Perhaps you've just proven my point about Southgate? Though I try not judge on pointless friendlies with players being half-hearted & not going full throttle I remember when we lost to Altrincham, I'd still have suggested we had a better squad than them, but perhaps that's just me being a bias Barnsley fan
Was that the case on the day though Frog (away at Altringham). I know it was an awful cold spitty/rainy November day, and the fact that we lost there 1-0 as well. But I thought from the highlights, it looked like we did enough to have won, or at least avoided defeat on the day.
Tah’s decent isn’t he? I don’t know too much about the left back but he’s a natural left back & a starter for a side that’s just finished above Bayern in the league so I’d take him over Trippier, Gomez or a half fit Luke Shaw. I agree us, the French & Portugal have better squads but I think the German’s have no obvious weaknesses like we do & they can dominate possession & dictate the tempo of a game with players like Kroos & Gundogan & that’s something I think we lack.
Don’t know if this is a popular opinion or not but I would take a mid-table championship side over the vast majority of top international sides. International sides rarely play together & don’t have the kind of organisation & cohesion club sides have. You very rarely get high pressing at international level because there’s not enough time to work on it.
Agreed. I remember in 2016 when England limped to that awful draw against Russia in the opening game. Russia were absolutely abominable, and I said at the time that the Barnsley side from the playoff final would have absolutely smashed them. I stand by that, because although England clearly had better individual players than we did (although Mawson was probably not far off Smalling or Cahill), they were an utter shambles as a cohesive unit. If Roy Hodgson had had the foresight to just take the Barnsley squad with him to the Euros, both Russia and Iceland would have been dispatched comfortably.
Yes he is mate and he's proven to be given his season with Leverkusen. Its stronger than our defence, but weaker than Portugal, France and certainly the Dutch side, imo obviously. I agree they're able to control the midfield, but I genuinely do think they're lacking up top (as daft as that sounds when they've got a player who finished 2nd in prem and then a player who got to UCL Final) when compared to other teams. Strength in depth especially. I think they're going to be heavily dependant on Musiala, and he's definitely capable of doing the extraordinary. But overall I just feel the squad in completion isn't as good as those we've mentioned