Yep I'm going to call you Micro man.....The atmosphere in Southgates team is not what im talking about. Sorry D we really cant have this conversation. Ask Le Perisien he can maybe explain it to you better than I can.
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None of these players are as good on the ball as Stones. Some are better at plenty of other things, but if you're talking ball-playing defender from the position, he's the best on the planet. To the point where he was playing at the base of midfield under Pep Guardiola for large parts of last season (Incl Inter, where again .. standing ovation) and was brilliant.
He's better than Bastoni, in my opinion. Though I'm just more familiar with Stones. Completely different to Dias, but is considerably better on the ball. Too different to Rudiger who is far more physical. Van Dijk has been immense and is having a good season, but because of their ages I'd still take Stones over him.
Personally I think van de Ven, Stones and Saliba are the best in the Premier League. Romero right up there too.
Yep I'm going to call you Micro man.....
The 'macro' ((????) you're suggesting is just untrue. You're talking about myths that you think are unique to England which .. aren't. There's nothing unique about our footballing culture anymore that isn't present in most of Europe.
The fact Lewis Dunk and Conor Gallagher make the NT prove nothing other than like most national-teams we have tender spots and less accomplished footballers found their way in as they perform a role. Dunk probably wouldn't be there if Ben White, who isn't very good but is very European in style, didn't deny a call up.
I'm not talking about the bookmakers, I'm referencing my own opinion.
This is a dated argument, England used to prirotise runners in their team particularly in midfield - look at the players England are producing from grass roots, focused on technical ability and being calm under pressure and if you need proof look at the U21 team further down - it's an absolute sea change from when we used to churn out teams say 20 years ago.
I agree with you that certain players shouldn't be picked but that's a manager problem, not a player problem, for all the Henderson's and Gallagher's you forget players like Eze, Mainoo and you can go even further down, Alex Scott, Archie Gray, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, Dewsbury hall, Angel Gomes, Alfie Devine etc...technical ability is now being prioritised over just pure athletes.
TBH these sort of players were being produced in the past, it's just that we were so far behind what the rest of the world were doing in terms of development that most of them couldn't break through because they were seen as too small and they'd get eaten up in the Prem...that's when we prioritised physicality over technical ability, only the exceptional players like Scholes, Carrick, Joe Cole broke through but they were forced to play in wide positions or not be picked consistently, we are so far away from those days.
I dunno England aren't as far away as you make them out to be, a spot kick away from winning the Euro's, a QF exit at the hands of France because of a missed pen, but that's on the manager, a better coach gets far more out of these players and a better coach utilises each player's strength to their maximum capabilities, Southgate just cannot do that.
We have always had technically good players I can name you a list just along constantly overlooked for even earlier periods Letissier /Charlton Palmer springs to mind. The deep belief in function over flair will always see Rice and Philips in a pivot over the progressive player. That conservatism is at the heart of who we are. This is the point Im making over the Maddison for Bellingham chat Foreign managers from Wenger to Pep and Klopp have begun to change this. But it's more than the bad luck you indicate in hiding behind spot kicks. We should never have got there against Italy but our inherent footballing culture and the fear of failure and what our public and media do in the wake of this is a very real issue. No matter how much we wish it was not the case. I genuinely wonder about the individuals who went to the effort of shitting in a tupperware box and mailling it to Harry Kane.Have a good night.
That's not who we are, that's who Southgate is. Southgate doesn't define a football nation, literally everyone has been asking for him to release the handbrake and change it up. You're not gonna find many people in this country actually believe that a Rice/Gallagher/Hendo double pivot is the key to any sort of success because people have eyes.
It's not even defined in English culture anymore, look at how Lee Carsley managed his U21 team last Summer, he played a false 9 with little Angel Gomes a the anchor in his midfield ffs lol
Maddison plays as an 8 for us and often did for Leicester. You could easily accommodate Maddison, Bellingham and Foden as R8, L8 and IRF in a 433.
But you would require someone with better positional discipline and game reading than Rice for the 6.
I mean sure if we had Rodri we could probably make it work. But we don’t, and nor frankly do most countries.
With what we have, playing two of Maddison/Bellingham/Foden in the midfield won’t work. We need Rice in there, he’s by far our most quality ‘engine’ footballer with drive who wins the ball back and can threaten going forward if allowed to.
Even if we had that 6, I’d still have Rice in there next to Bellingham rather than Maddison. Too good to not start.
You bearish now? So the Brazil game DID have some effect...
That useless twat has never been a real part of the squad and never should be.
Not really. I think we’ve got a great chance but having a great chance doesn’t translate to winning anything. Probabilities when it comes to winning international trophies are low.
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Angel Gomes never gets a look in but he was outstanding in the euro under 21 win. Playing in front of the defence. Not surprised if someone snaps him up from Lille.
He plays outside England. Southgate required about two years of Bellingham tearing it up in Germany to bring him in. Tomori still won’t get a look in over a Dunk.
Southgate doesn’t care about players outside the Prem, unless you already built your reputation there or you’re utterly exceptional.
I rate Foden very highly but it is a fact that he has never really done it for England. Hard to leave him out , prob end up on the left . I would think Grealish will be sweating over a squad place at the moment.
As it stands I would think he’s watching it on tv.
Grealish will return from injury, take Doku’s starting spot sharpish and finish the season strongly as their preferred LW.
Will make the squad.
Seeing as the likes of Gallagher and Henderson aren't good enough against the better sides, and Mainoo still lacks experience, I wonder if it might be worth going back to the 5 at the back Southgate used to love. Playing that way eliminates the midfield issue, though Bellingham would have to be more disciplined than the role he plays at Real Madrid. But it gives you extra strength in defence and also would allow you to bring Trent into the side, who regardless of what you think of him as a defender, is second to only De Bruyne in the Premier League in regards to what he can do on the ball.
Walker, Stones and Maguire at centre-back with Trent and Shaw playing as attacking wing-backs. Rice and Bellingham in midfield. Then any two from Foden, Saka, Maddison, Rashford, Grealish, Gordon and Palmer depending on form, fitness and what you want against certain opposition. Kane obviously up top. The biggest issues with that are you would have to play Bellingham deeper, and 5 at the back can become extremely negative if your wing-backs get pushed back. The positives are you can get TAA in the side who brings creativity, and you also have Walker's pace in the centre of defence which is a massive plus.
Walker, Stones and Maguire at centre-back with Trent and Shaw playing as attacking wing-backs. Rice and Bellingham in midfield. Then any two from Foden, Saka, Maddison, Rashford, Grealish, Gordon and Palmer depending on form, fitness and what you want against certain opposition. Kane obviously up top. The biggest issues with that are you would have to play Bellingham deeper, and 5 at the back can become extremely negative if your wing-backs get pushed back. The positives are you can get TAA in the side who brings creativity, and you also have Walker's pace in the centre of defence which is a massive plus.
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He'd just drop an attacking player........ We've already seen it.
Gary's 343 had Rice & Phillips in MF...... And beige worker-boy Mount as a winger too.
Fucking awful.
5 at the back under southgate
It's either that or we have to endure Gallagher or Henderson in midfield. He wouldn't be brave enough to play Mainoo (or Maddison) against a top side in an important game.