Euro 2024: England Thread

Are you believing any of this? An 8.25? rofl

I feel like rofl doesn't cover the amount of laughing I'm doing.
 
jsp said:
I'd say the micro-penis people are the ones who allow themselves to be wound up by this stuff.

Most of them seem to currently be occupied by the colour of some thread on a football shirt rather than the obscene price the manufacturer expects people to pay for it.

Anyway do you think Gallagher is good enough to play as a box to box midfielder at international level?
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User name fits!

Couldn't really give two shits about England so haven't really give it too much thought, but if United signed him and played him in a double-pivot behind two wingers and a eight and a quarter think he'd do okay. He's got a lot going for him, his indefatigability for starters ....
 
The England players will take to the pitch for the 2nd-half against Belgium on Tuesday with no names on their shirts, something to do with Alzheimer's, bit of a bummer if you're making your International debut ....
 
SuperRash said:
I make a conscious effort to ignore all your posts but sometimes I just cannot resist! :)
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What you mean I'm like that bird in the pub who has been winking at you all night, and every time she winks you look away and mumble "oh God no, just no, I'd rather be a Monk", then a few hours and a few babychams later at last orders she winks one last time and you think sod it, better than going home on my own again, just hope nobody sees us together?
 
Reports suggest Mainoo will start too. This lad oozes class, he's got the potential to be something very special with the right player management. Very excited for him.
 
Think it's smart having a look at him alongside Rice from the start see how they work together, he's totally different to the other options we have in that position but he's still very raw and learning the game.

I'm assuming there's going to be quite a few changes with all the injuries.

Guessing Toney will start up top instead of Watkins.

I would have like to see Branthwaite start alongside Stones but the rumour is it's going to be Dunk.
 
Not sure you can ever tell a lot from friendlies, but nice for them to get a game together I suppose.
 
1-1 Toney. Like I said though, Mainoo made it all possible.

Interest reachs its peak here again..... lol
 
Not bringing Branthwaite on for his debut last night will work in Southgate's favour when he's interviewed for the United job.
 
England deserved the draw but the defensive errors across these two games are a concern.

Missing quite a few of the starting XI so not going to judge to much on the results.

Think Dunk has possibly played himself out of the squad for the summer and Southgate is hoping that Walker, Shaw and Trippier are all fit by the end of the season and ready for the tournament.

Over the two games Toney maybe has nudged ahead of Watkins as the number 2 which is maybe harsh on Watkins. I still think it's a 50/50 call on which one of them goes with Kane. Toney got the goal but really the second goal was down to the perseverance of Watkins chasing that lost cause and keeping it alive.

It's hard not to be impressed by Bellingham even doing the post match interview he talks like a man who's 29 not 20 and he plays like that too. Such a cool finish after a lovely flick by Maddison.
 
Kobbie Mainoo not only has to go to the Euros but he has to start. He’s a midfielder capable of breaking down tough defenses and picking up those clever positions in between the lines. I’ve watched football for a long time now and he’s the most impressive 18 year old I’ve ever seen. Don’t get me wrong Rooney had so much ability and power and Ronaldo was great to watch… But Mainoo plays with control, vision, movement and just does the right things. He can defend, he can pass, he can carry the ball, he can create and dribble. He’s smart and seems to know what and how he needs to play to impact the team positively.
 
He's very similar to the player Wilshere was when he broke through at Arsenal. Players that can dribble the ball in the way these two do in the centre of the park are very rare.

Positionally he still has things to learn which will come with experience but he's getting better all the time and he's another player that you can give the ball to under pretty much any level of pressure and he'll look after it.

I agree he looks ready now and there's clearly a spot for him in that side as England don't have a lot of quality options in that position.

If he keeps up his current form it's hard to see a reason why he won't be in that starting XI.
 
He reminds me a lot of Modric, or Pirlo back at Milan. Obviously not close to those two yet in terms of ability, but the style. He really has an eye for all types of passes and that is even rarer than the skills you mentioned. He plays them short-medium with even with the outside of his boot, which is probably the hardest way to pass a ball...
 
