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Match The ENGLAND thread
- Thread starter YidoBuckler
- Start date
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When fit he should certainly be in the squad - I'm still surprised Welbeck has been picked recently
Think he was in effect Lewis Cook's successor in CM for Leeds (although he had played about a dozen times before) when Cook moved to Bournemouth - although Cook and Phillips are about the same age.
Will Southgate start to pick Championship players though ? Possibly very selectively. but in this case I think he'd pick Cook first purely because he's used to playing with and against higher level players week in and week out than a player playing in the Championship - but there is the precedent of Peter Taylor being picked for England whilst playing in the then 3tf tier of English football (before he signed for Spurs)
The obvious changes IMO should be :
Delph - not playing regularly for Man City
Loftus-Cheek - Has not played for Chelsea this season
Dele - Injured
Lingard - reported doubtful with groin strain for ManU v Valencia
Welbeck - Has not played well for 5 years.
Doubtful :
Lallana - Just back from last injury. But who to replace his creativity for England ?
Henderson - Think he was only included as England lack depth in CM and 'captain material. Personally thought the place was a toss up between him and Livermore.
Defence I'd leave as it is, and see how they evolve for a couple of squads (subject to injury). Chilwell can okay for u21's.
1. CM's to replace Delph and Loftus Cheek
Will Hughes (Watford)
Lewis Cook ( Bournemouth)
Harry Winks (Spurs) (if fit enough)
Ross Barkley (Chelsea) (if fit enough)
2. AM's to replace Dele and Lingard
James Maddison (Leicester)
Jaden Sancho (Dortmund)
3. Striker Candidates to Replace Welbeck
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
Callum Wilson (Bournemouth)
I'd almost be tempted to re-categorise Rashford as an AM (replacing the ever injured Lallana) to get Wilson into the England squad to see if he's a genuine option as with Sturridge injury record even if we do not need him this time we need to see if he's able to cover for England.
Thoughts ?
That's actually a very interesting and exciting squad.
Congrats to Winks for making it.
My XI
Pickford
Walker-Gomez-Maguire-Rose
Winks-Henderson
Sancho-Maddison-Rashford
Kane
Or maybe a 3-5-2 instead.
Pickford
Walker-Gomez-Maguire
TAA-Winks-Henderson-Barkley-Rose
Kane-Rashford
Pickford
Walker-Gomez-Maguire
TAA-Winks-Henderson-Barkley-Rose
Kane-Rashford
Gets himself a new 4 year deal out of it too.
Only one mistake in wellbeck
Yes, but to be fair he doesn't do too badly for England. It was either him or Sturridge I guess.
Would of liked Wilson given a chance personally
Thought it might be easier to understand by putting the players into likely playing positions.
Players in red were in the last squad but NOT in this latest squad (several through injury). Players in blue are in this squad but not in the last squad.
GK
Jordan Pickford (Everton),
Jack Butland (Stoke City),
Alex McCarthy (Southampton)
Marcus Bettinelli (Fulham)
CB
Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
Harry Maguire (Leicester City),
John Stones (Manchester City),
James Tarkowski (Burnley),
FB
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool),
Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur),
Luke Shaw (Manchester United),
Kyle Walker (Manchester City), (also CB)
Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur),
CM
Fabian Delph (Manchester City),
Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur),
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool),
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea),
Ross Barkley (Chelsea)
Nat Chalobah (Watford)
Harry Winks (Spurs)
Mason Mount (Chelsea/Derby)
AM
Dele (Tottenham Hotspur), (injured)
Adam Lallana (Liverpool),
Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) (Injured)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City),
James Maddison (Leicester)
Jaden Sancho (Dortmund)
Striker
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur),
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United),
Danny Welbeck (Woolwich)
Overall lots of changers which are positive.
