Charlton tinted glasses for a few of us. Barring City game doesn't seem to have been very good
Don't disagree but he has been no worse than Maguire has he..
No he hasn't and Id love to see Joe Gomez at a world cup but sadly for him his injuries and lack of consistent playing time mean he's behind the likes of Maguire. Maguire is way off form but barring the Germany game he has been fairly solid for England. That will have swayed Southgate. Tomori is one who can definitely feel aggrieved not to get a look in
Southgate is faithful to prior England performers (for better or worse) which is why Sterling is a guaranteed starter (again, for better or worse).
Agree Tomori was unlucky but no way Southgate was going to chance his arm on playing him regularly at the back ahead of his tried and trusted. I think most quibbles re the squad are fair but very much concern squad players. There are no glaring omissions but a few lucky to be selected/unlucky to miss out on squad berths,
Concerned he is going to play Foden on right side of three up front. A position he hardly ever plays for Man City. He doesn't like it on the right.
Agree, personally Sterling or Saka on the right, Foden on the left, maybe can bring on Grealish. He might stick Mount on the right as he has done on the odd occasion, but i would prefer he stick people to their original positions with their clubs.
lots seem surprised that Gallagher made the cut .. he's not the most sophisticated midfielder but you always know that he'll work his socks off when called upon .. be ideal (say) if/when England have a lead and it needs a player to come on and harass and chase the opposition all over the field
One player who'll be sorely missed is Chilwell .. also, I can't see the attraction of Phippis, BUT Pep paid a lot for him and Southgate likes him .. soooo
I'd be surprised if Trippier wasn't one of the automatic starters, whether on the left or right.
Been excellent for England and in great form for Newcastle at the moment. Good taker of dead balls too.
Agree, although in the past i don't feel he does as well on the left, shock... he can be solid but would start a natural LB ahead of him, but him instead of Saka. But what do i know? i am not Southgate so we'll see how many square pegs he puts in round holes.
My opinion but think with the players available to us right now, as James and Chilwell are both injured, I would say that squad is probably as good as we could’ve hoped for.
People will say about Tomori because he won the league last season with AC Milan, but he’s hardly played for England and his form this season isn’t actually that great. Maguire’s isn’t either, but he’s done it at international level and Southgate trusts him. He wouldn’t start for me, but he’ll start for Southgate and sometimes you have to go with the tried and tested. A brand new defence, or half of a defence, for the World Cup isn’t ideal in any situation.
Gallagher’s inclusion has slightly surprised me, but he certainly offers more to the all round game than Ward-Prowse. Some will say about the lack of minutes for Phillips so why should he be included, but if he’s fit enough, who else is better than him to come in? There’s a reason why Man City paid that much for him so when we can take 26 players, having someone like Phillips in the squad seems like a good option to me.
Overall, am actually quite happy and more excited for the World Cup now the squad has been announced.
This feels like, and the noise on twitter and here confirms I am not alone, like the 2007 Ashes or Clive Woodward's Lions tour.
The old troops go one last time to relive their greatest achievement and get found out as, many a CL poster would say, yesterday's men.
But it's actually nothing of the sort. This is a much younger team/squad than it feels. It's not full of sentiment, 30 somethings trying to do what that once did.
I still think our best chance of winning something are in Germany and the USA and this is just another stop on the road.
The weather, it being in the middle of the European season and all the other noise make this a bit of a lottery but someone has got to win it and it might as well be us.
My opinion but think with the players available to us right now, as James and Chilwell are both injured, I would say that squad is probably as good as we could’ve hoped for.
People will say about Tomori because he won the league last season with AC Milan, but he’s hardly played for England and his form this season isn’t actually that great. Maguire’s isn’t either, but he’s done it at international level and Southgate trusts him. He wouldn’t start for me, but he’ll start for Southgate and sometimes you have to go with the tried and tested. A brand new defence, or half of a defence, for the World Cup isn’t ideal in any situation.
Gallagher’s inclusion has slightly surprised me, but he certainly offers more to the all round game than Ward-Prowse. Some will say about the lack of minutes for Phillips so why should he be included, but if he’s fit enough, who else is better than him to come in? There’s a reason why Man City paid that much for him so when we can take 26 players, having someone like Phillips in the squad seems like a good option to me.
Overall, am actually quite happy and more excited for the World Cup now the squad has been announced.
You really dont belong on CharltonLife at times, with these level headed, well thought out posts Sage!!
England managers are always on a hiding to nothing when picking an international squad and Southgate seems to have done virtually as well as he could given the players available. My only criticism such as it is, is that I always think we take too many defenders and would like to see 1 or 2 more forwards. I can't really see the point of taking Phillips for example who has hardly played this season when you already have the likes of Stones, Maguire, Dier & Coady in the squad. I would have taken Toney instead who I think could have added something different, but overall its a decent squad.
Gareth has just played it safe. The sooner he's gone the better. The near successes in our least 2 tournaments were despite Southgate, not because of him
Gareth has just played it safe. The sooner he's gone the better. The near successes in our least 2 tournaments were despite Southgate, not because of him
Gareth has just played it safe. The sooner he's gone the better. The near successes in our least 2 tournaments were despite Southgate, not because of him
Never really quite understood this side of the argument.
Southgate is the only England manager in however many years that has managed to create a culture amongst the group. Togetherness for a national team is almost as important as talent itself.
In tournament football you need a specific type of camaraderie to progress, to bring players, staff, and essentially the country together. We have seen many nations over the years with so much talent but as a group fall apart because they don’t get along, they don’t work in a high performance environment. England have been one of those nations. To be able to create that takes a specific type of skill as a manager.
That in itself shows how we have had good tournaments in recent years because of him, not despite.
Now you could say that the attacking talent that’s been available means we should have done better in those situations and it’s his defensive approach that has hindered us. Sure, he could have been a bit more aggressive and on the front foot. But let’s be realistic and understand that’s not how football or life works. Especially at big tournaments like a World Cup or European Championships.
If we look at the recent winners of these tournaments, they’re all safety first and provide a solid base before those at the top end of the pitch do their business, Portugal are a fantastic example of this.
South American sides are known for their attacking style, but only one South American side has won the World Cup in the last 28 years. Football has changed and moved on. Even countries like Brazil now have top class defenders and play the game in a far more European pragmatic style. Look at how African football has evolved.
If Southgate took the shackles off from the start, we simply aren’t strong enough defensively to cope and coming up against good sides, we would have come unstuck. I really believe that. However, I do agree he needs to find a better balance and slight take the handbrake off, you can’t starve the attacking talents, but I don’t think he does either.
Ultimately, his approach has been successful, so why should he deviate from that now?
NB. The Euro’s final is the only outlier in my opinion. We were 1-0 up at home, we could’ve killed the game and scored a second. But it was the first time in 55 years that we got to a final of a major tournament. It was a new experience for every single one of them. It then went to penalties and that’s a flip of coin. If Rashford scores, we win. Fine margins.
Away from that and back to present day, when you look at what’s available to us, what changes would or could be made to the squad that would make any real difference to the chances of any success in this year’s World Cup?
And moving forward, if Southgate does leave after this World Cup, what manager is there right now that would be able to maintain and improve the culture that has been created? Who could come in and make this group of players into a group of winners, all whilst playing in a different style away from the way 80-90% of the rest of the world play too?
It’s a real challenge moving beyond Southgate, and of course it could get even better and we go to another level, but taking a step back and seeing that the progress that has been made is far more because of him than despite him would be a fair assessment of the man and success of the England team.
My opinion but think with the players available to us right now, as James and Chilwell are both injured, I would say that squad is probably as good as we could’ve hoped for.
People will say about Tomori because he won the league last season with AC Milan, but he’s hardly played for England and his form this season isn’t actually that great. Maguire’s isn’t either, but he’s done it at international level and Southgate trusts him. He wouldn’t start for me, but he’ll start for Southgate and sometimes you have to go with the tried and tested. A brand new defence, or half of a defence, for the World Cup isn’t ideal in any situation.
Gallagher’s inclusion has slightly surprised me, but he certainly offers more to the all round game than Ward-Prowse. Some will say about the lack of minutes for Phillips so why should he be included, but if he’s fit enough, who else is better than him to come in? There’s a reason why Man City paid that much for him so when we can take 26 players, having someone like Phillips in the squad seems like a good option to me.
Overall, am actually quite happy and more excited for the World Cup now the squad has been announced.
You really dont belong on CharltonLife at times, with these level headed, well thought out posts Sage!!
I think this is probably the most competitive WC I can remember.
Like all tournament football, you have to make sure you’re solid and then hope a bit of brilliance gets you over the line along with a lot of luck. It’s not like league or two legged football, one moment of madness and you’re going home.
Gareth has just played it safe. The sooner he's gone the better. The near successes in our least 2 tournaments were despite Southgate, not because of him
Who else is there to take?
Capello, Sven, McLaren, Hoddle, Big Sam, Taylor, Keegan, And the rest of those managers that took us to a World Cup Semi Final and European Championship final…….
England managers are always on a hiding to nothing when picking an international squad and Southgate seems to have done virtually as well as he could given the players available. My only criticism such as it is, is that I always think we take too many defenders and would like to see 1 or 2 more forwards. I can't really see the point of taking Phillips for example who has hardly played this season when you already have the likes of Stones, Maguire, Dier & Coady in the squad. I would have taken Toney instead who I think could have added something different, but overall its a decent squad.
