Our Internationals 2020/21

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Corky said:

I'd love to see our players in the Euros but on the back of this season and their injuries, let them have a rest and be ok for our season.

 

Southgate will go soon enough hopefully and a different manager will appreciate their ability.

I’m not so sure he looks like he set for a lifetime  role just doing enough to scrape through. He’s not going to be enticed away by anyone decent either.

[FoyleFox]

6 hours ago, Corky said:

I'd love to see our players in the Euros but on the back of this season and their injuries, let them have a rest and be ok for our season.

 

Southgate will go soon enough hopefully and a different manager will appreciate their ability.

Exactly this.

With the stop start of lockdown 1, little pre season I'd much prefer our lads to have a nice break and then a proper pre season. 

[Scotch]

Local Leicester lad Che Adams about to get his first international call up.... for Scotland. 

 

Chuffed to bits as a Scotland fan. 

[jeffschlupp]

No Ricardo in the Portugal squad - Cedric Soares and Joao Cancelo are the right-backs in the squad

 

Hopefully that doesn't mean his injury is serious

[HighPeakFox]

1 minute ago, jeffschlupp said:

No Ricardo in the Portugal squad - Cedric Soares and Joao Cancelo are the right-backs in the squad

 

Hopefully that doesn't mean his injury is serious

Either way probably better for his rehabilitation.

[moore_94]

21 minutes ago, jeffschlupp said:

No Ricardo in the Portugal squad - Cedric Soares and Joao Cancelo are the right-backs in the squad

 

Hopefully that doesn't mean his injury is serious

Don’t think the Portugal manager would call him up if he was fully fit anyway

 

Only played twice for them in almost 3 years, even when he looked unreal for us in his first season Cedric was still getting called up even when doing poorly with Southampton

[The Bear]

Soares shouldn't be in the squad. But then Ross from Friends' dad makes some odd picks at times. 

[Scotch]

24 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

I’d like to see a 433 like this at the Euros 

 

Pickford 

AWB Stones Maguire Shaw 

Rice 

Maddison or Foden, Mount 

Sterling Grealish

Kane 

 

But very much doubt we will. Barnes should go but no idea who’s place he takes in the squad. 

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Scotland are ANYWHERE NEAR the level of England but I have to say, if that trio of CMs lined up against us, I would be delighted. Physically weak and I would fancy our midfield to overpower it. 

 

Don't get me wrong, your attacking players would destroy is and we'd probably fail to score but we would win the midfield battle at least. Lol. 

[volpeazzurro]

1 hour ago, jeffschlupp said:

No Ricardo in the Portugal squad - Cedric Soares and Joao Cancelo are the right-backs in the squad

 

Hopefully that doesn't mean his injury is serious

Hope so too. However, since he's returned from injury he's not been played in his best position and therefore hasn't been given the best opportunity to shine. I can therefore see why others have been picked ahead of him.

[Scotch]

7 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

Haha fair enough, that is the obvious weakness to be fair.

 

I suppose Henderson could come in for one of the two a bit further ahead but I think England should just go for it for once instead of being timid, otherwise we’re just gonna have another Lampard/Scholes/Gerrard situation if we don’t find a way to get Foden, Maddison and Mount all involved, even if they’re not on the pitch at the same time. 
 

We’ve seen Madders do the dirty work for us at times and Mount certainly ain’t afraid to get stuck in - if Rice is truly the top player that West Ham fans say he is then he should be able to be a Wilf style 19/20 single pivot with those lads in front. 
 

I know it’s a different game now but Spain won loads with their slight midfield, and Man City aren’t exactly physically imposing in the middle. Obviously those sides had/have some generational talents though, but we won’t know with these English lads if they are or aren’t if we don’t at least try! 
 

Edit: Just thought as well, Grealish and Kane are two strong lads who often drop into the midfield and help with the battle, so I think that would also alleviate some of that weakness in the middle of the park. 

You'll beat us and Czech no matter who you put out, its really just Croatia you have to worry about. 

[UniFox21]

1 hour ago, moore_94 said:

Don’t think the Portugal manager would call him up if he was fully fit anyway

 

Only played twice for them in almost 3 years, even when he looked unreal for us in his first season Cedric was still getting called up even when doing poorly with Southampton

For players with international aspirations, that's one thing we have to watch out for. 

