Predicting the England World Cup 2022 Squad

[Sly]

GK: Pickford, Ramsdale, Pope

 

DF: Maguire, Stones, Walker, Chilwell, TAA, Shaw, White, James,

 

MF: Foden, Grealish, Rice, Bellingham, Mount, Saka. Henderson, Phillips

 

FW: Kane, Sterling, Rashford

 

In the 40 but getting cut: Mings, Sancho, ESR, Coady, Trippier, Gallagher, Bowen, DCL, Abraham, JWP, Lingard, Tomori, Homez, Johnson, Butland, Guehi, Chalobah

 

Potential left field inclusions at this point if we got key injuries: Maddison, Barnes, Green, Lamptey, Justin, Konsa, Eze, Jones, Elliott and Toney

[SuperMike]

"Oh, Harry, you are so wonderfully gormless! How can I become as gormless as you and Hendo?? "

[purpleronnie]

I'm no snowflake (ahem) but I have to say the criticism for Kane about the way he looks or talks is really getting old.  I don't understand why its so amusing to so many especially given most of the criticism is actually from England fans.

[Gamble92]

39 minutes ago, purpleronnie said:

I'm no snowflake (ahem) but I have to say the criticism for Kane about the way he looks or talks is really getting old.  I don't understand why its so amusing to so many especially given most of the criticism is actually from England fans.

Jealousy basically. We have a habit in this country of old fat ugly men commenting constantly on the looks of footballers. Particularly successful English internationals. Then wonder why they turn round and have little to no synergy with the fans. 

[Corky]

Southgate, to his credit, doesn't pick on club status alone. Selecting on form is another good measure.

 

But he has his own biases and choices. Maddison couldn't have done much more in the recent months and merited a call-up for this squad. Of course, you can't pick everybody but it seems like a futile exercise for several players on the fringes and the outside under his watch.

[TonyN11]

16 hours ago, Big Dave said:

Couldn’t really give a shit.  Such a dull team to follow, lead by a real dullard

 

Hopefully no Leicester players in the England squad (and as few as possible in the other squads) - all need a proper rest and be fresh for next season.

Although it will mean fresh for the remainder of the same season. 

[Joe90lcfc]

1 hour ago, SuperMike said:

"Oh, Harry, you are so wonderfully gormless! How can I become as gormless as you and Hendo?? "

Mate that’s shit, surly you can be doing something more productive on a nice Mother’s Day afternoon  👎

[Pliskin]

Benson & Hedges 

[Fox92]

16 hours ago, FosseSpark said:

Watching Guehi, Mitchell, Gallagher in the England team shouldn't really surprise anyone when you think where Southgate was captain of and spent most of his career. I think Barnes and Maddison should be rightly super ****ed off to not be in the squad given how well they've played for some time now.

Those Palace players deserved their call up.

 

Barnes has been inconsistent this season.

[SystonFox]

Harvey Elliot isn’t above anyone in our squad. He is being talked about purely cos he’s liverpool. Disgusting. It’s why so many don’t care for the country

[lcfc sheff]

19 hours ago, Lesterlad said:

I agree Justin is better then KWP

 

I think Justin’s defending has been a bit shit since being back tbh, KWP is deserving of his place 

[Lesterlad]

8 hours ago, purpleronnie said:

I'm no snowflake (ahem) but I have to say the criticism for Kane about the way he looks or talks is really getting old.  I don't understand why its so amusing to so many especially given most of the criticism is actually from England fans.

Because they are wannabe bullies behind a keyboard

[smudger63]

Doubt there will be any City players in the world Cup squad, so it holds little interest to me. Do I want England to win the World Cup? Yes, will I be bothered when we get knocked out? Maybe for about 30 seconds, much like when England got to the Euros final and lost. I've never been less invested in the England football team, whether that's an age thing, or the players they pick, and manager that picks them, I'm unsure. Maybe all of the above. 

Edited 28 March 2022 by smudger63

[AjcW]

20 hours ago, purpleronnie said:

I'm no snowflake (ahem) but I have to say the criticism for Kane about the way he looks or talks is really getting old.  I don't understand why its so amusing to so many especially given most of the criticism is actually from England fans Ugly ***** who can't speak properly

Same same... 

[An Sionnach]

18 hours ago, SystonFox said:

Harvey Elliot isn’t above anyone in our squad. He is being talked about purely cos he’s liverpool. Disgusting. It’s why so many don’t care for the country

He is the best midfield player of his age in England that is why he is talked about. He was considered an exceptional talent when he was at Fulham.

[boots60]

With the chances that Southgate's giving out to anyone that's had a couple of decent performances recently I'm rather hoping boots60 will get a call up.

 

[Ric Flair]

22 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Those Palace players deserved their call up.

 

Barnes has been inconsistent this season.

I agree to a certain extent except for Mitchell. Thomas is a better player than he is but then again it's pointless picking Thomas to play left wing back, he's distinctly average there. Hopefully Justin puts a run of games together as in wing back system there aren't many better than him out of the current crop available.

 

Barnes has been excellent the last 2+ months which given the current state of England's selection policy well qualifies him and don't even get me started on Maddison, arguably the best English attacking player since October with 21 goal contributions in 26 games.

