The Football Thread - Page 2137

**m100** · May 16th, 2018, 01:15 PM

And breathe Hart's not even on stand by

England World cup squad

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Fabian Delph, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ashley Young.

Midfielders: Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck.

Stand-by: Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livemore and Adam Lallana.

**pierrelm** · May 16th, 2018, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knuckle_shuffler

After the game I had flurry of texts, all pretty much saying the same thing.. "if we play like that on the 26th... We won't beating Fulham" I'm not a fan of Play Offs, just money making and pocket emptying, the third place team are entitled to be going up, and I'm sure that's how it will be.

KS

I suspect you are right - tbh I can't remember the Villa-Fulham game at Villa Park, but the Craven Cottage fixture featured Terry playing statues for the first goal and Villa looking distinctly second best.
Whoever does go up, they are going to have to do some proper wheeler-dealing during the summer.
The Championship is fiercely competitive, but the quality is gradually getting worse each year as any player remotely decent is sucked up by the PL big boys, generally to bench warm if they are lucky.
And how many WBA cast-offs and Ayew brothers looking to get back into the PL would you want, anyway? Precisely

**pierrelm** · May 16th, 2018, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m100

And breathe Hart's not even on stand by

England World cup squad

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Fabian Delph, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ashley Young.

Midfielders: Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck.

Stand-by: Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livemore and Adam Lallana.

I hope Pope gets at least one game before the tournament - unlikely to be first choice, I think Pickford will get the nod, I do hope he doesn't twat about with the ball at his feet too much - Stones is liability enough at that for any one side, let alone having the keeper playing silly buggers. And the defenders can't afford to let him out of the six yard box at set pieces, they'll need to sort it for him.

Damn, but our midfield looks paper-thin. Alli has rediscovered some form - I wish Dier would - he always looks like he has a mistake in him. I really like the inconsistent Loftus Cheek, but Lallana must be really knacked, otherwise he'd have walked into that collection.

I hope our central defenders get their act sorted? I wonder if there will be a temptation to try Stones, Walker and maybe Delph together. Cahill is very lucky to be included. Rashford has been woefully short of form and confidence for the last few months - goodness, I'm so looking forward to it already.

Oh, and Lampard and nothing-to-say-gobshite Ferdinand joining Shearer and the eternally dull Phil Neville as BBC pundits? Watch telly, turn on the radio...

**ultimatewarlord** · May 16th, 2018, 04:02 PM

What the hell? Delph and Young? I got fed up of commentators telling us how Ashley Young was such a success as a full back this season. If we are blessed in one thing it's full backs. I can accept an argument that it means an adaptable squad but Delph has hardly set the world alight at any position.

**m100** · May 16th, 2018, 04:58 PM

Delph seems to have got the James Milner role. No one is quite sure what he does or why he's there.

**Knuckle_shuffler** · May 16th, 2018, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierrelm

I suspect you are right - tbh I can't remember the Villa-Fulham game at Villa Park, but the Craven Cottage fixture featured Terry playing statues for the first goal and Villa looking distinctly second best.
Whoever does go up, they are going to have to do some proper wheeler-dealing during the summer.
The Championship is fiercely competitive, but the quality is gradually getting worse each year as any player remotely decent is sucked up by the PL big boys, generally to bench warm if they are lucky.
And how many WBA cast-offs and Ayew brothers looking to get back into the PL would you want, anyway? Precisely

Very succinctly put pierrelm...

Without a doubt, the PO final against Fulham could well be Grealish's last game for Villa. Even if there should an injustice of us winning.... (I'm a firm believer that third place has earned the right to promotion) I can still see other clubs with more promise of trophies coming in for him...

He's Villa thru and thru.... but money rules over the heart..

KS

**pierrelm** · May 16th, 2018, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultimatewarlord

What the hell? Delph and Young? I got fed up of commentators telling us how Ashley Young was such a success as a full back this season. If we are blessed in one thing it's full backs. I can accept an argument that it means an adaptable squad but Delph has hardly set the world alight at any position.

I thought I was the only one doing a double-take at Ashley Young; he's not good enough at defending, is ponderous, has to pause for a breather when he reaches the half-way line and has the turning circle of a cross channel ferry. At this level he'll be another liability. No wonder Luke Shaw looks depressed.

Delph is 'workmanlike', will put a shift in if needed and plays with Sterling, Walker and er, Stones, at least in theory. Token Yorkshireman, I suspect.

