The Official England Thread-The Team We All Support [Vol 2]

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[Ascayman]

Why's everyone writing of Columbia out of qualifying? They'll qualifiy and are quality. Wouldn't want to meet them.

[Cie]

[redacted]

[type-r]

Confirmed: Southgate WILL be making at least ONE change. Dier comes in.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12016/11418...

[mickk]

Gareth would rest Kane and we'd lose.

[philv]

mickk said:

Gareth would rest Kane and we'd lose.

Jury still out on southgate.
So far he has persisted with sterling and refused to give rashford game time, despite rashford appearing to be far more in form.

Belgium are making alot of hanges.
Imagine tne confidence if we beat them 3-0 etc.
What an opportunity.

Edited by philv on Wednesday 27th June 18:49

[bad company]

mickk said:

Gareth would rest Kane and we'd lose.

Which for the Belgium match wouldn’t matter.

[mickk]

bad company said:

mickk said:

Gareth would rest Kane and we'd lose.

Which for the Belgium match wouldn’t matter.

Not this st again Imo we need to keep winning, don't mess with a confident team.

[alfie2244]

mickk said:

bad company said:

mickk said:

Gareth would rest Kane and we'd lose.

Which for the Belgium match wouldn’t matter.

Not this st again Imo we need to keep winning, don't mess with a confident team.

And if we lose to Belgium's 2nd team?

[mickk]

Then it doesn't matter.

[alfie2244]

mickk said:

Then it doesn't matter.

Doubt it will do squad confidence much good and even worse we could get injuries and cards for what is, in effect, a dead rubber.

Whereas IMO if our 2nd team loses to Belgium's 2nd team = no harm done?

[anonymous-user]

You’ve got play the big teams at some stage if you want to get to the final so who cares whether it’s sooner or later?

[ORD]

alfie2244 said:

Doubt it will do squad confidence much good and even worse we could get injuries and cards for what is, in effect, a dead rubber.

Whereas IMO if our 2nd team loses to Belgium's 2nd team = no harm done?

It doesn’t work like that. Many of the same players would play even then, and confidence is very fragile, especially for England.

[alfie2244]

Sorry you lost me Gary.

[alfie2244]

ORD said:

alfie2244 said:

Doubt it will do squad confidence much good and even worse we could get injuries and cards for what is, in effect, a dead rubber.

Whereas IMO if our 2nd team loses to Belgium's 2nd team = no harm done?

It doesn’t work like that. Many of the same players would play even then, and confidence is very fragile, especially for England.

Hence why, if Belgium play a 2nd team, I can't see the point of playing our 1st team..confidence would be zero in the next match if we lost.

[ORD]

Even our 2nd team would contain loads of the same players as the 1st team.

[alfie2244]

ORD said:

Even our 2nd team would contain loads of the same players as the 1st team.

But both teams could then claim, in the event of losing, well we didn't play our strongest side. just a dead rubber that didn't matter either way, just giving fringe players some match time etc etc.....it is what I would do but we will just have to agree to disagree.

[ORD]

We’re not disagreeing on much. I agree with you a loss would be spun in that way. But the players would still have just lost a game. That’s no good for confidence and momentum. It’s horrible being on the pitch and losing a game, even when it’s not massively important.

[gadgetmac]

We want to win the group now right? In light of Brazil winning tonight and topping their group.

[alfie2244]

ORD said:

We’re not disagreeing on much. I agree with you a loss would be spun in that way. But the players would still have just lost a game. That’s no good for confidence and momentum. It’s horrible being on the pitch and losing a game, even when it’s not massively important.

I do see your point entirely however, as someone that did run teams for 20+ yrs and played for a lot longer, ironically often I found the best football was played, results achieved, when there was no real pressure to win, just go out and enjoy etc etc and if you lost you can say..........doesn't really matter, there was nothing on it...but I don't say I am right only that is what I would do myself especially if I had a a settled side that more or less picked itself and not able to give all the squad a game.... the fringe players will be thinking......FFS I can't even get in the team in a game that doesn't really matter.....whereas if you play them they may well see it as their opportunity to impress and bag a starting place in the team and play out of their skins.