England

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

The negativity seems to have crept in recently as he tries to find a way to compensate for having a lack of top class centre backs. The balance doesn't seem right and we missed pace up top last night. I don't think we've been negative throughout his tenure though. We've scored bags of goals and made lots of chances at times. A bit more clinical in that World Cup Semi final and we'd have been out of sight but we took the game to them and got behind them repeatedly. I hope he's just trying to find a formula for the Euros but we do seem to have regressed a bit.

I go along with that very largely Rodley . I am not anti-Southgate for the sake of it, I am pro-England and pro getting the best side to play winning football when and where it matters. The biggest disappointment yesterday and against Denmark is that for all the possession we very rarely put them under pressure and looking worried. It was a nice easy night for Belgium to sit back on a two goal lead in a thoroughly professional manner. What sort of a mess would we have made of a 2 goal lead and sitting back on it? I don’t think it’s about ability it’s about attitudes and manner of playing, even body language comes into it.. As you say tip tap negativity has maybe crept in because he can’t think of anything else to do with a lack of defenders. But a positive attitude could still have got us a draw or even a win.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Created nothing, scored nothing.

It does not matter how much possession you have or how good you look with it, it's what you do with it that wins and loses games. England under Southgate are a team of pretty pretty fancy players with no bite and no idea how to be winners.

Kane had one cleared off the line, Mount put one over the bar from close range, Kane had another good chance in the second half. We fluffed a couple of good free kick opportunities.

Whatever you think of the FIFA rankings, Belgium are top and are fortunate to have, by far and away, the best midfielder in the world.

Denmark are ranked 13th, and whilst they are a rather dour, hard-working side, just look at their results over the past few years. Other than losing to Belgium, their recent record, which are mostly competitive qualifiers or tournament matches reads:

England - W, D
Iceland - W, D
Sweden - W
Switzerland - W, D
France - D
Peru - W
Mexico - W

Denmark were only knocked out of the WC by eventual finalists, and conquerors of England, Croatia.

International football is generally stodgy once anyone in the top 20 of the rankings plays one another. Outside of major tournaments, the coaching team have very little contact time with players and matches are often decided by small margins, such as one rare moment of brilliance or one mistake.

International teams that win tournaments are good defensively (Portugal 2016, France 201 and / or possession based and able to take the sting out of a game (Germany 2014, Spain 2012 etc).

Unfortunately, England’s defensive unit is average and, whilst ball retention has improved, it is usually sterile and weak under a high or medium press.

It would be high risk, but surely Mount, Foden or Grealish in a deeper role must be worth a try, even if Grealish in particular is tactically indisciplined. Football may have changed, but England’s midfield in Euro 96 was McManaman, Anderton, Platt, Gascoigne and Ince. Only one of those is defensive.  

England desperately need someone in deeper areas, who can receive the ball on the half turn and beat the press. Kalvin Phillips offers some hope but is injured and very inexperienced at the highest level.

I know Eriksen is out of form and Modrić is knocking on, but if one of those, or KDB or Thiago were English, the difference in England performances would be huge, regardless of the defensive weaknesses.

Southgate will be well aware that we can thrash mid-ranking European sides that Ireland, Montenegro, Bulgaria but he is obviously trying to find a away to improve against the top sides. Unfortunately, we will never win a tournament with that defensive unit and midfield.

Like clubs all countries have to play with injuries and suspensions but our best front three is Sterling, Kane and Rashford. To that we can now add Grealish and if fully fit we could have Alexander Arnold and Chilwell who are both great attacking full backs and on last nights performance one of my big criticisms was the poor quality of crosses and forward balls from the right hand side, plus Alexander Arnold is also an excellent free kick specialist so a major plus given how we wasted these opportunities last night.

Always the same with England that not long ago we had Terry, King, Ferdinand and Campbell as centre back options now that’s our area of vulnerability hence Southgate’s current decision to play with 3 at the back. I would put Henderson and Rice in midfield Maguire and Mingus ( naturally left footed so gives us better balance) and the aforementioned forwards and full backs and let them play. Might be Keeganesque in scoring more than the opposition but think it would be a team well worth watching.

