I'm surprised that Patrick Bamford & James Maddison didn't get included at all in the England squad.

Sounds like from Southgate he might take the 4 right backs in his final 26 man squad.

 

Suspect Ramsdale, White, Godfrey, Greenwood, Saka all miss out. Sounds like Maguire is touch and go, same with Phillips too. I wonder if Sancho might miss out too, there were rumblings although I suspect that would be a massive mistake.

 

I don't see the justification in taking four right backs, unless one of them is going to be used in a totally different position in which case it's something that should already have been tried and proved. I'd rather he just make a decision - if it's dropping Trent then so be it, one of them is guaranteed to play almost 0 football if he takes all four so why bother. 5 great right backs with different qualities can't all play, whoever's not in it's harsh.

 

1 GK, 3 Def, 1 Mid and 2 attackers from that list makes the most sense to be moved from it. I'm not convinced Watkins will make it.

 

A lot of talk today about why is X not there instead of Y? Always makes me laugh when this is often about two players who are 4th choice striker or 6th choice centre half and won't actually get picked for the final squad anyway. We've actually got good depth in most positions now, just be grateful that such a choice now exists.

 

I quickly came up with a 26 man squad beyond what's actually been picked: Pope, Woodman, McCarthy; Wan Bissaka, Aarons, Justin, Targett, Cresswell, Tomori, Gomez, Dunk, Konsa, Tarkowski; Winks, Maddison, Jones, Eze, Willock, Maitland-Niles; Harrison, McNeil, Hudson-Odoi, Barnes, Bamford, Ings, Abraham.

 

Pretty much all of those players has at some point in the last 12 months either been in an England squad or would potentially have been deserving of a call up, and a couple that are only in this list due to injury aside, is essentially 34th-59th choice players, which seems insane.

I don't see the justification in taking four right backs, unless one of them is going to be used in a totally different position in which case it's something that should already have been tried and proved. I'd rather he just make a decision - if it's dropping Trent then so be it, one of them is guaranteed to play almost 0 football if he takes all four so why bother. 5 great right backs with different qualities can't all play, whoever's not in it's harsh.

 

1 GK, 3 Def, 1 Mid and 2 attackers from that list makes the most sense to be moved from it. I'm not convinced Watkins will make it.

 

A lot of talk today about why is X not there instead of Y? Always makes me laugh when this is often about two players who are 4th choice striker or 6th choice centre half and won't actually get picked for the final squad anyway. We've actually got good depth in most positions now, just be grateful that such a choice now exists.

 

I quickly came up with a 26 man squad beyond what's actually been picked: Pope, Woodman, McCarthy; Wan Bissaka, Aarons, Justin, Targett, Cresswell, Tomori, Gomez, Dunk, Konsa, Tarkowski; Winks, Maddison, Jones, Eze, Willock, Maitland-Niles; Harrison, McNeil, Hudson-Odoi, Barnes, Bamford, Ings, Abraham.

 

Pretty much all of those players has at some point in the last 12 months either been in an England squad or would potentially have been deserving of a call up, and a couple that are only in this list due to injury aside, is essentially 34th-59th choice players, which seems insane.

 

I suspect it will be because they can double up in different positions although I don't really see the point of having Tripper as a backup LB if he takes Shaw and Chilwell. I suspect Trent will be left at home, which is silly as he is the best right back and one of the most technically gifted players in the squad.

 

One huge problem we have as a country is we always overhype our own players. Even of our current squad how many are actually that good? The forward line is about as good as it can get along with the full backs, but still gaping holes at central defence, goalkeeper and midfield for me.

Yeah think you're right on those positions. The depth is there at centre half, we have a huge amount of very good ones but I'm not sure any of them are really top level or likely to be, the best four younger ones being Godfrey, White, Konsa and Tomori. I'm glad he's gone with two of those over Dier and Keane - I'd like to see at least one of them in the squad but I'm not expecting it unless Maguire is out - Mings and Coady are Southgate's guys and both have largely been fine for England, I think Coady especially is also good to have around the squad.

Yeah think you're right on those positions. The depth is there at centre half, we have a huge amount of very good ones but I'm not sure any of them are really top level or likely to be, the best four younger ones being Godfrey, White, Konsa and Tomori. I'm glad he's gone with two of those over Dier and Keane - I'd like to see at least one of them in the squad but I'm not expecting it unless Maguire is out - Mings and Coady are Southgate's guys and both have largely been fine for England, I think Coady especially is also good to have around the squad.

 

Coady is old school but I agree he is good to have around the squad. That's one problem with this England group, yes the potential is there but it really lacks tournament experience and in lots of cases, experience. I'm pleased he did not pick Dier and Keane too - they are part of that bracket of players who aren't actually that good and were hyped up only because they put in some average performances and were English. I think all the CBs you listed have potential but suspect they will need moves to bigger clubs (Tomori the exception although I suspect playing abroad hinders him). I like Konsa but he's quite short for a CB. Ben White was all the hype last summer, but it's noticeable the bigger clubs who need a CB have seemingly moved on to different targets. Most Brighton fans think Dunk is the better of the two.

The chances of Kevin de Bruyne playing in Euro 2020 will become clearer in "the next four or five days", says Belgium coach Roberto Martinez.

