England Squad - Euro 2024

[Penworthamblue]

Call me paranoid but can guarantee City will get the blame for not playing him...

No your not paranoid, it's city's fault for not playing him and we should loan him out next season to get some game time.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

And for everyone saying a midfield 3 of Bellingham, Foden, Rice wouldn't work, look at the composition of the best midfields over the last 20 years. Busquets/Xavi/Iniesta Casemiro/Kroos/Modric Fernandinho/Silva/De Bruyne. All have a 6 - 8 - 10 setup and none of them did too badly. You only need to play 2 defensive midfielders if your forwards don't do the defensive work and none of the lads in the England squad are lazy fuckers who don't run for the team, now St Marcus has been fucked off anyway!

 

[supercity88]

And for everyone saying a midfield 3 of Bellingham, Foden, Rice wouldn't work, look at the composition of the best midfields over the last 20 years. Busquets/Xavi/Iniesta Casemiro/Kroos/Modric Fernandinho/Silva/De Bruyne. All have a 6 - 8 - 10 setup and none of them did too badly. You only need to play 2 defensive midfielders if your forwards don't do the defensive work and none of the lads in the England squad are lazy fuckers who don't run for the team, now St Marcus has been fucked off anyway!

Rice isn't a number 6. Arsenal's form with him at 6 was so shite they played Jorginho and then Partey in there with him. England don't have a number 6 so you have to play two "holding" where one is the front foot enforcer and one sits in.

 

[youngbob]

If we're honest with ourselves, it doesn't matter who gets in the squad and who doesn't. England will stutter through the group and then get knocked out by the first good team they play.

 

[youngbob]

And for everyone saying a midfield 3 of Bellingham, Foden, Rice wouldn't work, look at the composition of the best midfields over the last 20 years. Busquets/Xavi/Iniesta Casemiro/Kroos/Modric Fernandinho/Silva/De Bruyne. All have a 6 - 8 - 10 setup and none of them did too badly. You only need to play 2 defensive midfielders if your forwards don't do the defensive work and none of the lads in the England squad are lazy fuckers who don't run for the team, now St Marcus has been fucked off anyway!

Difference there is that Busquets/Xavi/Iniesta is a 6 behind two 8s, Casemiro/Kroos/Modric is two 6s behind an 8, and Fernandinho/De Bruyne/D. Silva is a 6, 8, and 10. Rice/Bellingham/Foden is a box-to-box behind two 10s. If Rice was a proper 6 and Bellingham was an 8, then we'd have no problem. Playing someone like Wharton, Mainoo, Gallagher, etc. next to Rice takes the pressure off him defensively, which is where England would come unstuck without them.

 

[HelloCity]

Difference there is that Busquets/Xavi/Iniesta is a 6 behind two 8s, Casemiro/Kroos/Modric is two 6s behind an 8, and Fernandinho/De Bruyne/D. Silva is a 6, 8, and 10. Rice/Bellingham/Foden is a box-to-box behind two 10s. If Rice was a proper 6 and Bellingham was an 8, then we'd have no problem. Playing someone like Wharton, Mainoo, Gallagher, etc. next to Rice takes the pressure off him defensively, which is where England would come unstuck without them.

I’ve watched England seriously struggle to score goals against top teams and be penned in their own half for long periods using the set ups you propose.

 

[youngbob]

I’ve watched England seriously struggle to score goals against top teams and be penned in their own half for long periods using the set ups you propose.

And I've watched them get knocked out by technically superior sides with more disciplined midfields using the set-ups everyone else is proposing.

 

[supercity88]

I’ve watched England seriously struggle to score goals against top teams and be penned in their own half for long periods using the set ups you propose.

Because we don't have a deep lying playmaker. The best sides tend to have someone in deeper positions that runs the game and dictates things. We have Rodri. Those sides listed had Busquets or Kroos with Casemiro doing the leg work for him, or Ferny. We've had Rice and Henderson or Rice and Phillips. None of those players is capable of dictating play, picking it up off his defence and playing forwards. Rice needs it when he's facing the opposition goal and can move forwards. The only player who looks to be capable of that deep lying role is Wharton, but it's a huge call to throw him in. Even then you'd probably want Rice-Wharton to be the partnership but there's an argument to say you play Bellingham in his Dortmund box-to-box role and leave out Rice.

 

[ancoats]

Who cares about England under Southgate, They are on an EasyJet holiday with a quick return tickets this summer

Southgate is a clown, Foden is the best player in Europe and demands the major attack midfield role, But we know Bellingham will get the Nod with Rice and Saka will be given the ball at every opportunity

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Difference there is that Busquets/Xavi/Iniesta is a 6 behind two 8s, Casemiro/Kroos/Modric is two 6s behind an 8, and Fernandinho/De Bruyne/D. Silva is a 6, 8, and 10. Rice/Bellingham/Foden is a box-to-box behind two 10s. If Rice was a proper 6 and Bellingham was an 8, then we'd have no problem. Playing someone like Wharton, Mainoo, Gallagher, etc. next to Rice takes the pressure off him defensively, which is where England would come unstuck without them.

Bellingham isn't a 10 and has never been a 10. He played as an 8 for Birmingham and Dortmund and as a false 9 for Madrid because they have no striker and he's a good finisher.

I do agree Rice is better slightly further forward, but he's still the best option as a 6. He's solid defensively and great in the air.

You also have Stones and TAA in there who can step up to help Rice from defence or invert from full back.