Montenegro vs England ~ Euro 2020 Qualifier

[jsp]

After the convincing win on Friday England face a tougher test away in Montenegro.

Injury forced Dier off on Friday and reports are Henderson, Alli & Sancho are injury concerns after Friday.

Leaves England looking short in midfield might even force a change in system as not sure you can really make a 3 man midfield out of what is left.

Hudson-Odoi is tipped to make his first start.

Pickford

Walker Keane Maguire Chilwell

Barkley Rice Ward-Prowse

Sterling Kane Hudson-Odoi

 

[Ben Townsend]

Im backing Hudson-Odoi to score tonight, not sure about anyone else but I really rate him and I like the fact that he picks it up and just runs at people and shoots - very direct approach but if he can improve on his all round game I think he will become a great player.

He has to play at Chelsea, the pundits for the friday game got it bang on with saying that Southgate is proving a point by playing youth, same with Loftus-Cheek, id rather have him that Jorginho every day of the week.

 

[jsp]

I've watched him a few times I agree he's got plenty of talent but at Chelsea he's competing with Pedro/Hazard/Willian for the roles in the front 3 and he isn't forcing himself to be picked by scoring or assisting when it really matters which is from the start. Kids need chances but they need to take them as well, force the manager to pick you and I don't think Hudson-Odoi has really done that yet he hasn't forced the like of Pedro or Willian out of the team in the way Rashford has done with players at Utd.

They don't play the same role though Jorginho is playing a specific role for Chelsea as a deep lying playmaker. Really Loftus-Cheek should be playing ahead of Barkley/Kovacic or even Kante who's being used out of position.

I think Sarri is doing a good job with the younger lads this season playing them in Europa League where they can get some good competitive experience but he knows he has to finish top 4.

These aren't all starts but Hudson-Odoi has made 20 appearences this season and Loftus-Cheek 30 appearences which are ok numbers but neither player in my opinion forces themselves to be picked ahead of other players. I think for Loftus-Cheek he needs to be playing every week he's 23 now so he's not a kid it's time to put yourself in a team every week and show what you can do.

I think with the national team Southgate is doing the right thing he doesn't have the luxury of a transfer market so he has to bring the younger players in as and when they are ready so since the World Cup we've started to see the next generations move up. Plenty of them are putting pressure on established players with their form at club level.

 

[SuperRash]

2-1 England currently.

Hudson-Odoi has been very impressive so far. Haven’t seen a lot of him but can see why Bayern want him.

Still not totally sure what Alli does on the pitch, he ambles about not doing a hell of a lot.

 

[jsp]

5-1 in the end very convincing win but sadly racist chanting casts a cloud over the performance.

You hope UEFA do something about it but they never do it really is time for points deductions for repeat offenders but as a minimum they should be playing the next 2 games behind closed doors.

Think Alli was playing with a knock but he does struggle to sometimes find a role within the 4-3-3 system England play as he's not really a guy who dictates play but he provides moments of real quality in the final third reminds me quite a lot of Gerrard just roams the pitch and can explode at any moment. I think he's at his best when the game is more open and end to end when it's very tight he struggles to really get involved but easy to forget he's still a kid we almost see him as a senior guy now he's still only 22.

The new boys did well Rice was good in the holding role in midfield and Hudson-Odoi impressed out wide England now have some really good options in these areas if these kids can continue to impress. Going into the world cup I felt this was a weak area for us but now Sterling is showing his club form more regularly, Sancho, Hudson-Odoi and also Rashford give England some real cutting edge in these areas.

The area of concern is the defence I've never been a huge Kyle Walker fan I think he still switches off more than he should and he is now under real pressure from Alexander-Arnold and Wan-Bissaka who is coming through I think 2020 might be the last tournament for Walker. I think at left back we have 3 really good options in Shaw, Chilwell & Rose who like Walker might be going towards his last tournament but CB is a big problem. Stones & Gomez seem to be the number 1 pair but both missed this game with injury and Maguire I think is a good 3rd choice but after that the cupboard is very bare.

