Euro 2021 Group D: England vs Czech Republic

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So both teams are probably through although 4 points isn't nailed on for one of the 3rd place spots and if England did draw a +1 goal difference might not be enough to get through as one of the third place teams.

England will be looking to bounce back with a win but the Czech's have looked good so far and have a striker who's in form and looking hungry for goals. Sitting top of the group means a draw is enough for them and also England both to qualify I do wonder if this game could be a bit drab how hard will either side actually push for the win.

Southgate has some big calls to make he's bought Maguire/Henderson to this tournament with injuries surely he now has to put them in to the starting line up to give them some playing time before potential knockout games as both are players that would be in his strongest XI.

He still has the full back conundrum to solves he's played 4 different players are full back in the two games will he make changes again?

Up top England haven't looked well oiled it's been a bit stodgy and Kane looks like he's pulling a bus behind him whenever he tries to run which isn't a good look. Sterling looks his usual self great movement but makes some odd decisions and Rashford looks miles off his best when he's come on so I do think they've got to give Sancho a start to see if he can bring a spark.

I do think for this one he's got to make the changes and try and inject a bit of buzz back into the side.

Pickford

James Stones Maguire Shaw

Henderson Rice

Sancho Mount Foden

Kane
 
I'd go similar, but move Foden to the middle and play Rashford.
 
I dunno Rashford has been off form for months and he's not looked great in either game when he's come on.

I'm interested by Foden in the middle becase he never plays that role at City he's always off one of the wings which I think suits him but he's not really got into the games so far.

If Southgate is making the changes I think it's more likely he rests Foden than Mount and gives Grealish a start.

This is kind of the problem he has he's got 26 players to pick from and there isn't an obvious starting XI there the only nailed on starters in the side are Pickford, Stones and Kane after that I don't think any player has played well enough to say he absolutely has to start the next game.
 
I think Kane falls in to that list of players that could be dropped. He's been the worst player in both games. I'd be tempted to drop him for DCL and see what a big imposing forward that likes to play up against the last man could do with these players behind him. As they then push closer to be near him.

Reece James was awful.

Pickford

Trippier Stones Maguire Shaw

Phillips Rice

Sancho Foden Grealish

DCL
 
I wouldn't be gutted if Kane was dropped he's been really poor but if this was club football we wouldn't be calling for Bruno to be dropped after a couple of bad games? You sort of always have to put your best player on the pitch and Kane is our best player. If he's stinking the joint up again after an hour I'd have no issue getting DCL on for him I think he should have been on for him in both games ahead of Rashford so far.

A lot of the Scotland game is a blur my main memory is 10 minutes into the second half thinking how the hell have they only been playing for 10 minutes felt like the game was going on forever.
 
It isn't club football though it's a tournament and you don't have time to wait for players to play themselves back in to form. You have to pick the players who are playing better and DCL was the better player in the build up games than Kane has been in the tournament.

I think Kane must be carrying an injury too as he wasn't one of the Manchester / Chelsea players that couldn't play but played no part in the final build up game.
 
Still just games of football and these aren't knockout games so you can afford to take a bit of time with a player but dropping Kane is a huge decision for an England manager to make especially when he's also the England captain.

We can all see he doesn't look right but then whole team didn't look right on Friday they were all poor on an individual and collective level so do you go full scorched earth and make loads of changes or do you send them out again and say prove the doubters wrong.

For England to do anything meaningful at this tournament we need Kane to come alive so I do think you have to persist with him but if he doesn't perform again the option to bench him suddenly becomes more appealing.
 
You can't just throw DCL in for a knockout game though. Same with Sancho and Grealish. If you don't get them some proper minutes in the last group game you can't just throw them in when it really matters.
 
He's already said he's not dropping Kane. But he he should. Worked in 66, albeit to start with through injury.
 
I think Kane gets an hour tomorrow if he's still looking miles off you chuck on DCL no matter what the score like I said I'd have had him on for Kane in both games so far and if he or Rashford had grabbed a goal you might have an easier decision to make.

When the subs have come on for England so far they've not really had much impact so you're not thinking we need to start so and so in the next game because he changed the game vs Croatia or Scotland.

