Euro 2024

[vladimir]

Provisional squad announcement today.

Can't think of another time where the England manager has been blessed with such an array of talent paticuarly in attacking areas to try and find a balanced 26. So many players in great form.

France squad looks fearsome of course but the depth England can call on surely makes us favourites.

Southgate to win it or see his reign end this summer.

[Deleted]

We come up short when we play the big nations and sadly expect that will still be the case this time round too.

Midfield/attacking wise we have lots of options but it's finding the right balance, some are suggesting that we should be building the team around Foden (and not do what we did with Scholes) but not so long ago it was all about building the team around Bellingham. It's a (nice) problem to try and fit the players in

Defensively is more of a concern and there's already talk that we are going to have to play Trippier at left back because of injuries to Shaw & Chilwell

Anyway, I hope I'm wrong and we do it but I'm expecting a semi-final exit and any criticism of Southgate to be shouted down with 'we haven't won anything since 1966 so what do you expect'

[The Shropshire Tenor]

I get pessimistic about our chances when looking at the defensive options.

[Valerioch]

Pretty optimistic England win this tournament

[staffordshrew]

Anyone see a better successor to Southgate? Do you chuck someone with his experience out if we were to come up slightly short again?

[hectord0g137]

I'd put a tenner towards paying Peps wages if he took the England job

[vladimir]

May 21, 2024 8:58:31 GMT 1 The Shropshire Tenor said:

I get pessimistic about our chances when looking at the defensive options.

Stones and Branthwaite for me. Walker is in top form at RB. Despite the injuries to Shaw, we have a number of left footed options Hall, Mitchell and Colwill that should've been blooded by now (Fault with Southgate there).

IMO defensively not quite the issue it was a few years ago, for me the weakness continues to be the head coach. Hope he proves me wrong.

[darkshrew]

I predict beating Italy in the quarter-finals only to get dumped out by France in the semis. France look unstoppable.

[harboroughshrew]

Southgate does tend to be very loyal to players who have served him well but lets hope we do not see players who have had little impact for their clubs this season like Sterling and Henderson in the squad as we have so many good young players who could come in and benefit from the tournament experience. It is worrying to see Trippier mentioned as first choice left back - he has been decent for England at right back but is injury prone and has had some awful performances for Newcastle this season. I would like to see Mitchell there - specialist left wing back who is very quick and also defends well.
No doubt Southgate will go for Maguire at centre-half (and he has played some decent games for England) but for me he is just short of international top class and I would go for the promising Branthwaite there with the experienced Stones and Walker either side of him in a back three. I would take a punt on James being fit as he is the best right wingback in the Premier League.
We have an embarrassment of riches upfront but Foden simply must be given a central midfield slot as he is the most gifted English footballer since Gascoigne. Bellingham could play slightly deeper than he does for Real Madrid as he has the engine to get up and down the pitch and the footballing intelligence to make those late surges from midfield. I would love to see Eze in the squad as cover on the wing- such an attacking talent and bang in form. I suspect Gordon might just shade it over Rashford due to his greater consistency over the season. Someone on the radio suggested we do not take Kane as he never wins anything! Clearly that is not going to happen and we have a great back-up in Watkins who should get the nod ahead of Toney.
I would say England are third favourites at best (behind France and a rejuvenated Germany) but lets hope we can go deep into the tournament and find the mentality to win those big games at the end.

[Valerioch]

May 21, 2024 9:34:52 GMT 1 darkshrew said:

I predict beating Italy in the quarter-finals only to get dumped out by France in the semis. France look unstoppable.

France’s last 3 results

3-2 win v Chile
2-0 loss to Germany
2-2 draw with Greece

Unstoppable

[Minormorris64]

May 21, 2024 8:16:20 GMT 1 vladimir said:

Provisional squad announcement today.

Can't think of another time where the England manager has been blessed with such an array of talent paticuarly in attacking areas to try and find a balanced 26. So many players in great form.

France squad looks fearsome of course but the depth England can call on surely makes us favourites.

Southgate to win it or see his reign end this summer.

Oh look out its Golden Generation the Sequel 

[Pilch]

May 21, 2024 9:14:28 GMT 1 hectord0g137 said:

I'd put a tenner towards paying Peps wages if he took the England job

I think he would have zero patience in finding out that it's no longer about money but working with what you have

[Stowmarket Shrew]

Imagine these attacking players with the defensive players we had 15/20 years ago! Terry, Ferdinand, Campbell etc. Holy s**t, that team would surely have been world beaters.

It's the usual defensive frailties for me that leave me pessimistic, but goodness me, how good are we going forward, doubt there's a country in the world that can match us, let alone Europe.

[darkshrew]

May 21, 2024 10:13:24 GMT 1 Valerioch said:

May 21, 2024 9:34:52 GMT 1 darkshrew said:

I predict beating Italy in the quarter-finals only to get dumped out by France in the semis. France look unstoppable.