I don't think we've really seen him run the game with 100+ passes in the way that a Modric can but I agree style wise they are quite similar.

I think players currently still think they can press him and take the ball off him, I think they'll start standing off him a bit more now because of his ability to twist and turn and dribble in tight areas. The big we need to see is if the opponent stands off them can he still hurt them. That's where you see players like Modric start threading passes through you or hitting the accurate long balls into the wide area.

For England I think he's got the perfect partner in Rice he's now ready to lead and take the responsibility in the side he doesn't need a Henderson next to him anymore. He's got that experience under his belt now so you can put a player like Mainoo in alongside him and know that Rice will look after him.

They're a good pairing because Mainoo can also drop and take the ball off the defence to start attacks in some games and allow Rice to push forward a bit more.
 
Well yeah, Mainoo has many things to add to his game at this point - I don't see him running any games yet, but Modric is the player I see him emulating in years to come and at a push Pirlo, but that's probably a dream. His ball retention is that good though.
 
Think this team wins the Euros despite the Manager:

Pope

Walker Maguire Branthwaite Shaw

Mainoo Rice Bellingham

Foden Kane Rashford​
 
I see Rashford's role as a sub later on in games if England are ahead he's the guy to bring on to chase the second goal. I think Southgate will be loyal to him but he's on the fringes for missing out.

Pickford

Walker Stones Maguire Shaw

Rice Mainoo

Saka Bellingham Foden

Kane

If everyone is fit that's the team.
 
In terms of the squad for the summer working on Southgate playing 4-2-3-1 how do you see the 23 man squad looking as of today? You have to pick 3 keepers that's FIFA's rule not mine. So that leaves you 20 outfield players.

This assumes everyone is fit.

GK - Pickford, Ramsdale, Trafford
RB - Walker and Alexander-Arnold
LB - Shaw and Trippier
CB - Maguire, Stones, Konsa, Guehi
CM - Rice, Mainoo, Gallagher, Henderson
AM - Bellingham and Maddison
RW - Saka and Bowen
LW - Foden and Rashford.
CF - Kane and Watkins

Going to be some good players getting left at home this summer especially in the attacking positions. 3rd goalkeeper I just think he'll take Trafford as the 3rd as he's the U21 keeper.
 
Last I heard Shaw probably won't make it.

Don't understand why Foden is at LW, when he never plays there for city. I know he's obvious quality, but it's not his position he's used centrally or on the right. Rashford should start there is my point. I'd maybe even consider a different player as rashfords back up too, and put Foden in the RW or AM category and make some hard choices. I'm a big believer in players being in their best positions. We don't want another case of Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard when the obvious choice was to play Scholes and bench the other two, not try and fit people in because they are quality. Unfortunately that may mean for me dropping Saka or bellingham in some games. Too many cooks etc.

I'd prefer Toney over Watkins, for me the former is a better player. Watkins at his age is having a one off season, that I predict will not last any longer than just that, one season. Toney is the real deal, but I can see why Watkins would go over him based on form.

The centre looks good, really like Mainoo with Rice.
 
I did see that the 23 man squad isn't set in stone there's a meeting in the next few weeks and there's a rumour that squad size could still increase to 26.

I think they'll take Shaw he's expected back in May so could play the last couple of league games then there will be friendlies before the Euro's and they could almost use the group games as warm up games for him.

I think they said if he goes they can't really expect him to be ready to play up to 7 games in the space of 4 weeks.

Foden has played a lot of games off the left for City he's good enough to play anywhere in that 3 behind the striker. Think ideally you'd put him right or centre but when you've got Bellingham and Saka you slot him in to the left he's so good you have to fit him in and I had a quick look through his career stats and he's played almost as many games on the left as the right for City in his career.
 
I think Foden might have just been filling in for somebody at LW, during an injury. He's only played there 6 times all season. Compared to 20 at RW and 11 at AM. So he's clearly not a RW player IMO.