 

Manchester City's De Bruyne fractured his nose and left eye socket in a clash with Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger during Saturday's Champions League final.

Croatia have followed the example of Czech Republic by moving their Euro 2020 finals base to their homeland as a result of Scottish Covid-19 rules.

 

The Czechs announced last week they had pulled out of using the Oriam national performance centre in Edinburgh.

 

Now the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) says it will not be moving into its proposed team camp in St Andrews.

 

Executive director Marijan Kustic said it could not risk "the whole team being sent into self-isolation".

So I found out last week that my tickets remained valid and I'll be going :o :cheer: (pending any potentially covid-related fiasco)

 

For the last-16 game on June 26th so potentially Italy vs someone.

So I found out last week that my tickets remained valid and I'll be going :o :cheer: (pending any potentially covid-related fiasco)

 

For the last-16 game on June 26th so potentially Italy vs someone.

 

That is exactly the same game I am going to as well!

 

(Turns out only one set of my tickets were refunded)

Some squad England have just announced!

 

@1399758152384589826

 

4 right-backs :lol: But it suggests to me that we’re going to play 3 at the back and Walker/James is CB cover.

Some squad England have just announced.

 

4 right-backs :lol: But it suggests to me that we’re going to play 3 at the back and Walker/James is CB cover.

 

We're definitely playing a wing back system, sounds like Southgate sees the best right back (Trent) as a midfielder too, which is just bonkers.

@1399758152384589826

That is exactly the same game I am going to as well!

 

(Turns out only one set of my tickets were refunded)

 

Ah nice! Did you get category 1?

 

Some squad England have just announced.

 

4 right-backs :lol: But it suggests to me that we’re going to play 3 at the Nav mans Walker or James is CB cover.

 

To be fair our right back options are insane. Win-Bissaka for example doesn't even get a look in where he'd probably walk into the first team of many other countries.

 

The only player who can feel a bit aggrieved is Lingard who should have gone over Saka for sure.

 

Only taking 5 midfields is a bit of a WTF though. Talk about top heavy. Are we seriously thinking to just outscore the opponents and win games 4-3? Cos that couldn't be any further away from any England mentality in the past 30 years.

Only taking 5 midfields is a bit of a WTF though. Talk about top heavy. Are we seriously thinking to just outscore the opponents and win games 4-3? Cos that couldn't be any further away from any England mentality in the past 30 years.

 

I hope so. We might as well play to our strengths because I'm not sure how well our defence will hold if we try to play cautious.

 

We're definitely playing a wing back system, sounds like Southgate sees the best right back (Trent) as a midfielder too, which is just bonkers.

 

To be honest, I've always felt that Trent's best position could well be midfield.

 

I feel he would have excelled most in the 4-4-2 era with wingers. He's one of the most gifted players in our squad but he's the weakest of the 4 RBs defensively.

He's moved completely to a back 4 recently so I'd be surprised if we reverted again unless he mixes it up between games. I just think he's taken all four to get out of making a decision and having squad sizes up to 26 it allows him to and it's highly unlikely Watkins or Lingard would end up on the pitch anyway.

 

Squad looking good, those cut pretty much as expected.

And for all the talk of the squad what we learned from the absolute horror show of the last Euros is that Southgate simply needs to know his best XI and play them pretty much every game. Don't change 7 players in a crunch group match just to potentially get the easier side of the draw.

 

We look a little weak on the left :lol:

Ah nice! Did you get category 1?

To be fair our right back options are insane. Win-Bissaka for example doesn't even get a look in where he'd probably walk into the first team of many other countries.

 

The only player who can feel a bit aggrieved is Lingard who should have gone over Saka for sure.

 

Only taking 5 midfields is a bit of a WTF though. Talk about top heavy. Are we seriously thinking to just outscore the opponents and win games 4-3? Cos that couldn't be any further away from any England mentality in the past 30 years.

 

Category 2 I think! They were bloody expensive tickets!

 

I hope so. We might as well play to our strengths because I'm not sure how well our defence will hold if we try to play cautious.

To be honest, I've always felt that Trent's best position could well be midfield.

 

I feel he would have excelled most in the 4-4-2 era with wingers. He's one of the most gifted players in our squad but he's the weakest of the 4 RBs defensively.

 

Thing is Trent is the best offensively and defensively in terms of most stats, there’s this myth that he’s poor defensively but I don’t get that all. He’s the most exposed defensively and he walks in to pretty much every international starting XI going.

 

He's moved completely to a back 4 recently so I'd be surprised if we reverted again unless he mixes it up between games. I just think he's taken all four to get out of making a decision and having squad sizes up to 26 it allows him to and it's highly unlikely Watkins or Lingard would end up on the pitch anyway.

 

Squad looking good, those cut pretty much as expected.

 

Suspect with only 4 recognised CBs we will play 3 at the back. Loads of teams play it in the league at the moment and I can see Southgate going for it again. Just can’t see us getting anywhere if we had a CB partnership of Stones and Mings/Coady. We’d be out in the last 16 for sure if we qualified.

Great to see Bellingham on the squad!

Austria are certainly not holding back on the tackles.