England World Cup XI...

Rozay

Master of Hindsight
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Saw a conversation on this on Sky Sports. If the tournament started next week, what XI would you go with?

Mine:

I think 4-3-3 would be best, so:

Butland

Walker
Maguire
Stones
Young

Dier
Wilshere
Winks

Sterling
Kanye
Martial obviously not really, I mean Rashford


They may go 3-5-2, so:

Butland

Walker

Stones
Smalling
Maguire

Young

Dier
Wilshere

Jessi
Sterling

Kane
 
I feel like our midfield isn't strong enough for a 4-3-3. Just about every team in the top 10 has a better midfield than us.

Therefore I'd go with a 3-5-2: (Edit: 3-4-3 or 5-2-3)

Butland

Walker Stones Jones Maguire Shaw
Wilshere Dier
Jesse Kane Sterling
 
Last edited:
Can't see England passing group stage with Jess and Sterling as creative outlets. Wilshire and Dier aren't very inspiring either. Hope there's more in the locker for England otherwise it will be like previous competitions.
 
@Rozay love for Martial is too strong:D
 
broccoli said:
Can't see England passing group stage with Jess and Sterling as creative outlets. Wilshire and Dier aren't very inspiring either. Hope there's more in the locker for England otherwise it will be like previous competitions.
Click to expand...

He's been sensational this year. Jesse hitting good form at the right time too.
 
Jordan McKenzie said:
I feel like our midfield isn't strong enough for a 4-3-3. Just about every team in the top 10 has a better midfield than us.

Therefore I'd go with a 3-5-2:

Butland

Walker Stones Jones Maguire Shaw
Wilshere Dier
Jesse Kane Sterling
Click to expand...

How is that a 352?

Butland
Stones Jones Maguire? (No idea if hes any good tbh)
Walker Wilshere Dier Ali Rose
Kane Rashford

Maybe drop Rashford for Sterling if his form doesnt improve. Bit harsh on Lingard but not sure where he fits. Would want someone quick to partner Kane that can drift wide or make runs in behind. Not sure if Lingard is the right fit for that.
 
broccoli said:
Can't see England passing group stage with Jess and Sterling as creative outlets. Wilshire and Dier aren't very inspiring either. Hope there's more in the locker for England otherwise it will be like previous competitions.
Click to expand...

Well there isn’t really. Alli, Lallana, Rashford perhaps is as good as the rest get, otherwise you start scraping the barrel with the likes of Albrighton!

English players don’t really start regularly in forward positions in the PL.
 
If it started tomorrow:

Pickford/Butland
Walker
Stones
Jones
Any one of Shaw/Young/Rose
Dier
Wilshere
Sterling
Lingard
Rashford
Kane

Reckon there's a chance Lallana and Alli, could push themselves in by the time the tournament starts, but I wouldn't select either right now.
 
Can someone explain to me the Wilshere obsession?!!?

It'll be 3 at the back. Young won't play. Wilshere shouldn't play. Alli will do nothing. Sterling will be booed. Kane won't score but it's not his fault cos he isn't getting the service.

Out in 2nd round.
 
Butland
Jones Stones Maguire
Walker Dier Winks Young
Alli
Kane Rashford

Or
Butland
Walker Stones Jones Rose
Dier Winks
Sterling Alli Rashford
Kane
 
PeteManic said:
Can someone explain to me the Wilshere obsession?!!?

It'll be 3 at the back. Young won't play. Wilshere shouldn't play. Alli will do nothing. Sterling will be booed. Kane won't score but it's not his fault cos he isn't getting the service.

Out in 2nd round.
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Our Cm options are Wilshere, Dier, Henderson, Winks and Drinkwater

Id have Wilshere if i have to pick 2 of those
 
PeteManic said:
Can someone explain to me the Wilshere obsession?!!?

It'll be 3 at the back. Young won't play. Wilshere shouldn't play. Alli will do nothing. Sterling will be booed. Kane won't score but it's not his fault cos he isn't getting the service.

Out in 2nd round.
Click to expand...

