Your England XI

[Harry Genshaw]

I had one eye on it last night. Just a few observations;
Grealish got clattered several times and got little protection from the ref.
3 times the centre backs allowed an unmarked Austrian to get a header in on goal.
Pillocks booing players taking a knee. Grr those bloody Marxist footballers!

We should get out of our group but as usual, I expect we'll be beaten once we come up against any real quality. Put your money on the Germans!

[TANGODANCER]

Not reading too much into that because of it being a patchwork friendly. Austria type sides are what we'll have to cope with. I was impressed with them in general, although that manic peroxide assassin was a pain. Their football was neat, accurate and aggressive and they might well have won conclusively on another night if they'd taken their chances..W e did have a large section of players not on show, Maguire, Stones, Dyer and Henderson in particular, in defence but our standard English back-off policy is outdated and will get ripped to pieces by good sides like Germany's clockwork army. We let them get to shooting distance far too easily. It's a bit rock and hard place because you know they'll go to ground anywhere near our box,(Saka, for us, looked a bit "fragile? ) but we need t be more aggressive further upfield. Time will tell, as ever.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not reading too much into that because of it being a patchwork friendly. Austria type sides are what we'll have to cope with. I was impressed with them in general, although that manic peroxide assassin was a pain. Their football was neat, accurate and aggressive and they might well have won conclusively on another night if they'd taken their chances..W e did have a large section of players not on show, Maguire, Stones, Dyer and Henderson in particular, in defence but our standard English back-off policy is outdated and will get ripped to pieces by good sides like Germany's clockwork army. We let them get to shooting distance far too easily. It's a bit rock and hard place because you know they'll go to ground anywhere near our box,(Saka, for us, looked a bit "fragile? ) but we need t be more aggressive further upfield. Time will tell, as ever.

Who is Dyer?

The problem is we don't have very good midfield or back four but have lots of good number 10's and right backs.

Its a bit unbalanced. Stones and Maguire for me aren't very good.

Our best bet is to build a team that suits Phil Foden and let him play however and wherever he wants to.

[GhostoftheBok]

If we play like that against Thomas Muller he'll score a hattrick.

We have centre backs who need protection and structure, but can do the jobs we need them to in the right team. Hopefully the manager can sort it out. Stones and Maguire are clearly good players, because they've had largely excellent seasons at top sides. Walker has shown he can be excellent as an outlet on the right of a back three if that's what Southgate goes for. There's room for it to click.

The biggest issue for me was watching the lack of understanding in the final third. I'd have to watch the game again to grasp it all properly, but it was shoddy at times. Luckily Kane and Grealish are superb users of the ball, which hid issues.

[Prufrock]

It was a patch work team largely of players who won't play. I'm not really sure why we even played it given how many were missing.

[Gooner Girl]

No interest whatsoever in England but pleased to see our Arsenal boy bag himself a goal tonight!

I'd no idea who he is or who he plays for, but glad to see England won last night ahead of a tournament, and well done to your boy.

I was in shock at that, but then realised I probably couldn’t name half the England team either! Have to defer to oldest son on that one who sort of sneers at me and says “don’t you know?” Incredulously. Think I need to start borrowing his match of the day mags and swotting up to become cool mum again...

[TANGODANCER]

Who is Dyer

Begging your pardon. I meant Eric Dier, but didn't know he wasn't in the squad.

[Bruce Rioja]

No interest whatsoever in England but pleased to see our Arsenal boy bag himself a goal tonight!

I'd no idea who he is or who he plays for, but glad to see England won last night ahead of a tournament, and well done to your boy.

I was in shock at that, but then realised I probably couldn’t name half the England team either! Have to defer to oldest son on that one who sort of sneers at me and says “don’t you know?” Incredulously. Think I need to start borrowing his match of the day mags and swotting up to become cool mum again...

Oh, don't get me wrong or owt, I wasn't being rude, but for the past few seasons I've even had to print off a squad list before every Wanderers' game in a bid to keep up to speed with who the hell it is that I'm actually sat there watching. Some of them, I hear, are even "One of our own".

[boltonboris]

I had this written out yesterday.. It didn't contain Walker, Stones, Henderson, Sterling, or Rashford...

In fact, whilst on paper, it was exciting, attacking and dynamic - It had almost feck all experience. And having Experience in your team wins you tournaments.

We all would love to see Mount and Grealish in the middle, with Foden and Sancho flanking, but I just don't think it can/will happen - Especially with Southgate, who is very pragmatic

[Prufrock]

I had this written out yesterday.. It didn't contain Walker, Stones, Henderson, Sterling, or Rashford...

