Serbia v England - Official Match Thread - 8pm - 16/06/24

Replace Trippier, Foden and TAA with Shaw, Gordon and Mainoo/Gallagher and you'd see a massive difference in performance.

Foden ended the season so well that it was extremely difficult to drop him.

Originally Posted by Coracao

People reading too much into one game here. Plenty of nations start with mediocre performances in big tournaments and go onto do well.

He needs to stop shoehorned players into positions however. Gordon on the left and Mainoo in midfield would likely give a far better balance. But Southgate is falling under the same curse as those before him, picking what are perceived as the more 'talented' rather than what is actually the most balanced XI.

Spot on. But does Southgate have the balls and gumption to actually pick his best, most balanced XI? The use of that murdering shithouse in CM would suggest not.

ref kane: sometimes, it's enough just to occupy players and leave space for others. I would not say the service to him was great. should have done better with the head that was saved.

obviously trent is a disaster. can kind of understand foden, given the way he plays for his club (same with saka, who didn't have a great game either), but trent is just shit and we have better options.

gallagher is a nothing player, bowen just tries hard, gordon is a bit shit, too. cautious gareth should be playing mainoo, wharton and palmer. but we don't have any proper wingers apart from saka.

obvs, if shaw can get fit, it will make a lot of difference.

Originally Posted by My Name is Heath

Kane needs to be pulled off in the 2nd half of most games

England managers are somewhat damned if they do and damned if they don’t: they’re reminded that they should pick on form rather than reputation, then everyone kicks off when Grealish is left at home

It’s finding that balance between getting the best out of the talented players and creating the right team. Foden is the example right now. He’s one of the most talented English players and the footballer of the year. You want to play him based on that, but in practice, he simply doesn’t perform for them and never has.

But if he leaves out the footballer of the year for Conor Gallagher, then people call him incompetent

When does what Foden does for England start to matter more than what he does for Manchester City?

Same with Alexander Arnold. He wants that right foot. He wants that quality, but doesn’t know where to put him. Either play him ar right back or don’t.

Better managers than Southgate have struggled to shut out that noise and find that right balance

Originally Posted by jem

gareth should be playing mainoo, wharton and palmer.

whats your starting xi if england are to include these 3?

Apologies if already posted.

https://x.com/footbalifights/status/1802736224962253072?s=46&t=V_rEHns4n2KM8_MGvd9NWg

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

Apologies if already posted.

https://x.com/footbalifights/status/...n2KM8_MGvd9NWg

Surreal experience.

Unless he’s a city fan.

Originally Posted by larry

whats your starting xi if england are to include these 3?

leaving aside that I meant that he should be playing those three ahead of gallagher, bowen and gordon....

pickford

walker - stones - guehi - shaw

wharton

rice - mainoo

bellingham

kane - palmer

there you go. I have no problem with him playing saka, foden or eze, though. just not trent boy.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

England managers are somewhat damned if they do and damned if they don’t: they’re reminded that they should pick on form rather than reputation, then everyone kicks off when Grealish is left at home

It’s finding that balance between getting the best out of the talented players and creating the right team. Foden is the example right now. He’s one of the most talented English players and the footballer of the year. You want to play him based on that, but in practice, he simply doesn’t perform for them and never has.

But if he leaves out the footballer of the year for Conor Gallagher, then people call him incompetent

When does what Foden does for England start to matter more than what he does for Manchester City?

Same with Alexander Arnold. He wants that right foot. He wants that quality, but doesn’t know where to put him. Either play him ar right back or don’t.

Better managers than Southgate have struggled to shut out that noise and find that right balance

You mean Trent

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

Apologies if already posted.

https://x.com/footbalifights/status/...n2KM8_MGvd9NWg

His breathing, huffing and slurring made me furious for some reason.

THICK @#%&!

TAA chugging around like he’d won a raffle was embarrassing but hopefully Southgate now knows that he can’t cut it in an international midfield. A lot of Fodens issues stem from the fact that he doesn’t have Shaw overlapping and giving him the space to create.