I do take on board his quality and fitting him in, but for me that would be in his two best positions. It's just unfortunate both he and Saka are both great there. I still feel though his best position is an AM, be it an advanced 8 or a 10. He's so good at passing and running through the middle with the ball. So for me this is where I would try and fit him in. A headeache? Definitely.

With Shaw, I don't feel like he'd be ready to put in the great performances required at this level unless his recovery is shorter than it's supposed to be. Don't need players who aren't up to speed and at absolute 100% in my view. They only make things worse.
 
I looked at on his whole career at City and he's played around 80 games on the left and 40 games on the right. This season though he's played a lot more on the right. I think he's just that good that you can put him anywhere and he'll contribute.

82 games on the left 24 goals and 17 assists
40 games on the right 17 goals and 8 assists.

I just think against the better sides you want to make sure we keep the ball which has been a huge problem for England in major tournaments and that is what I think Foden gives you.

Rashford I think might even struggle to make the squad I think the performances of Gordon in these friendlies and his club form has given Southgate a real question over how loyal he can be to Rashford.

I don't think it take top players that long to get up to full speed if Shaw doesn't feature in any of the Utd games before the end of the season I think it's a different story. Problem we have with Shaw is the drop off in quality to the replacement is massive so I think he's one player it's worth taking the gamble on in terms of injury.
 
justintime said:
Rashford? He hasn't done anything to deserve to start. And no Stones?
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Rashford can do things from the left nobody else in and around the squad can, plus he and Shaw seem to bring the best out of each other, and hasn't he just scored against City and Liverpool ....

Never been impressed with the Stones/Maguire partnership, mind that might have been Henderson and Rice cramping their style, but if I had to chose one I'd just favour Maguire for what he offers aerially in both boxes, and slightly better passing(range)from deep.

Forgot Saka but if it's either/or would just favour Foden on the right, think both would be wasted on the left ....
 
jsp said:
In terms of the squad for the summer working on Southgate playing 4-2-3-1 how do you see the 23 man squad looking as of today? You have to pick 3 keepers that's FIFA's rule not mine. So that leaves you 20 outfield players.

This assumes everyone is fit.

GK - Pickford, Ramsdale, Trafford
RB - Walker and Alexander-Arnold
LB - Shaw and Trippier
CB - Maguire, Stones, Konsa, Guehi
CM - Rice, Mainoo, Gallagher, Henderson
AM - Bellingham and Maddison
RW - Saka and Bowen
LW - Foden and Rashford.
CF - Kane and Watkins

Going to be some good players getting left at home this summer especially in the attacking positions. 3rd goalkeeper I just think he'll take Trafford as the 3rd as he's the U21 keeper.
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Doubt Trafford will go, surely one of Pope, Johnstone or Henderson will be fit by the Summer

James(Chelsea) has to be picked at RB/LB if fit, and I wouldn't be surprised if Alexander-Arnold is moved into the midfield options, probably at the expense of Gallagher, should be Henderson, but it's Southgate were talking about.

Not sure Konsa and Guehi get in, it'll be one of those plus Branthwaite.

And if I had to put a bet on, Toney just get's in ahead of Watkins, though not sure he should. Watkins is the superior player.
 
Justin Cider said:
Doubt Trafford will go, surely one of Pope, Johnstone or Henderson will be fit by the Summer

James(Chelsea) has to be picked at RB/LB if fit, and I wouldn't be surprised if Alexander-Arnold is moved into the midfield options, probably at the expense of Gallagher, should be Henderson, but it's Southgate were talking about.

Not sure Konsa and Guehi get in, it'll be one of those plus Branthwaite.

And if I had to put a bet on, Toney just get's in ahead of Watkins, though not sure he should. Watkins is the superior player.
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I think Pope was out of the squads before his injuries and Johnstone I think needs surgery and has been ruled out.

Not sure he’d risk James and Shaw fitness wise in the squad. His injury record is shocking.

Brathwaite not coming on in either of the friendlies makes me think they’ve decided he’s not quite ready. Not sure when Guehi is back from his injury.

Toney vs Watkins is a real 50/50 shout at the moment.
 

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