Other Sports: Soccer/Football Thread Part Six

[Cody Webster]

Seems wild that they left off Steffen and Pepi....

 

[Appleyard]

Was at the City vs Chelsea game last night... good fun...

but sorry to the Chelsea fans in here, it was the quietest away end I have ever seen. A LOT of fans came up from London for a midweek game at 8pm, but then sat in silence for 90 minutes. Kind of weird. Only heard like one chant all game from them.

Kind of bizarre.

Like... this year been to the games vs Bournemouth and Notts Forrest as well... both probably had ~50% of the allocation that Chelsea had and Bournemouth were 5x louder and Forrest 10x louder.

 

[TCTC]

Was at the City vs Chelsea game last night... good fun...

but sorry to the Chelsea fans in here, it was the quietest away end I have ever seen. A LOT of fans came up from London for a midweek game at 8pm, but then sat in silence for 90 minutes. Kind of weird. Only heard like one chant all game from them.

Kind of bizarre.

Like... this year been to the games vs Bournemouth and Notts Forrest as well... both probably had ~50% of the allocation that Chelsea had and Bournemouth were 5x louder and Forrest 10x louder.

What's your opinion on James Maddison likely not making the WC squad? Seems questionable to me. Isn't he the kind of player England could really use?

 

[FLYguy3911]

No Tomori lol.

 

[Starat327]

No Tomori lol.

Maguire over Tomori is an abomination of a selection. The only thing that even comes close is still somehow including Jack Grealish over, well...anyone.

Another wasted tournament for England courtesy of Southgate.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Maguire over Tomori is an abomination of a selection. The only thing that even comes close is still somehow including Jack Grealish over, well...anyone.

Another wasted tournament for England courtesy of Southgate.

Kinda figured he was on the outside looking in after he didn’t play in the Nations League.

England soccer to me feels like Hockey Canada. Too much talent to f*** up but too much talent that they don’t pick the right players.

 

[Appleyard]

What's your opinion on James Maddison likely not making the WC squad? Seems questionable to me. Isn't he the kind of player England could really use?

I am very glad he made it. Glad Ben White made it too, very good and very versatile.

But yeh...

no Tomori is a joke. Tarkowski is also better than Coady but tbf neither would have played.

I would have picked:

GK: Pope, Pickford, Ramsdale
FB: Alexander-Arnold, Trippier, Shaw, Walker, White
CB: Stones, Tomori, Gomez, Tarkowski
DM: Rice, Phillips
CM: Bellingham, Henderson, Maddison, Mount
WM/W: Rashford, Foden, Saka, Sterling, Grealish
ST: Kane, Wilson, Toney

I would have had a hard time leaving out Joe Willock and Connor Gallagher based on how he played to start the year too. But I would not play 2x pure DMs like Southgate would so would not worry about only having ~5-6 guys through middle (since Foden can play there easily in AM too.)

I would also play a proper 4-2-1-3, with likely:

Rashford-Kane-Saka
Foden
Rice-Bellingham
Shaw-Tomori-Stones-TAA
Pickford

But tbh depending on opposition would have Trippier over TAA and Phillips in for Rashford with Foden shuffling to LW and Phillips-Rice-Bellingham as a more traditional middle 3.

So yeh... I have a very different football philosophy that GS.

 

[TCTC]

I am very glad he made it. Glad Ben White made it too, very good and very versatile.

But yeh...

no Tomori is a joke. Tarkowski is also better than Coady but tbf neither would have played.

I would have picked:

GK: Pope, Pickford, Ramsdale
FB: Alexander-Arnold, Trippier, Shaw, Walker, White
CB: Stones, Tomori, Gomez, Tarkowski
DM: Rice, Phillips
CM: Bellingham, Henderson, Maddison, Mount
WM/W: Rashford, Foden, Saka, Sterling, Grealish
ST: Kane, Wilson, Toney

I would have had a hard time leaving out Joe Willock and Connor Gallagher based on how he played to start the year too. But I would not play 2x pure DMs like Southgate would so would not worry about only having ~5-6 guys through middle (since Foden can play there easily in AM too.)

I would also play a proper 4-2-1-3, with likely:

Rashford-Kane-Saka
Foden
Rice-Bellingham
Shaw-Tomori-Stones-TAA
Pickford

But tbh depending on opposition would have Trippier over TAA and Phillips in for Rashford with Foden shuffling to LW and Phillips-Rice-Bellingham as a more traditional middle 3.

So yeh... I have a very different football philosophy that GS.

Yeah, I saw that Maddison made it. And I'm happy for White too. He deserves it. He's having a fantastic season so far playing RB which isn't even his natural position. He probably won't play, but who knows.

If Southgate's going to play 3 CBs and 2 DMs again, he really is a coward lol.

 

[Starat327]

I am very glad he made it. Glad Ben White made it too, very good and very versatile.