This would be my team vs Iceland

Normally Sterling but thought i'd give Saka a go.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/7bZINKd.jpg[/img]

So far don’t get the hype re Sancho and thought Hudson Odoi looked a far better prospect but appears his off the field issues are going to disrupt his progress. Would also like to see Maddison get a go as feel he can play through the lines for Sterling & Rashford in particular to get on the end of.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

So far don’t get the hype re Sancho and thought Hudson Odoi looked a far better prospect but appears his off the field issues are going to disrupt his progress. Would also like to see Maddison get a go as feel he can play through the lines for Sterling & Rashford in particular to get on the end of.

Talent wise, James Maddison should walk into that squad but by all accounts he is a complete and utter moron. For non-footballing reasons, it’s either Grealish or Maddison in the squad, not both.

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

Whatever you think of the FIFA rankings, Belgium are top and are fortunate to have, by far and away, the best midfielder in the world.

Denmark are ranked 13th, and whilst they are a rather dour, hard-working side, just look at their results over the past few years. Other than losing to Belgium, their recent record, which are mostly competitive qualifiers or tournament matches reads:

England - W, D
Iceland - W, D
Sweden - W
Switzerland - W, D
France - D
Peru - W
Mexico - W

Denmark were only knocked out of the WC by eventual finalists, and conquerors of England, Croatia.

International football is generally stodgy once anyone in the top 20 of the rankings plays one another. Outside of major tournaments, the coaching team have very little contact time with players and matches are often decided by small margins, such as one rare moment of brilliance or one mistake.

International teams that win tournaments are good defensively (Portugal 2016, France 201 and / or possession based and able to take the sting out of a game (Germany 2014, Spain 2012 etc).

Unfortunately, England’s defensive unit is average and, whilst ball retention has improved, it is usually sterile and weak under a high or medium press.

It would be high risk, but surely Mount, Foden or Grealish in a deeper role must be worth a try, even if Grealish in particular is tactically indisciplined. Football may have changed, but England’s midfield in Euro 96 was McManaman, Anderton, Platt, Gascoigne and Ince. Only one of those is defensive.  

England desperately need someone in deeper areas, who can receive the ball on the half turn and beat the press. Kalvin Phillips offers some hope but is injured and very inexperienced at the highest level.

I know Eriksen is out of form and Modrić is knocking on, but if one of those, or KDB or Thiago were English, the difference in England performances would be huge, regardless of the defensive weaknesses.

Southgate will be well aware that we can thrash mid-ranking European sides that Ireland, Montenegro, Bulgaria but he is obviously trying to find a away to improve against the top sides. Unfortunately, we will never win a tournament with that defensive unit and midfield.

Great post.  Definitely agree that it needs someone like Grealish or Foden operating from central midfield.   Back end of last season, more so after the enforced break, there was a lot about Grealish going from a No 8 at Villa to playing on the left as part of a front three.  I believe this was partly because in the No. 8 role he tried to do everything and lack any sense of discipline to do it effectively.  Certainly more effective for Villa in that wide left role but you could argue that with better players for England he'd be less inclined to try/feel he has to do it all himself.  

It's not quite a like-for-like comparison but he reminds me of Scott Neilson when he was here.  A real enigma who can change the game in a flash.  Almost wasted in a wide role but not disciplined enough for a central position.  Of course I think it's fair to say Grealish's work-rate and other attributes absolutely strip those of Neilson, it's more the positional dilemma I'm referring to.

19:45    England vs Iceland

I know it's a dead rubber game tonight but I think I'll still give it a watch.


England lineup: Pickford, Walker, Dier, Maguire; Trippier, Rice, Foden, Saka; Grealish, Kane, Mount

Subs: Henderson, Pope, Keane, Mings, Chilwell, Maitland-Niles, Winks, Calvert-Lewin, Abraham, Bellingham

HT.....England 2-0 Iceland

England dominating the game, Iceland look poor.


HT.....Israel 1-0 Scotland