How to improve England. Suggestions please.

1. Pick the best team for the game not just the best players. If the system cannot accommodate everyone so some will need to be left out. maybe Foden and Bellingham dont fit together.

2. Play the most basic structure so its clear what roles and responsibilities are. Then let the quality of the player add the creativity, versatility and imagination. Players should have freedom and trust. Unlike now where TAA and Rice are wedged slightly ahead of the back 4 because Southgate clearly doesnt trust a back 4 who have already shown then can defend in and around the box well. Sacrificing any midfield freedom and inviting teams through the middle.

3. Take more risks and up the tempo. Play in their third. Almost all of this squad play for their clubs at a higher tempo than we see today. There are few teams in todays elite national level that play slowly.

I felt Southgate had taken us as far as he could in the last Euros and it needed a change. That has been proven where he talks about finding a replacement for Phillips, Experiments in midfield and trying to fit square pegs in round holes. Southgate has clearly not progressed his thinking or been able to execute anything new in the last 2-4 years. As better players have emerged, his ability to capitalise has become worse.

 

I wouldn't get your hopes up if today's newspapers are correct. Apparently Southgate thinks our players aren't fit enough to press ,(meaning match fitness after injury, rather than overall fitness issues).

 

Oh heck. Maybe he's bluffing. I'm trying to remain positive!

 

The need for someone to attack from our left side is obvious. Gordon should have been on at half time in the 1st game and would have provided an outlet in the 2nd game. There's an obvious hole in the centre of the team beside Rice and shoehorning players into it isn't working. not sure who plays that role that's English so suggestions welcome. As a choice on Tuesday between England and Yorkshire I went to Headingley so I guess that says it all...

 

There’s two ways to win matches:
1) A structured tactical system, where every player knows their role, has practiced in it extensively, and which cohesively creates control and opportunities

2) Lack the above but rely on luck/individual brilliance

We’re clearly a 2) side.

A better manager and we’d steamroller lesser teams.

 

I've always defended Southgate up until now, but I must admit my patience is wearing extremely thin at the minute.

 

Gordon didn't do himself any favours in his last appearance though, did a lot of good work down the left side and then crossed it to the standard of a pub footballer.

 

I find this obsession with building the team around Foden a bit bizarre when he’s been really average if not poor in an England shirt up to now even against lesser opposition in his preferred position.

Bellingham, Kane & Saka have all performed far better than him in an England shirt & deserve to play in their preferred positions ahead of Foden getting to play in his. If he isn’t able or willing to play the left sided role then drop him. It’s about the best team not squeezing as many exciting attackers in as possible.

 

I’m not going to pretend I know the answer, but an elite level coach would have solved this 3 or 4 years ago, wouldn’t have cost us a semi and a final through clueless tactics,and wouldn’t go into a tournament without at least attempting to put these same issues right. What’s that quote about the definition of madness?.....

Lovely bloke, but we seem to win despite, not because of him

 

Everyone says Kane and Foden are the problem but it could be solved without dropping anyone if the TAA experiment is ditched and Bellingham plays alongside Rice because he isn't a natural number 10 either.

 

I went to Headingley too, enjoyed it way more than watching England football!

 

Walkers crossing isn't the best so I'd change the system.

Pickford

Trippier, Stones, Guehi, Walker.

TAA,Bellingham, Rice,

Saka, Kane, Foden.

TAA and Trippier overlapping on the right. Walker covering Foden defensively on the left and you have the Man City connection.

 

We've been looking for this elite coach since 1966...they don't grow on trees.

 

Is this another sodding political thread?

 

And yet premier league clubs seem to have no bother finding them. Not a single one would be looking to appoint an ex Middlesbrough boss (sole management experience) as their next incumbent any time soon..

 

It's not really comparable, the PL is a closed division where the four richest clubs share the title between them. Few if any PL managers go on to win the World Cup or Euros as international managers....probably the only one was Roberto Mancini...but Italy winning the top trophies is hardly unusual.

 

I don't think he means they're not fit, but I don't think any team can press hard every game. 7 games in 25 days for the finalists is a big ask physically.

 

My heart bleeds for them, working 7 days in 3 and a half weeks

 

It is, especially in the summer heat. But having watched England, I've definitely got the impression that a lot of our players are struggling for match fitness - unsurprising considering how many of them missed large chunks of last season.

 

I'm sticking with 5 - 0 England, even though i've turned the last two games over to watch sky at night.