Thomas Tuchel

Well it’s certainly an interesting squad.

The most notable absentee for me is Watkins. I didn’t think his place was in any kind of jeopardy.

Delighted for Dan Burn. Probably gets nowhere near when everyone is fit & available but he comes across as a brilliant human being & what a story. From bit part player at Brighton to representing his hometown club in cup finals & the champions league to now hopefully an England cap.

He’ll get a lot of negative press for Henderson but I don’t mind it as long as he’s not a regular starter.

I’ve always felt that you want some experienced pro’s around the camp & with Stones, Maguire & Shaw all missing it makes a bit of sense to have him in there.

 

I’m surprised they haven’t given Elliot Anderson a cap just to avoid the possibility of him choosing to represent Scotland.

 

I get the impression that Price is a decent bloke. He seems to be really popular amongst the other players & I think it’s a bit of a mentality thing that he needs to be fired up & feel like it’s ’me against the world’ to perform well.

He played Jonny Clayton in the world championship & he was saying how they’re best mates & Clayton kept talking to him backstage & it was doing his head in as he needed to get in the right frame of mind for the match.

 

Exactly.

 

Quansah over Branthwaite is a strange on as is Solanke over Watkins and Henerson over Gallagher.

 

Can’t understand the Watkins omission very strange and why do we have to revisit Henderson surely we’ve enough younger defensive midfielders to pick from.

 

Surely we should be moving on from Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson.

Tuchel has picked 2 other right backs (James and Livramento plus TAA is out injured) so why also Walker.

Henderson I don't get. No way he is ahead of Gallagher and Wharton and Gibbs-White.

Has Rashford done enough to be recalled? Ahead of Hudson-Odoi or Maddison.

Ollie Watkins dropped i don't get plus Ivan Toney has 22 goals yet it looks like he won't be selected ever again.

Also why select 4 goalkeepers.

 

Watkins was injured on Wednesday.

 

Like others, I don’t get Henderson. I guess he has good leadership qualities but we should be giving younger players exposure in my opinion. I hope with Wharton it’s that they are taking precautions with his previous injury this season.

 

My guess is Livramento will be used at left back where he’s comfortable playing. I don’t agree with it, I don’t think either Walker or James should be in the squad currently. I’d use Livramento & another right back & have Lewis-Skelly & Mitchell as the left back roles. If there’s one thing all England fans are united on it’s an end to right footers playing at left back!

I would take Wharton & Gallagher as options for the deeper midfield roles. I don’t think Henderson is there instead of Gibbs-White. They aren’t competing for the same roles. Gibbs-White is just unfortunate that he’s competing against Bellingham, Foden, Jones, Palmer & Rogers.

I think Hudson-Odoi is unlucky. Can’t see an argument for Maddison. His best position is the same as the players I listed above & he’s in & out of a poor Spurs side.

My guess is he’s probably gone with Rashford as he can play up front as well.

Turns out Watkins is injured, I also thought that was a strange emission.

 

I do wonder with Branthwaite if there’s a bit of a worry over the style of football he’s used to. Everton tend to sit quite deep & he’s had years of Dyche ball where the teams really compact & he’s well protected.

At international level we tend to dominate the ball & he’s picked centre backs that play a lot higher up the pitch.

I remember a lot of fuss about Keane & Tarkowski not getting England opportunities because they looked good for their clubs but when they first went to Everton & in Keane’s case played for England they got badly exposed.

I also think it’s why clubs were reluctant to spend big money on him last summer.

 

Me and @Chef Tyke went for a cracking curry near Doncaster last Sunday. My wife complained on Monday morning that she was bothered by quite a few "strange emissions" during the night.

 

Haha. Oh dear, getting my o’s & e’s muddled up there. Maybe he’s not in due to his farting?

 

Could be worse, as Gary Lineker knows all too well!

 

Strange choices for me. Agent Tuchel..?