I hope that going forward through qualifying Southgate sticks with playing 2 attack minded centre mids in his 3 I felt he went to conservative at the start vs Czech maybe due to the defensive problems but against these teams England should be going on the front foot.

 

[IDFD]

It's such an exciting time for these lads and English football. Regardless of how much you dislike English football you can't help but think it's exciting to see these players coming through.

As JSP mentioned upfront You've got Kane Rashford Sterling at club level that's a £300m strike force easily and then behind them you've got Sancho Lingard and Hudson Odoi to come in. Probably missing someone to be back up to Kane but Rashford can play that role as he's showing this season.

In midfield other than Henderson whose 28 you've got Berkley and Dier who are 25. You've got the next step down in age in Alli Rice RLC Winks Ward-Prowse Maddison and even Foden whose getting game time. These are different types of footballers to the English players we've been used to. All are comfortable on the ball in tight spaces and can make something happen.

JSP has mentioned enough about the defence but even if you look at Shaw Chilwell Stones Maguire Gomes Trent-Alexander Bissaka the oldest player there is 25. Pickfords 25.

Behind these we've got the Under 20's and Under 17's world cup winning sides. It's a great time with new faces coming in internationally for the first time in ages. Such a young side and so much talent.

 

[Mr C]

Got to give Southgate credit for picking them too.

 

[jsp]

Yeah we don't have a world class back up to Kane but what country does? We should count ourselves lucky that we have 1 world class number 9 and like you say behind that we have Rashford who's getting better every year in that role and also Wilson who I think is a good striker who fits this system. Be interested to see how Solanke develops now he's got himself a move to Bournemouth can he realise some of that potential. There are guys not making the squad putting serious pressure on the guys who are in which we never really had before and while Southgate is showing some loyalty to guys who did well for him at the world cup I don't think that will last forever.

I think the real test will be finding a midfield or two who can control the game vs the better sides we will never be able to do what Spain do and dominate games with 70% possession against everyone but we need to be able to have periods in games vs better sides where we are in control. I felt that was where we really lost it in the summer vs Croatia and to an extent Columbia the longer those games went on the less control we had in midfield and it felt like we were always under pressure. It's really hard not to be impressed by Foden it's a bit of a shame that we don't see more of him because he's at City but he looks a really really good prospect maybe he'll break through next season but it's tough because that City midfield is arguably the best midfield in Europe right now. I think Maddison has a chance as well hopefully his second season at Leicester will be as impressive as his first and with Chelsea banned from signing players will some of their talented loan kids get more chances next season?

It's hard not to be excited this group play some really nice football and they seem to be a decent group as well (the tabloids will break that image eventually) and to be honest it's hard to see how we aren't amongst the favourites for Euro 2020. Obviously France will be the side to beat they have a crazy embarrassment of riches to choose from but the rest of the traditional big names are in transition at the moment and England along with probably Netherlands are the ones who seem to have come out the other end of that.

 

[Mr C]

On the racisim, I don't see what use dropping points is (just saw this on Sky sports) a Country like Montenegro have no chance of progressing anyway.
They should first off have no crowds, if it persists banned from competition. When they start getting affected by revenues they might start looking at it.

 

[jsp]

It's got to be a scale.

I don't think fines work but first offence should be a fine, second offence stadium closure, third offence points deduction, fourth offence kick them out indefinitely.

Problem is tackling this problem is not something that football associations can really be expected to deal with it's a society thing as long as racists exist in society then racists will go to football matches.

 

[IDFD]

Put the entire weekends schedule behind close doors the game following an international game. Punish the entire country and it’ll soon stop when they can’t attend the club games they’re passionate about.

Though I’d just give Montenegro a 2 year ban from having fans. Home or away no more allowed.

They do the same again at the first qualifiers for the World Cup. Bang another 2 years of no fans. The problem currently is we’re far to soft on it. Like society in general.