The Road To Germany 2024

[sycophantia]

This is my point.

Southgate memes and comments (and a couple on here last night) all over the place today having a go at him for not picking Palmer, he's being criticised for something he hasn't done, it's weird.

That's football fans for you, he's flavour of the month so loads think he should start.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

You could play him as 10 as he's been doing for Chelsea in the last couple of games

-----------------Rice--------Bellingham--------
-------Saka--------Palmer-------Foden
----------------------Kane-------------

Personally I wouldn't, but he deserves a squad place and you'd definitely bring him on for penalties

But then you're playing Bellingham deep when he has been a phenomenon as a no.10, why do that?

*i know you're saying you wouldn't.

 

[Templeton Peck]

Agree. He could play behind Kane, but then you are stifling the best player in the world in Bellingham.

Southgate has been catching strays all day about it. So weird.

Bellingham can drop back with Rice. Beauty is with him he can be 6 8 and 10.

 

[Templeton Peck]

But then you're playing Bellingham deep when he has been a phenomenon as a no.10, why do that?

*i know you're saying you wouldn't.

We've got dozens of attacking options, not so many centre mids. Mainoo is a shoe in for the squad as a result.

 

[sycophantia]

Bellingham is really good as an 8 when I've seen him, luckily he's comfortable anywhere in midfield. The big issue is who plays next to Rice.

 

[Tony Towner]

Bellingham is really good as an 8 when I've seen him, luckily he's comfortable anywhere in midfield. The big issue is who plays next to Rice.

This would be my concern I don't think anyone needs to. We have the players to play a fluid 3, for me it would be Rice, TAA and Bellingham. I worry he'll go with a double pivot when he doesn't need to

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I think it's madness not playing Bellingham as a 10.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

. I worry he'll go with a double pivot when he doesn't need to

I think we need to, particularly with our CBs and the attacking FBs we have, it leaves Rice with a hell of a lot to do otherwise.

 

[Alan]

I think it's madness not playing Bellingham as a 10.

Aye, surely you’ve got to find a role for him as similar to what he does for Madrid as possible?

 

[Tony Towner]

I think we need to, particularly with our CBs and the attacking FBs we have, it leaves Rice with a hell of a lot to do otherwise.

That's the thing though we have smarter players than that. We don't need to sit players there, they are all capable of interchanging and reacting to the flow of the game

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

He didn't feature when Bowen, Rashford, Gordon and Maddison did in the last fixture they were all available in. Rashford and Maddison have been stinking the place out at club level too. It's not a significant reach to say he's therefore behind them in the pecking order, is it?

And no one was moaning until he scored four LAST NIGHT.

 

[Templeton Peck]

I think we need to, particularly with our CBs and the attacking FBs we have, it leaves Rice with a hell of a lot to do otherwise.

FBs don't have to be attacking. Walker isn't. Stones is excellent too. Issue is who he picks alongside him. If it's Maguire then we'll need about 4 DMs.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Palmer wasn't fit vs Brazil then didn't come on vs Belgium, nor did Rashford (who Southgate has rarely ever started at tournaments).

If Maddison continues as he has for Spurs lately then he'll simply play himself out of the reckoning.

As for Bellingham, the window for international managers to work with the players is tiny, relatively speaking. How realistic is it to say to him "you know that role you've been playing all year that's going to get you in contention for the Ballon D'Or? Well, stop doing that please and do this instead".

 

[Templeton Peck]

Aye, surely you’ve got to find a role for him as similar to what he does for Madrid as possible?

Depends. We've got different set of options and concerns to Real Madrid

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Depends. We've got different set of options and concerns to Real Madrid

Rewind 20 years or so and they did the club equivalent of signing all of Kane, Saka, Foden, Bellingham, Palmer, Grealish and Bowen and just rammed them all in the team because how can you fail, they're all class, we'll just be too good for everyone else.

And they won bugger all.

 

[Alan]

Bellingham hasn't been playing as a #10 for a while, hence why his output has dropped off. He's predominantly left of a box midfield with Vinicius and Rodrygo through the middle.

That'll teach me to trust sofascore.

 

[Templeton Peck]

Bellingham hasn't been playing as a #10 for a while, hence why his output has dropped off. He's predominantly left of a box midfield with Vinicius and Rodrygo through the middle.

We'll have to play that system then otherwise how will poor Jude adapt?

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

FBs don't have to be attacking. Walker isn't. Stones is excellent too. Issue is who he picks alongside him. If it's Maguire then we'll need about 4 DMs.

Well it has to be Maguire really, Dunk is nowhere near as good as he and the media thinks he is.

Beyond that we've got the injury prone or inexperienced.

GS should have blooded other CBs, but then I guess he thought Dunk would be better.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

FBs don't have to be attacking. Walker isn't. Stones is excellent too. Issue is who he picks alongside him. If it's Maguire then we'll need about 4 DMs.

Stones is excellent as a CB for City, its a different game being a CB for England.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

We'll have to play that system then otherwise how will poor Jude adapt?

Strange comment?

Maybe we play Kane left wing too eh? He'd probably still be decent..