Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England

[Kevsleftpeg]

Southgate gets slaughtered for his selections (amongst other things) every game. Always has. Made some changes for this tournament, they’re all useless as well.
Or have I misinterpreted everything I’ve ever read about Southgate’s team selections.
Grealish wasn’t doing it until he was left out for example, now it’s “If only he had picked Grealish.
That’s what I’m on about. But you knew that.

Virtually no one thinks Grealish should have been picked or would make any difference. Southgate is, and always has been, a completely inept manager.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

That and the expectations raised by the media. We look miles off it and yet are the same squad the media experts were lauding as having a real chance only days ago. So the media pile in because their previous click bait nonsense looks pretty stupid. Again, not a defence of Southgate, but some context.

This is an odd point. On paper we should clearly be one of the favourites. The way we are playing is down to Southgate. He has wasted all of our talent for years and the whole country have fooled themselves into thinking he was doing a good job. He's clueless.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Pickford & Guehi fine
Gallagher energetic
The rest were horrid.
(England dragged Eze down to their level..,,ahem)

Guehi is completely average. Branthewaite is in a completely different class to him and ticks the box we need, left footed, taller and more dominant, better on the ball. Madness that he didn't go.

 

[Alan Whittle]

Guehi is completely average. Branthewaite is in a completely different class to him and ticks the box we need, left footed, taller and more dominant, better on the ball. Madness that he didn't go.

Guehi has been fine in both games. Branthwaite is a terrific player but taking him over Guehi would have made no difference so far.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

I disagree with Scholes being in that category but agree with you generally. James McLean was spot on about Rice yesterday too

What do you mean? Scholes was an absolute boss and should have been first name on the team sheet in his preferred position.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Which bit do you not agree with? That he was treated with suspicion? Well, he was shunted out on the wing to make way for your noughties Jude Bellingham: Steven Gerrard (and Frank Lampard). Lampard and Gerrard are the kinds of player that English football loves: all action, "arriving late in the box", goalscoring. Bryan Robson - a marvelous player - was perhaps the prime example of the type.

So, Scholes - the most gifted of England's midfield players - was marginalised. The likes of Xavi and Iniesta expressed amazement that he wasn't more central.

It's a cultural thing. England produces lots of fine players, but the type they really need always plays second fiddle. "Square-ball Wilkins", as Denis Law termed the late Ray, summed up the general attitude of fandom to cultured, technical players in the 1980s. Yet, Wilkins, like the great Liam Brady, made a fine career for himself in Serie A, then home to Zico, Platini, Rummenigge, and Maradona. To be fair, it's not just an English thing. In Germany, in recent years, Toni Kroos was referred to similarly as "Sideways pass Toni". It's no wonder they won nothing since 2014.

Finally someone who understands the problem with English football. We think Declan Rice is a world class midfielder but the Spanish wouldn't even play him at centre back.

 

[Alan Whittle]

Virtually no one thinks Grealish should have been picked or would make any difference. Southgate is, and always has been, a completely inept manager.

Yeah, all that media outrage when Grealish was left out never happened.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

He’s knows how to navigate tournaments.

He’s studied teams who have won it in the past and negative football in the group stages is how it’s done really.

That last night was terrible though.

His best hope now is to put everyone in their natural position and hope foden and Bellingham can come up with something.

Does he though? Why do we always get beat by the first decent team we play?

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Guehi has been fine in both games. Branthwaite is a terrific player but taking him over Guehi would have made no difference so far.

Apart from providing better balance by having an actual left footer on the left, a better distributor and someone more dominant in the air. Guehi has been clinging on for dear life in both games and looks out of his depth.

 

[Clarky cat]

Guehi has been fine in both games. Branthwaite is a terrific player but taking him over Guehi would have made no difference so far.

I love Branthwaite, both he and Ben White (and an actual left footed full back might have been an idea) improve the squad immeasurably but aren’t there, I agree with you though. Guehi has been one of the better performers. If you have to have someone holding Rice’s hand then it’s got to be Bellingham (not a chance he plays as a 10 next season) , Foden at 10, Saka right and either Gordon (pace to threaten in behind) or Palmer. I don’t even see where Eze fits in to the team if there is no flexibility either, another criminal waste of not utilising his talent.

Southgate has a trait, bordering on genius, in how to isolate your most creative players. Southgate is the problem and looking back at the interviews and body language I think the players have had enough of it and Gareth is becoming increasingly desperate in his excuses. Somebody needs to tell him that Calvin Philips is still alive.

 

[Papa Shango]

Guehi is completely average. Branthewaite is in a completely different class to him and ticks the box we need, left footed, taller and more dominant, better on the ball. Madness that he didn't go.

Guehi is a quality player.

A real manager would have the balls to take Brathwaite and Tarkowski and play them along with Pickford. Their full backs changed most weeks so it wouldn't matter who you play with them.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Yeah, all that media outrage when Grealish was left out never happened.

Mate, the media like a story if you hadn't noticed. No one actually gave one in reality. You're coming across a bit blinkered in relation to all of your Palace connections here which is unfortunate because I've previously found you to be an interesting poster.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Guehi is a quality player.

A real manager would have the balls to take Brathwaite and Tarkowski and play them along with Pickford. Their full backs changed most weeks so it wouldn't matter who you play with them.

Is he? Looks bang average to me.

 

[Papa Shango]

Is he? Looks bang average to me.

I think so yeah. He warrants his place in the squad. Brathwaite being boss doesn't make Guehi any less of a player for me.

 

[Alan Whittle]

Mate, the media like a story if you hadn't noticed. No one actually gave one in reality. You're coming across a bit blinkered in relation to all of your Palace connections here which is unfortunate because I've previously found you to be an interesting poster.

I’m not sure that “No one” actually gave one when Grealish was left out. There was a good argument for his inclusion and a lot of people made it. I genuinely think Guehi is a decent defender and has done nothing wrong so far. A few on here (Blues I presume) have commented on how well he has done. I get that you think Branthwaite should have gone over Guehi, and think him a better player, I rate him highly as well,but I ask you again, what difference would it have made to England performances so far?