**victor meldrew** · May 16th, 2018, 09:27 PM

When the squad was announced I thought BFS had been re instated as our national manager. It looks like Southgate is going to set up a defensive screen in front of the goalkeeping suspects, I don't see a way back if we go behind as midfield looks almost non-existent. Maybe BFS hoof it into the box tactics?

I see dildo Sullivan spouting more nonsense, he might want a "name" as a manager, trouble is David you have to open the purse strings, with your track record in the transfer market nothing will change, remember Avram Grant.

**Ace1965** · May 17th, 2018, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m100

And breathe Hart's not even on stand by

A post I saw said that upon hearing the news, Joe Hart put his head in his hands and dropped it.

**judy84** · May 17th, 2018, 06:59 AM

Southgate will be hailed as a genius or a useless twat, most probably the latter.

You can't imagine a team picked from that squad beating even a top club team like Man C. Pity they can't have warm-up games against such teams instead of the likes of Nigeria, they might learn something.

However.... having a young team without the likes of Hart will definitely improve team spirit, especially being away for a month in Russia. A team without egos and playing as a team might do ok.

Teams like France with star player like Griezmann, Pogba, Mbappe and Payet lost against Sweden earlier this year in a WC qualifier.How many Sweden players can you name? also Portugal won the Euros with a pretty workmanlike team without Ronaldo in the final.

The trouble is most teams are like this. So it becomes a matter of luck most of the time in cup competitions, with the better teams often going out on penalties or a silly mistake or decision. It will be interesting to see what effect VAR will have. Certainly at most corners could result in a penalty if minutely examined.
A team without superstars and with discipline, like Germany always have, would be favourites in my opinion.

May 16th, 2018, 04:02 PM	#21364
ultimatewarlord Vintage Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,474 Thanks: 8,328 Thanked 15,872 Times in 1,441 Posts	What the hell? Delph and Young? I got fed up of commentators telling us how Ashley Young was such a success as a full back this season. If we are blessed in one thing it's full backs. I can accept an argument that it means an adaptable squad but Delph has hardly set the world alight at any position. __________________ The British Government is a disgrace.

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May 16th, 2018, 01:15 PM	#21361
m100 Vintage Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,505 Thanks: 5,109 Thanked 11,919 Times in 1,489 Posts	And breathe Hart's not even on stand by England World cup squad Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope. Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Fabian Delph, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ashley Young. Midfielders: Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck. Stand-by: Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Lewis Cook, Jake Livemore and Adam Lallana.

May 16th, 2018, 04:58 PM	#21365
m100 Vintage Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,505 Thanks: 5,109 Thanked 11,919 Times in 1,489 Posts	Delph seems to have got the James Milner role. No one is quite sure what he does or why he's there.

May 16th, 2018, 09:27 PM	#21368
victor meldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: At the bottom of an empty glass Posts: 15,776 Thanks: 531,870 Thanked 179,944 Times in 15,764 Posts	When the squad was announced I thought BFS had been re instated as our national manager. It looks like Southgate is going to set up a defensive screen in front of the goalkeeping suspects, I don't see a way back if we go behind as midfield looks almost non-existent. Maybe BFS hoof it into the box tactics? I see dildo Sullivan spouting more nonsense, he might want a "name" as a manager, trouble is David you have to open the purse strings, with your track record in the transfer market nothing will change, remember Avram Grant.

May 17th, 2018, 06:59 AM	#21370
judy84 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Wilts Posts: 2,008 Thanks: 34,481 Thanked 21,442 Times in 2,021 Posts	Southgate will be hailed as a genius or a useless twat, most probably the latter. You can't imagine a team picked from that squad beating even a top club team like Man C. Pity they can't have warm-up games against such teams instead of the likes of Nigeria, they might learn something. However.... having a young team without the likes of Hart will definitely improve team spirit, especially being away for a month in Russia. A team without egos and playing as a team might do ok. Teams like France with star player like Griezmann, Pogba, Mbappe and Payet lost against Sweden earlier this year in a WC qualifier.How many Sweden players can you name? also Portugal won the Euros with a pretty workmanlike team without Ronaldo in the final. The trouble is most teams are like this. So it becomes a matter of luck most of the time in cup competitions, with the better teams often going out on penalties or a silly mistake or decision. It will be interesting to see what effect VAR will have. Certainly at most corners could result in a penalty if minutely examined. A team without superstars and with discipline, like Germany always have, would be favourites in my opinion.