[Football] Euros 2024 - Matchday 7

[Bry Nylon]

I imagine it was bit frosty at breakfast at the England hotel this morning.

Mind you, Bellingham and Foden were probably arguing over the same chair, Declan Rice would have been in the kitchen trying to do the chefs' jobs for them and Harry Kane would have been ambling aimlessly around the dining room, spilling his Coco Pops on the carpet.

 

[Simster]

I imagine it was bit frosty at breakfast at the England hotel this morning.

Mind you, Bellingham and Foden were probably arguing over the same chair, Declan Rice would have been in the kitchen trying to do the chefs' jobs for them and Harry Kane would have been ambling aimlessly around the dining room, spilling his Coco Pops on the carpet.

I hope Gareth Southgate wasn't the waiter. He'd take the orders, then go to the kitchen with a load of illegible scribble on the paper - and when the kitchen asks what the order is, he'd just say "Don't ask me. Maybe something with some energy in it".

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I imagine it was bit frosty at breakfast at the England hotel this morning.

Mind you, Bellingham and Foden were probably arguing over the same chair, Declan Rice would have been in the kitchen trying to do the chefs' jobs for them and Harry Kane would have been ambling aimlessly around the dining room, spilling his Coco Pops on the carpet.

And Pickford would say “can you pass me the butter please, I can’t reach it as my arms are too short”

 

[Simster]

And Pickford would say “can you pass me the butter please, I can’t reach it as my arms are too short”

Then rather than receiving it graciously, he'd just punch the butter dish for no apparent reason.

 

[Bry Nylon]

And Pickford would say “can you pass me the butter please, I can’t reach it as my arms are too short”

Tbf, everything was ok until Jude Bellingham asked Pickford to pass him the butter dish afterwards and instead he put it on the floor booted it out of the window.

 

[Seagull58]

Rice isnt a traditional number 6 sitting DM, he isnt very good at that role at all, when under pressure at the back, with his back to goal or on the half turn, hes much better as an 8 higher up the field, and thats where he's played well for West Ham and Arsenal to much greater effect.

The problem with playing Rice in his preferred 8 or hybrid 8/10, is that both Bellingham a good number 8 and 10, needs to play the 8 role if Foden is going to play in his best positon as a number 10.

Those 3 can't all play in their best positions and where theyve played best for their clubs, having Rice as a 6 or Foden on left wing is square pegs in round holes to try and shoe horn in your perceived better players, but playing them out of their most effective positions which ends in lack of balance and a shambles like last night..

As much as I dont want to advance the interests of a Palace player, drop Trent, put Wharton in there to sit and release Bellingham, Put Foden as the 10 and give Kane the runners and pace on both sides in Saka and either Palmer or Gordon on left.

Yes that leaves no place for Rice and Waistcoat wont do it, but Wharton, is better on half turn with back to goal and moving foward. Bellingham, La Liga player of the year is better as an 8 than Rice, and Foden, PL player of year is better than both as 10 than Rice. plus we need the pace down both flanks to help Kane, and Foden is not a left winger.

If Rice plays 10 to 15 yards further forward when the CBs have possession he can drive forward and also connect with Bellingham, Foden and the wingers. Let the CBs play the first line breaking pass into the Danish half and free Rice to play between the lines.

 

[AK74]

 

[Seagull58]

I was gobsmacked to hear him say we have had issues in midfield for 8 years because we dont have a replacement for Calvin Phillips. In that case change the system to suit the players you do have!

In fact he can still play his beloved 4-2-3-1 as follows. Move the 2 DM’s to central midfield. Have Rice drop back a bit to cover centre backs. Get Jude along side going box to box. Put Foden in the hole and fill the rest of the positions with any of the players left.

That is the simple solution that will win us games

Agreed. Rice needs to play 10 to 15 yards further forward when in possession and let the CBs play balls through the first line.

 

[BevBHA]

all to pundits are saying we don’t have anyone who is comfortable to receive the ball
From the centre backs and get us playing forward. Like a Rodri, Jorginho, Kroos type of player. The closest we have is Mainoo, or why not play Stones there like he does for City and play Dunk or Konsa with Guehi? Then we can push rice 20 yards higher as more of an 8. Or just play Foden there next to Rice, it’s not his ‘natural’ position but he’s so naturally gifted, by far our most technical player and he can control games for us.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I imagine it was bit frosty at breakfast at the England hotel this morning.

Mind you, Bellingham and Foden were probably arguing over the same chair, Declan Rice would have been in the kitchen trying to do the chefs' jobs for them and Harry Kane would have been ambling aimlessly around the dining room, spilling his Coco Pops on the carpet.

