Looks like chilwell is a doubt for the world cup after injuring his hammy last night.
Could this give a chance of a call up for rico or will southgate go with luke Shaw, cresswell and shoe horning trippier into left back?
He will do the latter.
Considering that Chilwell is most likely out now and we don’t have an abundance of left backs at our disposal , if Rico doesn’t at least get called up for the 55 name squad , Rico won’t ever be getting that first cap whilst Southgate is still Coach .
Luke Shaw will be first choice ahead of Ryan Sessegnon, doubt Rico is even in the thoughts of Southgate. Don’t think Southgate will pick anyone from outside the big six apart from those with media pressure like Ivan Toney.
Rico Henry would be picked by 99% of the nations competing.
But our Gareth will ignore him.
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@DavidWFC give your head a wobble.
Southgate has capped players from Burnley, Brighton, Southampton, Wolves, he took a punt on Phillips when Leeds were in the Championship.
There is a benefit to some big club bias. Consider the benefit of a full back who has featured in the Champions League this season playing in a high expectation and pressure environment over Rico. Makes sense.
Can’t be dealing with the negative anti Southgate rhetoric before big competitions. Especially when it’s on bollocks like he ignores small clubs players. Semi final > Final.
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Not at a “fashionable” enough club! Toney probably won’t go either
He’s not good enough
Behave!
So following the squad announcement today - it turns out only 6 outfield players out of 23 who don’t play for the “big 6” (Arsenal, Chelsea, City, Utd, Liverpool, and Spurs)… That’s roughly 75% that play for the “big 6”!
Point proven.
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Southgate has chosen Maguire. Tells me everything I need to know. He picks on names and clubs, not form.
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A closed squad these days. He only picked Maddison because of pressure. Some of those picks are ridiculous on form. Like Sterling. But it is what it is. A safe pick with players he has worked with.
Will be his last tournament anyway.
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I’m sure he gets told who to pick and being the yes man he is he does.
He’s picked Maddison due to pressure to do so (as said above) and it’s similar to when fans were keen for Grealish to get a game (something that wasn’t a problem so much when he was playing crap for City).
Said it before, his pragmatic, no risk approach will get you as far as possible until you face the first genuine quality team. As soon as any invention or attacking style is required he’s completely baffled.
Look at other attack minded players like Foden or Alexander Arnold. Granted the latter is not in great form but they’re young talent any club in the World would want and yet Southgate hasn’t got a clue what to do with them.
Hope he proves me wrong but I just can’t see how his lack of ability to set up a forward thinking side can change now. If anything, after the recent results, I can see him going even more safety first. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if there’s two holding midfielders versus Iran.
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Over the last year along with the Euros Rashford has been terrible, whilst Toney has been unplayable at times.
I wish I could make it make senses , it’s just favouritism.
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Southgate is too loyal to change, and too cautious to win. Not a great combination.
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A boring England manager and team, a dodgy WC in a city state in the middle of a normal season culminates in me, so far not giving a flying duck about this tournament.
It does come with the context that i dont really care about intl football, ive always been club before country. I would rather we go up in 2nd (the most boring way to be promoted) in to league 1, than win back to back euros and WCs.
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I will have me a bit of that kind of boredom.
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Maguire, Rashford, Phillips, Shaw and Walker, it is a joke.
He will now shoehorn Trippier in as LB to accommodate Walker.
Made himself look stupid by saying he will only pick players on form.
As said previously, we will look great in an easy group but as soon as we play the likes of Belgium (see previous world cup) we will be made to look very ordinary.
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