Any manager that mentions a player that lost his form and place two seasons ago as an excuse is a disgrace.We do go overboard. We have great attacking players but we don't have anyone who can run the game.
Under Southgate our best performances have been as a side that presses high and counters, but doesn't dominate the ball. Kane dropping in and feeding runners.
The best players we have now don't play that way, and he hasn't learnt that the two holding midfielders with a combative style isn't what we need. He talked about how we haven't got a natural replacement for Phillips. True, but we do have players like Bellingham and Foden who can keep the ball and dictate things in the middle of the park.
Bellingham is the most natural replacement for Phillips, it would unlock Foden as a 10 and enable you to get someone like Gordon running in behind on the left.
Palmer would be the natural sub in the 10 role. You don't play him wide left.
Any manager that mentions a player that lost his form and place two seasons ago as an excuse is a disgrace.
And any International manager who has made Phillips out to be some sort of worldie should not be in the game.
With that comment Southgate must have lost the dressing room.
And finally good footballers can play anywhere on the pitch.
Take Niall Quinn great goalieAnd finally good footballers can play anywhere on the pitch.
I’d say we’ve gone overboard in the past but these players definitely have the talent. They’re doing it at club level against much better opposition than Denmark and Serbia.He will take the game to the opposition and with the talent we have that's the only way we have a chance in this competition.
The way Southgate sets this team up is so dull and uninspiring and clearly the cracks are showing in the players, Foden and Saka look shadows of the players for their clubs.
But at the same time do we as a nation totally go overboard on our players?
Correct. Keepers other points were good but good footballers can play anywhere is a cliche. Foden is nowhere near as effective on the left. It’s pretty obvious he lacks the pace to go on the outside. When he cuts inside he can’t score all the worldies he scored last season as he’s not on his strong foot. Very few players can play different positions effectively at the top level. Gundo is one in that he can play as a 6,8 or 10. Doubt he’d be much good on the left in this England side though.I can't believe he said it. Baffling comment to make and is a public admission he doesn't know what he is doing. You at least fucking pretend.
Good footballers can play anywhere on the pitch...if that was true we wouldn't be watching England struggle. We have good players. The shape and system is hindering them. Foden is better central. Playing him left impacts the team because he doesn't want to be there and does all his best work inside. Palmer does run in behind, he would be better left than Foden at stretching things, but he would be much more influential as a 10 or coming on for Saka.
Gordon has the pace to stretch teams and support Kane. Stick him left, get Foden ahead of Bellingham and Rice and watch how much more balanced we are.
I could stomach it if Phil was up against top class players but he’s not it’s just the manager is a shithouseThere are similarities though. As you say we had much better centre mids back then but we still played our most technically gifted player out there to fit him in. The team is completely unbalanced like it was years ago with Scholes there.
David James great CF ;)Take Niall Quinn great goalie