We are shit. First game will include Pickford, Maguire, Henderson and probably Kalvin Phillips if he is fit. Hope we go out early and they sack Southgate.
Another crap England manager who prefers to play the names rather than the players in form.
As Mr Southgate prepares to unveil his preliminary training squad ahead of the tournament I thought this would be an apt time to create a Euros 2024 thread. It's in the G&D deliberately to keep it moderately safe and clean.
What are your predictions? Have you had a bet on the winner? How do you see England and Scotland getting on?
For me, despite the quite unbelievable array of talent England has, we'll get knocked out in the quarters and Southgate will be sacked on arriving home. I firmly believe we could win it with a different coach.
I'd love to see Scotland get out of the group which I think represents success for them. It'll be tough though.
I've had a bet on Germany which I placed months ago.
Over to you footy fans
We are shit. First game will include Pickford, Maguire, Henderson and probably Kalvin Phillips if he is fit. Hope we go out early and they sack Southgate.
Another crap England manager who prefers to play the names rather than the players in form.
Henderson will miss the tournament through injury, reported by David Ornstein in the last hour. Phillips won’t be anywhere near the squad.
I’m hearing Eze and Wharton will be included in the 30 today.
He’ll name four keepers today and one will be dropped in the cull from 30 to 26, leaving three more to miss the cut. I’ll go Wharton, Eze and AN Other.
Rashford will go despite being utter pony all season.
I fully agree with your statement, always thought why oh why not put talent first and 'names' second.
Mr. playing it safe, another manager and England would certainly be one of the favorites.
We are crap, so no chance there, my hope is for Belgium this time, I just think Kevin de Bruyne deserves one big title with his country.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Look at Pep and Klopp, and tell me England have a great manager.
A wet flannel, and makes me cringe every time I see him interviewed.
Think back to the Brazil world cup, we had one of the strongest squads name wise, Lampard, Gerrard, Ferdinand, Terry etc etc - but we weren’t a team.
World Cup semi, World Cup quarter and Euro final in 5 years - sh1te??
Southgate is rubbish, he got some easy routes to Semi's.
The talent England have they should win it,
GK - Pickford is average, but solid enough
Def - The weakest positions really, Stones is solid, but he has options
Midfield - Rice & Bellingham - both in the best 10-15 midfielders in the world
Attacking Mid - Saka, Foden, Grealish, Palmer, - again in the top players in the world
Striker - Kane - again one of the best
When we see his squad we will know more, if he picks raw talent, or sticks to his old guard.
I'm hearing some unconfirmed news that Saka is joining Ben White in asking not to be selected?
Saw it on a YouTube Arsenal fan video so accuracy will be dubious.
Will know more at 2pm.
I go with hope more than expectation - its knockout football and anything can happen but weve got a great chance and I will get behind the team regardless, I just hope he goes for it rather than play defensive we have the attacking talent no doubt so play to your strengths
No doubt people will moan regardless what happens its what we do in this country
We are down in the Provence Alps during this year’s (we usually luck out with either World Cup or Euros) - and love the atmosphere down there for matches.
Singles, couples and families watch in the bistros while eating and drinking, the kids with national flags on their cheeks………. Patriotic, without being obnoxious - it is a really great atmosphere. We plan our dinner-out evenings for France games mostly.
And since Scotland never gets anywhere - we just cheer France and ………. “Allez les Bleus!!!”
Trent and Curtis Jones in as midfielders. I’m so bored of the Trent thing so I’ll leave it but Curtis Jones would be playing in the EFL if he wasn’t scouse. I’m equally amazed to see Dunk even get the extended squad. Rashford rightly omitted though.
I'm surprised Saka and Foden are in the squad. I was expecting him to play Phillips and Henderson as our attacking midfielders.
The squad is too top heavy, there's fantastic riches in attack but you can't win anything without a good defence.
Southgate's record is better than any one in terms of getting England to play well and consistently progress in major tournaments but he has still not been able to defeat the big teams when it matters. That accusation can be made at any England manager except Alf Ransey in 1966 (1970 and 74 weren't so pretty though).
People have short memories.
Last edited by watchcollector1; 21st May 2024 at 14:56.
Foden? This years Football writers player of the year? Who can play natural attack or drop back to make plays from attacking midfield? Who's had an impact in almost every game he's played with 52 starts, 27 goals and a dozen crucial assists?
I'm shocked that he's in the line up too.
Pop him up front with Palmer and wait for the naysayers to do the seasonal 180 when we start to look like winning.
This is going to be an awesome tournament, some very young, untested teams and still some proper talent backing up the youth. I can't wait to watch us play, final four easy.
Every group LOOKS to have a clear favourite, but I'm very excited to see group B pan out (Spain and Italy) and group D with France and Netherlands. I'm going to really enjoy this summer, and I'm going to support Southgate because despite the defensive mindset he still knows how to surprise up front.
Just seen the squad and im delighted hes binned phillips, hendo and rashford as well - with the wealth of attacking options its the right call, shaw being included shows the lack of cover at lb imo but kudos to southgate some surprises there for me - play to your strengths our forward players are our biggest weapon - kevin keegan approach will do for me
Last edited by R0bertb00th; 21st May 2024 at 15:11.
Out of interest, who would you have included in the squad who was left out?
I'd have to say Rico Lewis or Raheem Sterling. Rico is an exciting young player who can provide cover in some of out weaker areas and Raheem has generally played better for country than club and even when not at his best can still cause issues with his pace.
I'm not saying they'd have made my final cut but would be worth a chance to prove themselves in the bigger squad. I'd have dropped Dunk and Grealish.
Last edited by watchcollector1; 21st May 2024 at 17:06.
