joey_big_nose

It is remarkably similar to what happened to Phil Jones. Think they hang players out to dry there.

I know but everyone would be in the same boat, and it would out us in a much better place in a few years. Would remove our dependence on Venkys which can only be a good thing.

You live and learn! Now you mention it I remember it was an issue with Mulgrew. Well we should do the same with Championship imo. It's madness everyone is spending well beyond their means. Means the league will lose talent, but I would trade that for a more level playing field and the knowledge the club can financially survive.

Surely if EFL is dying due to expense the way forward is to start looking at budget caps relative to each league? That way you keep the game competitive without the need to go begging?

I don't agree. I think Bell gets unfair abuse, but it's clear he isn't a reliable option and the system we use required incredibly fit full backs. What happens if he gets injured? We will be playing Rothwell at full back - you think I am joking but that is why will happen. A new left back is utterly crucial.

I disagree - nation's league is a decent short form competition which is far more enjoyable than qualifiers or friendlies. Long may it continue!

I think the main thing that will decide if we are playoff candidates - and same with virtually every other decent team in the league - is how injury free we stay. If some of Lenihan, Ayala, Armstrong, Holtby get knocked out for significant periods we are screwed no matter who we sign at left back. A decent left back will certainly help though!

Thinking about it actually maybe the big six have thought it through and see it as a way to drive through them leaving and forming a Euro super League? If everyone throws their toys out it opens up their ability to do that. "Well we tried to work with you but you have given us no choice" etc Sure Barca, Madrid, PSG, Inter, Juventus, Milan etc are up for it.

What makes it interesting is in England we do have a lot of very well supported clubs. It would actually be quite feasible for the likes of West Ham, Newcastle, West Brom, Aston Villa, Leeds, Leicester etc to walk away and set up their own league. And that's just in the Premier League. Could get really really ugly. I just can't see those clubs accepting second class citizen status. I can't really see what's in it for the club's outside the top six and those clubs who don't get parachute payments in the EFL.

Aren't you missing Germany out there? They were unbelievable between 2014 and 2016? Unlucky to be knocked out in 2016 semis by France.

I think you are getting a bit carried away here! We've got a fantastic crop of attackers and midfielders - but then so have France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands. I wouldn't say there is much between any of those top countries. If you had to pick one as the strongest France is the obvious nation. We've got some obvious weaknesses we need to sort out - Goalkeeper, Centreback both look weaker than the other top nations. And we also look vulnerable to what happened with the "golden generation" where we had a lot of good attacking players - Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, Joe Cole etc - but they all ultimately wanted to play in the central 10 role and ended up crowding each other out and we never looked a balanced team. That said I have to agree England looked much much better after half time. It was tactically very clever switching the full backs inside. So huge credit to Southgate. Looking forward to the game in Brussels. I thought this was a good summary of the half time tactical changes : https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/11096/12102076/england-2-1-belgium-how-gareth-southgates-half-time-tactical-changes-completed-comeback

True, but even in that context England have some exceptionally narrow players at the moment. Sancho and Sterling are the only two who can go the outside of a full back if they want to, . The best "wide forwards" are those who can go inside or out like Mane, Salah, Duff, Robben etc. If the full back always knows you are going inside it makes you far less effective. Just think it will be a problem if the opposition sit deep against us.

Well fair play we won it, had a very good second half. Both our goals were fortunate but we got them and once we were ahead they had very little opportunity second half. Calvert-Lewin looks the real deal. We haven't had a proper target man like that in a long long time. I guess a concern is we are accumulating a lot of good players now but there is not a lot of natural width. A lot of quite narrow players. But anyway strong win. What I like about the nation's league is now we need to go to Belgium very soon for another competitive game.

Well we've stuck with the 343. Looks a bit better this half.

Bloody hell I've realised Winks and Gomez aren't even on the bench? WTF? Okay .... Pickford AA. Mings Maguire Trippier Mount. Henderson. Rice Sancho. Kane. Rashford.

I would have Chilwell and Sterling, but I was suggesting a team that Southgate could use his 5 subs to bring out second half now! Playing any rightback at left back is incredibly undesirable. Trippier is a quality player, really rate him. But he isn't in a million year a left back of left wing back. That we've got into a position where he is playing there is mad.

Total overhaul required Pickford AA. Gomez Maguire Trippier Henderson. Winks. Rice Sancho. Kane. Rashford. Got a goal back fortunately against the run of play but we need to do something drastic or we will lose this game.

Reckon switch to 4 at the back imminent. This is a fiasco.

I think we've been practicing this formation to for this game with Belgium specifically. But it looks a total fail. We haven't broken their lines once.

Looking totally outclassed here. Player for player Belgium are stronger than us, but our system is very wrong.

It seems a pretty cynical attempt to use the crisis to stitch up the top flight. If it came to it you would hope the government would intervene.

This looks absolutely horrendous. Basically a bunch of short term bribes so essentially the top six clubs can control the game. Transparently awful. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/10/11/world-exclusive-man-utd-liverpool-driving-project-big-picture/

Two interesting selection dilemmas for me - Lenihan Vs Ayala Vs Williams. Which two start? And Nyambe Vs JRC? For me team to start : Kaminski Nyambe. Lenihan. Williams. Bell Holtby. Johnson. Rothwell Dolan. Armstrong. Brereton. Team to change to around 60 mins second half if they sit deep like Cardiff (a tactic which Hughton is fond of), and we struggle to break them down. Really wish we had someone better than Gallagher to bring on, but we don't. Kaminski. JRC Lenihan. Williams. Bell Holtby. Johnson. Rothwell Buckley Gallagher Armstrong.

He started to remind me of Senna, that quality Spain defensive midfielder from around 2008. Obviously a more budget Championship version, but just so physically dominant in the middle and shows quality on the ball, and drops off into the right positions. On paper you would think the 433 would expose his lack of pace and mobility but it's actually worked really well for him because everyone is closing down like mad he can drop off and take up good positions.

Quality player although not universally popular. I was a big fan - but if you told me he was a future world cup winner 10 years ago I would have been surprised! The Fonz was very good, but I wouldn't really say he was up there with even the likes of Robbie Savage or Flitcroft in terms of his impact at Rovers. Not followed his career too closely since he left Rovers,