[Bert]

On 10/03/2021 at 11:02, RowlattsFox said:

In pretty confident they'll be no Leicester players in the final squad, even without injuries. May make the 30 before it gets cut or be down as replacement.

 

I think the squad is pretty much picked, subject to injuries 

 

Centre half is a difficult choice because it's a much of muchness. Maguire, Stones and two others out of Dier, Keane, Mings, Coach and others I may have missed.

 

My guess would be. 

 

Henderson 

Pope 

Pickford 

 

James 

Alexander-Arnold 

Maguire 

Stones 

Mings 

Dier 

Shaw 

Chilwell 

 

Henderson 

Phillips 

Rice  

 

Sterling 

Rashford 

Sancho 

Mount 

Grealish 

Foden 

 

Kane 

Calvert-Lewin 

 

One more place for maybe the extra centre back, maybe a full back in Walker/Trippier, a centre midfielder like Ward-Prose or Saka to cover a few positions. 

Unless I've forgotten someone.

I think Kyle Walker will get in ahead of James. But this is there or there abouts. 

[Ric Flair]

7 hours ago, Foxy_Bear said:

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Scotland are ANYWHERE NEAR the level of England but I have to say, if that trio of CMs lined up against us, I would be delighted. Physically weak and I would fancy our midfield to overpower it. 

 

Don't get me wrong, your attacking players would destroy is and we'd probably fail to score but we would win the midfield battle at least. Lol. 

This is the problem, we are an elite DCM and a decent manager away from an unbelievable squad. Even the defence as it is would be protected by a midfield and attack that not many other nations currently possess. The issue is though Rice is a good player bit needs another enforcer alongside him like he has at West Ham with Soucek, rather than being a world class DCM like Ndidi who can free up the other 2 central midfield slots for players like Maddison, Foden, Mount etc.

 

 

[Scotch]

14 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

This is the problem, we are an elite DCM and a decent manager away from an unbelievable squad. Even the defence as it is would be protected by a midfield and attack that not many other nations currently possess. The issue is though Rice is a good player bit needs another enforcer alongside him like he has at West Ham with Soucek, rather than being a world class DCM like Ndidi who can free up the other 2 central midfield slots for players like Maddison, Foden, Mount etc.

 

 

I don't even think they would have to be world class.... Just someone physical and able to get around the pitch. 

 

My initial point was that I reckon Scotlands CM would dominate that midfield 3 and there is certainly no one worldclass there. Just two good quality box to box players with a bit of ability and a holding midfielder with a bit of a mean streak..... thats it. 

[Detroit Blues]

3 hours ago, Foxy_Bear said:

I don't even think they would have to be world class.... Just someone physical and able to get around the pitch. 

 

My initial point was that I reckon Scotlands CM would dominate that midfield 3 and there is certainly no one worldclass there. Just two good quality box to box players with a bit of ability and a holding midfielder with a bit of a mean streak..... thats it. 

[Ric Flair]

9 hours ago, Foxy_Bear said:

I don't even think they would have to be world class.... Just someone physical and able to get around the pitch. 

 

My initial point was that I reckon Scotlands CM would dominate that midfield 3 and there is certainly no one worldclass there. Just two good quality box to box players with a bit of ability and a holding midfielder with a bit of a mean streak..... thats it. 

They do need to be world class, to allow for the use of 2 attacking midfielders alongside them. Teams can only deploy that with great effect if the DCM is a monster.

[PhillippaT]

I'm definitely caring less and less about the England footy team these days.  Belgium, OTOH...  

[Foxes96]

I think Bellingham can hopefully be that box to box 8 for us in the future. 
 

For me I’d start with the below team and the second team as the back up players. The only change you could make would be to bring Rice in for Mount and move Henderson into the 8 position against tougher opponents to make us a bit more defensively solid.
 

That being said I can’t see Southgate going with this. Think Phillips will get called up as an additional CDM, potentially in place of Maddison. Think we could also see spots for Trippier or James instead of Walker, but that RB position is a highly contested position in the squad. I think Foden has to play and he’s the one we should be building our team around looks a real talent. The other debatable one is CB, and included Dier as the 4th choice CB because he can also cover as 3rd choice CDM which means we can take a more attacking player than Phillips ie. Abraham, Ings, Barnes or Saka etc. Probably will be Saka for his versatility.

