England Euros thoughts and predictions
Thankfully we still have some football this summer, he is Simon's thoughts on England and Gareth Southgate
I often ponder just how good this England team could be if they had a better tactical and more attacking manager than Gareth Southgate.
I don’t rate him (watch him go win the Euros now). He is a pretty good man-manager and a decent guy, a real FA ‘yes man’. But he is too defensive minded and not tactically adequate enough.
Sorry to my non-English followers, as you know, I am English, and I very much support England. As the domestic season is over, my focus always stays on Chelsea and transfer news, but I will of course be watching and backing England all summer.
I’m confident we can actually do quite well to be fair, but I can’t see us progressing any further than the quarter finals (again, watch us win it now).
England have a fantastic group of players and they’re full of fresh attacking talent, they’re a good young team and if we had a good manager with more tactical knowledge, they could do some real damage against many teams.
Mason Mount is on great form going into the tournament, as is Phil Foden. Jack Grealish is absolutely brilliant, and our full backs (hopefully Reece and Chilly B) are frantic and strong.
The centre backs are our biggest weakness, as well as perhaps between the sticks. Maybe this is why Southgate insists on playing with two defensive midfielders every match no matter the opposition.
I’d like to see us line up in a 4-3-3 with Declan Rice as the only holding player, Mount and Grealish ahead of him, Sancho and Foden on the wings, with Harry Kane up top.
Just imagine that midfield and attack? Mount in an 8 going box-to-box is where he is best, Grealish as well. Two 8s, it would be so beautiful, but we wont see it I doubt.
As I said, the centre backs are a little weaker, John Stones and Harry Maguire I guess would be our best bets there, but then how fit will Maguire be?
This whole playing players who aren’t even in the squad in the last two friendly matches is just bloody bizarre if you ask me. Why not play your team that you will be lining up with next weekend at the Euros? Let them get used to playing together and get your tactics and style of play on point for the finals?
No, let’s just play players who aren’t even coming, good one Gareth.
I don’t want to be too hard on the guy before we have even kicked a ball in the tournament, but he’s just too nice and not tactically good enough for me I’m afraid.
Again, watch him go bring the trophy home now and hand us all a massive L!!
Up the Eng-er-laaaand!
Simon Phillips
Well you've said it talk, to my own point of view Gareth is very weak, the team might be progressing it doesn't matter and if he decided to play a pattern he played against Denmark with Italy tomorrow I am assuring you that no European league for England
It's a bit like the Frank / Thomas effect for me that we as Chelsea fans have seen first hand. The England team is packed with talent, but it's not clicking, to many strange decisions from Garath, but then what do i know lol, i feel an upgrade of manager gets us results, but like Chelsea with the CL, England give me the feeling before the event, that they could do it, especially if Garath keeps it simple, and let's his best players play their game.