Why do you think that? We've got loads of number 10s and no wide players beside Conway. Plus we've got a signing sitting on the bench in Bell

Nothing personal but don't get this at all. How can we play 4231 when we have only one wide player in Conway and he is really struggling. We'd need to sign 2/3 wide players to persist.

Why?

I don't know, he's a superb allround player, and I think he could offer more if played deeper with the licence to get forward. He can drive the whole team. Only way to accommodate a true free role for him is to play Armstrong and Palmer wide which I think really under uses their strengths.

Agreed, but think with the lack of signing proper wingers, and the need to utilise Bell we are heading in that direction.

I don't know. Probably suits us with the players we have. I can't see how we play Williams, Dack, Palmer, Armstrong and Bell unless we go 352/532. To be honest leaving out the likes of Evans and Samuel can only help us. And I think Dack and Palmer both have the physicality to be effective from deeper positions.

We could take a leaf out of England's tactic book? --------------------------------Raya ------------Lenihan----Mulgrew----Williams Bennett-----Dack-----Smallwood---Palmer----Bell ----------------------Graham------Armstong

You know what think you're into something there... But maybe more like Raya Lenihan Mulgrew Williams Bennett Evans Smallwood Bell Dack Graham Samuel Think that will suit our players well.

I think Armstrong has a lot of quality. The goals he scored last year showed that. Good finishing, good pace, technically decent. I think he can be a success if we play to his abilities as others say. Certainly deserves 10 games or so in the Championship to see how he fares before we write him off.

A bit of a weak link for me, maybe I'm being unfair?

What's the first choice XI as it stands? --------------------------Raya Bennettt----Mulgrew----Lenihan-----Bell -------------Smallwood-----Rothwell ---------Samuel ------Dack-------Palmer ---------------------------Graham Good enough subs to come in : Williams, Rothwell, Evans, Davenport?, Travis? We look very light up front and wide mid and right back. Also no decent keeper backup for Raya. Also not convinced by CB reserves. Mid table championship team, but very vulnerable to injury.

I knew we were champions of one youth world cup. I didnt realise we are champs of both youth world cups (u17 and u20) and the u19 European cup. Maybe really things are looking up?

Well France who got to the final without needing to go to extra time then easily beat Croatia. I'd say teams that can on average win games in the 90 mins are better than those that need the extra time to do it.

Sides I expect England would lose by a couple of goals to : Spain, Brazil, France, Germany (if they turned up), Belgium Sides England would have a tight game with, and probably lose in extra time or penalties : Portugal, Argentina, Italy (I know they didn't qualify!), Uruguay, Croatia Everyone else I would expect us to just about beat. Though I wouldn't be mega confident with the like likes of Colombia, Switzerland, Poland etc who are not far off us in terms of quality.

I thought it was a fair accusation in the Belgium France game where France totally strangled it. But in the final, France were very entertaining in the second half. It's hard to score 4 with anti football. They arguably could have got another 2. Sour grapes unfortunately.

Very fair article here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44808192 Stats in this volume really don't lie. Southgate got some elements very right - three at the back, going for Pickford, choosing Maguire over Cahill, the set piece routines, selecting Trippier over Walker at wing back. However when you're getting less shots on target per game than Costa Rica and Tunisia there is a critical need to go back to the drawing board on midfield and attack. For what it's worth I'd look at moving Sterling into midfield and just play Kane up there on his own. I think it may perversely help us slightly, although it would depend on the midfield effectively supporting the striker. Also Kane's lack of mobility is a barrier to going it alone up top, but potentially that was just due to injury. Also I'd swap one of Alli or Lingard for a passer - probably Shelvey. He's got his faults but I think Alli and Lingard are too similar, and Alli in particular has been poor. Alternatively we could drop Walker and go 442/451. That would let us play Shelvey, Alli and Lingard. But I think we won't do that as 3 cb has worked pretty well. I could easily see us lose the composure and control of possession 3 at the back has given us. One good thing is we are going straight into competitive games with Spain and Croatia (the new Nations League) so we should be able to experiment a bit against high quality opposition.

Sessegnon looks a certainty for caps, the rest need to establish themselves at their clubs to see if they have the required credentials.

I totally disagree on that. Could be moody but had a lot of good games and was rightly player of the season one year. Always thought he would go on to do well. However I would not have gone so far as to say win a world cup!

It's much easier to change tactics than change the quality available. Frances issue has been not getting the tatical balance right. Now they look the part. France made the Euros final, won this one, so that's two finals in a row to start. Theyll kick on and be favourites in 2020 for sure. The quality in every position is vast and they are all so young! Only note of caution is the German team is still very young, and has loads of superb players and experience and a great manager, yet were diabolical at this world cup. Shows there are no sure things.

To be frank Belgium are a quite a few rungs better than us with the best player at the tournament in Hazard. To lose to them is no surprise at all. People should not take it too hard. It's been a good tournament. Semi finals is a fabulous outcome given the mediocre quality of the players available. Southgate now needs to look forward and figure out how possibly to do better. People will expect us now to make semis at least at the Euros. How he is going to manage that will take some considerable imagination and planning as we are unlikely to get as soft a draw again and we are so far behind Germany, Belgium, France, Spain in terms of quality available, and on a similar level to another 4 or 5 European teams. He's going to either need to wring more quality out of what he has, or find some new top players from somewhere as yet unknown.

Both teams playing close to strongest side. Very pleased about that! Should be a cracker.

Well it's a true enough stat. Compared to Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Netherlands, France etc. we really struggle in the knockout stages.

While I agree in the raw talent stakes we are a long way behind other major football nations one sliver of hope is this world cup and the last Euros suggest you don't actually need the best talent to be in with a shout. The beauty of knockout football.

Devastating summary that!

My money is on him probs dropping Alli and bringing a passer in to sit alongside Henderson. Lingard then becomes a single player in the hole behind the strikers. Alli has really offered very little at this tournament. Not looked fit or clear on his role. Lingard in fits and starts has looked very promising. Worth a place for his running and movement alone.