Everyone else being absolutely dog shit. If it's him Henderson or Drinkwater then it's going to be him.
 
Jordan McKenzie said:
He's been sensational this year. Jesse hitting good form at the right time too.
Click to expand...
He works in a very specific system. Pace, agility but not much else. I would be very surprised if he achieved similar levels for the national team.

Just looking at some top teams' main creative outlets:

Arg: Messi, Dybala, Di Maria
Spain: Isco, Iniesta, David Silva
Germany: Ozil, Sane, Muller
France: Mbappe, Martial, Griezmann
Brazil: Neymar, Firmino, Coutinho
Belgium: Hazard, Mertens, De Bruyne

England: Lingard, Sterling, ????
 
PeteManic said:
Can someone explain to me the Wilshere obsession?!!?

It'll be 3 at the back. Young won't play. Wilshere shouldn't play. Alli will do nothing. Sterling will be booed. Kane won't score but it's not his fault cos he isn't getting the service.

Out in 2nd round.
Click to expand...

Fit Wilshere is England's best CM.
 
It is going to be 3-5-2.. so we might as well brace ourselves for that.

Butland
Walker J. Gomez Stones Maguire Shaw
Winks Wilshere
Sterling D. Alli
Kane
​
On paper it doesn't look the sexiest of english line ups, but perhaps that is a good thing.. very little established players in that side but quite fluid in nature with some decent possession players.
 
broccoli said:
He works in a very specific system. Pace, agility but not much else. I would be very surprised if he achieved similar levels for the national team.

Just looking at some top teams' main creative outlets:

Arg: Messi, Dybala, Di Maria
Spain: Isco, Iniesta, David Silva
Germany: Ozil, Sane, Muller
France: Mbappe, Martial, Griezmann
Brazil: Neymar, Firmino, Coutinho
Belgium: Hazard, Mertens, De Bruyne

England: Lingard, Sterling, ????
Click to expand...

I also don’t expect Sterling to produce much, nor do I think he’s a top player, but there would be little justification of not picking him at the moment.
 
I'm not English so my Wilshere question is genuine. Sure it would be Dier and Alli?
BarcaSpurs said:
Our Cm options are Wilshere, Dier, Henderson, Winks and Drinkwater

Id have Wilshere if i have to pick 2 of those
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That's a fair point. Didn't realise England had a lack of CMs.

Would it not be Dier and Alli? And then Sterling Kane and Lingard/Rashford as front 3?
 
If this team doesn't get out of a group with Tunisia and Panama you might aswell give up on football.

They should be making the quarters given the draw they got.
 
Butland
Walker Stones Jones* LB *why should we suffer alone
. Alli Dier Wilshire
. Lingard Kane Sterling

Don't get your hopes up.
 
Euch.

I would probably go with something like this in a 4-3-3:

Butland

Walker
Stones
Jones
Rose

Dier
Alli
Oxlade-Chamberlain

Sterling
Lingard
Kane

Winks or Wilshere for Ox if you need to tighten up a bit. Rashford on for Jesse if he does a disappearing act.
 
PeteManic said:
Can someone explain to me the Wilshere obsession?!!?

It'll be 3 at the back. Young won't play. Wilshere shouldn't play. Alli will do nothing. Sterling will be booed. Kane won't score but it's not his fault cos he isn't getting the service.

Out in 2nd round.
Click to expand...

It's pretty simple, when fit he's by far our best midfielder. The only player who can match the top nations midfielders on a technical level, and as BarcaSpurs said, the other options are dog shit.
 
PeteManic said:
I'm not English so my Wilshere question is genuine. Sure it would be Dier and Alli?


That's a fair point. Didn't realise England had a lack of CMs.

Would it not be Dier and Alli? And then Sterling Kane and Lingard/Rashford as front 3?
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Alli doesn’t play as a centre midfielder anymore.
 
