qwertyell

Seems like Hughes is wedded to wing backs from all pre season evidence thus far. Valery is promising, Reed CDAJ, and I think I'm right in saying Armstrong played a few games at right back for Celtic with distinction - good engine, lots of pace getting up and down the wing. And as others have said, we could bung up the right side with a plodding tortoise like Prowse or Stephens if things got desperate. It'd be nice to have a clear back up option, but it wouldn't be a surprise if we settled for what we've got. We were linked to some Croatian bloke a few weeks ago. They seem to produce half decent players... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Don't think it's realistic, unless it's a loan because we're skint. He's a brilliant prospect (in spite of what some have concluded from one difficult season for an appalling team) who will be playing right at the top in a few years. Pace, power, technical ability, strong in the air, and intelligent, proactive off the ball movement that a seasoned striker would be proud of - he's got it all. An by all accounts is a very level headed, bright young man with no ego. I'd be over the moon if we signed him. But we won't. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

How about we don't spaff money up the wall on a has been while simultaneously stunting the development of one of our own by farming him out again? Just a thought. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Oh, and Sessegnon. I knew I forgot one of our future star wide attackers. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Personally don't think Southgate has much of a clue tactically. His obsession with 3-5-2, having qualified comfortably playing a back four, hasn't improved us at all. In qualifying we conceded 3 in 10 games. We've conceded 8 in 7 at this WC (one clean sheet). Defensively, the formation change has made us worse. So, to justify the change in approach, surely it must have improved our attacking play - right? Only Iran, of all the teams at the WC had less shots on target from open play. We managed to nullify our star striker, Kane, who likes to play up on his own, and our best winger, Sterling, who is not a number 10. Our success in reaching the semis was almost exclusively down to set pieces. Much like Indiana Jones was completely irrelevant to the plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark (the Nazis would've still found the Ark, opened it, and had their faces melted off if Indy had just stayed home and watched the snooker), our formation really had no bearing on our set piece strength. The best young players coming through are all wide attackers: Sterling, Rashford, Sancho, Foden, Lookman, Nelson, Hudson-Odoi. Yet the manager has seemingly convinced himself that wide attackers have no part of his England vision. Even 2-0 down, he couldn't bring himself to take off a defender for one last push to get something from the game. We finished with five defenders and a holding midfielder, FFS. This Word Cup will be won by a team playing a variant on 4-3-3. Just like the last World Cup was. And the one before that. And every Champions League winner as far back as I can remember. And all the England age groups who have been beating everyone across the board. I've enjoyed our run through the tournament, but not the way we've played. Watching five defenders, a holding midfielder and the keeper slowly pass the ball between themselves for long periods until someone puts them under pressure and they lump it 60 yards back to the opposition is pretty turgid stuff. I certainly hope it's not the future. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

It's pie in the sky stuff. Austin hasn't made more than 14 starts in a season for 4 years. The idea that we can rely on his decrepit body to hold up under the burden of being our main striker is not based in reality. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

It just stopped him getting injured earlier. It only took the heavy workload of a whole five starts for his hamstring to explode. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Are we still, after three years, deluding ourselves that we'll be fine with Austin as our main striker, "if he can stay clear of injuries"? Jesus, it's like West Ham levels of denial with and perma-crock Andy Carroll. Yeah, maybe this year will be different... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I agree with him. Been saying it all tournament: games are won and lost in midfield and we barely had one. Two guys who constantly run away from the ball and Jordan effing Henderson. You can't beat a proper team by giving them both the ball and the freedom of the midfield to play in. It's madness. We lost tonight once Croatia established dominance in the middle of the park after half time. And Southgate did nothing at all to try and address it - a like for like substitution, Dier for Henderson, when the Liverpool headless chicken ran out of gas predictably made no difference. Lingard and Alli stayed on, in spite of neither creating chances, retaining possession nor shielding the defence. Even just one of those things would've been nice. But they're not really midfielders. Alli's entire game is stupid flicks, trying to draw fouls and ghosting late into the box to finish off other people's creative work. As a central midfielder, he's very poor - not a patch on his unfortunately injured teammate Harry Winks, who can actually play the role properly. England can take some positives from the tournament, of course, but the entire midfield was dysfunctional from the get go and needs a total overhaul. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