Comments
Agree Tomori was unlucky but no way Southgate was going to chance his arm on playing him regularly at the back ahead of his tried and trusted. I think most quibbles re the squad are fair but very much concern squad players. There are no glaring omissions but a few lucky to be selected/unlucky to miss out on squad berths,
Trippier, Stones, Dier, Shaw
Bellingham, Rice, Mount
Saka Kane Foden
Personally like this, however feels a bit offensive for Gareth
Pickford
Trippier, Walker, Stones, Dier, Shaw
Rice, Bellingham
Sterling Foden
Kane
Don't mind this if going with wingbacks/back 3, i am sure the personal will not be the same as above at all, sterling/ Saka i don't really mind.
Not sure how we fit Maddison unless we go 4231
One player who'll be sorely missed is Chilwell .. also, I can't see the attraction of Phippis, BUT Pep paid a lot for him and Southgate likes him .. soooo
Was a failure of an experiment though, can see why it was done but Saka's talent was suffocated out there.
Been excellent for England and in great form for Newcastle at the moment. Good taker of dead balls too.
People will say about Tomori because he won the league last season with AC Milan, but he’s hardly played for England and his form this season isn’t actually that great. Maguire’s isn’t either, but he’s done it at international level and Southgate trusts him. He wouldn’t start for me, but he’ll start for Southgate and sometimes you have to go with the tried and tested. A brand new defence, or half of a defence, for the World Cup isn’t ideal in any situation.
Gallagher’s inclusion has slightly surprised me, but he certainly offers more to the all round game than Ward-Prowse. Some will say about the lack of minutes for Phillips so why should he be included, but if he’s fit enough, who else is better than him to come in? There’s a reason why Man City paid that much for him so when we can take 26 players, having someone like Phillips in the squad seems like a good option to me.
Overall, am actually quite happy and more excited for the World Cup now the squad has been announced.
The old troops go one last time to relive their greatest achievement and get found out as, many a CL poster would say, yesterday's men.
But it's actually nothing of the sort. This is a much younger team/squad than it feels. It's not full of sentiment, 30 somethings trying to do what that once did.
I still think our best chance of winning something are in Germany and the USA and this is just another stop on the road.
The weather, it being in the middle of the European season and all the other noise make this a bit of a lottery but someone has got to win it and it might as well be us.
Southgate is the only England manager in however many years that has managed to create a culture amongst the group. Togetherness for a national team is almost as important as talent itself.
In tournament football you need a specific type of camaraderie to progress, to bring players, staff, and essentially the country together. We have seen many nations over the years with so much talent but as a group fall apart because they don’t get along, they don’t work in a high performance environment. England have been one of those nations. To be able to create that takes a specific type of skill as a manager.
That in itself shows how we have had good tournaments in recent years because of him, not despite.
Now you could say that the attacking talent that’s been available means we should have done better in those situations and it’s his defensive approach that has hindered us. Sure, he could have been a bit more aggressive and on the front foot. But let’s be realistic and understand that’s not how football or life works. Especially at big tournaments like a World Cup or European Championships.
If we look at the recent winners of these tournaments, they’re all safety first and provide a solid base before those at the top end of the pitch do their business, Portugal are a fantastic example of this.
South American sides are known for their attacking style, but only one South American side has won the World Cup in the last 28 years. Football has changed and moved on. Even countries like Brazil now have top class defenders and play the game in a far more European pragmatic style. Look at how African football has evolved.
If Southgate took the shackles off from the start, we simply aren’t strong enough defensively to cope and coming up against good sides, we would have come unstuck. I really believe that. However, I do agree he needs to find a better balance and slight take the handbrake off, you can’t starve the attacking talents, but I don’t think he does either.
Ultimately, his approach has been successful, so why should he deviate from that now?
NB.
The Euro’s final is the only outlier in my opinion. We were 1-0 up at home, we could’ve killed the game and scored a second. But it was the first time in 55 years that we got to a final of a major tournament. It was a new experience for every single one of them. It then went to penalties and that’s a flip of coin. If Rashford scores, we win. Fine margins.
Away from that and back to present day, when you look at what’s available to us, what changes would or could be made to the squad that would make any real difference to the chances of any success in this year’s World Cup?
And moving forward, if Southgate does leave after this World Cup, what manager is there right now that would be able to maintain and improve the culture that has been created? Who could come in and make this group of players into a group of winners, all whilst playing in a different style away from the way 80-90% of the rest of the world play too?
It’s a real challenge moving beyond Southgate, and of course it could get even better and we go to another level, but taking a step back and seeing that the progress that has been made is far more because of him than despite him would be a fair assessment of the man and success of the England team.
I think this is probably the most competitive WC I can remember.
Like all tournament football, you have to make sure you’re solid and then hope a bit of brilliance gets you over the line along with a lot of luck. It’s not like league or two legged football, one moment of madness and you’re going home.
Farley can do a good Simon Jordan impression