World Cup 2026

[imtommygunn]

Souness came up on my social media feed talking about Declan rice and to a lesser degree Elliot Anderson. He was saying that rice is very much a recycle the ball player and is not a world class player and at 27 that is not going to change but Anderson may have hope. I would say he has a point. Kane is definitely world class but he doesn't have enough to work with and with how little possession they get has to drop back to get it.

England have been the same for years. To control a game you need guys in midfield who can do that - England do not have that and never have. Even the golden boys lampard, scholes and Gerrard couldn't do that without an intelligent foreigner beside them.

[Ronnie]

Tuchel talked about the DNA of English players, not having the confidence in possession & not having control in midfield.  I thought they were valid points.  Spain have this & that's why I fancy them on Sunday.

[Armagh18]

Souness came up on my social media feed talking about Declan rice and to a lesser degree Elliot Anderson. He was saying that rice is very much a recycle the ball player and is not a world class player and at 27 that is not going to change but Anderson may have hope. I would say he has a point. Kane is definitely world class but he doesn't have enough to work with and with how little possession they get has to drop back to get it.

England have been the same for years. To control a game you need guys in midfield who can do that - England do not have that and never have. Even the golden boys lampard, scholes and Gerrard couldn't do that without an intelligent foreigner beside them.

Criminal that they tried to shoe horn Lampard and Gerrard into that team ahead of Carrick and Scholes.

Mainoo far too good of a player to not get minutes on that team. If he'd any sense he'd head home before the 3rd place shite.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

You a united supporter by any chance Armagh18 😄

[Tony Baloney]

Souness came up on my social media feed talking about Declan rice and to a lesser degree Elliot Anderson. He was saying that rice is very much a recycle the ball player and is not a world class player and at 27 that is not going to change but Anderson may have hope. I would say he has a point. Kane is definitely world class but he doesn't have enough to work with and with how little possession they get has to drop back to get it.

England have been the same for years. To control a game you need guys in midfield who can do that - England do not have that and never have. Even the golden boys lampard, scholes and Gerrard couldn't do that without an intelligent foreigner beside them.

Criminal that they tried to shoe horn Lampard and Gerrard into that team ahead of Carrick and Scholes.

Mainoo far too good of a player to not get minutes on that team. If he'd any sense he'd head home before the 3rd place shite.

England teams have always loved a box to box midfielder with a good engine. Carrick didn't fit the system. Any other United players missing from the team? 

[Mourne Red]

Souness came up on my social media feed talking about Declan rice and to a lesser degree Elliot Anderson. He was saying that rice is very much a recycle the ball player and is not a world class player and at 27 that is not going to change but Anderson may have hope. I would say he has a point. Kane is definitely world class but he doesn't have enough to work with and with how little possession they get has to drop back to get it.

England have been the same for years. To control a game you need guys in midfield who can do that - England do not have that and never have. Even the golden boys lampard, scholes and Gerrard couldn't do that without an intelligent foreigner beside them.

Criminal that they tried to shoe horn Lampard and Gerrard into that team ahead of Carrick and Scholes.

Mainoo far too good of a player to not get minutes on that team. If he'd any sense he'd head home before the 3rd place shite.

Anderson will be playing an 8 role at city he won't change his game either. As Amragh18 said Carrick probably best English midfielder for controlling a game in the last 20 years or more but shoe horned in Lampard and Gerrard in 442 so Carrick was largely ignored.

Wilshere could control a midfield but injuries ruined him. Wharton the only current English player imo who could set the pace of a game but needs a big move in the summer. United probably best club for him given they need a 6 - Carrick probably help his development too.

Someone mentioned Tuchel saying players didn't have confidence in possession - Well he picked the players, Foden, Palmer, Mainoo, Wharton, Rogers all good link up players but he didn't use them (Rogers out on the right isn't going to control possession)

[Armagh18]

You a united supporter by any chance Armagh18 😄

The odd day. Think I'm right in what I'm saying regardless. Anyway as long as those hoors never figure out how to make the most out of the players they have and continue to fail miserably I'm happy enough

[Ronnie]

I raised the point re: confidence in possession.  As Tuchel said it's not a recent phenomenon.  Late 70s / early 80s English clubs dominated Europe but they were brutal 4-4-2 in tournaments.  Bryan Robson was a certain starter but he played box-to-box.  When fit (which wasn't always) he played with Ray Wilkins, Peter Reid, Trevor Brooking, Steve Hodge or some other journeyman.  Glenn Hoddle who was world class was criminally ignored.  No one in that era could control the game like Hoddle but he got accusations of laziness thrown at him.  Graham Taylor took over in the late 80s & set them back years with his Neanderthal long ball tactics.

[maddog]

Waddle was another sort of flair that they played but were iffy about. Le Tissier was a gifted player but didn't get much of a look in. Maybe Southampton wasn't considered big enough club.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Barnes was a shadow of the player he was for pool

As a few have indicated eng had a rigid 442 system whereas a 433 or 4231 may well have suited some of the players mentioned

[Ronnie]

correctamundo

[weareros]

If you can ignore the 1970s perm, Kevin Keegan was a great player for England. A lot of that great 70s Liverpool team did not play as well internationally, like Terry McDermott. Some would say same with Steve Heighway for Ireland.

[ArmaghTastic]

Don't see Kane being World Class. A good player no doubt but being English he is slightly overrated the same as most English players. His numbers are a bit inflated from playing in the German league imo. Scores plenty of goals for England against lesser nations and plenty of penalties also .

England's best ever player? Not for me he isn't, obviously Gazza is the best player they have ever produced,now he was World Class, now if you're asking who was the best player that done the business for the England national team and not just England's best ever player then yeah Kane has to be up there because of his goals scored record (despite who most of the goals he scored were against poor opponents)but like has been said has gone missing in many of the big games.

[trueblue1234]

You a united supporter by any chance Armagh18 😄

Souness came up on my social media feed talking about Declan rice and to a lesser degree Elliot Anderson. He was saying that rice is very much a recycle the ball player and is not a world class player and at 27 that is not going to change but Anderson may have hope. I would say he has a point. Kane is definitely world class but he doesn't have enough to work with and with how little possession they get has to drop back to get it.

England have been the same for years. To control a game you need guys in midfield who can do that - England do not have that and never have. Even the golden boys lampard, scholes and Gerrard couldn't do that without an intelligent foreigner beside them.

Criminal that they tried to shoe horn Lampard and Gerrard into that team ahead of Carrick and Scholes.

Mainoo far too good of a player to not get minutes on that team. If he'd any sense he'd head home before the 3rd place shite.

England teams have always loved a box to box midfielder with a good engine. Carrick didn't fit the system. Any other United players missing from the team? 

The reality is that with Scoles, Lampard, Gerard they were blessed with talent. That's 3 world class players to try and fit in. Carrick was good but more like Henderson. Workrate and doing the simple things right.

[square_ball]

Hargreaves played plenty in that era with Scholes/Lampard/Gerrard. He was often played ahead of Carrick when they wanted someone as a holder. Again he would be more in the mould of a work horse rather than someone who can control a match.