--------------Butland--------------
Walker---Stones----Cahill----Rose
----------Dier------Hernderson----------
Sterling--------Alli--------Rashford
--------------Kane--------------
 
.......................................Butland....................................
Walker............Jones...........................Stones..............Rose
.......................................Dier.........................................
................... Ali.................................Ox.........................
Stirling............................Kane.............................Rashford

Squad (still 23 for a WC I think)
GK. Pickford & Hart
CB. Cahill Gomez (as he can cover both FB positions and central plus Dier can also play here)
FB. Tripier & Delph (delph can also cover in midfield)
MF. Winks & Henderson (meh I know but he is probably gonna go)
AM Lingaard, Lallana (presuming he starts getting games for liverpool)
FW. Vardy & Sturridge (presuming he starts scoring at west brom)

Wilshire and Barkley are both probably only a run of a few good games from a place as they both clearly have talent but playing time and consistency are their big issues
Walcott could also force his way in if he does well at everton as his raw pace is always a threat
 
I'm not sure 3 CBs + Dier in midfield would work and it wouldn't make much sense to play like that in the first 2 games where England will be massive favourites.



Win the first 2 games and then use the Belgium game to adjust playing against a tougher opponent, keep the team solid defensively and hope Kane and the speed of Sterling, Rashford and Lingard can hurt teams on the counter. The midfield really isn't good enough to dominate teams so you'll have to make the games boring and be comfortable defending without the ball.

I can't really blame you for it but I think people are way too pessimistic given the draw they got. English youth teams are getting better and a QF appearance would be important for the future.
 
This would be my team as things stand, a lot can change between now and the end of the season.

Butland

Walker---Stones---Smalling--- Rose/Shaw ( Depending on who's fit/in form at end of season)

Dier---Wilshere

Sterling----Lingard----Rashford

Kane
 
Two problems which will compound each other. First, the shitshow at centre midfield. Mitigated to some extent by Wilshere's return to form and fitness. Second, the lack of creativity and gel in the attack. All the best options that are likely centred around Sterling and Ali have thrived getting on the end of service from the likes of Eriksen, De Bruyne or Silva. I'm not sure who can bring that together into a cohesive unit, but it could be a decent counter-attacking set-up. But that isn't how that defence should be set up, they should be able to play a lot higher and dictate from the back. Fair play to Southgate if he can sort that out.
 
broccoli said:
He works in a very specific system. Pace, agility but not much else. I would be very surprised if he achieved similar levels for the national team.

Just looking at some top teams' main creative outlets:

Arg: Messi, Dybala, Di Maria
Spain: Isco, Iniesta, David Silva
Germany: Ozil, Sane, Muller
France: Mbappe, Martial, Griezmann
Brazil: Neymar, Firmino, Coutinho
Belgium: Hazard, Mertens, De Bruyne

England: Lingard, Sterling, ????
Click to expand...

True, as a team we have deficiencies all over the pitch.

However, I feel like in a good system, our front 3 could tear apart some of the best teams.

If Rashford, Kane, Sterling, Alli, Lingard etc have any sort of form going into the summer, then we need a counter attacking system that gets the ball to them as quick as possible.

Could be very dangerous.
 
If the tournament started next week I would probably go with

Butland

Walker=Jones-Stones-Shaw
Dier-Wilshere
Sterling-Lingard-Rashford
Kane

However I think that Vardy, Henderson, Hart & Alli will probably end up in the team
 
Not Hart
Stones Jones Maguire
Walker Dier ??? Shaw
Alli
Sterling Kane
​
Similar to how Spurs have played at times this season. I don't think England's wingers are any good (as wingers), so a more narrow formation with wingbacks made sense to me. Not sure who should partner Dier, and I'd be tempted to have Lingard over Alli.
 
Minkaro said:
Not Hart
Stones Jones Maguire
Walker Dier ??? Shaw
Alli
Sterling Kane
​
Similar to how Spurs have played at times this season. I don't think England's wingers are any good (as wingers), so a more narrow formation with wingbacks made sense to me. Not sure who should partner Dier, and I'd be tempted to have Lingard over Alli.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's not too bad. I suppose ??? will be Henderson, as deeply unexciting as it is.
 
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