Maybe this team is better because they've started lower down the football pyramid and had to fight for it more ... even the likes of Kane have been loaned out at some point. Just a thought!
Think a lot has to do with them being a young side who are 'up for the fight'. As opposed to previous England teams that have included players that have been picked 'cos they 'have to be in' due to their name, but are really either past their best or don't really care any more. I really hope that this team can go all the way to the final - and win!!
There are definitely no pampered egos being shoehorned into this side just because of their over inflated reputation.
I said previously, this side isn't tainted by the stench of failure that hung around the national team for so long and it's so refreshing. The best thing Southgate has done was to sweep away the old dead wood and bin Rooney early. I would have despaired if he was trundling around midfield again, trying to ping diagonal balls and blaming everyone but himself for the team's failures
And it’s been said in other threads that this is a young team playing with no fear,but isn’t this what we are trying to do at Barnsley and yet a lot on here are slating this tactic and apparently Stendal is one of the best around for this.Just my thoughts.
I hope you are right. I'm going to give DS my full support. We do have a decent squad at L1 level I think, just need a few in & a few more out. We need to be trying more of our own Academy players, rather than signing too many from other lower league clubs. I hope he has the bottle to do that, just like Southgate has had with England not playing the old guard, who have not produced in the past.
This team is actually a well balanced side with players playing in comfortable positions with the possible exception of Walker. England constantly played a rigid 4-4-2 so that Beckham could fit in & that Owen had a big man to play off which suited them two but didn’t suit Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes etc.
I’ll tell thi nar - this team hasn’t got the collective skill as the last semi final team - see below. And the present team hasn’t got the skills of past England teams. Which of the current players would get in that side? Stones for Wright and that’s yer lot !!! What this current team has has got is a far better mentality and confidence. If players like Alli and Sterling etc etc can shift the burden of playing for England off their shoulders then we just might have a chance. ENGLAND GK Peter Shilton Stuart Pearce Des Walker Terry Butcher Paul Parker Mark Wright Chris Waddle Paul Gascoigne Peter Beardsley Gary Lineker David Platt
Think everybody who saw them would agree that they were a great ream and were very unlucky not to make the final . Also managed by a very personable down to earth manager
Harry Kane could easily go on to break Lineker's goal record for England and possibly even the all time record. Kane possibly isn't as good as Lineker at poaching goals, not yet anyway, but he is a better all round player. He drops deep, runs the lines, and works much harder than Lineker ever did for England. This isn't a pop at Lineker, I think he's one of our genuine all time great players, but Kane has the time, temperament, attitude and ability to be better.
Yeah.. I'm one. When this "great" young side beats a proper side.. then you have decent point... As for Bfc, the two cannot be compared... We do it cos it's cheaper on the owners pocket... And if we get somosom decent, do you really think he will be kept and a team built around him... Or sold on, to keep the hole process going of self funding the perpetual wheel...?? What do you think.. ?
This current team don’t seem to put club against country ....They’ve achieved at the lower levels in either England u21’s or lower league teams and recognize they are part of a team! Unlike the stories around Rio & Gerrard acknowledging they put club rivalry against their national side and didn’t develop their international pedigree to the detriment of the team.....Treason!!!!! Out of interest ....I believe the squad of 1990 through to Euro 96 had the 1 team mentality and put their nation above their clubs! They were also under the stewardship of 2 very highly passionate and great England managers in Sir Bobby & El Tel.
Scholes never achieved his potential with England as he was often played out of his position out wide to accommodate Gerrard/Lampard
I think it was more to accommodate Beckham & Owen with the 4. Playing a flat 4 didn’t suit any of Gerrard, Lampard & Scholes
I'm not sure how the two are the same. Our oldest player is Adam Davies at 25, half of England's squad are older than him. Of the players that featured for England in the quarter finals yesterday we had a 32 year old, three 28 year old and a 27 year old. So far in the world cup England have used three players over 30, and 10 players older than our oldest player