The lack of chances being created worries me more than Kane's lack of goals across both games we've not really created many chances.

The big worry for me isn't Kane it's all of them every single one of them attacking players looks flat and doesn't really look like they want to be on the ball making things happen they're all playing safe. Maybe some earlier nerves first tournament for quite a few players Mings, Rice, Phillips, Foden and Mount but they need to shake that off and start backing themselves as they are all good players.
 
Thing is we've seen many teams stumble through group stages then come alive when it really matters but England need some of these big players to start turning up.

Rumour is that Mings will start again tomorrow with Maguire on the bench again surely he has to get on the pitch at some point tomorrow.
 
Should have brought Patrick Bamford to the tourney. he'd be smashing these. I have only been watching England teams since about '98, I don't claim any special insight into team selection. That said, the England team seems to be plucking whichever players are English from the top few sides in the league, even when those English players rely far too much on the creativity and skill of foreign players. For instance, Emile Heskey was in the team while he was at Liverpool instead of an English player who lead his much lower placed club team. Gerrard and Lampard selected in the same midfield even though they can't play together, the manager afraid to leave out a star. Then the England team goes to a major tourney and (some) people are surprised when they don't win. Grealish is a good selection for this tourney because he's the kind of player I'm suggesting: his team wasn't great but he was instrumental in whatever they achieved.
 
Chilwell and Mount currently self isolating as precaution following close contact with Gilmour after the game.

Nothing confirmed yet both players tested negative today but no risks being taken.

Surely means both will miss the game tomorrow.
 
not too bothered, wanted Mount dropping anyway.

Neither available until next Monday
 
So they could also miss the second round match as well.

With Mount out will they possibly look to play Kane as a slightly deeper role as the number 10 and get DCL in or will he move Foden inside now?

I think Mount has done ok in both games he's certainly been no worse than anyone else in the creative position forced a good save from Marshall second half and maybe should have done better with his chance in the first half vs Scotland.
 
I imagine Foden will move central and Sancho go down the right. But I was discussing the possibility of playing DCL infront of him last night.
 
Definitely time to give Sancho a chance - if he doesn't get a game now, he probably won't ever in this tournament: there often seems to be a player brought along for seemingly no reason. Don't think Maguire will be match fit and not sure that Mings deserves to be dropped
 
Think the issue with making Kane a number 10 is you probably find he doesn't really know how to play that specific role so I think he stays as the number 9.

We don't really know the true state of these players in terms of fitness and as I've said with Sancho he's not actually had good games in an England shirt that makes you think we need to pick him.
 
I think with Mount out we may actually go 3-4-3 or 5-2-3 however you want to phrase it. But bring in a CB and push the full backs further up the pitch.
 
I want to see Grealish, Sancho and Rashford starting.

Not going to happen though.
 
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Don't think anyone saw Saka being the man coming in.
 
Must be something going on with Sancho if Saka has jumped ahead of him that’s nothing against Saka had a good season but Sancho has been delivering for years.
 
Didn’t see Saka at all, wasn’t even in my radar to be honest. Although cannot believe he’s in over Sancho or Rashford. Wonderful young player but not the way I would go.

Saying that though, need to give Sancho and Rashford a rest for their big seasons for United next year. :)
 
Southgate said it's because of Sancho's lack of experience.

I'm going to need someone to break this down for me and let me know how Sancho's lack of experience means Saka starts infront of him.
 
So a 1-0 win. First half was good and lively, second half was a horrendous watch.

We cannot be so dozy against France, Portugal or Germany because we will be punished.

Saka and Grealish played well in the first half. Good return for Maguire but Kane had another stinker.
 
Saka and Grealish made themselves undroppable. As did Henderson's performance for Rice.

Big question mark over Kane.
 
I'd love to see Grealish play with Bruno. He keeps the ball really close to his feet when he's weaving through opposition penalty areas. His cross for Sterling wasn't bad either.
 
I didn't see what Henderson brought at all.
Sako was great but Foden will come straight back in. Grealish did ok, was quiet a lot but showed something different in bursts.

Out next round anyway, I think we need a better coach, we should have scored more than one and our defence is iffy. A half decent side will destroy it.

As for Kane, I thought it was his best game, should have scored though.
 

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