[Football] Does Grealish START on Saturday?

[B-right-on]

It’s been starkly apparent in his England appearances that Grealish is doing his utmost to stay on his feet and influence the game in a positive way rather than buy free kicks 25 yard out from goal.

I believe a large part of the reason fans of the other 19 PL teams get so pissed off with Grealish in league games is because he dives but increasingly it seems that is down to Dean Smith’s preferred way of playing PL football, rather than Grealish. I hope he stays on his feet a lot more next season; it’s a criminal waste of talent to instruct such a naturally gifted player to go out there and simply win set pieces in and around the box.

Exactly this. I like him in and England shirt as he stay on his 2 feet. For Villa he's a cheating f*cker. Says more about the manager as him.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Well, in my view it is a poor correction and representative of the "everyone's a winner at primary school sports day" attitude. We were grinding out a stalemate that looked like heading into ET and possibly penalties until Grealish was introduced on 70 mins and 15 minutes later we were 2 nil up and he had played a key role in both goals. He made the difference and turned in a match winning performance.

It wasn't just Grealish though really. Saka tired, but so did some of the Germans. Grealish came on, but as important was seeing Shaw given a bit more license to get forwards. It was good tactics by Southgate, he didn't just throw Grealish on, he backed him but getting players around him. Shaw was also instrumental in both goals as much as Grealish was.

The question is, who do you drop for Grealish? I would love a more attacking wingback than Trippier. I think Shaw was fine on his side, but Trippier lacks really tight control in key areas.

Saka can play wingback and has done for Arsenal, could Southgate be brave enough to drop Trippier, play Saka in that role and have Grealish in front of him? Certainly leaves you less secure, but much more threat.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Exactly this. I like him in and England shirt as he stay on his 2 feet. For Villa he's a cheating f*cker. Says more about the manager as him.

Yup - I know Grealish loves Villa with all his heart and is a passionate fan of the club as well it's best player. But I hope his EURO experience to date has shown him that he can be so much more than Dean Smith's free-kick vending machine and he moves to a club where he can flourish.

 

[dazzer6666]

I don't understand tactics so I may have missed something during the match but Wife and I sat watching the game. She only knows Kane as the guy who falls over against the Albion. 'He's useless' she says, noting he had hardly touched the ball.
'We have to pass it to him' I said.
'So why doesn't Sterling pass. All he does is go for goal himself'
And that is how it went on. Raheem running towards the goal with no intentions of passing and Kane stood watching.
Then on came socks and instantly Kane was getting the ball.
As a side, Kane to Villa to pair them up?

More likely both of them to Man City

 

[Perkino]

Up until JG's introduction on 70 minutes, that match resembeld that feature from It's A Knockout! where 2 competitors dressed in oafish giant suits clumsily lumbered around a slippery podium trying to knock each other over whilst Stuart Hall (are we still allowed to mention him?) shrieked with laughter.

Then on 70 minutes Grealish came on and injected pace, invention, trickery and penetration into our foward play. Five minutes after his introduction he had role in the first goal and 10 minutes after that he popped a cross onto Kane's head that even he couldn't miss, for the second.

So does Grealish get a start on Saturday, or is he best used as an impact sub? He won us that game in 15 minutes (notwithstanding an honourable mention for Pickford who saved our skin a couple of times) - so you kind of wonder what Grealish could do if he was given the full 90?

Personally, I think after that performance Grealish has 100% earned the right to start but can see the counter argument that he's a great option to bring off the bench to change a game.

Alternatively...Saka has run himself into the ground and Southgate decides to change the line up by bringing on JG. Sterling subsequently moves alongside Kane allowing space for Shaw to run into. Shaw makes a great run into space and is found by a team mate before delivering the perfect pass to Sterling. A few minutes later he wins the ball in the opposition half and drives forward playing the ball into the path of JG who then delivers a cross at an inconvenient height requiring Kane to perform some yoga masterclass to get his head on the ball. A different formation of 4-1-3-2 and we looked like scoring

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

The boy must learn to pull his socks up first - and with that hair, looks proper loutish !

 

[vagabond]

It’s been starkly apparent in his England appearances that Grealish is doing his utmost to stay on his feet and influence the game in a positive way rather than buy free kicks 25 yard out from goal.

I believe a large part of the reason fans of the other 19 PL teams get so pissed off with Grealish in league games is because he dives but increasingly it seems that is down to Dean Smith’s preferred way of playing PL football, rather than Grealish. I hope he stays on his feet a lot more next season; it’s a criminal waste of talent to instruct such a naturally gifted player to go out there and simply win set pieces in and around the box.

I just don’t see how we can be critical of Southgates team choices when we’ve just knocked out the Germans in a knockout tie 2-0 and yet to concede a goal in the tournament.

I think Grealish may start for Saka on Saturday, but if he doesn’t maybe we should trust and give Southgate a little credit for getting the team setup and system right.

We have an incredible bench. Substitutes are more important then ever this tournament. Grealish is an incredible impact sub against tired legs. And what about Foden, Rashford, Sancho. Whoever you leave out is tough.

 

[vagabond]

Yes for me.

Whilst last night was special in many ways, in the cold light of day, we did just beat a very average team.

Why do many say this as England fans so often?

Every time we win = “we only beat an average/poor side”. Happened with Croatia too who took Spain all the way, and then Czech (who have also made it to the quarter finals).

Give a bit of credit to the England players and manager. Doesn’t matter who you play, it can be a tough game. Forgotten Iceland?