In fact, whilst on paper, it was exciting, attacking and dynamic - It had almost feck all experience. And having Experience in your team wins you tournaments.

We all would love to see Mount and Grealish in the middle, with Foden and Sancho flanking, but I just don't think it can/will happen - Especially with Southgate, who is very pragmatic

This is what I had the other day (I'd probably have Walker in for Trent, but wouldn't worry about either of the other two).


--------------Pickford-----------------
TAA - Stones - Maguire - Chilwell
----------Mount - Rice-------------
Sancho - - Grealish - - - Foden
------------------Kane--------------

Who did you have at the back with no Stones?

[BWFC_Insane]

I had this written out yesterday.. It didn't contain Walker, Stones, Henderson, Sterling, or Rashford...

In fact, whilst on paper, it was exciting, attacking and dynamic - It had almost feck all experience. And having Experience in your team wins you tournaments.

We all would love to see Mount and Grealish in the middle, with Foden and Sancho flanking, but I just don't think it can/will happen - Especially with Southgate, who is very pragmatic

This is what I had the other day (I'd probably have Walker in for Trent, but wouldn't worry about either of the other two).


--------------Pickford-----------------
TAA - Stones - Maguire - Chilwell
----------Mount - Rice-------------
Sancho - - Grealish - - - Foden
------------------Kane--------------

Who did you have at the back with no Stones?

You could put Walker on the right of a back three (which personally I think Stones needs to justify his place). Chilwell LWB. Trippier or James RWB (and James could play instead of Walker) - obviously if fit would have been TAA. Then Mount (or Phillips), Rice and Grealish in midfield. Foden off Kane. Foden has complete licence to play where he wants and go where he wants.

I'm generally not a 3 at the back person but I think for England that might be their best bet. Prop up a weaker midfield and offer Stones the only role I think he can really do well in at this level in the middle of a back three.

[boltonboris]

Maguire and Mings.. I think having the lefty in there adds a bit more balance (especially if he plays Trippier at LB, FFS!) and Mings is a good recovery defender for Maguire to go charging out missing headers, like he does..

Stones looks good against the likes of Andorra etc, but pace, physicality and quality, he's found wanting. Both when he's on the ball and off it.

[BWFC_Insane]

Going into a major tournament and not testing our first team. Sounds a bit bonkers to me.

[GhostoftheBok]

Going into a major tournament and not testing our first team. Sounds a bit bonkers to me.

The delayed CL final made that impossible, I suppose.

[BWFC_Insane]

Going into a major tournament and not testing our first team. Sounds a bit bonkers to me.

The delayed CL final made that impossible, I suppose.

Did it? Or did picking players who aren’t fit to play really cause it. I don’t see a reason why Foden et al couldn’t be playing today.

Some bright sparks in this side but hard to watch as we have no fluency at all.

[GhostoftheBok]

Did it? Or did picking players who aren’t fit to play really cause it. I don’t see a reason why Foden et al couldn’t be playing today.

Some bright sparks in this side but hard to watch as we have no fluency at all.

You can't not pick players for the tournament just because the last game of the season happened late due to covid. Foden isn't playing for the same reason the other finalists aren't, because they're still in the recovery period that the England medical team have deemed necessary.

[BWFC_Insane]

Did it? Or did picking players who aren’t fit to play really cause it. I don’t see a reason why Foden et al couldn’t be playing today.

Some bright sparks in this side but hard to watch as we have no fluency at all.

You can't not pick players for the tournament just because the last game of the season happened late due to covid. Foden isn't playing for the same reason the other finalists aren't, because they're still in the recovery period that the England medical team have deemed necessary.

I mean that Henderson and Maguire aren’t fit and presumably Southgate wants them to start. Even if you left out the Chelsea and Man City lads we still are playing lads not even going. Seems madness to me.

[GhostoftheBok]

I mean that Henderson and Maguire aren’t fit and presumably Southgate wants them to start. Even if you left out the Chelsea and Man City lads we still are playing lads not even going. Seems madness to me.

Is the idea not that we are giving lads a chance to win Trent's place and also keeping them engaged in case (probably when) we get more injuries?

Not sure you have to agree with it, but you can see the point.

[Bruce Rioja]

Absolutely disgraceful dive by Grealish. What an embarrassment. Are we not bothering with VAR tonight?

[BWFC_Insane]

Absolutely disgraceful dive by Grealish. What an embarrassment. Are we not bothering with VAR tonight?

Love the way the commentators called a blatant dive ‘keeping his lazy left leg there, very clever’. Yeah...