal and it should not be Plan A. Luke Shaw is not Plan A either, he is injured, only a slim chance of him playing.
Joe Gomez I can live with, if Southgate intends to use him at LB that would be the best outcome but we still lack cover.
Completely forgot about Rico Lewis, but is he not a RB/DMC?
Trent can also play RB/LB/DMC so I think we are covered, but teams will definitely identify our weak spot as LB.
Netherlands are my dark horse.
There wasn’t a Euro 2020 too, only a Euro 2020 and now Euro 2024 👍
You may need to review that
It was very late. Or very early depending on creature habits.
This is very early for me.
I’m probably asleep again now.
I thought that last night’s friendly pushed a few claims for squad places further and one or two backwards.
Eze demonstrated that he can get past several players and cause packed defences to lose their shape
Grealish gave a reminder of how he can suck two or three players towards him and still either get past or find room to move the ball into threatening positions
Gordon’s injury and the qualities of the two above make him third choice on the left wing. If he isn’t able to stake a claim against Iceland, I think he might miss the cut.
Bowen had an excellent game on the right flank, a no-brainier alongside Saka for that side of the park.
Guehi’s distribution skills make him a concern for the Southgate ideology of passing it around and through the press.
Also, Watkins, I just don’t see him thriving in the England system. The minutes he gets ba Toney suggests that Southgate prefers him but I feel that Toney has more to offer in the box in terms of strength, positioning and sharpness, whether he gets to showcase those strengths against Iceland remains to be seen.
Yeah, Watkins doesn’t offer much as a back to goal CF, he likes to run onto through balls. Given that many teams will bank up deep against us, can’t see him getting many minutes. Toney is a better all round alternative to Kane.
I'd probably take Watkins and risk that Kane will stay fit, and hope in latter stages games when teams are attacking us, he can find space in behind.
I don't get how we are favourites. I wonder what our odds are in other countries?
My money is on Portugal or Netherlands. Netherlands defence on paper looks so strong: Dumfries, de Ligt, van de Ven, van Dijk, Ake, Blind, de Vrij.
I think your question is spot on. Bookies don't make predictions per se, they set odds to try and take as much money as possible while minimizing their exposure. In England, many English fans will bet on us because we are decent, so we will have very short odds with English bookies to minimize the risk.
I have no idea on other countries, but I would be a little surprised if France are not the favourites with French bookies, etc.
We’ve got the highest rated player in the new World football Top Trump cards.
It’s in the bag surely? ;)
Apparently that's a bit outdated as all the bookies have exchanges now and it's set on what people are backing worldwide not just by the bookies looking to take advantage of mugs. Ignore any free bet ads btw as they are usually only offering the odds for maximum £1 bet
Kane and particularly Bellinghams form , loads of promising young players and our recent upturn in how we go through tournaments is what will do it but to really be favourites you'd want to see us playing with a consistent style and regularly beating good opposition. France probably have the best strength in depth across different positions, loads of good players didn't make their squad and they have Mbappe.
My money would be on Portugal and Germany. England QFs or Semis.
How long till people start singing ‘it’s coming home’? I think I may vomit.
I think there might be some pressure from the FA here to try and give Watkins as much opportunity as possible over Toney due to Toney having had a major suspension this / last season.
The fact Toney has done nothing since he came back so basically nothing all season should probably mean he's miles away from it anyway.
He does seem to have a bit more about him as a bench option than some though.
I agree with you, I think Toney has more about him and his game to offer the squad something similar but slightly different than Kane. However having a small insight into how the FA think, there will be people in the organisation that will be annoyed that he's still allowed to represent England.
Imagine a country getting behind their football team!
Sickening and it's not on!
@Malone I think you need to write a strongly worded letter to the Daily Mail about this type of behaviour!
I think Barney probably already has a draft written.
They won't take any notice unless it's come from your email address tho! 🤣
We live in a footballing world where cheating the ref and your fellow players is ‘intelligent play’ but costing the betting firms a quid or two is well beyond the pale. The FA are currently trying to hound Paqueta out of the game for a decade for picking up a deliberate yellow card here and there - fcuk the betting firms, they are a bunch of blood suckers and by extension fcuk the FA
That's interesting, cheers. I am a little stunned England are genuine favourites given our underachieving history, but you never know!
England have been there or thereabouts for the last few tournaments. It's almost as if some people forget that.
You can't get much closer than losing on pens in the final.
We'll have a decent chance but naturally there's other superb teams in there.
Doubts with us are can Southgate find a way to unleash our array of attacking talent, and break the habit of being too cautios when the situation cries for the opposite.