[Football] Does Grealish START on Saturday?

[Randy McNob]

Impact sub. Best role for him.

Agreed. Grealish impacted the game because he came on late and changed the dynamic

Amazed people stilll think Southgate is getting it wrong tactically

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

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 and for 70 minutes were quite poor ourselves. Look at all the posts on here and social media from fans but also journo's who are more dispassionate for most of the game, the result shouldn't hide what was a really poor game between two quite average sides. I think we need to make some changes if we're going to progress, Grealish coming in would be one of them.

As well as that, we don't need three at the back in the next two rounds (if we get that far) - should definitely revert to a back four which will free up the extra space needed in midfield/wide.

The other thing for me that won't happen but would really should, is Kane should be dropped. We have been playing with 10 men virtually all tournament but luckily we haven't played anyone particularly good yet. He is completely immobile (and not an Italian striker etc), his movement has been poor and he's hesitant on the ball. Yes he scored last night but he couldn't miss and I'm certain any other striker we picked would have been in that position and able to nod it home. I would start DCL as to add a real physical presence who can actually run to what we have elsewhere in attack and midfield could make a massive difference to us.

 

[Randy McNob]

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 and for 70 minutes were quite poor ourselves. Look at all the posts on here and social media from fans but also journo's who are more dispassionate for most of the game, the result shouldn't hide what was a really poor game between two quite average sides. I think we need to make some changes if we're going to progress, Grealish coming in would be one of them.

As well as that, we don't need three at the back in the next two rounds (if we get that far) - should definitely revert to a back four which will free up the extra space needed in midfield/wide.

The other thing for me that won't happen but would really should, is Kane should be dropped. We have been playing with 10 men virtually all tournament but luckily we haven't played anyone particularly good yet. He is completely immobile (and not an Italian striker etc), his movement has been poor and he's hesitant on the ball. Yes he scored last night but he couldn't miss and I'm certain any other striker we picked would have been in that position and able to nod it home. I would start DCL as to add a real physical presence who can actually run to what we have elsewhere in attack and midfield could make a massive difference to us.

so in a nutshell....Grealish brought on and changed the game - that was wrong? Kane scored which wrapped up the win - drop him?

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I'm having horrible flashbacks to the two years of squabbling on here about Hughton's tactics and latterly the perhaps only just ending Hughton v Potter debates.

I think Southgate is like Hughton in that he's defensively minded and stay in the game.
He's like Potter in that he will change his side (within his group of favourites) depending on what he sees as the oppostition strengths.

Saying "Grealish played well when he came on so he should start" won't be how Gareth sees it at all I suspect. He'll pick the best team to beat the opp, whatever that is.

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

Well Germany are generally considered to be past their prime . . . England-Germany is like a local derby. We're in the ascendancy. . . . Belgium and Italy are decent, so too France, but they're home already.

We have a technique, I wouldn't call it style, and it is working, hopefully we do get better and it will continue to work against teams better than Germany.

I think that's setting a high bar for "decent" there, does anybody qualify as "good" on your scale?

There not as good as they have been, but we can only measure ourselves against what's available. If we were to win the whole thing I won't be carping that we're not as good as the previous winners or future teams.

Whatever you call it, we've done as well as can reasonably be expected. To answer the thread question, I'm happy with Grealish coming on to shake things up. We can't pick all the fun players at once, and I like the change he brings.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Saturday will come round quickly for the team and I suspect that there will be fitness issues for GS to contend with. I trust him now more than I ever have. If he wants to keep it tight for an hour and then unleash the likes of Grealish and Foden when the Ukrainians should be pretty knackered then he has my support. He’s got it right so far. It’s only the quarter finals - I think we might be getting too excited too quickly!

 

[sydney]

Kane can't be fit , he was hopelessly half arsed for most of the game .......Sterling runs like a penguin.

Walker and Shaw had good games , changing the starting line up will ,depend on wether Southgate wants to bore the fans to sleep or give them something to get really excited about......beating the Krauts can never be a bad thing though , the luck was with us last night.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Isn’t he carrying a slight injury? If so, he’s better coming off the bench.

To answer my own question Publius posted something yesterday from a Villa fan about him carrying an injury, so it seems Southgate is managing that well. Impact sub without aggravating the injury.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

so in a nutshell....Grealish brought on and changed the game - that was wrong? Kane scored which wrapped up the win - drop him?

Yes. If Grealish had started and we had someone else up front instead of a statue, I think we would have won more comfortably against a very poor Germany.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Yes. If Grealish had started and we had someone else up front instead of a statue, I think we would have won more comfortably against a very poor Germany.

The Germans are never very poor. Their tournament qualification and finals performances are 2nd to none. I’m not saying this Germany team is great, but they are a well drilled winning machine in internationals.

