WC 2018 - Russia

[Grecian_Matt]

Stockley only makes the bench? Pah.

Sorry with the form of Kane, he is the only one guaranteed a spot in my team.. Every one else will have to work for it.

If Sterling wasn't on fire, then he would of been replaced by Watkins.

But IMO Pym and Moore-Taylor deserve to be on the plane, Pym is getting better and better and is in much better form at present than Joe Hart.

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

What would your England team be then boys?.....

Proving form and fitness allows.

I would go 4-2-3-1

Hart

Walker
Stones
Maguire
Rose

Dier
Whilshire

Sterling
Ali
Lallana

Kane

Couple months down the line and i wouldn't change much.....

only question mark would be around the keeper and centre half for me right now....

Have Butland or Pickford done enough to be considered no1? still not sure...so i'd just stick with Hart...

Stones can't get in City's side and Maguire's form has dipped away.....Phil Jones at United has been pretty solid this season at centre half.....

the rest pick themselves for me

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

Squad? 23 man generally.

Keepers

Hart
Pickford
Butland

Defenders

Walker
Rose
Bertrand
Trippier
Stones
Cahill
Maguire
Jones


Midfielders

Henderson
Dier (Can cover centre half as well)
Ali
Whilshere
Lallana
Lingard
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Sterling

Strikers

Kane
Vardy
Rashford
Defoe

The striker options don't convince me , with a massive reliance on Kane - but given he's probably the best center forward in Europe right now it could be worse.

 

[Legohead]

Not convinced now about Joe Hart being number one. By the same token Pickford is talented but still learning at the top level. I'd go with Butland but it will probably be Hart due to his experience in tournaments. England like to play it safe.

I'm also in agreement with Credy about the attacking concerns. Kane is on fire but hasn't really done it yet against anyone of any serious note in international football. Not all his fault i know but still there is a doubt there. Would prefer it it Alli and Dier started due to them being on the same wavelength. Rashford i don't really rate much. He's a great impact sub for me but that's all. Vardy and Defoe? All similar types of players and i'd personally like another option.

Midfield looks the strongest.

Final tip for Southgate. Please don't let Phil Jones near an England squad. He's not good enough.

 

[IndoMike]

Squad? 23 man generally.

Keepers

Hart
Pickford
Butland

Defenders

Walker
Rose
Bertrand
Trippier
Stones
Cahill
Maguire
Jones


Midfielders

Henderson
Dier (Can cover centre half as well)
Ali
Whilshere
Lallana
Lingard
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Sterling

Strikers

Kane
Vardy
Rashford
Defoe

The striker options don't convince me , with a massive reliance on Kane - but given he's probably the best center forward in Europe right now it could be worse.

The truth is we do have to scrape the barrel, as indicated by the names you mention. Maybe just one world class player amongst a pot pourri of mediocrity. The manager has no serious credentials and minimal knowledge of tactics or coaching. No chance - just like our cricketers. They're even talking about Glenn Murray being in the squad.

 

[Legohead]

Interesting day yesterday in the Prem. I post about not rating Rashford and he pops up with two goals against Liverpool! Maybe i need to rethink?

Certainly Joe Hart though has gone IMO, an opinion backed up again yesterday by his performance against Burnley. I just think that he's lost all confidence and sharpness and makes mistake after mistake now. A bit like Petr Cech at Arsenal. Both superb keepers a few years ago but now liabilities in some ways. Hart wouldn't be my number 1.

In response to Indomike and the 'scraping the barrel' comment then whilst i do agree with you Indomike, i also do feel that most countries now don't have as many outstanding players like they used to have years back so everyone by and large is in the same boat. Germany have better players than England but other than Muller and maybe one or two others, who is world class? Who is world class in the Spain squad? De Gea obviously and they have Silva and Iniesta but who else? Morata is average for a main striker and they have Pique and Busquets in the spine who are good experienced players but not world class. Italy, Holland are average like England and France have the likes of Pogba, Benzema, Griezmann etc all great players but not really amazingly world class.

IMO there are only truly 3 world class players around now with the retirement of Buffon. De Gea, Messi and Ronaldo. There are some real top class players for sure but they are way too inconsistent to be considered world class. The three i've mentioned do the business pretty much every game and have done so over many years.

I think that there are a handful of countries with better players and more experience than the England squad such as France, Spain, Germany and Brazil but that's generally always been the case. This time around though i just don't think there are that many truly world class players around like there used to be and for that reason i'm not unduly concerned about the apparent paucity of quality on offer in England's squad.

With England it's more about attitude, commitment, application and mental fortitude of the players that is likely to be the reason for exiting the tournament rather than the other team is simply so much better. As has always been the case IMO.

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

When Glen Murray as mentioned above is being considered at 35 it says a lot about the options available

The goal keeper situation is bleak - none of those 3 options convince me - I'd actually right now say the best English born keeper would be the lad in goal for Burnley (pope?) from memory

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

The truth is we do have to scrape the barrel, as indicated by the names you mention. Maybe just one world class player amongst a pot pourri of mediocrity. The manager has no serious credentials and minimal knowledge of tactics or coaching. No chance - just like our cricketers. They're even talking about Glenn Murray being in the squad.

There are some very talented premier league players in that squad with loads of champions league experiences

To say there mediocre is unfair IMO

 

[grecIAN Harris]

We have decent players, we just need to play to their collective strengths rather thinking we have to play like Spain all the time. We have the deadliest striker in the world at the moment, we have full backs who can bomb on and get crosses in. We have players who can play. Use them. Goals win games. If he served properly, Harry Kane could frighten the life out of any defence. There isn't a team anywhere who has worked out how to stop the bloke in the last twelve months. But we won't, we'll still pick carthorses like Jordan Henderson to try and play ticky tacka.

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

The squad named a couple days ago looks such a poor squad....

The goalkeeping and centre half options are poor