World cup squads.

[manwithnoname]

I quite like Southgate. At least there's some clarity of thought there, not taking crocks and ditching potential irritants like Hart, aiming to play three at the back in response to how limited the defensive choices are, and concentrating on bringing younger players through. It's surely an improvement from the twitchiIy neurotic approach of his predecessors. I would have gambled on Lallana if there was some encouragement from the medics, just because he offers a degree of invention and imagination that otherwise isn't there, but generally I think he's made the best of a bad job.

Agreed, we might quibble about the likes of Trippier, Welbeck and the largely untested Loftus-Cheek, and rightly look at the defensive options - Jones, Cahill, Maguire - but I don't see that he's made any glaring errors, and overall it looks pretty good to me.

And given all the previous nightmares England have had with taking half-fit players, he's quite right to ignore Lallana

 

[Fabio]

I actually don't think the team is that bad

It has the versatility to cause problems for most systems by simply changing formation

 

[manwithnoname]

I actually don't think the team is that bad

It has the versatility to cause problems for most systems by simply changing formation

There's plenty of attacking quality with Vardy, Kane, Sterling and Alli delli, and the pace of Rashford.

Perhaps it's a bit workmanlike elsewhere, but we didn't win anything when we had the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand, Terry and Scholes either.

 

[Fabio]

There's plenty of attacking quality with Vardy, Kane, Sterling and Alli delli, and the pace of Rashford.

Perhaps it's a bit workmanlike elsewhere, but we didn't win anything when we had the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand, Terry and Scholes either.

Exactly

Sometimes you just need sensible players rather that Hollywood balls

 

[manwithnoname]

Exactly

Sometimes you just need sensible players rather that Hollywood balls

Look at me! Pretending I actually give a shit about England and the World Cup!

 

[Hansern]

Not much to chose from regarding GK’s.
I think Pope deserves that spot but he’ll probably start Pickford. And he isnt very good.

But Dier, Livermore, Lingard, Welbeck, Young, Delph and Loftus Cheek. Thats awful.


This team lacks someone like Ox, shame he’s injured.
Made up for Trent though. Great experience for him.

 

[Fabio]

Look at me! Pretending I actually give a shit about England and the World Cup!

Snap

GEHEN DIE MANNSCHAFT

 

[Farkmaster]

Shelvey should be in the midfield somewhere. It's the same mediocre english team that always appears. They'll. Eek the way out of the groups in a lot of boring games, face a good team, narrowly lose while reverting to a style utterly lacking in any ambition or skill.

I'll experience the world cup the way I always do, not really being invested in any team until my hatred for various teams emerges based on their character coming through. Glad the US aren't involved, because that's always pretty tedious here.

 

[Fabio]

Shelvey should be in the midfield somewhere. It's the same mediocre english team that always appears. They'll. Eek the way out of the groups in a lot of boring games, face a good team, narrowly lose while reverting to a style utterly lacking in any ambition or skill.

I'll experience the world cup the way I always do, not really being invested in any team until my hatred for various teams emerges based on their character coming through. Glad the US aren't involved, because that's always pretty tedious here.

I agree someone of shelveys ability should be there, but I think his temperament can't be trusted

Southgate has played it safe

 

[dantes]

Not much to chose from regarding GK’s.
I think Pope deserves that spot but he’ll probably start Pickford. And he isnt very good.

But Dier, Livermore, Lingard, Welbeck, Young, Delph and Loftus Cheek. Thats awful.


This team lacks someone like Ox, shame he’s injured.
Made up for Trent though. Great experience for him.

The important point is that these decisions were still up in the air to this day. Hahaha England are like a perpetual work in progress, but this time they won't have any world class players capable of getting them out of the group through individual moments of brilliance. You'd be deluded to expect anything other than a disjointed mess of performances which are punctuated by prolonged periods of not having the ball. It will be beautiful to watch the pain this will cause.