France’s last 3 results

3-2 win v Chile
2-0 loss to Germany
2-2 draw with Greece

Unstoppable

Yep - they are the ones. 

Lazy and petulant when it doesn't count admittedly; but certainly the ones to beat, and unfortunately we are scheduled to meet them before the final.  

[sheltonsalopian]

Pleased to see Adam Wharton make the provisional squad - hope Southgate is bold and picks him for the full squad.

Mainoo has been impressive but not when he's played for England, I think Wharton and Rice would provide a much better balance to the side.

[rickyspanish]

We have problems at left back, left forward, and who to play alongside Rice.

Will be interesting to see what Southgate decides.

[aghabullogueshrew]

Great going forward, crap at the back! Haven’t had a decent centre back in a generation so we have to keep playing two defensively minded midfielders which reduces our attacking capabilities! Will be interesting too see if Mr Southgate can get this squad right!

[chirkshrew]

Yep ...Adam Wharton very good player,and lovely left foot,can't see Southgate starting him tho

[vladimir]

So no specialist left back aside from Shaw suggest we will see Trippier there if Shaw isn't fit.

Otherwise perhaps the most progressive squad Southgate has ever selected with him dropping Henderson, Sterling and Rashford on poor form.

[chirkshrew]

Someone mentioned tyrese Mitchell from palace....had very good season there

[The Shropshire Tenor]

I’d never heard of Wharton, what style of player is he?

Pleased that Eze is in the squad.

[harboroughshrew]

May 21, 2024 16:30:15 GMT 1 The Shropshire Tenor said:

I’d never heard of Wharton, what style of player is he?

Pleased that Eze is in the squad.

Only 16 premier League appearances for Wharton (signed in the Jan transfer window last season) but I remember him as excellent in the Championship before that with Blackburn. Primarily a defensive midfielder  - he gets about the pitch very well and plays the simple ball to the classy forwards at Palace to let them play. There is no other real defensive midfielder in the squad ( I think Nainoo likes to play a bit further forward) so I think Wharton has  a reasonable chance of making the final cut as England will want to ease the playing load on Rice if possible.

[Rusholme Ruffian]

May 21, 2024 14:14:34 GMT 1 vladimir said:

So no specialist left back aside from Shaw suggest we will see Trippier there if Shaw isn't fit.

Otherwise perhaps the most progressive squad Southgate has ever selected with him dropping Henderson, Sterling and Rashford on poor form.

[br

Gomez presumably is there too to cover left back too

Would assume most of the young untested ones will drop out - Quansah, Wharton, Eze and Trafford, and and a few others. I'd gamble another defender (Konsa or Branthwaite) an attacking midfielder (Maddison or Grealish) and a forward (Bowen or Toney).

Squad looks very good on paper, especially the starting front 6.

to be able to leave out players like Rashford and Sterling in even a provisional squad is mad

[staffordshrew]

Deano is in the 25 squad.

[Deleted]

May 22, 2024 9:18:31 GMT 1 staffordshrew said:

Deano is in the 25 squad.

Can't see him making the cut!

[staffordshrew]

May 22, 2024 17:53:32 GMT 1 @rrie said:

May 22, 2024 9:18:31 GMT 1 staffordshrew said:

Deano is in the 25 squad.

Can't see him making the cut!

I'd settle for 'our' Deano being regarded as one of the best English goalkeepers around now.

[servernaside]

Good and exciting options in midfield and attacking areas, but sadly our defence is pretty much League 1 standard.

[armchairfan]

Before yesterday's Cup Final, I was confident that, at last, we would win this tournament, given the array of attacking talent available to Gareth Southgate, but now I am less convinced: the City team oozed with all the skill and talent one could ask for, and yet United proved that hard work and good organisation can succeed when executed fully. Of course this has been true, down the years, but the occasional reminder dies no harm - we, above all should know this - our previous Hurst incarnation was not exactly like 1970 Brazil, but good lord, was it effective!

[dibblydobbly]

May 26, 2024 8:15:26 GMT 1 armchairfan said:

Before yesterday's Cup Final, I was confident that, at last, we would win this tournament, given the array of attacking talent available to Gareth Southgate, but now I am less convinced: the City team oozed with all the skill and talent one could ask for, and yet United proved that hard work and good organisation can succeed when executed fully. Of course this has been true, down the years, but the occasional reminder dies no harm - we, above all should know this - our previous Hurst incarnation was not exactly like 1970 Brazil, but good lord, was it effective!

You are right, class playing in front of an organised team is not enough, that is the same way Germany went out last two world cups, Russia was two goals in all, twice as much possession and could not break the opposition down.

Hoping for the same this time!

[Exkeeper]

We all hope for that. My question which I hope will not need to be answered is this : if things do not go the way we all hope, whose head will be on the block? DofF, Head Coach or someone else in a lofty position?