Happy for Iličić being called up again by the Slovenian national team after fighting against the mental health during his prime era in Atalanta.

Edited May 23, 20241 yr by Cow P

with the start of the Euros just a few weeks away, what do we think England's strongest starting 11 is?

 

I would tentatively go with:

 

Pickford

Shaw*/Maguire/Stones/Walker

Alexander-Arnold/Bellingham

Palmer/Foden/Saka

Kane

 

*fitness permitting, if he's not fit then honestly God knows

Agree with yours except would play Mainoo in midfield, put Trent at RB then switch Walker to LB.

Both of you not picking Rice?

 

I think he’s probably our most important player going into this tournament. He’s the only one where I don’t think we have a direct replacement for (aside from Shaw/LB being an obvious problem). He’s the only defensive-first minded CM in the squad.

Left back is def a weak spot. I’m sure Southgate won’t but I’d personally like Saka tried as an experimental left wing back.

 

Best line up for me I guess would be

 

Walker - maguire- stones - trippier

 

Rice - mainoo

 

Bellingham

Saka Foden

 

Kane

 

I think Conor Gallagher will be ahead of Trent in midfield too. I see big potential for a 3-5-2 with walker and saka allowing foden to be more central but that’s for the coaches to figure out

 

Both of you not picking Rice?

 

I think he’s probably our most important player going into this tournament. He’s the only one where I don’t think we have a direct replacement for (aside from Shaw/LB being an obvious problem). He’s the only defensive-first minded CM in the squad.

 

Lol whoops how did I miss him.

 

Sorry Palmer you're on the bench then.

Left back is def a weak spot. I’m sure Southgate won’t but I’d personally like Saka tried as an experimental left wing back.

 

Best line up for me I guess would be

 

Walker - maguire- stones - trippier

 

Rice - mainoo

 

Bellingham

Saka Foden

 

Kane

 

I think Conor Gallagher will be ahead of Trent in midfield too. I see big potential for a 3-5-2 with walker and saka allowing foden to be more central but that’s for the coaches to figure out

 

Not going for a GK, I like your attacking mindness 😁

Not going for a GK, I like your attacking mindness 😁

 

Pickford has no challengers at all.

 

A big question will be should Bellingham drop deeper and play Palmer or play Marino and have 3 midfielders two of which can be very attacking

Yeah as soon as Arteta decided Ramsdale was about as much use as a chocolate fireguard Pickford's main threat was gone. But he's been the best keeper of the PL this season imo so it's no brainer even despite that.

He’s decent but if he was a foot taller he would be at a top 6 club!

 

I can’t see how Palmer doesn’t start imo. He’s been unreal this season.

He’s decent but if he was a foot taller he would be at a top 6 club!

 

I can’t see how Palmer doesn’t start imo. He’s been unreal this season.

 

He’s just got tough competition. Bellingham, Foden, Saka is he really above those? Possibly Saka but I think Saka has always delivered for England mostly. Plus you need a good impact sub and he should be perfect but then you could play all four I guess. Depends on the opposition, but given England have two slow CB’s I think you need more protection in central midfield than just rice and Bellingham

Edited May 29, 20241 yr by Liam sota

There is no space for Palmer in this side, especially with Kane as the striker. Too many players who like to operate in the same area. It's either Gallagher/Mainoo alongside Rice with the latter given licence to go forward more, or Bellingham/Foden as "8s", in which case it has to be Gordon on the left.

Edited May 29, 20241 yr by RabbitFurCoat

I tend to agree tactically but think he’s too good to drop. If he replaced Saka who’s been the player most out of form he wouldn’t offer width.

Both of you not picking Rice?

 

I think he’s probably our most important player going into this tournament. He’s the only one where I don’t think we have a direct replacement for (aside from Shaw/LB being an obvious problem). He’s the only defensive-first minded CM in the squad.

i don't know how Rice slipped my mind :lol:

 

Trent's on the bench in which case. I really do think we should start Palmer for the first few group stage games to see how he fares

Our big problem is going to be down the left. I actually think Gomez or Trippier are good options, but if we play with Foden on the left we’re going to be very predictable and have zero width.

 

Controversial but we really need to be trying out Gordon on the left imo. Otherwise this feels eerily similar to Germany 2006..

I think we should consider ourselves quite fortunate with the group we've been drawn into, you'd like to think that Southgate will use the opportunity of 3 (on paper) winnable fixtures to experiment with the likes of Gordon, Palmer, Eze etc. to try and figure out our strongest attacking shape for the knockouts, but this is Southgate we're talking about lol

Edited May 30, 20241 yr by hinterland

I think we should consider ourselves quite fortunate with the group we've been drawn into, you'd like to think that Southgate will use the opportunity of 3 (on paper) winnable fixtures to experiment with the likes of Gordon, Palmer, Eze etc. to try and figure out our strongest attacking shape for the knockouts, but this is Southgate we're talking about lol

 

I think our attacking line up is pretty set. Kane, Bellingham and Saka all play. Then Foden likely does too. Even though our problem at the moment will be down the left side which will be blunt as an attacking force with the lack of width/pace.

 

Reckon he will use the friendly games to try out whether we play Trent in midfield, try out Wharton and Jones too. He might also move Bellingham further back in midfield too.

Of the 33 he's picked he has to eliminate 7 after these two games to 26, will be interesting to see who he culls. From the sounds of it the majority will be forward players.

Our big problem is going to be down the left. I actually think Gomez or Trippier are good options, but if we play with Foden on the left we’re going to be very predictable and have zero width.

 

Controversial but we really need to be trying out Gordon on the left imo. Otherwise this feels eerily similar to Germany 2006..

 

I think Gordon played really well in those March friendlies and he's very much on the verge of being in the side. I think he'll surprise people how well he does and how much he gets used, especially without Rashford or Sterling as the default options on that side.

 

You're right about those comparisons to previous generations. I thought as a nation we'd admitted that it was wrong to cram the best players into the same team at the expense of a functioning system, yet here we are with a bunch of exceptionally talented number 10s and loads of fans and social media accounts wondering how a team containing all of them can't win the tournament.

 

I don't see anything other than Rice + another deeper CM in either Mainoo/Gallagher/Trent, especially for more difficult knock out fixtures, it's ultimately how you be successful in tournament football, just look Deschamps at France. Even during the run-in for the Premier League Pep and Arteta were largely partnering Rice and Rodri with Partey and Kovacic, whilst also not having particularly expansive defenders or even natural full backs.

Trent in CM worries me as he simply never plays there. I'd prefer even Wharton. I've never been impressed by Gordon but he has great stats so he has to be in consideration but can you see Southgate taking off Foden for Gordon? I can't. I think those 4 are so good they're just not going to be substituted off if the game is in the balance unless fatigue or something