 

[Frogfish]

Not much to chose from regarding GK’s.
I think Pope deserves that spot but he’ll probably start Pickford. And he isnt very good.

But Dier, Livermore, Lingard, Welbeck, Young, Delph and Loftus Cheek. Thats awful.


This team lacks someone like Ox, shame he’s injured.
Made up for Trent though. Great experience for him.

He's mainly gone for players in form (Livermore, Young - who's probably been the best LB in England this season - and Loftus-Cheek). Dier and Delph are utilitarian and Lignard deserves his place. Welbeck I'm not so sure and if you have Young and Delph why have Rose as well (who's also only played 9 matches) and not a match-winner like Lallana ? He's left out a couple of sick-notes so he could afford to take a chance with Lallana, he'll miss him.

Shelvey absolutely should have made the squad. Every squad has at least one nutter but no-one else in the squad has his range of passing and I'd said 'bite' in midfield.

 

[Frogfish]

The important point is that these decisions were still up in the air to this day. Hahaha England are like a perpetual work in progress, but this time they won't have any world class players capable of getting them out of the group through individual moments of brilliance. You'd be deluded to expect anything other than a disjointed mess of performances which are punctuated by prolonged periods of not having the ball. It will be beautiful to watch the pain this will cause.

I'd think you'd have to be deluded to think they won't make it out of the group. After that last 16 or out in the 1/4s will depend on the draw.

 

[Fabio]

Livermore didn't make the squad

 

[Frogfish]

Livermore didn't make the squad

Oh sorry you're right. I was just quoting Hansern. But yeah Livermore has the stats but maybe not enough overall so no surprise he missed out then.

Actually that's a pretty unbalanced squad then. Only 4 out and out midfielders with 3 LBs and 3 RBs which doesn't give him much in the way of tactical variation. I'd have not taken Trippier and Rose and brought in Shelvey and Lallana.

 

[Silver Sean]

Bollocks to the World Cup. Won't be watching that. Pissed off Trent is in the Ing-ur-lund squad. A long summer break after this season would have been preferable.
That squad is piss weak, strangely they will probably get to the usual quarter finals but come home heroes for failing as expectation is so low. Anyway, as I said, bollocks to it.

 

[dantes]

I'd think you'd have to be deluded to think they won't make it out of the group. After that last 16 or out in the 1/4s will depend on the draw.

Their last game is against Belgium. Do you think they'll have it sown up by then? No, that's never happened so long as you and I can remember. They'll go into that game needing some sort of result, and probably lose to an Origi brace after he makes a fool out of Stones.

 

[Hansern]

Oh sorry you're right. I was just quoting Hansern. But yeah Livermore has the stats but maybe not enough overall so no surprise he missed out then.

Actually that's a pretty unbalanced squad then. Only 4 out and out midfielders with 3 LBs and 3 RBs which doesn't give him much in the way of tactical variation. I'd have not taken Trippier and Rose and brought in Shelvey and Lallana.

I meant the stand by list:

FULL LIST: Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livermore and Adam Lallana

Not much to chose from if there is an injury or two.

 

[Fabio]

Oh sorry you're right. I was just quoting Hansern. But yeah Livermore has the stats but maybe not enough overall so no surprise he missed out then.

Actually that's a pretty unbalanced squad then. Only 4 out and out midfielders with 3 LBs and 3 RBs which doesn't give him much in the way of tactical variation. I'd have not taken Trippier and Rose and brought in Shelvey and Lallana.

If you look across the team, there's a lot of versatility there

Dier, Trent can play midfield, walker has played centre back, young can play left wing

It's hard to pin a formation down, or even a guaranteed xi. It's potentially very well thought out

 

[Fabio]

I meant the stand by list:

FULL LIST: Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livermore and Adam Lallana

Not much to chose from if there is an injury or two.

