[Football] England Squad

[Swansman]

Indeed. Saka also knows the role well (so although not ideal) can play there in a left-back shortage.

I'd actually rather see Southgate not shoe-horn in a left back into the squad that he can't possibly see himself taking to a major tournament but instead work on "who would I play there if I had an injury to Luke Shaw etc in a tournament".

Ye behind Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell there arent too many realistic options really. I mean he could drag along Luke Thomas or someone but would he ever play if it was important?

Will be interesting to see if Omar Richards moves back to England this summer (not playing a lot in Bayern), perhaps he could turn into another left back option.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

If he's had a run of games without injury, Webster would already have played for England.

 

[Biscuit]

If he's had a run of games without injury, Webster would already have played for England.

Not with Southgate picking the teams. He's picked Coady, Guehi and Maguire over Dunk and/or Webster.

 

[Simster]

He can pick TWENTY SEVEN players.

Yet, some people find one or 2 they disagree and label the whole selection a 'joke'

Weird.

To be fair to Southgate, he's stuck with Maguire because Maguire has never let England down. He did the same with Pickford and at one time everyone was furious with the fact he was being picked. Funnily enough, Pickford has been absolutely outstanding for the last month and nobody is raising their eyebrows over his inclusion any more.

I guess we just have to accept that Southgate likes defensive players, has his favourites (Maguire, Pickford) and there are players he will never pick (Madison, Dunk). That's just what he does.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

If he's had a run of games without injury, Webster would already have played for England.

To be a regular in Southgate's defensive selection, you need to either:

(a) play for a big club, or

(b) be an absolutely Great Bloke To Have Around The Dressing Room, with an honours degree in Chirpy Scouse Humour and a post graduate diploma in Shouting Very Loudly On The Pitch

 

[Guinness Boy]

Pleased to see the omission of Mings, and can understand why he's kept Maguire, even if personally, I think he's crap. Some managers just can't visualise a back four without at least one absolute unit in it. Trippier straight back in after about 45 minutes, seems strange.

Hopefully Henderson being phased out, as barely plays these days. The midfield in that squad does look short of quality, in general. Only Bellingham and Rice are top level players. Gallagher might be when he calms down a little. Phillips and Mount are pretty average, JWP a low-end PL footballer with a world class set piece.

At least there is some real quality in the forwards.

Madison should be scouring his family tree, right now. Fantastic footballer in fantastic form, constantly ignored by a dullard with a personal grudge.

I normally bow to your football opinions, but I've got to pick up on Mount. Visually and statistically world class. Chelsea would be much worse without him. Not a real midfielder in the Nobby Horton sense of the word though. More an attacking option who can drop in if needed, a bit like Gross or MacAllister do for us.

Elsewhere there's a case that Justin, at present, is no better than Lamptey, who is presumably in the Under 21s (not that I've checked they have a game, much less a squad).

Pleased Tomori is in there. Not watched much Serie A but has looked good when I have and has just won the league with AC Milan. Got to be a bit of "in on form" there. Always decent for us in his loan spell.

As for Maguire, I know what you mean and I agree, but, shit the bed, he's awful.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I normally bow to your football opinions, but I've got to pick up on Mount. Visually and statistically world class. Chelsea would be much worse without him. Not a real midfielder in the Nobby Horton sense of the word though. More an attacking option who can drop in if needed, a bit like Gross or MacAllister do for us.

Elsewhere there's a case that Justin, at present, is no better than Lamptey, who is presumably in the Under 21s (not that I've checked they have a game, much less a squad).

Pleased Tomori is in there. Not watched much Serie A but has looked good when I have and has just won the league with AC Milan. Got to be a bit of "in on form" there. Always decent for us in his loan spell.

As for Maguire, I know what you mean and I agree, but, shit the bed, he's awful.

Lamptey hasn’t confirmed his alliance to Ghana or England yet, which may explain the omission

 

[Motogull]

Southgate is to football management what Johnson is to statesmanship. A useless bungle****. Get rid.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Southgate is to football management what Johnson is to statesmanship. A useless bungle****. Get rid.

He's kind of got us to the semi final and final of the last two tournaments, which makes him untouchable. Whether he's done that because of the talent at his disposal or in spite of it I'm not sure, but I gave you a thumbs up because I genuinely laughed out loud at that post.

Unfortunately there's no double blind repeatable trials with football management but you've got to wonder if England would have actual silverware if Potter, Klopp, Gerrard, Smeddie or even Steve Bruce had been in charge of those players.

But picking five right backs and Harry Maguire? **** me.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLEMwKLE/?k=1

I agree with Danny Mills

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Southgate is to football management what Johnson is to statesmanship. A useless bungle****. Get rid.

One of them certainly is. Both have undoubtedly been phenomenally lucky, which has masked an obvious lack of talent.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

A great deal of confirmation bias on show in this thread.

I'd like to be able to say 'see, Southgate, failure, rubbish, get rid!' because he's a Graham Potter type - not much charisma, a bit geeky, not a 'man's man', or at least I would emote like that were I someone who feels uncomfortable in the company of blokes who aren't all like Terry Venables.

One major final and one semi final, but . . . . . but he's got such a bulliable face, voice and manner, though, Southgit.

