Some great players in there, performing well for their clubs.
I think that the refreshingly good period a couple of years ago coincided with some of the new talent still being 'new'.
They were fresh into the starting 11 of their respective clubs, getting first caps for the Senior National team. etc etc.
They've been around the block a bit now - the thrill has gone,
Plus they're knackered.
Chelsea played 59 games last season!
He's just treating this tournament for what it is; glorified friendlies. When else can he experiment? The World Cup is what's important.
England have the easiest world cup group imaginable, Iran, USA, Wales. These compulsory EUFA games have threatened to take England's confidence levels down to zero again, no open play goal in four matches and losing twice to a team that didn't qualify, including a humiliating thrashing. Southgate leaves out the freshest players and wears out the overused top 4 club players and plays the injured Phillips he's so against some other players. Players like Mount, Sterling, Walker, Maguire, Rice, Kane will go to Quatar drained and useless. I sense another lacklustre campaign going out to the Argies early on.
They're all going on holiday and resting for a few weeks now. As they say, recharging the batteries.
They will get fit and eager again with the new season.
That's where a December World Cup may assist England. Unlike a Norwegian Blue after a long squawk, they won't be tired and shagged out. The more competitive European games won't have been reached yet and the FA Cup won't have got underway. It will be mid-season and they will be fit and raring to go(!)
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 16th June 2022, 8:37 AMThey're all going on holiday and resting for a few weeks now.
3 weeks. Pre season training starts on 11th July, new season starts on 5th August. They've hardly got their boots off before putting them on again. ?
Quote: Billy Bunter @ 16th June 2022, 9:28 AMIt will be mid-season and they will be fit and raring to go(!)
That's the half baked theory all the pundits are going with. But how many prem players pick up injuries by mid Nov? Answer, quite a few. And the season starts earlier this time. This ridiculous Nations League comp together with Southgate rejecting the reserves (his reserves, not the fans') again and piling it all on his worn out regulars has potentially caused the foundation for several high profile stress injuries after 14 weeks of Premship footy, and perhaps worse, killed their confidence gained in the high scoring qualifiers and Euro20, with a failure to score an open play goal in 4 games.
I'll add England's winning edge on others of a high tempo high energy game will be curtailed by the desert heat, as it usually has been in places like Mexico, Brazil and South Africa. To me it favours teams like Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Croatia. And our country isn't popular at the moment, and that nearly always transfers onto the pitch in whatever way the haters can find. Never mind, maybe next time, with a better head coach-manager.
Yesterday they released the host cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada for the 2026 World Cup. I'll try to get tickets to a game if the USA or England play in Seattle, Dallas, or Houston.
I pity the team that has to play at 2200 meters altitude in Mexico City. I'm not a well-trained professional athlete, but Denver's 1600 meters severely affects me when I visit.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 17th June 2022, 11:29 AM3 weeks. Pre season training starts on 11th July, new season starts on 5th August. They've hardly got their boots off before putting them on again. ?
Must be hard work!
Gareth Bale knows that he can't cut it anymore at a decent level so he's taking the piss out of the Yanks just so he can play at the World cup.
Wales should see through him and decide not to select him.
For those following the Women's competition, The Guardian have a nifty interactive guide.
Sorry but I wouldn't read a Grauniad review.
Quote: Chappers @ 15th July 2022, 7:10 PMSorry but I wouldn't read a Grauniad review.
Was that a joke?
Sorry, It's quite hard to tell these days.
It's nor a review, it's a guide.
The Guardian have some very good graphics people.
Quote: Lazzard @ 15th July 2022, 9:02 PMWas that a joke?
Sorry, It's quite hard to tell these days.
It's nor a review, it's a guide.
The Guardian have some very good graphics people.
No joke. I've got no time for that rag.
Fair enough.
It's just facts about football.