Lallana is going the world cup, even if there's a defensive injury. England have no one like him

 

[Hansern]

Lallana is going the world cup, even if there's a defensive injury. England have no one like him

Agreed.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

well done to TAA

 

[Frogfish]

Their last game is against Belgium. Do you think they'll have it sown up by then? No, that's never happened so long as you and I can remember. They'll go into that game needing some sort of result, and probably lose to an Origi brace after he makes a fool out of Stones.

Every WC there are plenty of people like you are say the same thing - we'll not make it out of the group. It's rare that that happens and we are in a weak group. Yes we'll likely win both the first two games.

 

[Frogfish]

If you look across the team, there's a lot of versatility there

Dier, Trent can play midfield, walker has played centre back, young can play left wing

It's hard to pin a formation down, or even a guaranteed xi. It's potentially very well thought out

Well as I said for Dier 'utilitarian' and TAA is not going to play in midfield, he's only had 2 games there for us and has never played for the full England team before in any position.

If you look at the 4 true midfielders listed (for CM): Hendo, Alli, Loftus-Cheek and Lingard there is a clear lack of depth unless going 4-4-2 (not recommended) with only Hendo and the relatively untried Loftus-Cheek (and Dier I suppose) for the more defensive CM slots, Alli and Lingard are clearly AMs and not exactly ball-winners. Shelvey would have made that much stronger. Just one or two injuries (and we're talking Hendo here) away from disaster.

 

[Oncy]

Very surprised not to see Lallana in the squad.
Loftus-cheek wont kick a ball, neither will TAA.
Lallana should be in there. England dont have anyone else like him.

 

[gkmacca]

Shelvey is an intriguing one. I've always had a soft spot for him, the great loon, but there's obviously something that puts some managers off. Er, apart from/because of the great loon bit. There were mutterings about his *cough* 'refuelling,' but apparently he went to great trouble to clean up his act, and hire his own nutritionist and personal chef, so that's hardly a sign of an uncontrollable character. And of course there were rumours about his unwillingness or inability to stick to tactical instructions, but Rafa made a point of saying recently that he'd been no trouble at all all season (even though that comment is somewhat undermined by the times he seemed to freeze Shelvey out of the side). I just haven't seen anywhere near enough of him this season to judge him, but does he look that wild as a player? He's fit, he's actually able to play some good diagonal balls, he's lively and he's different from the others in the squad. It seems a pity he didn't even get a chance in friendlies and qualifiers to show that he'd matured.

 

[Red Astaire]

Fucking summer of football in the pub. Get in

Summer down at the 'pick your own fruit' farm! Get in....... 😎

 

[dantes]

Every WC there are plenty of people like you are say the same thing - we'll not make it out of the group. It's rare that that happens and we are in a weak group. Yes we'll likely win both the first two games.

You're overlooking that the opponents in those two games will very likely have a more settled team, more pride in representing their country, and a more knowledgeable coach.

 

[Frogfish]

You're overlooking that the opponents in those two games will very likely have a more settled team, more pride in representing their country, and a more knowledgeable coach.

What I'm not overlooking is that, no matter which way you try to spin it, they are inferior teams.

 

[moron]

Brazil squad
Alisson, Ederson, Cassio; Danilo, Fagner, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Marquinhos, Pedro Geromel, Marcelo, Filipe Luis; Casemiro, Paulinho, Fernandinho, Renato Augusto, Coutinho, Fred, Willian; Neymar, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, Douglas Costa, Taison.

Is that Fred the same Fred as last time....coz he is just pure shit.

 

[dantes]

What I'm not overlooking is that, no matter which way you try to spin it, they are inferior teams.

Yes they are. But their inferiority has remained consistently low since the beginning of time, they're used to it. In contrast, England's superiority has greatly reduced in the last years, along with many other big nations, which is due to a lack of world class players compared to the past. Those other nations still have teamwork, possession and cohesion to fall back on thus giving a platform to the one or two world class players they are lucky enough to still have, but England have nothing of the sort as evidenced last time out against Wales and Iceland.