No midfield. Southgate's tactical naivety coming to the fore. Should've had Alli or Lingard off ages ago for someone who can actually retain possession. We've got too many players in the middle of the park obsessed with flicks. Croatia favourites from here. We look clueless. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Our passing is terrible. Henderson's hoofed about four through balls straight out of play. If we had a midfield, we'd be far more comfortable out there. If anyone could pick a pass, Croatia's defence is wobbling all over the shop. Rebic is too quick, too strong and too aggressive for Young - there's trouble afoot there. Mandzukic has won pretty much every header contested outside the box. Only a matter of time before he hurts us from a cross or set piece. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I assume he worked with Watson in some capacity when he was still part of the England set up. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Assuming Cedric is staying, and we're now wedded to playing wing backs, we could probably find a back up to roam the right side from within the squad. Harry Reed played there at times for Norwich, I think Armstrong has for Celtic, and of course we've got young Yan Valery coming through who certainly looks physically up to the task of playing against adults. It'd be nice to have a specialist in place of course, but it wouldn't be a major surprise if we didn't sign anyone in that position. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Liverpool fans reckon his pace has gone. And that was by far and away his best asset. Didn't we sell Rodriguez because he was a shadow of the player he was pre injury? Why gamble on a player whose best days are over when we could instead gamble on one of our own up and coming talents, or invest in one like Ben Brereton at Forest for example? Don't see the point in signing Ings at all. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

It is odd on the face of it - I think Gunn might even be a better keeper than McCarthy already, despite his age. Perhaps McCarthy would only sign his new contract if there was a Les Reed special "gentleman's agreement" that he'd get a transfer after one more season, so we want to bed his replacement in. Or maybe he's got a release clause that would leave us powerless if anybody did make a move for him at the last minute. I think Gunn's a massive talent. So perhaps the simplest answer is - after years of giving our keeper an easy ride - we're actually signing serious competition to push hard for the starting jersey. Long term, Gunn's going to win that battle, I'd imagine. Still doesn't explain why he'd give up another season's experience playing every week in the Championship for probably only a handful of games - but maybe he's confident that he'll force his way in sooner rather than later. Personally, I'm all for signing quality youngsters rather than aging journeyman to back up and push for a place in every position. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Been our best player. It's Dele Alli we're carrying. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Get rid of a promising young striker to bring in one whose best days are probably over (due to two ACL injuries in two years) - doesn't sound like a great plan to me. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Couldn't get in the Danish side ahead of Huddersfield donkey Zanka. So that's promising... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Poland cheated the system to ensure they were seeded for the WC by deliberately not playing any friendlies. Their ranking points came exclusively from comforably topping a weak qualifying group. The FIFA rankings are and always have been farcical. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

How ever will we replace a half assed performing seal who only wants to **** around with the ball irrespective of the game going on around him? Is Adel Taraabt available? Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

The tactics don't make any sense. Lingard and Alli run away from the ball, while the other midfielder Henderson passes backwards. The only players passing forwards are the defenders. And so Kane and Sterling drop deep to try and create... for no-one, as they're meant to be our spearheads. We've created FA from open play, and I don't see that trend changing against a well organised Sweden team. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Southgate's a tactical gimp. Games are won in midfield and we've had no midfield all tournament. Henderson passes backwards, Lingard and Alli run away from the ball. We haven't created any chances for Kane from open play in any game. This one's done - heads have gone. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Can you really be a box to box midfielder if you're physically spent after an hour? I would've thought stamina was a requirement of the role. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Proven at what? He's had one mediocre season in the Premier League for a relegated side who shipped goals as soon as they switched tactics from parking the bus every week. I don't see the point in spending a fortune on someone no better than what we've already got. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Bit worrying that Denmark can't find a place in their defence for a player we're supposed to be interested in ahead of Ipswich, Brentford and Huddersfield's finest. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk