England Squad - Euro 2024

[lust overlord]

I am staggered by the amount of people who rate Pickford - the man is bloody awful. He stands and bellows at his defenders whenever he is forced to actually do something for the team. Screaming abuse at them because the opposition have got a corner.
But his real problem is his distribution - it doesn't exist. He bounces the ball a few times then just hoofs it up the other end and hopes for the best. Inevitably it lands at the feet of an opposing player and hence it all starts again.
Yes, I appreciate we are all used to Pep's way of doing things, and Pickford is certainly no Eddie. But a more controlled way of returning the ball to open play now and again might give the outfield players a chance to reorganise themselves.

Pickford is an OK shotstopper.
This is part of the reason why comparing City to England is utterly pointless.
England can never play like City,or Liverpool or Arsenal for that matter because we don't have the all the players to carry it off.Any missing component dooms it to failure.

We could however,formulate a better plan to come up with something a lot better than the current shitfest.

 

[Lauz9888]

I think Pickford is a decent shotstopper and in that respect he's never really let England down.

I'm not a particular fan of his attitude - I think a keeper can be commanding without constantly bollocking his defence - and his distribution is pretty shit.

But Ramsdale and Henderson haven't played a huge amount this season, for me they're both a bit erratic, and the other players on the pitch have very little experience playing with them.

So I understand why Southgate has stuck with Pickford for this tournament.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Midfields win most games.

Germany have Kroos and Gundogan
Spain have Rodri, Ruiz and Oedri.
We don’t.

As soon as we play anyone half decent, we’re on the plane home.

 

[Lauz9888]

Midfields win most games.

Germany have Kroos and Gundogan
Spain have Rodri, Ruiz and Oedri.
We don’t.

As soon as we play anyone half decent, we’re on the plane home.

Why do I feel like Oedri is Rodri in a wig?

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Why do I feel like Oedri is Rodri in a wig?

Oedripus Rex would be Trent.

 

[shevtheblue]

I think Bellingham could play in that system, I was kind of exaggerating my point a little with some of the selections to make the point though. He could have picked players who know a system, but decided not to. He's gone with individualism and the cult of personality, hoping that moments of brilliance will conquer all. It doesn't usually happen that way.

The best team in the World over the last few years on his doorstep, and he's learnt nothing.

If you've an average group of players you could probably get away with just having them be tactically drilled and rely on bits of brilliance, its happened before for Greece for example. But even when Spain always had good players and didn't win, when they had Pep and Enrique etc, they always struggled because there was no cohesion. That's also always been the problem with Netherlands, relying on superstars to get you through moments. It seems to me that is what Southgate is relying on, but Kane admitted they've no idea what they're doing which is criminal.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

You can go into the negatives about how deep we were after scoring, but one thing you can’t have a go at is our offside trap.

That line is magnificent!

 

[mattcity5]

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You can go into the negatives about how deep we were after scoring, but one thing you can’t have a go at is our offside trap.

That line is magnificent!

Fix Bellingham and Kane there and it almost begins to look ok. God knows what they were doing and god knows why Southgate didn't do something about it during that period.

 

[mattcity5]

I think Pickford is a decent shotstopper and in that respect he's never really let England down.

I'm not a particular fan of his attitude - I think a keeper can be commanding without constantly bollocking his defence - and his distribution is pretty shit.

But Ramsdale and Henderson haven't played a huge amount this season, for me they're both a bit erratic, and the other players on the pitch have very little experience playing with them.

So I understand why Southgate has stuck with Pickford for this tournament.

He's too intense and panicky, which is why he keeps taking no 'risks' and clearing long. He's not let us down in terms of actual goalkeeping, but along that path I go back to the Final against Italy.

Penalties against 6 ft 6 Donnarumma always looked a tough ask as he filled the goal so much. Penalties against 6 ft 1 Pickford were a huge contrast. Less pressure on the Italians to hit the corners.

He's just not quite a top goalkeeper, but I guess we aren't quite a top team, so maybe he fits right in...

 

[mattcity5]

If you've an average group of players you could probably get away with just having them be tactically drilled and rely on bits of brilliance, its happened before for Greece for example. But even when Spain always had good players and didn't win, when they had Pep and Enrique etc, they always struggled because there was no cohesion. That's also always been the problem with Netherlands, relying on superstars to get you through moments. It seems to me that is what Southgate is relying on, but Kane admitted they've no idea what they're doing which is criminal.

I don't think we've ever tried the approach of trying to create the best team rather than shoehorning in all the big names. I wish we'd give it a go for a change.