World Cup: National Team threads #2

[cgf]

Final 26

Havertz / Füllkrug / Undav
Wirtz / Musiala / Sane / Brandt / Müller / Führich
Gundogan / Kroos / Goretzka / Can / Andrich
Kimmich / Henrichs / Mittelstädt / Gosens or Raum
Rüdiger / Tah / Hummels / Schlotterbeck / Thiaw
Neuer / ter Stegen / Trapp or Baumann

 

[Evilo]

Tchouameni is doubtful for Euro...

 

[Savant]

Tchouameni is doubtful for Euro...

I mean if one national team could survive losing a DM it’s France, but terrible news

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

I mean if one national team could survive losing a DM it’s France, but terrible news

i'm not sure honestly. France feel weirdly vulnerable this go around. they have so much talent in midfield but the dropoff at DM is steeper than in their other spots. do they run a triple-8 with Cama, Griez, and (likely) Rabiot where the defensive competencies of each make up for a lack of DM?

not a hugely easy group either. the netherlands got a lot better as qualifying went on, and austria had a very good qual campaign. poland are not good and were lucky to qualify (outplayed pretty intensely by wales in the parts of that match i caught).

 

[Evilo]

Yeah I don't like it, especially given our depleted CB situation.
DD doesn't trust Saliba, Upa and Konate are sucking, Lucas is out.

Who is going to play? Most likely Upa and Konate, with one of Pavard or Kounde on the right (ouch) and Theo on the left. Since DD doesn't want Ferland close to his team, I'm guessing Digne will be backup.
Gusto won't be called up IMO.

Also Maignan has been injured a lot and the drop off to Samba is big. Areola and Chevalier could get some playing time, but I doubt it.

In midfield, Cama, Griez and Rabio will start, with WZE as backup. After that, it will be Y. Fofana who's having a great season tbh.

Up front, Kolo Muani is struggling a lot, but DD still has Mbappe and Dembele and will likely start Thuram (yuck). Giroud as backup for his last tournament. Hopefully he calls up Barcola as another win option since Coman is doubtful.

I don't like the way this is going.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Yeah I don't like it, especially given our depleted CB situation.
DD doesn't trust Saliba, Upa and Konate are sucking, Lucas is out.

Who is going to play? Most likely Upa and Konate, with one of Pavard or Kounde on the right (ouch) and Theo on the left. Since DD doesn't want Ferland close to his team, I'm guessing Digne will be backup.
Gusto won't be called up IMO.

Also Maignan has been injured a lot and the drop off to Samba is big. Areola and Chevalier could get some playing time, but I doubt it.

In midfield, Cama, Griez and Rabio will start, with WZE as backup. After that, it will be Y. Fofana who's having a great season tbh.

Up front, Kolo Muani is struggling a lot, but DD still has Mbappe and Dembele and will likely start Thuram (yuck). Giroud as backup for his last tournament. Hopefully he calls up Barcola as another win option since Coman is doubtful.

I don't like the way this is going.

total bonehead behaviour to not call up Gusto. I can understand not wanting him and Theo starting at the same time (a little unbalanced), but he's fricking amazing.

Deschamps's commitment to Upa and Konate is more embarrassing than Southgate's commitment to Maguire (hear me out) because at least Maguire has consistently been absolutely frickin world class for England even when he's been bad at club level.

Areola should be the backup, he's had an okay year. A lot rides on Maignan being fit.

Things get thin after Fofana, and you're already playing with a little fire with a triple-8.

but yeah, i'm not high on France for this tournament. they know how to get the job done, which we saw in WC22, but the vibes here feel similar to those of Euro21.

 

[cgf]

German CL winner, German EL winner, Union avoiding relegation, and Germany winning the Euros at home sounds pretty good to me

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

German CL winner, German EL winner, Union avoiding relegation, and Germany winning the Euros at home sounds pretty good to me

don't forget St. Pauli coming up!

 

[bluesfan94]

don't forget St. Pauli coming up!

Don't jinx it.

 

[Evilo]

total bonehead behaviour to not call up Gusto. I can understand not wanting him and Theo starting at the same time (a little unbalanced), but he's fricking amazing.

Deschamps's commitment to Upa and Konate is more embarrassing than Southgate's commitment to Maguire (hear me out) because at least Maguire has consistently been absolutely frickin world class for England even when he's been bad at club level.

Areola should be the backup, he's had an okay year. A lot rides on Maignan being fit.

Things get thin after Fofana, and you're already playing with a little fire with a triple-8.

but yeah, i'm not high on France for this tournament. they know how to get the job done, which we saw in WC22, but the vibes here feel similar to those of Euro21.

Yes I would have a totally different team than DD obviously.
I'd have Gusto at RB and starting. He can start a 6 to compensate Theo and Gusto at the same time. I'd have Saliba starting every game.
Cama same.
Up front I would not have Thuram near the team. I'd even start Giroud above him.
And France would do well to add Barcola and Doue. Doue is an 8 and can play 10 and wing, which is the kind of versatility that'd be very helpful.
Tel could be called up as well. He has proven to have the level.

 

[cgf]

don't forget St. Pauli coming up!

