NOT SOUTHGATE'S LAST HURRAH: The England 2022 campaign

[Smallen]

1 hour ago, enigmatic said:

Think the importance of left footed centre backs is vastly overrated tbh. Don't think building from the back needs the left sided centre half to be able to play a long ball down the touchline to the nearside winger which is the only passing lane not being left-footed consistently shuts off (everything else depends on which way you're facing and where the opponents are). Would much rather have someone that can move and turn on the ball well (and actually defend!) than someone primarily left footed. Maguire is slow on the ball regardless of which side of the defence he's standing on

It's less when they have the ball/passing angles and more when they don't have the ball that's the problem imo. Maguire has to position himself deeper when Stones has the ball so that he has time to receive the ball across his body and work it onto his right. I noticed it every game in the tournament. Stones doesn't have the same problem at all. I appreciate that Stones is an elite ball player and Maguire is not, but still... I think a left footer helps. 

[GunmaN1905]

4 minutes ago, Smallen said:

It's less when they have the ball/passing angles and more when they don't have the ball that's the problem imo. Maguire has to position himself deeper when Stones has the ball so that he has time to receive the ball across his body and work it onto his right. I noticed it every game in the tournament. Stones doesn't have the same problem at all. I appreciate that Stones is an elite ball player and Maguire is not, but still... I think a left footer helps. 

What if...*drumroll*...Stones played as the left CB, with someone who has pace at right CB, so he can cover for James or TAA better?

[enigmatic]

32 minutes ago, Smallen said:

It's less when they have the ball/passing angles and more when they don't have the ball that's the problem imo. Maguire has to position himself deeper when Stones has the ball so that he has time to receive the ball across his body and work it onto his right. I noticed it every game in the tournament. Stones doesn't have the same problem at all. I appreciate that Stones is an elite ball player and Maguire is not, but still... I think a left footer helps. 

Think Maguire plays deeper mostly because he's slower and likes to take his time on the ball. He dawdles on his preferred side too. When he was actually in form, his ability to slow the tempo down and pick a pass was actually useful. When he wasn't... the less said the better. If he's standing even deeper now it might well be a sensible coaching move to give him extra time rather than because of where he stands.

[skybluedave]

3 hours ago, Rob1981 said:

FACT CHECK

This stat is not true.  Repeat, not true.  Such is my devotion to Gareth that I've found a site with all the historic FIFA rankings on it, and married this up against all our match dates.

Games against Top 10 (Top 10 at the time we played them) = 20
Wins = 5
Draws = 7
Losses = 8

Losses include the dead rubber group game against Belgium and the third place playoff, also Nations League games when we were rotating players.  Wins came against Switzerland (2018 friendly), Spain & Croatia (Nations League), Belgium (Nations League), Denmark (Euros).  But excludes the wins against Croatia and Germany at Euro 2020 because they were just outside the top 10 at the time.

And want to talk about PROGRESS?

Up to and including WC 2018 our Top 10 success rate was:
P7, W0, D3, L4

Post WC2018 it is:
P13, W5, D4, L4

Same. Old. Southgate.

Come on. I basically said all this without any fact checking a few posts earlier. Even mentioned the Swiss. I want my England Superfan certificate 

[JD nawrat]

7 hours ago, GunmaN1905 said:

What if...*drumroll*...Stones played as the left CB, with someone who has pace at right CB, so he can cover for James or TAA better?

Stones has never played on the left side of defence. It might just be coincidence, i don't know/can't say for sure, but he's always been our RCB. Kompany/Laporte/Dias/Otamendi have played LCB when Stones has featured. That might be tactical thanks to Pep who likes Stones' passing range and ability to drive into the channels and play the ball down the line, which would be more difficult for a right footer at LCB, but also perhaps it is because Stones himself just isn't good/comfortable at LCB. I honestly don't know. But there must be a reason he doesn't ever play LCB. Even at Everton, i don't recall Stones ever playing on the left side. 

[aggressive minor]

15 hours ago, Rob1981 said:

FACT CHECK

This stat is not true.  Repeat, not true.  Such is my devotion to Gareth that I've found a site with all the historic FIFA rankings on it, and married this up against all our match dates.

Games against Top 10 (Top 10 at the time we played them) = 20
Wins = 5
Draws = 7
Losses = 8

Losses include the dead rubber group game against Belgium and the third place playoff, also Nations League games when we were rotating players.  Wins came against Switzerland (2018 friendly), Spain & Croatia (Nations League), Belgium (Nations League), Denmark (Euros).  But excludes the wins against Croatia and Germany at Euro 2020 because they were just outside the top 10 at the time.

And want to talk about PROGRESS?

Up to and including WC 2018 our Top 10 success rate was:
P7, W0, D3, L4

Post WC2018 it is:
P13, W5, D4, L4

Same. Old. Southgate.

Our pool of players is significantly better now than it was leading up to 2018, which abound be taken into consideration.