[Jabfox]

18 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I agree to a certain extent except for Mitchell. Thomas is a better player than he is but then again it's pointless picking Thomas to play left wing back, he's distinctly average there. Hopefully Justin puts a run of games together as in wing back system there aren't many better than him out of the current crop available.

 

Barnes has been excellent the last 2+ months which given the current state of England's selection policy well qualifies him and don't even get me started on Maddison, arguably the best English attacking player since October with 21 goal contributions in 26 games.

I would genuinely love to know his reasoning for the Maddison omission, as you said his stats I think are better than every other English attacking player. 

 

I understand people have favourites but that shouldn't be how it works in a profession such as top end professional sport. TBH I'm lowkey glad he didn't get called up for various reasons but it just doesn't sit well with me, I genuinely believe if he played for Chelsea for example and had half the output he has this season he would be in that squad. Just my opinion. 

[Ric Flair]

36 minutes ago, Jabfox said:

I would genuinely love to know his reasoning for the Maddison omission, as you said his stats I think are better than every other English attacking player. 

 

I understand people have favourites but that shouldn't be how it works in a profession such as top end professional sport. TBH I'm lowkey glad he didn't get called up for various reasons but it just doesn't sit well with me, I genuinely believe if he played for Chelsea for example and had half the output he has this season he would be in that squad. Just my opinion. 

I know he burnt some bridges a little bit but nothing thst ought to mean he's unpickable. If anything he's now proving that he's maturing a little bit, not only in his game but also off the field he's not doing as much stuff that might see England frown upon him.

 

Southgate is a chopper though, grade A complete salad.

[Chelmofox]

11 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I know he burnt some bridges a little bit but nothing thst ought to mean he's unpickable. If anything he's now proving that he's maturing a little bit, not only in his game but also off the field he's not doing as much stuff that might see England frown upon him.

 

Southgate is a chopper though, grade A complete salad.

I've presumed the problem is that Madison is an attacking midfielder, and Southgate won't tolerate many in his team.  Barnes stands no chance because his defending is completely hopeless.  Most of the team has to be defensively minded, and our defensive record at the Euro's shows what Southgate was looking for in the England team. I've often felt that peak Gazza wouldn't get in Southgates team.

[Sunbury Fox]

On 27/03/2022 at 15:01, Fox92 said:

Those Palace players deserved their call up.

 

Barnes has been inconsistent this season.

Maybe they did deserve a call up. But then when we spent virtually all of the past 2 seasons in the top 4 so did several of our players. And yet apart from Chilwell none of them got called up. I do find that unfair.

 

In terms of Maddison, he will never be called up whilst Southgate is manager unless there is a huge injury crisis. I think Southgate has an issue personally with him for starters. That much is clear. And on top of that England don't play with a 10 as they either play 343 or 433 so where does Maddison fit? He can't play wide, like Grealish, Foden, Mount and Smith-Rowe as he doesn't have the pace. We've had the same problem fitting him into our team since KDH came into the midfield 3. It's a shame but without a change of manager and shape he will remain a one cap wonder. 

 

Barnes is also a long shot as he's up against so many good players on the left wing - Sterling, Grealish, Foden, Sancho, Rashford, etc. At any one time at least a couple of those will be on top form and get picked instead of Barnes. 

 

Justin might have a chance of a call up once fit. He'll never displace James or TAA at RB if they are fit but he could be a contender at LB, depending on whether Chilwell returns to form after his big injury. 

 

The only relatively weak areas for England in this current squad are CB and creativity in central midfield. Consequently, if Fofana and Youri were English they would definitely be strong contenders to start. There is also an argument that the strikers backing up Kane aren't great at the minute. DCL, Rashford, Watkins and Ings have all been poor/indifferent this season. So Vardy would be a shoe in if he'd not retired from internationals. But given he has, I expect Abrahams will get selected. 

Edited 28 March 2022 by Sunbury Fox

[An Sionnach]

These days to win an international tournament you need to defend in depth , grab an untidy goal or two and win penalty shootouts. The football is often stuttering and crap to watch but hey there it is. In general flair players need not apply.

[Ely fox]

On 26/03/2022 at 15:53, dobbylcfc said:

Madders and Harvey Barnes could score 50 goals between them in the premier league and Southgate wouldn’t pick them. He has his Faves. Always been the same with England the season we won the prem they could of took drinkwater and albrighton and didn’t both players had a great season.    

Southgate like other England managers pick from largely the big clubs regardless as a safe bet. Which is ridiculous by the way. I’d have KDH in there and Maddison and Barnes. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

None of our lads will go and all our precious fans will be in tears, even though everyone claims to not care about England.

[Fox92]

6 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

None of our lads will go and all our precious fans will be in tears, even though everyone claims to not care about England.

Exactly this.

 

Southgate picked both Chilwell and Maguire when they were here. 

 

Justin probably would have got selected before his injury too.

 

I agree Drinkwater should have gone when we won the league but that was a different manager. Vardy retired which was his doing, albeit Hodgson did play him out of position but I still wouldn't have retired.