Union v St Pauli in the 1st division will be the coolest night on the footballing calendar

 

[gary69]

All Olympics participants are now known. Not familiar with lot of teams, but it doesn't look like a strong line-up. At least one lesser nation will make the semis.

Group A: France (hosts), United States, Guinea, New Zealand.

Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine.

Group C: Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic.

Group D: Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel.

 

[gary69]

Brazil has selected their squad for Copa America. Unsurprisingly Casemiro and Antony have been omitted. Gabriel Jesus too.

Bit more surprising that Richarlison was left out, but the manager said it's because of his recent injuries.

Don't know anything about Arama, but I wonder why Bremer wasn't chosen alongside his club teammate Danilo.

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Athletico PR), Ederson (Manchester City)

Defenders: Beraldo (PSG), Militao (Real Madrid), Gabriel (Arsenal), Marquinhos (PSG), Danilo (Juventus), Couto (Girona), Arama (Athletico MG), Wendell (Porto)

Midfielders: Pereira (Fulham), Guimaraes (Newcastle), Luiz (Aston Villa), Gomes (Wolves), Paqueta (West Ham)

Forwards: Endrick (Palmeiras), Evanilson (Porto), Martinelli (Arsenal), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Savinho (Girona), Vinicius Jnr (Real Madrid)

 

[Power Man]

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

did Koch have a good season in Frankfurt? i didn't rate him during a single minute of his time in England and he hasn't been capped for the NT since 2021 - was surprised to see him called up here.

 

[cgf]

Koch was ok this year. He's mobile and generally solid enough for an end of bench guy, but Pacho was the only Frankfurt defender who really impressed this year.

I can get not wanting to bring Mats along if Nagelsmann doesn't think he has enough gas in the tank to start. Mats is a big presence in the locker-room to have sitting on the bench.

Taking Koch over any of Rüdiger, Thiaw, Ginter, or Chabot, to pair with Nico & Tah is weird to me though unless he's just a great locker-room guy.

 

[luiginb]

Stupid from Nagelsmann

 

[cgf]

Stupid from Nagelsmann

I don't love Koch, but can't really overreact to end of bench picks. If we're banking on our 4th/5th CB then a lot has already gone wrong for us, so how they fit the locker-room is the most important thing they can bring.

Nico, Rüdi, & Tah are the only German CBs who I think really have no question marks around their candidacy...and even from those 3, Schlotterbeck has been absolutely cursed in the NT shirt so far, while Tah has been Süle-level inconsistent before this season.

From there I'd have wanted Hummels and Thiaw to claim the remaining CB spots...but Mats looked gassed against Atletico before his strong PSG performances & is tough to bring without starting. While Thiaw has just battled too many injuries this season.

So who are we really talking about picking Koch over? Bisseck, Ginter, Chabot, or Anton? I like Chabot a lot for Union, and wouldn't mind Ginter for the NT, but I don't see Koch as meaningfully different than Ginter, he's more proven on the ball than Chabot or Bisseck, and moves better than Anton.

 

[luiginb]

I'd start the duo from Dortmund at the back for the NT

 

[cgf]

I'd start the duo from Dortmund at the back for the NT

My 5 would've probably been Mats, Nico, Toni, Tah, & Thiaw. But asking Mats to start every 3-4 days for a month is a lot. I totally get being unsure about bringing him.

 

[al secord]

Koch tease

 

[Jack Straw]

German CL winner, German EL winner, Union avoiding relegation, and Germany winning the Euros at home sounds pretty good to me

And Isaiah Hartenstein is balling.

 

[cgf]

And Isaiah Hartenstein is balling.

Blockenstein's monster is by definition a monster

Wonder if Can gets left off now that Groß, Pavlovich, & Andrich are confirmed.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Pochettino - Chilwell could be in 'perfect condition' for England

Ben Chilwell could be “in perfect condition” to feature for England at this summer’s European Championship despite enduring an injury-plagued season, according to Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino. The 27-year-old has been limited to just 13 Premier League appearances in 2023-24 by two...

www.nytimes.com

chilwell essentially hasn't played since southgate played him injured for 180 minutes in march, so i'm gonna be pretty pissed if he ends up on the plane to germany.

i'll be even more pissed if southgate takes reece.

 

[cgf]

So we've got:

Neuer,
Tah, Schlotterbeck, Rüdiger, Koch,
Raum, Mittelstädt, Kimmich,
Pavlovic, Andrich, Gundogan, Groß...not sure if he's been picked as a midfielder or Kimmich backup
Wirtz, Sane, Führich,
Havertz, Füllkrug, Undav

2 of those final 8 spots will go to keepers, 1 to a CB (probably), 1 to Musiala, 1 to another creative, and then (depending on where Groß will play) 1 to a FB/midfielder. That leaves 2 spots that can float around a bit. Probably some iteration of:

ter Stegen
GK - Trapp, Baumann, Ortega
CB - (Hummels), Thiaw, Chabot, Ginter, Süle, Bisseck
CM/DM (or Henrichs) - Goretzka, Can, Kroos, Stiller, Khedira
Musiala
AM/W - Müller, Brandt, Gnabry, Hoffman, Burkardt, Adeyemi

with those last spots going to a 2nd AM/W + CM/DMs (if Groß is a FB), 2nd AM/W + Henrichs if not.