It's just got worse at the hotel canteen, where the England team have all been queueing up for lunch behind the manager with their trays. "What would you like Mr Southgate?" "I'll have the lamb please fraulein" "And the vegetables?" "Oh they can choose their own"

 

[BevBHA]

Rumour has it Southgate puts his phone on low power mode when it goes down to 99% battery

 

[Guinness Boy]

Ludicrous to suggest our best 2 players shouldn’t be on the pitch together! It’s mismanagement not to find a solution. Look at Musiala and Wirtz with Germany, very similar players in identical favoured positions and they’re getting a tune out of them and winning games comfortably. It’s what top managers do.

Further to which, here is Jonathan Liew describing exactly the same thing. Foden refusing to play wide and dropping into Bellingham’s space.

 

[Simster]

Rumour has it Southgate puts his phone on low power mode when it goes down to 99% battery

 

[aolstudios]

If Rice plays 10 to 15 yards further forward when the CBs have possession he can drive forward and also connect with Bellingham, Foden and the wingers. Let the CBs play the first line breaking pass into the Danish half and free Rice to play between the lines.

This ^
Times a million

 

[rippleman]

But ultimately other than one or two they are accurate, the problem isn't his kicking, its the instruction to do so. That is either A) coming from the manager, or B) players on the pitch. The Bellingham option being the exception, no one is offering and that's why Pickford is going long. Its a 50/50.

or C) having Dyche as his manager for too long!

 

[Han Solo]

Further to which, here is Jonathan Liew describing exactly the same thing. Foden refusing to play wide and dropping into Bellingham’s space.

Its not a problem really. Foden can only play the way he does, but Bellingham can do whatever you tell him. He's been a central midfielder most of his career and could play next to Rice, no reason for him to be nr 10 in this team.

4-4-2 with Bellingham and Rice as central midfield, Foden and Saka moving in from the wings to operate behind Kane and Watkins. Or keep the same formation but put TAA on the bench (or as right back), move Bellingham into central midfield, Foden as a 10 and Bowen on the wing.

But Bellingham is absolutely capable of playing with anyone, he is that allround. Just give him another part of the pitch to dominate.

 

[jackalbion]

Its not a problem really. Foden can only play the way he does, but Bellingham can do whatever you tell him. He's been a central midfielder most of his career and could play next to Rice, no reason for him to be nr 10 in this team.

4-4-2 with Bellingham and Rice as central midfield, Foden and Saka moving in from the wings to operate behind Kane and Watkins. Or keep the same formation but put TAA on the bench (or as right back), move Bellingham into central midfield, Foden as a 10 and Bowen on the wing.

But Bellingham is absolutely capable of playing with anyone, he is that allround. Just give him another part of the pitch to dominate.

I was thinking this, I remember a certain other manager was very fond of this formation (with Gross and Mooy as the two moving in from the wings to play more centrally more of a 4-2-2-2), I liked it, if you want to accommodate Foden and Bellingham this is the way to do it.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Its not a problem really. Foden can only play the way he does, but Bellingham can do whatever you tell him. He's been a central midfielder most of his career and could play next to Rice, no reason for him to be nr 10 in this team.

4-4-2 with Bellingham and Rice as central midfield, Foden and Saka moving in from the wings to operate behind Kane and Watkins. Or keep the same formation but put TAA on the bench (or as right back), move Bellingham into central midfield, Foden as a 10 and Bowen on the wing.

But Bellingham is absolutely capable of playing with anyone, he is that allround. Just give him another part of the pitch to dominate.

There's something genuinely appealing to me about us going 4-4-2 and winning it. Was one of my post match suggestions. Kane with someone like Watkins next to him seems far more dangerous than lumbering Kane on his own dragging the whole team back 10 yards. Shearer, later in his England career tended to play in a 2 up top with a quick player - something that was mentioned on our commentary over here.

And it would be SO English.

The current formation doesn't work with the players used in it.

 

[BevBHA]

No one’s even mentioning how criminal it is that he’s taken an injured Luke Shaw and no other natural left back! Completely unbalances the team

 

[Bodian]

They are accurate however, and this is the problem, the kicking is good, but the instruction to do so is poor. Look at the compilation above, they hit the target.

Not sure about the 'accurate' tag though. The ones that reached England players were mainly because the outfield players ran on to where the ball was going to land to challenge with a Danish player - rather than them being in space already and Pickford picking them out with a pinpoint pass. That is - he hoofed it upfield roughly into space or an area where there were some players and left the outfield players to fight for / win the ball.