Serbia v England - Sun 16th June, 20:00 | Euro 2024 Group C

[normskih]

i know this isn't popular, but TAA does give us something different - there's not many players that have the range of passing he does, he can create and score and set pieces are a major factor in tournaments. I would stick with him in the centre midfield role where we lack options.

Lack options centre midfield? Are you kidding? The two centres should be Bellingham and Foden, both playing behind Kane who should have been up front and not spending most of his time in the second half hanging around midfield. Alexander Arnold does play the odd good pass but he gives the ball away just as much. No, Foden and Bellingham in midfield and go from there.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

The big irony is that if Foden doesn't play against Denmark, we'll look just as limited with the same flaws, and he'll suddenly be the obvious answer.

Foden has been educated by Guardiola into always looking five passes ahead and drifting almost unnoticed into goal scoring positions.

His first goal against United in the 6-3 provides the perfect example of a patient City move that drags opponents out of position.

This doesn't work for England,.not necessarily because Foden is surrounded by poor players, but more that they offer something completely different.

Even the Walker chance (where he should have taken the shot himself) Kane and Foden made the same run, when Haaland would have peeled-off to the far post

Similarly City don't have a Saka type so whereas City preach patience, England charge down the right wing and hope for the best.

Bellingham is a great talent, but he also appears irritatingly ring fenced from criticism, as do Rice, Saka, and Alexander-Arnold, who all mixed moments of brilliance with sloppy casual mistakes.

Compare that with Shearer's eagerness to pounce when Foden lost the ball cheaply midway through the Second Half.

As for the defence I fear for us the moment we face a more potent strike force.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Zero game management in the last 20 minutes. Would love to know the real reason Grealish didn’t go.

Bowen come on and did very well, put that on a plate for Kane which would have sealed a 2-0 win.

 

[JTFactsPlz]

Sorry mate, but I don't agree at all. We know our Phil is world class but he has to be doing better than that tonight. Everything you wrote there is just excuses; tonight he had several opportunities to produce from central but he looked lost and introverted. I don't think Bellingham being the star man is helping him, but that's just something he has to deal with; he has to rise above it. The reason Bellingham plays well in an England shirt is because he believes his hype, Phil needs to start doing the same. He's on the same level, but he's playing within himself.

The problem is that Bellingham's a **** and Phil isn't, in a nutshell.

The majority of football fans don't care about that so Phil is destined to be roasted while playing for England. A decent manager would rein in Bellingham but Southgate is the very opposite of even remotely competent so he won't.

 

[Lauz9888]

Zero game management in the last 20 minutes. Would love to know the real reason Grealish didn’t go.

Allegedly it was dependent on Maguire's fitness - him going home left the squad light on experienced centre-backs and Southgate wanted to maximise his options so he sacrificed an attacking option in Jack in order to take an extra defender.

Off the back of the first match this seems a little foolish - Guehi did pretty well and if he and Stones remain fit they may well be the partnership for the entire tournament. I don't see why they couldn't have sent home either Konsa or Dunk.

I get why Jack was sent home once the decision had been made to lose an attacker - he really hasn't had a great season, and those who are there have done better for their clubs. But if the tactic is to play Phil on the left, I'm not sure we need 2 pacy left wingers on the bench in Eze and Gordon - I'd have kept 1 of them for the option of having someone run at defences, and Jack for the times we want someone disciplined and controlled who can hold on to the ball and play the intricate link-up passes.

 

[normskih]

England will probably get top spot as predicted but there is no sign they are going to win it.

That’s a fair point but still, I do want them to win it.

 

[PPT]

It's not a co-incidence that two of the most selfish players/least likable look to be best mates, Bellingham & TAA are very me, me, me players. Absolutely worlds apart from Foden and what he plays with in the City team.

I thought that. I can imagine there is a clique in that team of Bellingham, Arnold, Rice & Saka.

 

[kippaxwarrior]

i know this isn't popular, but TAA does give us something different - there's not many players that have the range of passing he does, he can create and score and set pieces are a major factor in tournaments. I would stick with him in the centre midfield role where we lack options.

You mean as he's offers absolutely fuck all.

He did nothing going forward apart from a couple of Hollywood passes. Defensively he hasnt got a clue. To play in that midfield role you need spatial awareness and read situations and anticipate what's going to happen. He hasn't got that. At All. Rice was constantly covering him.

His set pieces were absolutely shite as well

 

[normskih]

Having read through the papers, Phil is getting absolutely hammered. I don’t know why he bothers going to England at all. Every time he is under Southgate’s “guidance” he comes back injured or with his confidence in pieces, and here we go again.
It must be so difficult to go from the daily coaching of a visionary like Pep, with a possession based approach, to a 1970’s style, long ball disciple of Dave Bassett etc. in the dreadful Southgate. I’m not surprised he struggles for England.

Only one answer to that, don’t read the papers.

 

[Platt Lane 59]

I thought that. I can imagine there is a clique in that team of Bellingham, Arnold, Rice & Saka.

Not sure there is such a clique (in fairness, Southgate has done well to stop factions within the group, which was previously, a big problem) ?
If there is a clique, Phil has his City pals to team up with.
Kane seems the major influence in the squad, as captain.
He should be ensuring the team are fully together...