June internationals

[DillyDing22]

There just isn't a Maddison-shaped hole in the formation that Southgate like to play. It's a terrible shame to leave such a talent out, but I can understand it and given the results he's had at the last Euros and World Cup I have to say he's earned the right to play the team and tactics he wants.

JJ is very much a Southgate kind of player though, and considering that Chilwell and Shaw are both out he's got a real chance to get some serious game time and make a claim for the next world Cup squad. His presence also shows up the dumb idea that Southgate doesn't pick players from 'small clubs'

How does throwing away leads against Croatia and Italy prove his tactical brilliance exactly?

Unless it causes Maddison to doubt whether he wants to be at Leicester, I couldn’t care less.

I’d rather our players weren’t made to play in and train for some barely competitive international games after a long club season.

I love seeing Leicester players in an England shirt. Makes them watchable.


As for the Mount/Foden debate, I think it would be unfortunate for either of those two to miss out on the squad so can understand Maddison's absence.

Good luck to JJ hopefully he can make that England place his own and not be coaxed by his fellow internationals into joining an 'elite' club.

 

[parafox]

People whinge and say they won't watch England if no Leicester players are called up. Then we get players called up and people whinge that they might get injured.

 

[Blaarev]

People whinge and say they won't watch England if no Leicester players are called up. Then we get players called up and people whinge that they might get injured.

Not necessarily the same people though.

 

[glyn]

I actually feel a shame for him, he’s pulled his socks up this year after the “honest chat” with Brendan and I’m sure felt he’d done enough. (Off topic but is that actually a good bit of man management from BR that has yet to be appreciated?)

good on JJ though.

 

[jb5000]

How does throwing away leads against Croatia and Italy prove his tactical brilliance exactly?

You have to be at least in your mid-sixties to remember a better performance from England in a major tournament than the two in a row he's given us, but that's bad somehow.

 

[parafox]

You have to be at least in your mid-sixties to remember a better performance from England in a major tournament than the two in a row he's given us, but that's bad somehow.

Or to remember when we've had better luck. Two piss easy runs until we fall to the first decent team we face, taking an early lead and then capitulating. Twice. The Euros were our chance to get a trophy with this generation of players and we blew it I'm afraid.

 

[M17TT C]

Would you want Southgate managing Leicester?

No sane person would answer yes to that question.

 

[jb5000]

Would you want Southgate managing Leicester?

No sane person would answer yes to that question.

Club and country management have become very obviously different jobs. He's shown to be good at one and not the other, which plenty of others have dome the other way around too

 

[londonfox]

Southgate is no fan of Maddison as a person.

Southgate plays a formation that Maddison doesn't fit.

If I was Maddison and I wanted international football, I'd find an Irish granny and do it that way.

Southgate is there for the foreseeable and I can't see anything changing.

He’d be better off finding a Welsh, or even Scottish one at the moment.

 

[jb5000]

Or to remember when we've had better luck. Two piss easy runs until we fall to the first decent team we face, taking an early lead and then capitulating. Twice. The Euros were our chance to get a trophy with this generation of players and we blew it I'm afraid.

Compared to what?

Getting knocked out by Iceland (Euro 2016)?
Coming last in the Group of Life (WC 2014)?
Struggling through another supposedly easy group only to be shellaced by Germany (WC 2010)?
Not even qualifying for Euro 2008?

Even when the so called golden generation were at their peak in 1998-2006 we were getting knocked out by the first decent team. Before that the highspots of Euro 1996 and Italia '90 were matched by the appalling Euros of 1992 and 1988, and failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. The 1986 World Cup was kicked off with a loss to a poor Portugal side and a draw to Morocco. It's before my time, but I'm told we didn't even qualify for a single tournament through the entire seventies.

England have rarely been good and, until Southgate, even less so for two tournaments in a row. He knows what he's doing and should continue doing it.

 

[Willlow]

How is Maddison behind Mount and Foden? If it’s stats he’s ahead of Foden for the season and in better form than Mount, who’s stunk the place out the last third of the season.

Southgate has done well to get a ‘team mentality’ for England, but he seriously lacks the skills to manage against the top teams and this ‘jobs for the boys’ will bite him eventually.

We’ve got away with ‘8 players behind the ball tactics’ for two tournaments. Surely now is the time to try new players and new ideas?

Even the smaller teams will work out how to stop is in Qatar if we try the same again…

It is great to see JJ in the squad, but I’d question if he deserves it. He’s been average since being back, whilst working on his fitness… but then I suppose form doesn’t matter to Southgate.

 

[londonfox]

How is Maddison behind Mount and Foden? If it’s stats he’s ahead of Foden for the season and in better form than Mount, who’s stunk the place out the last third of the season.

Southgate has done well to get a ‘team mentality’ for England, but he seriously lacks the skills to manage against the top teams and this ‘jobs for the boys’ will bite him eventually.

We’ve got away with ‘8 players behind the ball tactics’ for two tournaments. Surely now is the time to try new players and new ideas?

Even the smaller teams will work out how to stop is in Qatar if we try the same again…

It is great to see JJ in the squad, but I’d question if he deserves it. He’s been average since being back, whilst working on his fitness… but then I suppose form doesn’t matter to Southgate.

Agree with all of this, including Justin not deserving it on current form. But I’m pleased for him and wish him the best. Doesn’t matter how he plays though, he’ll be dropped once Chilwell and Shaw are fit.

 

[Brown Nose]

 

[Brown Nose]

Maddison liked this post. That's the sort of behaviour Southgate doesn't like, despite it being undeniably true.

 

[Graz]

Maddison would be in my England squad. But I can kind of understand Southgate's logic.

If he's up against Grealish, Foden and Mount for a place, I think Grealish and Foden automatically get in ahead of him due to more versatility and being able to (potentially even more comfortably) play on the wing as well as no.10.

Versatility has ALWAYS been a massive plus for international squads, at least for England.

Also stats don't always tell the whole story - Foden was young player of the year, and is a brilliant young player.

Therefore Mount is the only direct comparison in the squad IMO. I prefer Maddison by far, and think he's the better option - but every manager has their favourites and I think Mount is one for Southgate. Also I think it comes down to trust, and Southgate definitely trusts Mount more than Maddison

 

[City Fan]

Grealish in ahead of Maddison on current form is an absolute joke.

Grealish is a bit of a **** as well, so not sure why Southgate seems to like him and not Maddison.

Southgate needs to go. He reminds me a bit like Rodgers in the sense that he gets lauded for doing relatively well compared to previous managers, whilst people completely ignore the underachievements considering the players at his disposal.

 

[Ike O'Noclassed]

To sum up - “Glover for England!”

 

[Lako42]

We got to the late stages of those competitions in-spite of Southgate not because of him.

His pathetic management in the WC semi final was a complete joke.

 

[TornadoShaunUK]

Southgate picks more players from "smaller" clubs than his predecessors did. And he's picked Justin for this squad. I think it's more due Southgate not liking Maddison.

Precisely. Chilwell, Maguire and Vardy also got in whilst with us. I think he's still got an axe to grind over casino gate.

 

[give_us_a_wave]

Christ. I'd forgotten about this pointless crap.

**** off with the football already. I've had enough.