England vs Croatia

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Considering it's not less than a week away I think the game deserves it's own thread.

Two mediocre friendlies for us but had we wont both 4-0 everyone would be going crazy and expectations would be through the roof.

I think Southgate will play a 5-2-3 formation against Croatia and expect the team to look like this:

Pickford

James
Walker
Stones
Coady
Chilwell

Rice
Mount

Foden
Sterling
Kane

Surely Mings won't start after two bang average at best performances over the last week. Coady is far from great but he is comfortable in a back three. Foden can drop into the middle at times so we don't get over-run against the Croatian three, and/or Stones can join in and almost play as a defensive midfielder at times.

I expect it to be a cautious first game and a 1-1 draw would be my early bet.
 
I think it will be a draw as well, England usually draw their opening game.

I think there will be too many changes from the previous two games (due to players resting after the CL final) and so they will start the tournament reasonably slow. Croatia are a good side and not that much changed from the World Cup. They will be technical, organised and not give too much away.

I hope we batter them of course but I wouldn't be too despondent should we 'only' take one point from the game.
 
He's a good player, it's just that Grealish, Foden and Sancho are better.
A year ago Sterling Kane Sancho seemed like the most terrifying front three imaginable.

Neither Sterling nor Sancho is in the world's best form at the moment though. And Southgate wants to play 4-2-3-1 but I'm not sure that actually gets his best XI on the field.

Sterling Kane Foden
Mount Rice Grealish
Shaw Maguire Stones Trippier
Pickford

Asking a lot of Rice and would look so much better with TAA
 
Would quite like:

Henderson
James - Stones - Maguire - Chilwell
Rice
Mount - Grealish
Sancho - Kane - Foden

Maybe too attacking...

Think Southgate will go:

Pickford
Trippier - Walker - Stones - Shaw
Rice - Henderson
Sterling - Mount - Foden
Kane
 
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He's a good player, it's just that Grealish, Foden and Sancho are better.

Well Mount is part of the midfield three anyway, not the front three, so it's irrelevant whether the likes of Foden and Sancho are better. Foden is battling with Grealish and Rashford while it's between Sancho and Sterling for a place on the other side of Kane.
 
I'm glad Ben White has been called up as he's a quality young player and it terrifies me going into a tournament knowing one of Mings or Coady will have to play a big part. But Southgate has had a nightmare. What's the point in taking Maguire if he's not going to be able to play in the group stages? We could go out in the Quarters with Maguire having played all of one game, if at all. The four center-backs we should be taking are Stones, Tomori, White and Dunk. If we play a back five then Shaw, Walker and James are all comfortable in a back three, and also Rice can play there too in an emergency.
 
Would quite like:

Henderson
James - Stones - Maguire - Chilwell
Rice
Mount - Grealish
Sancho - Kane - Foden

Maybe too attacking...

Think Southgate will go:

Pickford
Trippier - Walker - Stones - Maguire - Shaw
Rice - Henderson
Sterling - Mount - Foden
Kane
That is a seriously good team one of the best in World football attacking wise for a country that is and on paper. Our manager is a conservative defensive one so I don’t expect the below and even if he put it out he would some how take away it’s creativity.

Henderson
James - Stones - Maguire - Chilwell
Rice
Mount - Grealish
Sancho - Kane - Foden
 
Surprised to see Sancho is so many starting 11's. He's done next to nothing for England so far. I know Sterling hasn't been great lately but teams are still scared to death of his pace and movement. I'd go with him, Kane and Foden just ahead of Grealish for the extra goal threat he offers myself.
 
I managed to watch most of the Croatia game in their narrow loss to Belgium and they look a very slow, plodding sort of side. Technically really good, good on the ball, as you would expect with players like Modric, Kovacic and Perisic. But I think pace and movement kills them. We have both in abundance if used correctly.

They are genuinely one of the slowest sides all over the park I've seen for a long time.
 
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