England v Czech Republic - Match Thread

We can't know for certain but it is looking like the best route to the final is probably linked to winning the group. Although that will probably involve a big first hurdle! We can also say that there is room for improvement in the attacking aspects of our performance so it would seem reasonable that Southgate tries to find a better balance tonight. Personally, I would like to see him pick between Phillips or Rice above anything else. 

Looking forward to seeing Grealish win 15 free kicks.

Considering we have already qualified, I’d like to see something like:

Pickford
Walker Stones Maguire Shaw
Rice
Bellingham Grealish
Sancho Kane Saka

However, that’s too many changes and can see maybe Rashford in for Saka, Sterling will probably play as well. Henderson or Phillips in for Bellingham too. Not included Foden as think he could do with a rest and being saved for the knock-outs.

Our best options are in attacking areas so use them. What’s the point of bringing certain players if they aren’t going to feature? How can Sancho be deemed old enough to play in 2019 but not in 2021?  

Hoping we see Sterling replaced and someone else given the chance, even Southgate should be able to see he was v ineffective on Friday and we have an abundance of players who can play in his position, if anything he could probably do with the rest if he's going to play in the R16 game. I would've wanted Mount to be rested too as he hasn't impressed but that decision has been taken out of Southgate's hands at least.

Feeling really despondent about this game frankly, just want to see us attack with some fluidity.

Tell Kane to play as an actual striker and get in the box!! 

Sancho, Grealish to start. To keep it fresh, I would play Ben White for 45-60 minutes then give Maguire some minutes. Give Stones a rest. 

I’d like to see Trippier back in for Shaw, Grealish in for Rice and then if Mount isn’t playing, Sancho. Fully expecting Henderson to play though so another night of overly cautious sideways passing. 0-0.

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

MuttleyCAFC said:

There is an argument to try to play Sterling into form. You don't need to agree with it to accept it is there. One thing is for sure, an in form Sterling would get into most international sides.

We have Sancho on the bench, who also would get into most international sides, has a great record of assists and goals for BVB and could be in better form, there's not a lot of time for Sterling to play himself into form when we have one group game then a potential very tough R16 game. Sterling didn't get past one Scottish defender, how's he going to do against Germany in the R16?

I'm not anti-Sterling btw - I think a lot of what he does, running off the ball, dragging defenders, stretching their back line, running beyond the attacker, goes unnoticed/under-appreciated by a lot of people. Just think we have better options right now.

Yes, there isn't a lot of time to play him into form. It is a choice that will be proven wrong or right. It might help if Southgate changed the midfield balance by playing one holding midfielder instead of two allowing a more offensive and creative midfield addition which could allow Sterling a bit more space and freedom. I think the same argument applies to Kane and Rashford.

Kane will score 2 goals and his value will increase to £150m.  Fully expect Maguire to start, but please god, not Jordan Henderson - I like him but we’ve had enough sideways passing over the last 2 games. 

blackpool72 said:

Take off the shackles and play our flair players and go for it.
You  never know it just might work.

My view exactly. Let's encourage the players to play their best football, and to their strengths. If we win the group we may meet France of Germany. Tough, but after that the route is slightly easier, but if we are going to play the way we did against Scotland, it makes no difference as there aren't enough minnows to get to the final and win - at some point we have to beat big nations and the way to do that is to be better, not cowardly.

Sage said:

Considering we have already qualified, I’d like to see something like:

Pickford
Walker Stones Maguire Shaw
Rice
Bellingham Grealish
Sancho Kane Saka

However, that’s too many changes and can see maybe Rashford in for Saka, Sterling will probably play as well. Henderson or Phillips in for Bellingham too. Not included Foden as think he could do with a rest and being saved for the knock-outs.

Our best options are in attacking areas so use them. What’s the point of bringing certain players if they aren’t going to feature? How can Sancho be deemed old enough to play in 2019 but not in 2021?  

Like this team, but would put Henderson in for Rice.

would love to see Foden, Grealish and Sancho all start behind Kane (no way will Foden want a rest, he's a kid who just wants to play football!)

I would go with

Pickford

Trippier Stones Mings Shaw
Henderson
Bellingham Foden
Sancho Kane Grealish

MuttleyCAFC said:

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

MuttleyCAFC said:

There is an argument to try to play Sterling into form. You don't need to agree with it to accept it is there. One thing is for sure, an in form Sterling would get into most international sides.

We have Sancho on the bench, who also would get into most international sides, has a great record of assists and goals for BVB and could be in better form, there's not a lot of time for Sterling to play himself into form when we have one group game then a potential very tough R16 game. Sterling didn't get past one Scottish defender, how's he going to do against Germany in the R16?

I'm not anti-Sterling btw - I think a lot of what he does, running off the ball, dragging defenders, stretching their back line, running beyond the attacker, goes unnoticed/under-appreciated by a lot of people. Just think we have better options right now.

Yes, there isn't a lot of time to play him into form. It is a choice that will be proven wrong or right. It might help if Southgate changed the midfield balance by playing one holding midfielder instead of two allowing a more offensive and creative midfield addition which could allow Sterling a bit more space and freedom. I think the same argument applies to Kane and Rashford.

Sterling is an intelligent footballer but he’s being asked to do too much in this system, or is at least trying to. Because Phillips and Rice were glorified sweepers in the Scotland game, Sterling was forced to drop deep and into more central positions. Kane did the same.

Well this is a game I would prefer not to be happening. Anyway, here's a perspective with a Czech input.

First thing to say is that the Czechs are delighted  they got through. They won't care too much whom they meet, as most teams look difficult now. England looks difficult. England is a scalp, as you will have seen in the 2-1 victory in Prague. However at the back of their mind is the 0-5 at Wembley, and that was the game that mattered more to both teams at the time.

Everyone has suddenly decided that they all love Patrik Schick. Well they didn't until the Scotland game. At the start of the tourno, my neighbour was slagging him off, saying he refused to commit to tracking back, etc. You can hear similar comments, in less stark terms, from the pros. (Good article on Schick, reflecting that, here) He was pretty anonymous in the Prague win against England and was subbed in favour of 'the Cobra", Zdeněk Ondrášek,  who had been plying his trade in the USA and immediately bagged the winner. Ondrášek joined Viktoria Plzen but was only intermittently effective (as were Viktoria) and is not in the squad. And that is the big problem. There is no decent strike partner for Schick. The obvious alternative to him is Michal Krmencik, whom I know from Viktoria, but after opting to stay there rather than go to Newcastle,allegedly for £12m,  he suffered an ACL. Before then he was a formidable combination of power and pace, but the pace has gone a bit, and he has not really fired at a succession of European clubs. His performance when he came on against Croatia was pretty typical, sadly. 

So they tend to try and support Schick with attacking wide men, starting with Jankto. The other notable one is Hlozek, who has similar attributes to Foden, but is only 18, and Sparta is not Man City. I don't think he is quite ready to make an impact here.

The positives for the Czechs are that the Wembley 5-0 happened before Coufal and especially Souček went off to transform the Hamsters, and when Schick wasn't having the happiest of times. Now Schick is clearly on a personal mission to prove a lot of people wrong, and has the country reminding themselves of Baroš powering them to the Euro 2004 final. That makes Schick very dangerous today. But for all that when I look at the two squads, and the greater (public) pressure on England to win, I can't see past an England win, and probably two goals for Harry Kane.

Dazzler21 said:

Are we already qualified? If we lose 2-0 and Scotland win 3-0 aren't they qualified? Or if Croatia win 2-0 and we lose?

We will qualify in third regardless