England - the future....

[South Coast Royal]

BTW nearly all the leading countries picked a squad of 26 and that was it-Scotland picked 28.
So why did Southgate pick such a big training squad when there are only a couple of injury doubts-does it smack of uncertainty in his thoughts?

Why 4 keepers ffs.?

I am pleased that he kept all 3 strikers with Bowen as a further striker/winger option.l

[Loafer]

Lol this is pathetic

Also shaw isn't avaliable until the 3rd game apparently and hasn't played since Feb

Why not just take Mitchell instead

[Orion1871]

Don't you just hate all these repeats they keep putting on the telly?

[Ascotexgunner]

This is the kind of game that Grealish would offer more than any of this lot.
I know he has had a bad season he would shine in a game like this.
Mainoo is too green at this level, and it shows.

[Royal Rother]

The squib is completely drenched.

[BRO_BOT]

Mainoo is too green at this level, and it shows.

He won MotM against Belgium in his first start. I only watched bits of the game and it looked like a typical England game against a low-block

i.e shite!

[WestYorksRoyal]

Meh. Argentina lost their opening game to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and their tournament turned out alright. Good to get a shocker like tonight out of our system, and will hopefully focus the minds on what needs to happen ahead of next week.

[Sutekh]

Well that was a ******* pathetic excuse, think only Palmer was moderately useful.

Now Stones is a possible doubt, really hate these stupid pointless friendlies.

[LUX]

It was terrible. But meaningless.
Us going into the tournament on the back of a triumphant 5-0 win would have been worse IMO,

[South Coast Royal]

It was terrible. But meaningless.
Us going into the tournament on the back of a triumphant 5-0 win would have been worse IMO,

Yes, based on last night's game we have no chance but it could just be a reminder that it won't just happen and they have to work for it.

There seemed to be two tactics:
First 60 minutes, give it to Gordon and hope something happens
Last 30 minutes, give it to TAA and hope something happens.

One of our only 2 world class players in Bellingham was the only major player missing and we desperately need him not to get injured.

A few things we may have learned from last night

Gordon doesn't have a left foot
Trippier shouldn't play left back
Rice and Foden are made to look better than they are by playing with Odegaard and Rodri/De Bruyne respectively
Trent has to play
Safe, sideways passing doesn't get you far
Pundits get ever worse

It could have been more embarrassing than 1-0; we move on.

[bcubed]

It seems an odd idea to be trying people and things immediately before a tournament. I'm pretty sure successful teams tend to play their best 11 and get them used to playing with each other, tinkering a bit if you want to try someone out or a new tactic.

I agree a 5 0 win sets us up, in the press anyway, and we'd be lauded as favourites. But I'd rather go into a big tournament on the back of a win than a disappointing performance and loss.

[Royal Rother]

It was terrible. But meaningless.
Us going into the tournament on the back of a triumphant 5-0 win would have been worse IMO,

Rice and Foden are made to look better than they are by playing with Odegaard and Rodri/De Bruyne respectively.

Harsh but unsurprising I suppose because they aren’t Liverpool.

The way Arsenal and Man City play is intricate and complex, based on a deep understanding of what their team mates are going to do and where they are going to be at all times.

Very difficult to replicate with players from other clubs.

Rice and Foden are still excellent players but, for sure, they are slightly blunted without the ones you mention around them. Rather than it just being about the excellence of Odegaard and the others, I think it’s more that the teamwork and connections that make performances for their clubs so effective just won’t be there in the same way.

I understand why Southgate chose to play other squad members (Oh, the outcry if someone got injured in a “meaningless” friendly in the lead up to a tournament) but (as bcubed suggests) it might have been better to give the 1st 11 another opportunity to develop those all important connections.

[South Coast Royal]

It seems an odd idea to be trying people and things immediately before a tournament. I'm pretty sure successful teams tend to play their best 11 and get them used to playing with each other, tinkering a bit if you want to try someone out or a new tactic.

I agree a 5 0 win sets us up, in the press anyway, and we'd be lauded as favourites. But I'd rather go into a big tournament on the back of a win than a disappointing performance and loss.

Very much agree with playing the starting eleven even if only in training as a match between starters and the rest, which they may have done already, although I am not sure that Southgate knows his best eleven.

[Sutekh]

It was terrible. But meaningless.
Us going into the tournament on the back of a triumphant 5-0 win would have been worse IMO,

Rice and Foden are made to look better than they are by playing with Odegaard and Rodri/De Bruyne respectively.

Harsh but unsurprising I suppose because they aren’t Liverpool.

The way Arsenal and Man City play is intricate and complex, based on a deep understanding of what their team mates are going to do and where they are going to be at all times.

Very difficult to replicate with players from other clubs.

Rice and Foden are still excellent players but, for sure, they are slightly blunted without the ones you mention around them. Rather than it just being about the excellence of Odegaard and the others, I think it’s more that the teamwork and connections that make performances for their clubs so effective just won’t be there in the same way.

I understand why Southgate chose to play other squad members (Oh, the outcry if someone got injured in a “meaningless” friendly in the lead up to a tournament) but (as bcubed suggests) it might have been better to give the 1st 11 another opportunity to develop those all important connections.

As it is Stones went off at HT and may well be a doubt for Sunday week. Stupid pointless games, do players really need to "warm up" after an English season

[South Coast Royal]

Rice and Foden are made to look better than they are by playing with Odegaard and Rodri/De Bruyne respectively.

Harsh but unsurprising I suppose because they aren’t Liverpool.

The way Arsenal and Man City play is intricate and complex, based on a deep understanding of what their team mates are going to do and where they are going to be at all times.

Very difficult to replicate with players from other clubs.

Rice and Foden are still excellent players but, for sure, they are slightly blunted without the ones you mention around them. Rather than it just being about the excellence of Odegaard and the others, I think it’s more that the teamwork and connections that make performances for their clubs so effective just won’t be there in the same way.

I understand why Southgate chose to play other squad members (Oh, the outcry if someone got injured in a “meaningless” friendly in the lead up to a tournament) but (as bcubed suggests) it might have been better to give the 1st 11 another opportunity to develop those all important connections.

As it is Stones went off at HT and may well be a doubt for Sunday week. Stupid pointless games, do players really need to "warm up" after an English season

Don't think so and Bellingham has had a warm down.