Mainoo would change so much for the team, if he plays in there it allows Rice to play where he plays best, protects Stones and Guehi and gives England ball retention and that ability to break teams down when sitting deep. The added possession also means Foden can spend more time creating and less time running back to help Trippier.

If shaw can be fit for the last group game, we should look a lot better heading into the knockouts

Originally Posted by browser

TAA chugging around like he’d won a raffle was embarrassing but hopefully Southgate now knows that he can’t cut it in an international midfield. A lot of Fodens issues stem from the fact that he doesn’t have Shaw overlapping and giving him the space to create.

Mainoo would change so much for the team, if he plays in there it allows Rice to play where he plays best, protects Stones and Guehi and gives England ball retention and that ability to break teams down when sitting deep. The added possession also means Foden can spend more time creating and less time running back to help Trippier.

If shaw can be fit for the last group game, we should look a lot better heading into the knockouts

Before one of the games on ITV yesterday, Lescott, Aluko and Mark Pugatch were saying how well he did

Originally Posted by magic_cantona

Before one of the games on ITV yesterday, Lescott, Aluko and Mark Pugatch were saying how well he did

I just can't fathom Southgates thinking.

He's picked worse players in better form for this squad ahead of some big names yet picks a right back to play midfield who does not play there at all in the season.

on the other hand I don't really care and am quite happy Mainoo is being kept in hiding

there is absolute no way southgate drops 'trent' for the next game, it's tantamount to saying he got it wrong.

Instead of playing an actual midfielder in midfielder he's playing a full back. Who can't defend.

I've not read this thread properly but can only imagine Jem's fury.

Originally Posted by Whip Hubley

there is absolute no way southgate drops 'trent' for the next game, it's tantamount to saying he got it wrong.

Instead of playing an actual midfielder in midfielder he's playing a full back. Who can't defend.

I've not read this thread properly but can only imagine Jem's fury.

What a word

Love the odd “tantamount” casually slipped in. Always had a thing for it.

Originally Posted by browser

TAA chugging around like he’d won a raffle was embarrassing but hopefully Southgate now knows that he can’t cut it in an international midfield.

I wouldn’t count on it.

I’ve seen enough pundits suggest that he had a decent game or at least that the jury was still out.

Meanwhile, anybody I’ve spoken to who isn’t paid to give an opinion in the media has agreed that he was well out of his depth and appeared to have no real idea at he should be doing 90% of the time.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if Southgate thinks that using him is a case of him showing strong leadership and a willingness to stick to his guns. Rather than the beige idiocy of a milquetoast.

Originally Posted by Whip Hubley

there is absolute no way southgate drops 'trent' for the next game, it's tantamount to saying he got it wrong.

Instead of playing an actual midfielder in midfielder he's playing a full back. Who can't defend.

I've not read this thread properly but can only imagine Jem's fury.

He's playing an out of form right back at left back another right back in midfield and absolutely no left side attacker whatsoever.

It's a horrendously out of balance team with a lot of players who looked a bit tired to me last time out.

I'm not surprised Foden looked like little boy lost, Most City players are so indoctrinated into playing guardiola's robo-ball that they look lost the minute you take them out of it.

Originally Posted by magic_cantona

Before one of the games on ITV yesterday, Lescott, Aluko and Mark Pugatch were saying how well he did

I expect he made garth crooks's team of the week, too.

Originally Posted by Whip Hubley

Instead of playing an actual midfielder in midfielder he's playing a full back. Who can't defend.

I've not read this thread properly but can only imagine Jem's fury.

indeed. you really have to know what you are doing to play a fullback in midfield.

Originally Posted by magic_cantona

Before one of the games on ITV yesterday, Lescott, Aluko and Mark Pugatch were saying how well he did

That's why Roy Keane might come across as a miserable sod but at least he tells it like it is.

Half of these £#%&!ing pundits and commentators are so chummy with "trent" and the like they can't bring themselves to criticise them.