And so a couple of points of order. Dunk is a great player for us, but he seems to be rather quiet. So it is easy, outside our club, to seize on things like his mistake when he did play for England, and his flapping in the last few minutes against Leeds when they equalized, and just dismiss him. He simply doesn't look the part. Maddison, on the other hand, is talented but too wayward to be trusted. And in any case, the manager is entitled to have his preferences.

No, if we start getting dicked in tournaments like we did under Keegan and Schteeve (and everyone else, frankly, apart from Alf Ramsey) when we actually managed to qualify for a tournament, then I may start to hanker for a new manager. Right now it would seem churlish.

It would be more interesting to ask him to explain his selections rather than queue up to throw him into the sea. Another good reason why we don't have much gun ownership in the UK.

 

[Wardy's twin]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLEMwKLE/?k=1

I agree with Danny Mills

blimey he was talking sense...

 

[Mr Putdown]

Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Fikayo Tomori, Ben White: I would say that - Stones apart - Dunk is better than all of them.

Whilst I honestly believe that Guehi is marginally better that Dunk, I agree with your sentiment.

IMO the only thing that really goes against Dunk in Southgate eyes is his age.

 

[Wardy's twin]

A great deal of confirmation bias on show in this thread.

I'd like to be able to say 'see, Southgate, failure, rubbish, get rid!' because he's a Graham Potter type - not much charisma, a bit geeky, not a 'man's man', or at least I would emote like that were I someone who feels uncomfortable in the company of blokes who aren't all like Terry Venables.

One major final and one semi final, but . . . . . but he's got such a bulliable face, voice and manner, though, Southgit.

And so a couple of points of order. Dunk is a great player for us, but he seems to be rather quiet. So it is easy, outside our club, to seize on things like his mistake when he did play for England, and his flapping in the last few minutes against Leeds when they equalized, and just dismiss him. He simply doesn't look the part. Maddison, on the other hand, is talented but too wayward to be trusted. And in any case, the manager is entitled to have his preferences.

No, if we start getting dicked in tournaments like we did under Keegan and Schteeve (and everyone else, frankly, apart from Alf Ramsey) when we actually managed to qualify for a tournament, then I may start to hanker for a new manager. Right now it would seem churlish.

It would be more interesting to ask him to explain his selections rather than queue up to throw him into the sea. Another good reason why we don't have much gun ownership in the UK.

I agree much with what you have said but he has stated he will pick on form and he clearly hasn't , not this time and not previously. If he just said I will pick who i feel i want to play then at least that would be honest. Personally happy that Brighton players are not picked as there is less chance of them being bought be top 6 or indeed being injured.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I agree much with what you have said but he has stated he will pick on form and he clearly hasn't , not this time and not previously. If he just said I will pick who i feel i want to play then at least that would be honest. Personally happy that Brighton players are not picked as there is less chance of them being bought be top 6 or indeed being injured.

Fair point. I think his sin there was to not caveat the point. However, he can be forgiven for a bit of careless under-nuanced chat from time to time - I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't been forgiven for the odd bit of careless under-nuanced chat. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition

 

[Wardy's twin]

Whilst I honestly believe that Guehi is marginally better that Dunk, I agree with your sentiment.

IMO the only thing that really goes against Dunk in Southgate eyes is his age.

14 months difference not a lot also he would not have picked Dunk 3-4 ago when he was turning in excellent performances as a defender... As said elsewhere Southgate would have more respect if he just i am the manager and i pick those players i want rather than state it picks on form.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Whilst I honestly believe that Guehi is marginally better that Dunk, I agree with your sentiment.

IMO the only thing that really goes against Dunk in Southgate eyes is his age.

I think that, now, it is his age, but it wasn't the case when he was younger.

As for Guehi, the man has made only 36 EPL appearances and should be nowehere near the England squad. Yet. Let him mature a bit. By the time he gets to Dunk's age then.......................oh.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Whilst I honestly believe that Guehi is marginally better that Dunk, I agree with your sentiment.

IMO the only thing that really goes against Dunk in Southgate eyes is his age.

I don't buy that. 4 years ago Dunk had had just as good a debut Prem season as Guehi, got his England call-up, and has only got better with age. Indeed, some centre-backs mature with age - take Chiellini who has bagged 40-odd caps for Italy since turning 30 and led them to victory in Euro 2020.

I think it is because of a combination of Southgate doesn't like Dunk or the Albion and prefers to pick Mings / Guehi because they played for Southgate's old clubs. It's pathetic but then that sort of loyalty stuff seems to resonate with Southgate. Maguire's form has been abysmal yet he still gets picked. The bloke's a ticking time bomb.

 

[Munkfish]

Tbh it’s far too late for Dunk now. Dunk is on the way down. Should have been given more of a chance at his peak but Southgate didn’t rate him. He was seriously unlucky.

Should Webster have been looked at in that setting. Absolutely. But I’m fairly certain Burn would have been ahead him in any pecking order. Southgate Has a bias against us. To have players like JWP, Coady and Guehi shows that. He’s not afraid to use players outside the top 6. But just not little old Brighton.

Bet he ****ing wishes he had a left back like Cucarella he could pick from.