England Squad - Euro 2024

[TonyM]

I’ve not read the 100 pages. I have a life. :-)

Therefore this may have been answered so I apologise.
Can someone please explain to me why Wasted Waistcoat has taken Luke Shaw when he is injured, is training alone and doesn’t look as if he will even get a chance to kick a ball at all? Why waste a space for him? Or am I just being simple minded? (Do not answer that last question thank you very much!)

and if he was fit why would he be getting a game?

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

I’ve not read the 100 pages. I have a life. :-)

Therefore this may have been answered so I apologise.
Can someone please explain to me why Wasted Waistcoat has taken Luke Shaw when he is injured, is training alone and doesn’t look as if he will even get a chance to kick a ball at all? Why waste a space for him? Or am I just being simple minded? (Do not answer that last question thank you very much!)

I've also just read that there will soon be an announcement from the FA to inform us that Shaw will be coming home early, so won't kick a ball at the Euros.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I’ve not read the 100 pages. I have a life. :-)

Therefore this may have been answered so I apologise.
Can someone please explain to me why Wasted Waistcoat has taken Luke Shaw when he is injured, is training alone and doesn’t look as if he will even get a chance to kick a ball at all? Why waste a space for him? Or am I just being simple minded? (Do not answer that last question thank you very much!)

I think that he’s been close to fitness for quite a while now, but keeps having setbacks.

There were rumours he was back at the start of May, then mid-May etc.

I don’t think it was an awful decision to take him in a 26 man squad.

The awful decision was not to take another left footed left back to cover for his injury. We don’t have a left sided attack currently as a result.

and if he was fit why would he be getting a game?

Yes, every game.

 

[GornikDaze]

I’ve not read the 100 pages. I have a life. :-)

Therefore this may have been answered so I apologise.
Can someone please explain to me why Wasted Waistcoat has taken Luke Shaw when he is injured, is training alone and doesn’t look as if he will even get a chance to kick a ball at all? Why waste a space for him? Or am I just being simple minded? (Do not answer that last question thank you very much!)

England have a sponsorship deal with Greggs so taking Shaw was compulsory so the squad would hit their steak bake quotas

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

This is what Rice can’t do.

 

[Paladin]

This is what Rice can’t do.

From watching that, I counted around 10 forward passes to 8 sideways or backwards passes, with no misplaced passes.

Rice isn't on Rodri's level, but he should be watching Rodri's game and aspiring to emulate it if he wants to improve.

Rodri himself has said he wanted to work on his forward passing this year, and you can see improvements in his game. I'd like to think Rice was intelligent enough to want to improve his own game.

 

[bluenova]

From watching that, I counted around 10 forward passes to 8 sideways or backwards passes, with no misplaced passes.

Rice isn't on Rodri's level, but he should be watching Rodri's game and aspiring to emulate it if he wants to improve.

Rodri himself has said he wanted to work on his forward passing this year, and you can see improvements in his game. I'd like to think Rice was intelligent enough to want to improve his own game.

There was a comparison of them a while back (maybe on The Athletic), which showed that Rodri is another level.

Rice like most players had a favoured side for passing, which impacted on his play constantly. Rodri, was taking the balls from pretty much any angle, and passing where he wanted to without restrictions. Rice may want to improve, but I suspect that's years of training.

 

[mattcity5]

There was a comparison of them a while back (maybe on The Athletic), which showed that Rodri is another level.

Rice like most players had a favoured side for passing, which impacted on his play constantly. Rodri, was taking the balls from pretty much any angle, and passing where he wanted to without restrictions. Rice may want to improve, but I suspect that's years of training.

Think Rice is still working on controlling the ball.

 

[Robinho's Subbuteo]

Looks like Southgate is now saying the players aren’t fit enough.
Dear oh dear Gareth.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Looks like Southgate is now saying the players aren’t fit enough.
Dear oh dear Gareth.

Is that better or worse than telling his midfielders that they aren’t as good as Kalvin Phillips?

 

[Stephen230]

Just heard an interview with Bowen and he finished off by saying “See you next Tuesday”

Are they copying that thing the England players did in 1990, slipping cheeky little pre arranged phrases into interviews for their own amusement?

 

[give it to gordon]

Looks like Southgate is now saying the players aren’t fit enough.
Dear oh dear Gareth.

Throwing the players under the bus to try and hide is incompetence

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Looks like Southgate is now saying the players aren’t fit enough.
Dear oh dear Gareth.

Southgate isn't fit enough, but his fitness is nowt to do with stamina!

 

[I'm With Stupid]

There was a comparison of them a while back (maybe on The Athletic), which showed that Rodri is another level.

Rice like most players had a favoured side for passing, which impacted on his play constantly. Rodri, was taking the balls from pretty much any angle, and passing where he wanted to without restrictions. Rice may want to improve, but I suspect that's years of training.

Not being as good as the best DM in the world isn’t an excuse for not being able to keep possession against Denmark and Serbia. Rice is a very good player (let’s not forget Pep wanted him) and he’s got world class players around him too.

 

[bluenova]

Not being as good as the best DM in the world isn’t an excuse for not being able to keep possession against Denmark and Serbia. Rice is a very good player (let’s not forget Pep wanted him) and he’s got world class players around him too.

I agree.

He needs Kalvin to show his true self though :)

 

[super_city_si]

Looks like Southgate is now saying the players aren’t fit enough.
Dear oh dear Gareth.

Media too is starting to put blame on the players. It’s funny, have the players been unfit since 2018? cos I recall us using exactly the same rearguard action. If its the players, explain how we play the exact same way we did 6 years ago with different players?

 

[super_city_si]

Gallagher is fairly decent, as long as you compare him to Alexander-Arnold, who went off. At least he is a proper midfielder, works hard and isn't bothered about just doing stuff that's flash. He's not the best around but he'll help the team be better, rather than shoehorning a fullback who can't defend into midfield because he can hoof the ball a long way with style.

Hes not good enough to be a starter though. Not if we want to get anywhere.

 

[super_city_si]

He’s not great at the modern concept of playing out from the back, through your keeper. He never looks comfortable in possession.

Hes not even close. He takes so much time deciding which pass to make that by the time he’s ready he’s closed down or the pass is cut off so he just hoofs it.

 

[mattcity5]

Hes not good enough to be a starter though. Not if we want to get anywhere.

True, but neither is Alexander-Arnold. I'd have basically any regular centre midfielder play ahead of him. He's capable of moments that give him headlines but he's just a YouTube player for me. Gallagher would have a really short highlights reel, but at least he's usually in the right place.

Personally I'd have Rico play instead of either of them, he just enables the players around him to play better. As he's not there I'd move Phil deeper, or play Wharton. We need somebody there not scared of receiving the ball and can keep things ticking over.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

True, but neither is Alexander-Arnold. I'd have basically any regular centre midfielder play ahead of him. He's capable of moments that give him headlines but he's just a YouTube player for me. Gallagher would have a really short highlights reel, but at least he's usually in the right place.

Yep, don't get the moaning about Phillips. Gallagher is a tailor-made replacement.