But yeh...

no Tomori is a joke. Tarkowski is also better than Coady but tbf neither would have played.

I would have picked:

GK: Pope, Pickford, Ramsdale
FB: Alexander-Arnold, Trippier, Shaw, Walker, White
CB: Stones, Tomori, Gomez, Tarkowski
DM: Rice, Phillips
CM: Bellingham, Henderson, Maddison, Mount
WM/W: Rashford, Foden, Saka, Sterling, Grealish
ST: Kane, Wilson, Toney

I would have had a hard time leaving out Joe Willock and Connor Gallagher based on how he played to start the year too. But I would not play 2x pure DMs like Southgate would so would not worry about only having ~5-6 guys through middle (since Foden can play there easily in AM too.)

I would also play a proper 4-2-1-3, with likely:

Rashford-Kane-Saka
Foden
Rice-Bellingham
Shaw-Tomori-Stones-TAA
Pickford

But tbh depending on opposition would have Trippier over TAA and Phillips in for Rashford with Foden shuffling to LW and Phillips-Rice-Bellingham as a more traditional middle 3.

So yeh... I have a very different football philosophy that GS.

We've talked about this before. There is an embarassment of riches in young english attacking talent currently, and somehow this dude keeps trotting out 7 defenders every game.

Southgates selections are even more infuriating because he claims that 'form' is the factor, but what form has Maguire been in? Trent? Grealish? Phillips?

Full transparency, all of them are good players when healthy, but none of them have any semblance of form. If form is the factor, I'd argue Chalobah should be in over Coady, Dier and Maguire. There's just no rhyme or reason to it.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

I'd appreciate it if they put out the numbers of the players on the USMNT. Aaronson is, I guess, still likely to wear #11 but not going to take the risk of ordering one only for it to be wrong.

 

[trostol]

kind of surprised TAA made the england squad..he's been pretty awful and didnt think Southgate really liked him

 

[Appleyard]

kind of surprised TAA made the england squad..he's been pretty awful and didnt think Southgate really liked him

Glad he did really. Helps that so many FBs are injured I guess.

James, Chilwell... and Walker maybe not playing until last group game.

But I get why in his case. He provides something that very few FBs ever to play the game have done when on form, and while not on form has the ability to just go off all of a sudden.

And tbh especially in the group games where some teams will sit back can imagine he would be a good bet to get extra space and be able to deliver from deep which he does amazingly even this season.

 

[TCTC]

Glad he did really. Helps that so many FBs are injured I guess.

James, Chilwell... and Walker maybe not playing until last group game.

But I get why in his case. He provides something that very few FBs ever to play the game have done when on form, and while not on form has the ability to just go off all of a sudden.

And tbh especially in the group games where some teams will sit back can imagine he would be a good bet to get extra space and be able to deliver from deep which he does amazingly even this season.

Yeah, TAA makes sense if Southgate wants his RWBs to be really offensive minded. He's also played Saka as LWB, hasn't he?

 

[Starat327]

Glad he did really. Helps that so many FBs are injured I guess.

James, Chilwell... and Walker maybe not playing until last group game.

But I get why in his case. He provides something that very few FBs ever to play the game have done when on form, and while not on form has the ability to just go off all of a sudden.

And tbh especially in the group games where some teams will sit back can imagine he would be a good bet to get extra space and be able to deliver from deep which he does amazingly even this season.

Agreed here. Assuming everyone's healthy, James is your starter and you use TAA as a more forward option, or throw him in thr Midfield and let him roam. His defensive game obviously leaves a lot to be desired but his offensive game is second to none when he's on.

 

[PDX Flyer]

Maguire has been awful when playing this season, let alone last year. Always out of position and misreading the play. I hope he plays against the USA!

 

[TCTC]

Brentford! How is Ivan Toney not going to the World Cup?

 

[PDX Flyer]

Brentford! How is Ivan Toney not going to the World Cup?

They did a really good job of keeping City to the outside. Game never had a flow which was good for Brentford. That counter attack was sweet

 

[TCTC]

They did a really good job of keeping City to the outside. Game never had a flow which was good for Brentford. That counter attack was sweet

And they almost scored another one at the end. When they showed the 10 minutes additional time, I was sure City's going to win it. Did not expect Brentford to take all 3 points today.

 

[Jack Straw]

I feel kind of dirty rooting for Chelsea but here we are

 

[Jack Straw]

Oh well

 

[Starat327]

Well played by Arsenal. Meanwhile We look like we're cruising into the conference league at best

Conference league may be a stretch at this point. Throw two more players on the injury scrap pile.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Rip Chelsea.

 

[Cody Webster]

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Rip Chelsea.

Come at the King (Serie A) you best not miss, amirite?

 

[FLYguy3911]

Come at the King (Serie A) you best not miss, amirite?

In before Chelsea beat Milan's C team twice.