England squad to be announced this afternoon

[Nineteenx]

After how the FA treated our club this season, coupled with the absolute state of the nation and it's loss of all humanity, decency and integrity, as much as it ever had any, I really don't give a toss about England.

If I were Hendo or Trent, after how the FA treated our club this season, I'd tell them to stick it anyway, but they will want to be part of it, I don't mind if neither go, better for us and 'we're not English, we're scousers' as the saying goes.

The thought that Southgate might leave the best pound for pound right back in world football out of his squad tells you everything about the England set up. It's not just Trent's incredible delivery at set pieces, his playmaking from deep and ability to find wide forwards (which are one of England's strengths) and the opposite full back with top quality switches and longer diagonals and well as balls over the top and quality through balls for the wide forward on his side is absolutely next level, it is echelons of levels above anything any of the other options can bring to the team, as his is increasing ability to become a forward when in advanced positions and the quality of all kinds of balls he can put into the box and goal threat he offers himself.

People talk about Trent's defending, when has he got done this season? The Southampton goal, that's about it, Walker's made loads of mistakes positionally and given away quite a few soft penalties, James regularly gets done and makes bad defensive errors at RB too, defensively, Trent's been better than either of them this season, both their sides have conceded more goals as a result of them getting done and their errors

Hendo's Hendo, Captain fantastic real leader and Captain of England, has brilliant switches, longer diagonals and balls over the top perfectly suite to whoever the England front 3 are that none of the other England mids have and is an incredible organiser, even Kane was raving about what an incredible leader and influence in the England dressing room and on the pitch he is in an article I read this week

Let's see what happens, I don't care if neither go, I hope they do, because they're our lads and desperately want to, it will be England's loss and a considerable loss if one of neither don't go, but their loss will be our gain

[Insidious]

I hope they don't, selfishly, so they can hit the ground running next season.

How we ended the last 10 games of the season will have reminded Pep of the capacity for unrelenting results-grinding we showed in the 97 and 99-point seasons.

The thought of starting next season strongly and seeing where it takes us (and what it can do to Man City psychologically) appeal a lot and is easier done with fresh, well-rested players.

For Trent and Henderson's sake as human beings I'm sure they'd want to go though.

[Nineteenx]

Well, both in the larger squad

If I were picking the side, given how Kane drops off more since his injuries and plays in the same space Mount likes to a lot of the time, I'd probably go

Prickford

Trent Stones Maguire Shaw

Rice Henderson Mount

Sancho Kane Foden

Not really happy with the 2 CB's but our lads managed to put together an incredible run in our last 10 games with our 5th and 6th choice CBs and Trent played a huge part in that and in our games without a consistent CB pairing all season and could only be viewed to have made one error that led to a goal through all of that, and even that for the Southampton goal is a bit harsh, and that's far fewer such errors than all the others have to their name and that with Trent playing not only in a back four that was constantly chopped and changed all season, but in a hugely depleted side in which the midfield 3 in front of him offering protection to the defence was also constantly chopped and changed all season

[Nineteenx]

I don't really view Kane as a No9, since his injuries and having slowed down a fair bit, he hasn't occupied the No9 position in most of the games I've seen Spurs this season, plays deeper almost in a false 9 position most of the time, looks to spread the play and release the quicker forwards either side of him and then get into the box

[justme]

No Kane its not a number 9.. great point

[Nineteenx]

No Kane its not a number 9.. great point

He's classed as a No9, but if you've watched Spurs in games other than ours this season, he spends very little time in an out and out No9 position as say Haaland does, he spends most of his time dropping off in the hole, he does make forward runs to become a true No9 from there, but he hardly ever plays right up on the last line of defence like an out and out No9 does

Spurs play into him or long to him a lot, for him to get possession in the No10/false 9 position and he looks to create and spread the play from there before following it up and getting into the box.

I mentioned it because a lot of the pundits were speaking about him today as though he plays as an out and out No9, talking about him being there to attack early crosses into the box, I've watched plenty of Spurs the last 3 seasons and can't every recall Kane being on the shoulder of the defender looking to attack an early cross into the box

[justme]

Kane doenst have much choice but to drop deeper because Tottenham have played so deep in recent times.

[Nineteenx]

As detailed, Trent bums every single one of the other England right backs on both defensive and offensive stats

https://www.sportbible.com/football/news-take-a-bow-reactions-gareth-southgate-thinks-trent-alexander-arnold-can-play-in-midfield-20210525

[Nineteenx]

Kane doenst have much choice but to drop deeper because Tottenham have played so deep in recent times.

Agreed, but it's become his game to drop deep, get on the ball initiate play, usually looking to release players wide and then get in the box, which is very good for the wide/inside forwards England have, the only issue they have, which is why I think Kane's destination will be City, is that Kane frequently occupies the space Mount likes to play in, if he went to the filthy, he'd occupy the space Goofy likes to play in

[Nineteenx]

I wouldn't advocate spending the sort of money Kane would go for on a 28 year old whose lost a bit of pace and has dodgy ankles, but Kane would score shit loads of goals in our team how we build up most of the time, he'd release Mane and Mo more often than Bobby does too, Bobby needs to get himself in the box more often, when we build up and it goes wide to Trent or Robbo, he doesn't get himself in the box nearly enough and as he demonstrated v Spurs and the filthy, he's a very good header of the ball