Euro 2024: Group C (Denmark, England, Serbia, Slovenia)

[ferguson1]

13 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

Said this before as a bit of an out there thought....the guy we should be bringing on to close games out is Ollie Watkins 

We should press aggressively up top, keep the ball as far away from our goal we possible 

We have the players to do it too

I think Watkins is a great option for a tiring Kane but Southgate will barely use Watkins unfortunately. Wharton is an interesting one, as not seen much of him thus far but by all accounts he’s been exceptional for Palace.

[Cizzler]

1 minute ago, ferguson1 said:

Can’t see it being anything but this team if anyone is fit on Matchday one:

…………..…..…..Pickford………………………..

Walker…..Stones……Maguire …..Trippier

………….Gallagher……..Rice……….

  Saka..…..Bellingham……..Foden

………………....…Kane….………………..

If all fairness, we’re very strong offensively but light in midfield if we have an injury/suspension and certainly at the back. I don’t like the fella but I would have taken Henderson just as a back up and to close out games.  Can’t honestly see us winning it and you’d have to fancy France here but we should make the Semi Finals.

It will be this XI, yeah. Small chance he goes for Shaw (if he’s fit) and Mainoo instead of Gallagher.

Still think we should be getting Trent at RB somehow. Possibly Walker should start RB vs Mbappe - but against Slovenia surely he could just play as the other CB with Stones. Would give us a lot more.

[Jonesy7211]

40 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

Pickford in goal, some defenders (probably the usual with Trippier as LB), then a midfield two of Rice and Gallagher, then Foden Bellingham and Saka behind Kane. 

(I suspect)

I agree with this, however we've seen him go negative in the past against stronger nations. My worry is he'll drop Foden or Jude to bring in another DM, such as Trent.

[Tomaszk]

19 minutes ago, ferguson1 said:

Can’t see it being anything but this team if everyone is fit on Matchday one:

…………..…..…..Pickford………………………..

Walker…..Stones……Maguire …..Trippier

………….Gallagher……..Rice……….

  Saka..…..Bellingham……..Foden

………………....…Kane….………………..

If all fairness, we’re very strong offensively but light in midfield if we have an injury/suspension and certainly at the back. I don’t like the fella but I would have taken Henderson just as a back up and to close out games.  Can’t honestly see us winning it and you’d have to fancy France here but we should make the Semi Finals.

That's absolutely the team game 1.

I think he'll take injured Shaw hoping he's fit by knock outs.

Am I mad for saying Saka would be a better option at LB. Pushing right on with Walker and an anchor the other side.

We have so many great attackers, and no left back. Moving Saka back gets him on the pitch and frees up a spot for Gordon or Palmer or Watkins.

[Leeroy]

23 minutes ago, ferguson1 said:

Can’t see it being anything but this team if everyone is fit on Matchday one:

…………..…..…..Pickford………………………..

Walker…..Stones……Maguire …..Trippier

………….Gallagher……..Rice……….

  Saka..…..Bellingham……..Foden

………………....…Kane….………………..

If all fairness, we’re very strong offensively but light in midfield if we have an injury/suspension and certainly at the back. I don’t like the fella but I would have taken Henderson just as a back up and to close out games.  Can’t honestly see us winning it and you’d have to fancy France here but we should make the Semi Finals.

Just no. I know we like to bash Southgate on here but he's made some good calls today and discarding Henderson was one of them.

 

Whether we win it or not I can categorically tell you that it will have nothing to do with leaving Henderson at home. 

[ferguson1]

1 minute ago, Tomaszk said:

That's absolutely the team game 1.

I think he'll take injured Shaw hoping he's fit by knock outs.

Am I mad for saying Saka would be a better option at LB. Pushing right on with Walker and an anchor the other side.

We have so many great attackers, and no left back. Moving Saka back gets him on the pitch and frees up a spot for Gordon or Palmer or Watkins.

Re Saka at LB - possibly but only against a weaker nation maybe? Or he could tuck Walker in to make it three CB’s and Trent and Saka playing as wingbacks? He may do this against a France maybe?

[CarryOnVilla]

What’s with the Ben White thing? 

[duke313]

15 minutes ago, Leeroy said:

He's got a good goal return for England but he simply doesn't deserve to be there and there are better options.

Why would we need Rashford when we could bring on Eze, Watkins, Palmer, Gordon, Bowen. There is no room for him.

Grealish and Maddison are also quite lucky to be in but I'd rather bring them than Rashford because of their ability to keep the ball.

Because literally none of them have international tournament experience. This isn’t the Premier League, international football is totally different. Those five players have less than 25 caps between them, it’s a bit naive to think they’re going to just carry their PL form into the England setup, a setup they’ve barely been a part of.

If England are in extra time in the knockouts against teams like Portugal or France, I’d rather have Rashford to bring in than Eze or Gordon.

[ml1dch]

5 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

What’s with the Ben White thing? 

Doesn't want to play so has removed himself from selection. Apparently stemming from a falling-out with Steve Holland during England training. 

Edited May 21 by ml1dch

[CarryOnVilla]

Just now, ml1dch said:

Doesn't want to play so has removed himself from selection. 

I wonder why 

[ml1dch]

9 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

I wonder why 

To elaborate further on the "stemming from a falling-out with Steve Holland during England training", the alleged story is that they were having a meeting during the Qatar World Cup, Holland asked Walker and Stones a question about their defensive tactics, which they answered. He then asked White about his, and White said he didn't know. Then Holland made a comment along the lines of "of course you don't, you're just not interested enough in football".

So White decided he couldn't really be arsed with it and came home. Which doesn't strike me as an unreasonable position to take. 