Lewis is a good shout. Grealish was always nailed on as Pep starts him in all the big games so Safegate will too.
Maybe Dan Burn at left side CB?
Kane as the 9 with Saka on the right and Gordon on the left would be devastating, especially with Foden as the 10, Kude as the 8 and Rice as the 6. Wow!
And yes, I was joking about BDB!
This is a good point - who's not been selected.
But even in your own comments you've swapped out a defender and attacker for 2 attackers so just shows the difficulty in getting the balance.
And a lot of posters on here got egg on their faces re Hendo, Phillips, Rashford etc
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Last edited by xxnick1975; 21st May 2024 at 18:05.
We have one of the most talented squads in world football at this moment, but we will nowt with Safegate
I was thinking of Rico Lewis as more of a defender / holding midfielder.
True it's still not a like for like replacement, but I see Dunk as dead wood anyway, he was awful in the last 2 friendlies.
Re; Hendo, Phillips, Rashford, after we go out, some of fans will probably be moaning that Southgate didn't bring enough experience in the squad! It really is an impossible job.
Southgate should be getting on the phone to Micheal Olise asap, what with him not being picked for France.
If I remember correctly he's born and raised.in London, so need to get him in asap
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Decent pick of a squad, don't think anyone can have many complaints. Rashford out is the headline, but with the in form talent up there it makes sense. He could also do with a bit of a reset I think. Let's hope this spurs him on to score the winner on Saturday, asssuming he decides to be fit!!!
good squad to start with, more so for who's not in it. glad to see some of Boregate's personal favourites have such a bad season even he couldn't pick them.
slightly weak in defence with Shaw knackered but in the squad; even if he's a bit fit i always think he needs a few games back to get sharp as he is naturally a big unit and match fitness is a different level to training fitness.
we are overrun with attacking talent and just hope that he finally ditches to the 2 holding midfielders and unleashes an extra attacking midfielder. But i doubt he'll be able to do that and we'll whimper out in the semis.
We should have one extra final and a trophy to our name by now. Southgate has brought the squad together and broken up the big club cliques, but just doesn't have the tactical nous or balls to win the big games; Croatia semi and Italy final being the 2 obvious ones where he was found wanting.
we are in a position that we will always get through the qualifying easily with top 2 getting through and that should give him the chance to experiment, but all it does is give him the safety cushion of (until now) a Henderson/Phillips to be wasted alongside Rice.
Fingers crossed he goes for it
First half report v Bosnia:
Load of old shite. Eze and Palmer looking decent. Dunk garbage. Trent and Bowen anonymous. Can’t see what the game plan is other than give it to Palmer and hope for the best.
The other countries at the Euros must be all a tremble at Scotlands and Englands performances today.
Desperate.
Jim
How many of tonight's England line-up will start against Serbia?
We’ve been a lot better second half but the bar was on the floor. I had a look at the Euros winners list since 1960 iro the so-called ‘Big 6’ leagues:
Spain 3
Germany 3
Italy 2
France 2
Netherlands 1
England 0
Portugal, Greece and Denmark have also won it. Embarrassing. I’ve just realised England are the Newcastle of international football. So pleased I support both 🙈
Pickford
The quality of football had me focusing on the adverts.
Half the C4 adverts were football related crap used to push sugary dense water to kids.
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England's record at the Euros is even more woeful than those stats suggest. On foreign soil we've barely turned up; out in the group stages in 1980, 1988 (lost all 3 group games!), 1992 and 2000, didn't qualify in 1984 & 2008, limped out in 2012 trying to park the bus against the Italians and knocked out by Iceland in 2016.
The only favourable tournaments were on home soil in 1996 and 2021. 2004 was ok in Portugal but a missed opportunity given we had a great team and Greece eventually won it!
Tonight's game was expected, a lacklustre pre tournament performance with an experimental side. It's difficult for a team of players who've never played together to hit it off straight away on the pitch.
There were some positives, I'd say Eze, Trent, Palmer and Grealish deserve a place on the plane based on tonight, possibly Wharton too.
Last edited by watchcollector1; 4th June 2024 at 06:40.
After the game on Monday I said to my mates that Maddison won't go to the Euros. They disagreed because Southgate "likes him" but my argument was two-fold. Firstly, he doesn't affect games very often considering he's a 10. When was the last time you said "did you see that from Maddison today?". And secondly, he's not going to play in front of Foden or Palmer in the 10 role.
So it wasn't a surprise to see last night that he's gone home. My predictions for the other six to go home are Trafford (4th keeper), Toney (not getting in ahead of Watkins), Branthwaite (should go ahead of Dunk IMO), Wharton (too soon and a congested position), Jones (shouldn't be there in the first place), Bowen (behind the other forwards) and Eze (came to the squad a bit too late with no time to really settle and impress).
So there you go, the remaining 26 will be our squad to get beat in the quarters.
I think Toney's a better striker than Watkins but if we're only taking two strikers you can't not take Watkins as he's had a much better season than Toney. Personally I just think Watkins is a bit....meh.
I remember Capello not taking Bent to a tournament when he was far and away the most in form English striker in the Premier League and had been the best striker in the league that season and that was a mistake.
Jones has gone so I got that right. I'm also hearing that Quansah has gone so I got that wrong. Sounds like Maddison has spat his dummy out. He's even removed 'England' from his IG bio. What a child.
Last edited by TaketheCannoli; 6th June 2024 at 13:20.
Grealish and Maguire aren't going!! Are we really going into a tournament with Dunk? With those centre backs? Jeez, my already low expectations are now through the floor.
Feels like a changing of the guard with this squad announcement, fair play he's made some big calls but I'm feeling our defence will get ripped to shreds against the top teams...
A dearth of quality English left-backs and centre half's it appears...