England

[Jenks]

I saw the podcast, I think Rooney took exception to the idea that their generation didn't work or fight hard enough, which I don't think was really Gerrard's point.

 

[soul24rage]

2004 was their biggest chance and they blew it.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1976656636551872674

 

[Jenks]

He's probably right about the players being friends stuff and that the team was set up wrong, but I think he's looking at the squad with too much of a modern lens to say that there talent wasn't there in certain positions to win anything. It wasn't really an era where you couldn't do anything without wide forwards and I would argue that isn't neccessarily even true today.

The biggest problem was trying to fit Owen, Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard into the same team. If Owen starts then Rooney plays wide left or sits on the bench. If Gerrard starts then Lampard doesn't. It should have been as simple as that.

James
Neville Rio Terry A. Cole
Carrick Scholes
Beckham Gerrard J. Cole
Rooney​

That team would not have been the best in the world on paper but it would have been a realistic contender if nothing else.

 

[Temptation]

He's probably right about the players being friends stuff and that the team was set up wrong, but I think he's looking at the squad with too much of a modern lens to say that there talent wasn't there in certain positions to win anything. It wasn't really an era where you couldn't do anything without wide forwards and I would argue that isn't neccessarily even true today.

The biggest problem was trying to fit Owen, Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard into the same team. If Owen starts then Rooney plays wide left or sits on the bench. If Gerrard starts then Lampard doesn't. It should have been as simple as that.

James
Neville Rio Terry A. Cole
Carrick Scholes
Beckham Gerrard J. Cole
Rooney​

That team would not have been the best in the world on paper but it would have been a realistic contender if nothing else.

It's pretty simple.

Brazil NT was clearly better in 2002 and Italy NT was clearly better in 2006. Even on paper.

By 2010, the "golden generation" was washed and the team was mediocre.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Beckham was great during that time, Beckham is what? 3 years older than Lampard? He wasn't a finished player.

England peaked in 2002, but they faced one of the best teams in the history of the WC, no one knew at the time, though.

2006 team was the one that looked good on paper but bad as a functioning one

 

[Porque]

Weren't England pretty much better than Brazil in that game though, but come up against a couple of wonder goals.

With the long range Dinho strike being a goal that only two goalkeepers in the history of football would concede. A shot David Seaman, and Matias Ter Stegen.

 

[Tyler]

One thing I've noticed over the last few games is how much quicker England win the ball back all over the pitch. We look a proper team and the likes of Bellingham and Palmer are going to have to work really hard to get back in.

Anderson and Wharton (once finally selected) will give us everything we have been missing in midfield for donkeys years now.

Pickford

James
Guehi
Stones
Spence

Wharton/Rice
Anderson

Bellingham/Palmer

Saka/Madueke
Gordon/Rashford

Kane

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

One thing I've noticed over the last few games is how much quicker England win the ball back all over the pitch. We look a proper team and the likes of Bellingham and Palmer are going to have to work really hard to get back in.

Anderson and Wharton (once finally selected) will give us everything we have been missing in midfield for donkeys years now.

Pickford

James
Guehi
Stones
Spence

Wharton/Rice
Anderson

Bellingham/Palmer

Saka/Madueke
Gordon/Rashford

Kane

Would you say this is the strongest Englabd since 1966?

 

[Tyler]

Would you say this is the strongest Englabd since 1966?

Maybe not as individuals. But I certainly think it's the best "team" and the strongest squad. And also the best manager by a distance.

 

[Tyler]

on every corner in Croatia in 2018 there were English people who would shout how it's coming home before the semifinal game.

Nothing wrong with being optimistic. Also that song is in relation to football in general, because it originated in the UK, and not the actual trophy itself as many people seem to think.

But I remember that game very well. England should have been out of sight in the first half but didn't get that second goal, and the class of Modric told in the end.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

England is the dark horse in this WC, they just cant stop winning under Tuchel. Think they will reach at least semi final, probably final

 

[MonteCuler]

They are like Arsenal of international football right now

Not some beautiful football but they keep winning and are very solid defensively

Oh yeah and they have a long history of bottling it in this competition

So we'll see

 

[Tyler]

England is the dark horse in this WC, they just cant stop winning under Tuchel. Think they will reach at least semi final, probably final

We can't win it without Kane. The squad is stronger than I can remember but we dont have a number 9 to replace him even for a few games. Watkins isn't what he was a couple of years ago and Delap is extremely raw. An ancient Danny Welbeck is a bettee option than both right now.

Should Kane get injured before or at the WC I think the most sensible option would be to play Bellingham as a false 9. He did really well there for Real Madrid in his first season.

 

[Tyler]

They are like Arsenal of international football right now

Not some beautiful football but they keep winning and are very solid defensively

Oh yeah and they have a long history of bottling it in this competition

So we'll see

I think we were Southgated in the recent finals more than bottling it. Tuchel is on a different planet in a far away galaxy to Southgate tactically. With Tuchel, there's not a chance we would have lost to Italy at Wembley in 2021.

 

[Jenks]

We can't win it without Kane. The squad is stronger than I can remember but we dont have a number 9 to replace him even for a few games. Watkins isn't what he was a couple of years ago and Delap is extremely raw. An ancient Danny Welbeck is a bettee option than both right now.

Should Kane get injured before or at the WC I think the most sensible option would be to play Bellingham as a false 9. He did really well there for Real Madrid in his first season.

It will be Foden as a false #9 I think, not Bellingham. City have won the league with him playing that role in the past.