No real changes in the defensive positions or strikers. Lots of changes in midfield, partly through injuries to Dele and Lingard and the non playing Loftus-Cheek (replaced by Chelsea team mate Ross Barkey who plays club football probably at Loftus-Chek's expense) , but certainly some were due. Perhaps a surprise to see Mount and Chalobah but not his Watford team mate Will Hughes (arguably replaced by Mount at Derby) or Lewis Cook.
Maddison and Sancho are shoe ins based upon form, even if not experience. When Dele and Lingard are fit could be interesting to see who is picked.
The surprise to me is the lack of change at striker - if Harry doesn't play Welbeck is not the solution and hasn't been for years and Rashford is certainly not yet but at age 20 might be in the future. The one real surprise in the squad for me is Welbeck remaining in the squad and no new faces, which should have been Sturridge and/or Wilson.
Players in red were in the last squad but NOT in this latest squad (several through injury). Players in blue are in this squad but not in the last squad.
GK
Jordan Pickford (Everton),
Jack Butland (Stoke City),
Alex McCarthy (Southampton)
Marcus Bettinelli (Fulham)
CB
Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
Harry Maguire (Leicester City),
John Stones (Manchester City),
James Tarkowski (Burnley),
FB
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool),
Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur),
Luke Shaw (Manchester United),
Kyle Walker (Manchester City), (also CB)
Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur),
CM
Fabian Delph (Manchester City),
Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur),
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool),
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea),
Ross Barkley (Chelsea)
Nat Chalobah (Watford)
Harry Winks (Spurs)
Mason Mount (Chelsea/Derby)
AM
Dele (Tottenham Hotspur), (injured)
Adam Lallana (Liverpool),
Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) (Injured)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City),
James Maddison (Leicester)
Jaden Sancho (Dortmund)
Striker
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur),
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United),
Danny Welbeck (Woolwich)
Overall lots of changers which are positive.
No real changes in the defensive positions or strikers. Lots of changes in midfield, partly through injuries to Dele and Lingard and the non playing Loftus-Cheek (replaced by Chelsea team mate Ross Barkey who plays club football probably at Loftus-Chek's expense) , but certainly some were due. Perhaps a surprise to see Mount and Chalobah but not his Watford team mate Will Hughes (arguably replaced by Mount at Derby) or Lewis Cook.
Maddison and Sancho are shoe ins based upon form, even if not experience. When Dele and Lingard are fit could be interesting to see who is picked.
The surprise to me is the lack of change at striker - if Harry doesn't play Welbeck is not the solution and hasn't been for years and Rashford is certainly not yet but at age 20 might be in the future. The one real surprise in the squad for me is Welbeck remaining in the squad and no new faces, which should have been Sturridge and/or Wilson.
Certainly a big shake up, I was really afraid Southgate would only make a few changes
Very nice to see some freshness coming in so early into being off the back of the World Cup, it was definitely needed, albeit via a few injuries it seems.
Southgate needs to make the players believe there are 40+ options to select from, nobody should feel safe with their place so it's great to see.
Harsh on Will Hughes and Daniel Sturridge I feel & in all honesty Chalobah is the one that shouldn't be near this squad but apart from that I'm happy to see so many new faces. Sancho, Maddison, Winksy back into the frame especially after his 2nd half last night will be great for his confidence. Personally I'd have considered Sturridge over Welbeck for game changing reasons and Chalobah I really don't see how you can select him but all in all I can't complain it's a fresher looking squad with young, hungry, talented options to further enhance the squad should they take their chances. Very happy with this, it's important for the national teams evolution
Think everyone following England would be ecstatic if we had a pool of 40 genuine candidates for the squad.
ATM I think its more like a stretch to see 30, but I'm really hopeful that there are players born around year 2000 who might step up - just depends as always on playing opportunities, but the 'raw talent' appears to be there
Spurs and the players who played in the last 4 at the WC certainly got shat on by the scheduling (too many rounds at WC and PL pulling forward the season start by a week) meaning around 10 of our players had no pre-season which is why our firm is suffering and why we have so many injuries.
I would have hoped that the deal is that Southgate only plays our players for one game only for those reasons