Edited May 21 by ml1dch

[Leeroy]

1 minute ago, duke313 said:

Because literally none of them have international tournament experience. This isn’t the Premier League, international football is totally different. Those five players have less than 25 caps between them, it’s a bit naive to think they’re going to just carry their PL form into the England setup, a setup they’ve barely been a part of.

If England are in extra time in the knockouts against teams like Portugal or France, I’d rather have Rashford to bring in than Eze or Gordon.

Then presumably you were happy with Southgate always taking Phillips, Henderson, Mount, Maguire etc to major tournaments even if they were playing average at club level or in some cases not even playing. If we're just picking on what they've done before for England then maybe we should bring Sterling back?

 

Gordon and Palmer are both experienced from winning the U21s last year, Eze can bring something different off the bench. Watkins and Bowen both got pace if the game is being stretched. These players are playing at the top of their game and coming into the tournament in form, that's what we need.

 

International football is different but other than a few rockets I don't remember Rashford doing anything in big games at major tournaments. He scored a few in the group stages of the last World Cup against weak opposition but that's it, he isn't going to come on and help us beat someone like France especially after a season as poor as the one he's just had. We took him to the last Euros after a poor end to the season with Man Utd and he ended up having a bad tournament and missing a penalty in the final.

 

I like that Southgate has been bold today, the only thing I don't agree with is taking Toney over Solanke and leaving us woefully short at left back. I also think Dier as much as I don't rate him should have been in over Dunk.

[theboyangel]

11 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

I wonder why 

His tan clashed with the away red kit

[switters]

19 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Because literally none of them have international tournament experience. This isn’t the Premier League, international football is totally different. Those five players have less than 25 caps between them, it’s a bit naive to think they’re going to just carry their PL form into the England setup, a setup they’ve barely been a part of.

If England are in extra time in the knockouts against teams like Portugal or France, I’d rather have Rashford to bring in than Eze or Gordon.

and how do you get international tournament experience unless you get given the chance?

Rashford got given a whole lot of chances and I don't recall him doing much of note in a KO game at any tournament other than coming on to miss a penalty in the final against Italy.

[switters]

Quite bold and pleasing squad really, definitely surprised me in omitting Rashford & Henderson who always been guaranteed up to now. He is loyal to favourites up to a point, but I guess there is form with the likes of Mount, Sterling, Dier, Phillips where he eventually moved on.

Glad for Watkins and Konsa to at least get in this squad, even if wouldn't be shocked that one or both don't make the final squad. Rashford not going prob gives Watkins better chance of staying in as you surely go with 3 strikers with a 26 man squad. But there's a lot of CBs there which puts Konsa at risk. Maybe the RB cover helps him, but Gomez is also flexible cover and plays LB too.

We're in trouble if Pickford injured cos the reserves all had mixed seasons at best. But there wasn't exactly great deal of choices there.

[Zatman]

24 minutes ago, switters said:

and how do you get international tournament experience unless you get given the chance?

 

Thats why they invented the Nations League

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, Tomaszk said:

That's absolutely the team game 1.

I think he'll take injured Shaw hoping he's fit by knock outs.

Am I mad for saying Saka would be a better option at LB. Pushing right on with Walker and an anchor the other side.

We have so many great attackers, and no left back. Moving Saka back gets him on the pitch and frees up a spot for Gordon or Palmer or Watkins.

I said it before but 3 at the back and lot Saka roam with limited defensive responsibility. Can also fit in Bellingham and Foden without losing defensive players so Southgate can be happy

[VillaChris]

Interesting thing to me is Bellingham has been named as a forward for this? I assume that just means he'll play the most advanced of the three CMs rather than dropping deeper.

I think in that case Maddison probably misses out as you could also play Foden off the striker. Or Eze.

It's interesting the midfield. It's good to see in form options like Mainoo and Wharton but there's very few caps generally given the other options are Curtis Jones and Gallagher.

This is what @villa4europe was alluding to after the last World cup. Likes of Brazil/Germany immediately try out new players in the friendlies right after the tournament. Southgate has messed around continually picking Henderson and Phillips and now surprise surprise neither are in any shape to play a tournament and the replacements are very young with hardly any caps. He's not going to experiment starting TAA in central midfield suddenly in a major tournament either.

Barely calling up an LB given he's said Shaw getting fit is "a long shot" is also bizarre. Gomez is just a filler, would've made more sense to call up Colwill as he at least played there for Chelsea for half a season.

England will certainly be more defensively vulnerable compared to all the other tournaments under Southgate so basically only hope is Foden and Bellingham are both unplayable throughout it. Neither have hit the heights for England that they have for their club...yet.

[VillaChris]

5 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

Toney takes a better penalty anyway, which is realistically about as much involvement as a third striker is likely to have. 

Depends if he can get on or not. Guess that means 119th sub just like the Euros final....

He isn't coming on for Kane who'll stay out there even if he can't walk. In fairness Bellingham and Foden put their penalties away in the CL shootout, Saka is very good at them nowadays and Palmer been great at them so England have five good ones in the squad without even taking Toney.

Ollie as we know isn't great at them but he did score the one v Lille which was a very high pressure situation.

[VillaChris]

3 hours ago, Jonesy7211 said:

Given the players picked, what's the starting XI? Picking a realistic midfield is hard. There's no standout to play in a 3 with Jude and Rice.

How many yellows before someone gets a suspension. Reality is Rice being available for every game is pretty much as crucial as Foden or Bellingham for this tournament.

Who'd even play DM if he was out for yellow cards or an injury? Gallagher's more of a presser like Henderson and Mainoo is still very young to have the pressure of being the holder in England's midfield.

Maybe with so many defenders he might push Stones up into midfield perhaps?