 

                 Henderson

Walker - Stones - Maguire - Shaw

   Mount   -   Henderson   -   Foden

 Sterling     -     Kane     -      Grealish

 

or...

 

                  Pickford

TAA  -  Dier  -  Mings  -  Chilwell 

  Bellingham - Rice - Maddison

Sancho - Calvert-Lewin - Rashford

 

[RowlattsFox]

There is no way we'll have anything other than 2 sitting midfielders, probably Rice and Henderson if fit, against anyone who is half decent. Unless we have the back 5, but even then Southgate might stick with 2 defensive midfielders.

 

4231 for me. 3 behind Kane are crucial to any success. If we end up being exposed defensively then so be it. Our strength is the attacking areas. 

[jeffschlupp]

Papy Mendy has been called up by Senegal:

https://twitter.com/MiguiMarame/status/1372190573621342210

Edited 17 March 2021 by jeffschlupp

[Detroit Blues]

Chituru Odunze called up for the US friendlies in March 

https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2021/03/berhalter-calls-players-for-usmnt-camp-ahead-of-friendlies-against-jamaica-and-northern-ireland

 

The US will take on Jamaica in Austria (March 25th), and then Northern Ireland in Belfast (March 28th). It's unlikely he will get any playing time, but it is still a good experience for him none-the-less, and may put him on the radar for the youth/Olympic team. I think the last time he was capped was during the 2019 U-17 world cup. 

[Jobyfox]

5 hours ago, Foxes96 said:

I think Bellingham can hopefully be that box to box 8 for us in the future. 
 

For me I’d start with the below team and the second team as the back up players. The only change you could make would be to bring Rice in for Mount and move Henderson into the 8 position against tougher opponents to make us a bit more defensively solid.
 

That being said I can’t see Southgate going with this. Think Phillips will get called up as an additional CDM, potentially in place of Maddison. Think we could also see spots for Trippier or James instead of Walker, but that RB position is a highly contested position in the squad. I think Foden has to play and he’s the one we should be building our team around looks a real talent. The other debatable one is CB, and included Dier as the 4th choice CB because he can also cover as 3rd choice CDM which means we can take a more attacking player than Phillips ie. Abraham, Ings, Barnes or Saka etc. Probably will be Saka for his versatility.

 

                 Henderson

Walker - Stones - Maguire - Shaw

   Mount   -   Henderson   -   Foden

 Sterling     -     Kane     -      Grealish

 

or...

 

                  Pickford

TAA  -  Dier  -  Mings  -  Chilwell 

  Bellingham - Rice - Maddison

Sancho - Calvert-Lewin - Rashford

 

That first team actually looks quite decent. I'd maybe go Pope over Henderson, but anyone other than Pickford. 

 

I also can't help feeling that we must have a better CB than Maguire, although none immediately spring to mind. It looks our weakest position. Stones is much improved, but playing alongside Maguire is not like playing with Dias

[Foxes96]

3 minutes ago, Jobyfox said:

That first team actually looks quite decent. I'd maybe go Pope over Henderson, but anyone other than Pickford. 

 

I also can't help feeling that we must have a better CB than Maguire, although none immediately spring to mind. It looks our weakest position. Stones is much improved, but playing alongside Maguire is not like playing with Dias

Yeh agreed just think Henderson’s perceived better ability to play out from the back over Pope means he is more likely to get the nod, but deffo did not want to put Pickford in there, would probably rather Pope than Pickford in all honesty as well. 
 

There seems to be a few of similar ability but none quite good enough incl. the ones in the squad tbf. 
 

Eg. Holgate, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Dunk, Keane, Mee, Tomori, Konsa, Gomez (injured) 

 

No one really stands out to me from that lot, am sure I’ve missed some...

[st albans fox]

can someone let me know when this thread becomes about our internationals again so I can look at it without becoming involved in a general England thread ....

 

actually, after checking the previous page my post isn’t entirely appropriate....

 

 

Edited 17 March 2021 by st albans fox

[The Bear]

I wouldn't have Pope over Henderson. He has too many potential mistakes in him compared to Henderson IMO.