 

[Perkino]

I just don’t see how we can be critical of Southgates team choices when we’ve just knocked out the Germans in a knockout tie 2-0 and yet to concede a goal in the tournament.

I think Grealish may start for Saka on Saturday, but if he doesn’t maybe we should trust and give Southgate a little credit for getting the team setup and system right.

We have an incredible bench. Substitutes are more important then ever this tournament. Grealish is an incredible impact sub against tired legs. And what about Fidel, Rashford, Sancho. Whoever you leave out is tough.

This is a great point, We have been very solid defensively and have plenty of creative attacking players that would be great for any side. Rashford & Sancho are hugely gifted players who have hardly played. Southgate has a system and a game plan that seems to be working and in tournament football it's not always the best side that wins.

 

[boik]

Dont think Saka or Kane were any good last night, think both of them should be benched. Sterling got a lot of shit in the match thread but I thought he was a threat all day long, just need some different comrades to play with. I'd start Grealish and Foden. If you are going to have your centre forward play as a false nine, might as well pick the false nine.

Absolutely. Anyone would have scored that Kane header. I like the idea of Foden as a false 9. Sure he's played it for City.. It does tend to confuse the more conventional centre backs and I don't think Ukraines are all that mobile.

 

[lawros left foot]

He should, he won’t.

 

[amexer]

More likely both of them to Man City

Cant see him at City whose game is based 100% on team work by moving ball on to next play quickly. Manager has said doesnt encourage players to run with ball because ball can be moved faster by passing Maybe Liverpool whose success is down to individual flair

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Dont think Saka or Kane were any good last night, think both of them should be benched. Sterling got a lot of shit in the match thread but I thought he was a threat all day long, just need some different comrades to play with. I'd start Grealish and Foden. If you are going to have your centre forward play as a false nine, might as well pick the false nine.

Spot on with every point. Sterling was excellent and I said before the tournament started we should go with Foden in false 9 and start Grealish.

 

[Randy McNob]

Why do many say this as England fans so often?

Every time we win = “we only beat an average/poor side”. Happened with Croatia too who took Spain all the way, and then Czech (who have also made it to the quarter finals).

Give a bit of credit to the England players and manager. Doesn’t matter who you play, it can be a tough game. Forgotten Iceland?

or the last time we played Germany? 4-1 down...Clueless Crapello brings on Heskey...

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Alternatively...Saka has run himself into the ground and Southgate decides to change the line up by bringing on JG. Sterling subsequently moves alongside Kane allowing space for Shaw to run into. Shaw makes a great run into space and is found by a team mate before delivering the perfect pass to Sterling. A few minutes later he wins the ball in the opposition half and drives forward playing the ball into the path of JG who then delivers a cross at an inconvenient height requiring Kane to perform some yoga masterclass to get his head on the ball. A different formation of 4-1-3-2 and we looked like scoring

Agree, a couple of posts before yours. Grealish is taking all the plaudits, but Shaw had as much a hand in both goals as Grealish did to be fair to him.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I don't often agree with Southgate's selections, but keeping it solid and making sure we didn't concede was the right approach to start with. Bring your Grealishes on against a tiring defence later on.

Maybe against a weaker opponent in Ukraine it will be the right approach to try to win it early on and then rest players in the second half. But if he went for the same safety-first approach you couldn't blame him.

 

[1066familyman]

Well, in my view it is a poor correction and representative of the "everyone's a winner at primary school sports day" attitude. We were grinding out a stalemate that looked like heading into ET and possibly penalties until Grealish was introduced on 70 mins and 15 minutes later we were 2 nil up and he had played a key role in both goals. He made the difference and turned in a match winning performance.

Not an "everyone's a winner" attitude or there's no i in team at all.

By your rationale, start Grealish and the game is never in doubt from the off as he wins the game for us.

He undoubtedly changed the game when he came on. I wouldn't argue with that for one minute. But the proceeding 70mins before his introduction set that up, you could argue. It was the classic impact sub. A tweak in the formation and running at tiring players and voilà, things start to happen.

It's the team performance that kept the clean sheet and allowed JG to have such an impact really.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love us to be swashbuckling from the start and dominate games, but so far, what we are doing is clearly working, however dull that may be. I'd stick with it if it means progressing all the way.

 

[Perkino]

Absolutely. Anyone would have scored that Kane header. I like the idea of Foden as a false 9. Sure he's played it for City.. It does tend to confuse the more conventional centre backs and I don't think Ukraines are all that mobile.

I disagree, the header could easily have been missed. It wasn't at a comfortable height and Kane has to adjust himself into a very awkward position which could've seen the ball go anywhere. Maguire had an easier header which he put wide

 

[vagabond]

I don't often agree with Southgate's selections, but keeping it solid and making sure we didn't concede was the right approach to start with. Bring your Grealishes on against a tiring defence later on.

Maybe against a weaker opponent in Ukraine it will be the right approach to try to win it early on and then rest players in the second half. But if he went for the same safety-first approach you couldn't blame him.

Definitely At this point I trust Southgate to pick the team. He’s the one who knows the players, watches training and ignores all the noise from us fans and the media. Everyone disagreed with his team at the start of the tournament. But he’s got it right.

I suspect it’s less “safety first” and more, looking at the kind of systems teams who win these things tend to play. That’s what Southgate has been studying and trying to emulate.

I’d assume the Ukraine game will be very different. That is a game where we may have a lot more of the ball and more pressure to go for the win. I can see that being a great game for Jack to come in. Maybe in place of Saka. But I certainly won’t give the manager pelters if he doesn’t start.