Originally Posted by
scientificred
England have had a problem for a long time.
Pick the best players (e.g. the golden generation) or pick the best team.
The media shouts most-times and the manager buckles.
That's long been England's problem
A new addition to that is that we now have the 3 top teams in the Premier League, Liverpool, City and Chelsea all playing a very similar style, City's more possession based in trying to pass through teams with possession, although not nearly as possession based in the last few seasons in that they have tried to be more like Jurgen's 19/20 Champions and play a lot more direct when it is on and happily and readily take shots on from distance now also
If you look at the players Southgate has to pick from, the majority of the very best players are from teams who all play a very similar front foot, high energy coordinated aggressive pressing and counter pressing game 2 play this way in a 433, 1 plays this way in a 343 2 of those teams however have all non English players who make their midfield engine room tick and release the full backs and 2 inside/wide forwards, so Southgate's most obvious set up should have been to play a 433 or a 343 game as most of his very best and successful players operate in and both formations that Kane, whose game in the past 2 seasons hasn't been operating as an out and out No9, but frequently dropping off into the positions a false 9 plays in, receiving the ball, making play and then getting in the box
The only keeper he has who is used to trying to play out from the back and not playing hoof ball in Henderson, the forwards he has are all ideal for the system, the full backs also, but only one of the Cbs and one of the CMs
Henderson
Trent Stones ?????? Chilwell
Ward-Prowse Henderson Mount
Sancho Kane Foden
Could easily play Grealish at LFWD and Mount or Foden at LCM, Southgates main issues are Cb's who are used to playing this way and CMs who can provide the passing the full backs and inside/wide forwards making the runs in behind and inside out runs or outside in runs thrive on, Hendo and Ward-Prowse are the only 2 who offer that, one isn't fully fit and he didn't take the other
Common sense should have dictated for the best possible outcome from the tournament and to use the players to the best of their abilities how they play and in a system they play in or very similar to the one they play in for their clubs
I saw France's friendly tonight, all the players front foot pressing as they do at their clubs when they don't have the ball and all their best players used in their best positions, I wouldn't give Southgate's rabble a hope in hell of taking on France in the 4231 without the coordinated front foot pressing and with just Kane up top who likes to drop off and no runs in behind
"If Everton were playing at the bottom of my garden, i'd close the curtains”
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