So, England are favourites then !.....

I don't think we are really favourites for 3 major reasons.

1. DEFENCE - I'm sorry but we need a solid defender next to Stones. Maguire is clumsy and slow and has a mistake in him. Dunk is just awful. And the two who could do it, Guehi and Colwill have not had enough experience due to Southgate's refusal to rotate his starting eleven.

2. SOUTHGATE'S TACTICS - Sven had a superb defence and relied on that and we were negative. Southgate has a supreme attack, but is too negative, or at best pragmatic. With the wealth of attacking talent we have, we should be much more positive in our approach.

3. BELLINGHAM - this will sound strange. Bellingham is undoubtedly an extra-ordinary player. But in the last few games, I have noticed we try and play everything through him. Yesterday, Foden had the ball many times and instead of going alone or playing a ball into a player in space, he looked for Bellingham EVERY TIME, even though the two were so close together. Likewise, our midfield only looked for Bellinham. We have to vary, that will actually give Bellingham more time and space. As well as this, I have noticed that since joining Madrid, Bellingham has become more impetuous, arguing with officials and feeling entitled.

We have such good attacking players, generational talents such as Bellingham, Foden, Kane ... even Rice adn Saka ... we have to be much more positive and trusting of our attacking players and play in a way that gives them all the ability to shine, find space and affect the game. I doubt Southgate will do this.

We must be the first sports team in history to have half a dozen "generational talents" playing at the same time?

comment by Pun Atreides (U21588)
posted 53 minutes ago
According to the trades, if England win the group and no major shocks, the route would be:

L16: Austria / Romania / Turkey
QF: Italy
SF : France
F : Spain

Even if they were to beat Italy again I can't see them beating all three of Italy, France and Spain. No doubt the reality will be different though - wouldn't want to call the Spain/Italy/Croatia group for example.
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Yeah I’d be surprised if it panned out that way, especially Spain getting to the final. If we win the group we’d avoid any group winners until the semis, but that doesn’t mean that it would be easy getting there.

comment by Eric_Draven (U20260)
posted 39 minutes ago
I don't think we are really favourites for 3 major reasons.

1. DEFENCE - I'm sorry but we need a solid defender next to Stones. Maguire is clumsy and slow and has a mistake in him. Dunk is just awful. And the two who could do it, Guehi and Colwill have not had enough experience due to Southgate's refusal to rotate his starting eleven.

2. SOUTHGATE'S TACTICS - Sven had a superb defence and relied on that and we were negative. Southgate has a supreme attack, but is too negative, or at best pragmatic. With the wealth of attacking talent we have, we should be much more positive in our approach.

3. BELLINGHAM - this will sound strange. Bellingham is undoubtedly an extra-ordinary player. But in the last few games, I have noticed we try and play everything through him. Yesterday, Foden had the ball many times and instead of going alone or playing a ball into a player in space, he looked for Bellingham EVERY TIME, even though the two were so close together. Likewise, our midfield only looked for Bellinham. We have to vary, that will actually give Bellingham more time and space. As well as this, I have noticed that since joining Madrid, Bellingham has become more impetuous, arguing with officials and feeling entitled.

We have such good attacking players, generational talents such as Bellingham, Foden, Kane ... even Rice adn Saka ... we have to be much more positive and trusting of our attacking players and play in a way that gives them all the ability to shine, find space and affect the game. I doubt Southgate will do this.
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Yes Eric I must say that when the defence has the ball at the back,it makes me ever so slightly nervous !

and as much as I respect Gareth as a person, I think he takes pragmatism too far, to our detriment.

as for Bellingham ,he could well be our match winner against the better teams, especially with Kane and Foden with him in the front three.

We might well win, and I hope that we do, BUT will the guys at the back be up to scratch ?

comment by WeekendOffender (U22920)
posted 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
We must be the first sports team in history to have half a dozen "generational talents" playing at the same time?
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We are the only team that has half a dozen generational talents every 10 years that don't fulfill potential

comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by WeekendOffender (U22920)
posted 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
We must be the first sports team in history to have half a dozen "generational talents" playing at the same time?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We are the only team that has half a dozen generational talents every 10 years that don't fulfill potential
----------------------------------------------------------------------

We are the Spurs of international football.

comment by WeekendOffender (U22920)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by WeekendOffender (U22920)
posted 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
We must be the first sports team in history to have half a dozen "generational talents" playing at the same time?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We are the only team that has half a dozen generational talents every 10 years that don't fulfill potential
----------------------------------------------------------------------

We are the Spurs of international football.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is well known worldwide

Southgate to Utd
Poch to England

Spursy Circle complete

My take on it is that the profile of player we currently have in the squad is made up with players from teams who control games, who defend from the front and hunt in packs. That is a bit of a contradiction of Southgate's tactics. It's all about the midfield. He always seems to have two holding but if we had one, Rice, then we could have two slightly further up in Bellingham and Foden pulling the strings. That would allow for Kane to have the support of two rapid wide forwards, like Saka or Gordon, to make up for his lack of pace. I'm sick of seeing a talent like Foden being shoved into one of those vacant forward positions. It doesn't bring the best out in him because he doesn't have the pace to overlap and it doesn't suit Kane's game. He's far more suited to a midfield role in this system.

Southgate was great for us initially because we really didn't have the players to control games so he needed protection but we have them now. We should be on the front foot playing the kind of football these lads are used to playing. Pound for pound I think we have the most talented midfield and forward line in the tournament so why not keep the ball in those areas. Control the game, not sit on the edge of our own box waiting for the opposition to lose the ball.

Should win it but had Brazil or Belgium been knockout games, we would have / could have been knocked out. The only weaknesses England have are fatigued players from a grueling club season and the scalp that other nations will want to claim. England will be the Liverpool/Man Utd of the tournament that everyone else will want to beat.