It’s a continual thing with England fans, beat less regarded opposition and it’s because they were easy. Beat an established team and it’s because they were very poor. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. England did well last night, against a German team that created some clear chances themselves.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

I'm having horrible flashbacks to the two years of squabbling on here about Hughton's tactics and latterly the perhaps only just ending Hughton v Potter debates.

I think Southgate is like Hughton in that he's defensively minded and stay in the game.
He's like Potter in that he will change his side (within his group of favourites) depending on what he sees as the oppostition strengths.

Saying "Grealish played well when he came on so he should start" won't be how Gareth sees it at all I suspect. He'll pick the best team to beat the opp, whatever that is.

The difference is Southgate is quite happy to switch from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 if tactically he feels that will be the edge over the opposition. I don’t remember Hughton changing the 4-5-1 at any point during his last season in charge. Have to give Southgate some credit on tactical flexibility.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

The Germans are never very poor. Their tournament qualification and finals performances are 2nd to none. I’m not saying this Germany team is great, but they are a well drilled winning machine in internationals.

It’s a continual thing with England fans, beat less regarded opposition and it’s because they were easy. Beat an established team and it’s because they were very poor. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. England did well last night, against a German team that created some clear chances themselves.

No, this is a poor German team with a poor manager with confused thinking and no real plan or identity. Their own fans and experts have been saying it for months, they had no expectations about this tournament and they are a little surprised they made it as close as they did last night. The last 20 minutes has really shone over how poor we were for the first 70 minutes.

Unless Southgate does change things I expect us to edge past Ukraine and then lose to Denmark in the semi's.

 

[dazzer6666]

Ukraine will pack the defence and hit us on the counter. It will be down to England to break them down. Grealish is the best player we have at breaking down a team with 11 behind the ball... he'll also win free-kicks and penalties. For this game, I would definitely play Grealish

Good work - just about the only post so far that actually references the opposition tactics - which will in large part determine our setup and consequently whether Grealish should start

 

[Official Old Man]

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?

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

No, this is a poor German team with a poor manager with confused thinking and no real plan or identity. Their own fans and experts have been saying it for months, they had no expectations about this tournament and they are a little surprised they made it as close as they did last night. The last 20 minutes has really shone over how poor we were for the first 70 minutes.

Unless Southgate does change things I expect us to edge past Ukraine and then lose to Denmark in the semi's.

It doesn’t make them ‘very poor’ just because the bar for a German team is always set at winning the tournament. Their experts and pundits are merely commenting on them not being at the standard that usually gets them to the final or at least the semis. Still doesn’t make this team very poor - that is a nonsense.

 

[Swansman]

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.

 

[1066familyman]

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? The team won us that game in 90 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.

Corrected for you

 

[Randy McNob]

It doesn’t make them ‘very poor’ just because the bar for a German team is always set at winning the tournament. Their experts and pundits are merely commenting on them not being at the standard that usually gets them to the final or at least the semis. Still doesn’t make this team very poor - that is a nonsense.

The team that won Euro 96 weren't that good, man for man, they were a shadow of the Italia 90 team with Matthaus, Voller and Brehme. In 2002 they got to the world cup final with an average side - from that same campaign where we beat them 5-1 in qualifying

Germans are always tough to beat and they play harder against England

It's the same rubbish from all those who said we only did well in 2018 cos we beat weaker opposition, now that we have beaten a top side they change their argument that it's not a good German side. If all they can do is find fault when we've just beaten the Germans in the knockouts of a tournament they aren't fans, end of

 

[Bry Nylon]

Corrected for you

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.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

The team that won Euro 96 weren't that good, man for man, they were a shadow of the Italia 90 team with Matthaus, Voller and Brehme. In 2002 they got to the world cup final with an average side - from that same campaign where we beat them 5-1 in qualifying

Germans are always tough to beat and they play harder against England

It's the same rubbish from all those who said we only did well in 2018 cos we beat weaker opposition, now that we have beaten a top side they change their argument that it's not a good German side. If all they can do is find fault when we've just beaten the Germans in the knockouts of a tournament they aren't fans, end of

I agree. I wouldn't argue it's a very good German team by their high standards, but it is still a German side, and tournament after tournament, whether highly rated or not, they get through to the later stages. Their success rate isn't down to always having a very good team, they just have a mentality and belief that often gets them through. I don't think there is such a thing in my lifetime as a 'very poor' German side.

Of the 2 teams, had Germany won I think they'd have more chance of winning it that us - simply on that ingrained belief and tournament success and experience. I think we'll really start to feel the pressure now, whereas German teams no matter how good thrive on it.

That was a big win for England, I reckon the rest of the tournament is happier we're still in than Germany.