I’ve included our friends from the north as I know they will balance this out a little.
With England all but mathematically confirmed as group winners and likely to be a very high seed at the tournament, this to me feels like our best chance to win it ever, even more so than the previous one.
The talent at our disposal is nearly incomparable, only France get close. We have Jude Bellingham looking like the best player in the world currently, Harold poking goals in for fun, Foden, Grealish, Stones, Walker playing week in and week out at Citywith Phillips getting game time also, Maddison ripping it up for Spurs, Saka and Rice finally getting CL experience and looking very Good also. Newcastle giving Gordon, Trippier, Wilson, Burn, Pope CL game time and likely Harvey Barnes when he returns.
Add in Guehi, Eze, Watkins, Palmer, Rashford, Trent, Chilwell, Reece James, Shaw.
England should be winning something with this squad, best I can remember ever and with the rise of Jude Bellingham - 2 goals against Barca away at the weekend to win them the game 2-1 - 10 La Liga goals already - it feels like we now have that extra special player that the great teams have.
Very much looking forward to this summer
England
posted on 30/10/23
comment by Bobby Dazzler (U1449)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Malachi Boateng (U1734)
posted 1 minute ago
England players to have been hyped to ridiculous levels by the English media in recent years:
Kane
Foden
Rice
Stones
Shaw
Pickford
Rooney
Gerrard
Lampard
Scholes
Beckham
Terry
Gazza
English players who should have been hyped but the English media didn't for some reason and often used as scapegoats:
Saka
Rashford
Abraham
Watkins
Wilson
Toney
Zaha
Bellingham
K.Walker
Ashley Cole
Andy Cole
Sol Campbell
David James
Paul Ince
I don't know what has been going on in the English media over the past 30 years or so but they seem to hype some players but not others, seemingly at random. I think the only way for England to succeed is to stop this random hyping of some players and ignoring or even vilifying others, completely at random.
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David James
Bellingham and Saka are deservedly well hyped Barry and Rashford is as overhyped as they come - good player and when in form he is utterly deadly, otherwise he just spends 90 mins spooning it into row a whilst ignoring better passing opportunities.
Who the faaack is hyping Luke Shaw - the English Ben Davies
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Have another look
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I know what Barry is claiming and although there is definitely a race element with the media - some of the choices do not stack up - David James for FFS. Rio Ferdinand for instance was considered the best CB in the world circa 2002 by the English media - the list has some merit but a few choices let it down
posted on 30/10/23
comment by Christopher huffing glou (U20930)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Christopher huffing glou (U20930)
posted 18 minutes ago
France are in the same boat with Deschamps playing defensive football too tbf to Southgate
fine margins between failures and national heroes in international football innit
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Deschamps to be fair captained his side to a World Cup win, and has managed the team to 2 world cup finals and a Euros finals - winning 1 World Cup. He schitts all over Southgate
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schiiits all over him? behave, they're basically the same manager. no top club sides would take either of them.
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I’d take Deschamps over Southgate. Deschamps effectively built the side around Mbappe - Giroud is nowhere near as good as Benzema but he is a far better fit for Mbappe to play alongside.
Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Foden is nightmare fuel for defences
posted on 30/10/23
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 54 minutes ago
comment by Kobbie The King Mainoo (U10026)
posted 21 seconds ago
The talent is there to win it. I just have reservations whether the bottle is.
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This is where I think Bellingham could come in, loads of the top teams in international football fall back on a great player - Zidane, Messi, Mbappe, Ronaldo (both) Spain were fortunate enough to have arguably the greatest midfield the world has ever seen plus Pique, Ramos and Alba.
Bellingham went up another notch for me at the weekend - getting both of Madrids goals away at Barca, the first one a Gerrard like howitzer and the second a scruffy winner in injury time - the kid can do everything and he is being absolutely feted over there
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Think you’re getting a bit carried away with him. But also there’s still ten others on the pitch. English players on the biggest stage of international football don’t tend to cope with the pressure. This lot will need to prove they can.
posted on 30/10/23
comment by Kobbie The King Mainoo (U10026)
posted 20 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 54 minutes ago
comment by Kobbie The King Mainoo (U10026)
posted 21 seconds ago
The talent is there to win it. I just have reservations whether the bottle is.
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This is where I think Bellingham could come in, loads of the top teams in international football fall back on a great player - Zidane, Messi, Mbappe, Ronaldo (both) Spain were fortunate enough to have arguably the greatest midfield the world has ever seen plus Pique, Ramos and Alba.
Bellingham went up another notch for me at the weekend - getting both of Madrids goals away at Barca, the first one a Gerrard like howitzer and the second a scruffy winner in injury time - the kid can do everything and he is being absolutely feted over there
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Think you’re getting a bit carried away with him. But also there’s still ten others on the pitch. English players on the biggest stage of international football don’t tend to cope with the pressure. This lot will need to prove they can.
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It’s hard not to get carried away when we have a 20 year old midfielder scoring 13 goals in 13 games for Real Madrid plus 2 assists - his stats are currently better than Ronaldos at Madrid.
What’s more, he passes the eye test, he absolutely carried that Madrid team in the final 30 mins on Saturday - even Ancelotti who knows a thing or two said as much.
The other Real Madrid players were telling the TV crews to just film Bellingham and the Spanish pundits were absolutely jiiizzing their pants over him. The fans are already calling him the king of Madrid.
Like I said, hard not to get a little carried away
posted on 30/10/23
I know what Barry is claiming and although there is definitely a race element with the media - some of the choices do not stack up - David James for FFS. Rio Ferdinand for instance was considered the best CB in the world circa 2002 by the English media - the list has some merit but a few choices let it down
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Barry's list is nonsense.
He's left Sterling out of the second group
posted on 30/10/23
comment by Clockwork Red: Amrabats in the Belfry (U4892)
posted 29 minutes ago
I know what Barry is claiming and although there is definitely a race element with the media - some of the choices do not stack up - David James for FFS. Rio Ferdinand for instance was considered the best CB in the world circa 2002 by the English media - the list has some merit but a few choices let it down
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry's list is nonsense.
He's left Sterling out of the second group
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It’s a Barry special - he needs a new identity though - Malachi is too well known now
posted on 30/10/23
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 17 minutes ago
comment by Clockwork Red: Amrabats in the Belfry (U4892)
posted 29 minutes ago
I know what Barry is claiming and although there is definitely a race element with the media - some of the choices do not stack up - David James for FFS. Rio Ferdinand for instance was considered the best CB in the world circa 2002 by the English media - the list has some merit but a few choices let it down
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry's list is nonsense.
He's left Sterling out of the second group
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It’s a Barry special - he needs a new identity though - Malachi is too well known now
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Go easy on him - his team are to be a feeder club...for Burnley!
posted on 30/10/23
Forgot Sterling even exists. Is he still at City? Injured?
posted on 30/10/23
comment by Malachi Boateng (U1734)
posted 13 minutes ago
Forgot Sterling even exists. Is he still at City? Injured?
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He has retired to play up front but not score for Chelsea - nice work if you can get it
posted on 30/10/23
This is standard flag waving...we do it every tourney
qualify well...get drawn in a group we should walk, then draw & play a decent side when it matters
Then lose & go out & then Sports Direct have a big sale