England vs Slovakia

[Vegas Claret]

You said How can Henderson go from controlling CL games to that. He hasn't ever controlled a CL game. This season will be only his 2nd campaign in the CL for Liverpool. They only won 1 game the previous campaign.

Giving him the captaincy wouldn't fill be with much hope if I was a fellow player.

You didn't watch the Hoffenheim game then ! Point is still the same, the England team has good players that play in good teams but they turn up for England and drop down seemingly a minimum of 50%. These lads play in good teams for a reason, Klopp wouldn't carry a player and neither would Guardiola - he's gone from managing the best team the planet has ever seen to a very strong Bayern squad and yet he still picks Sterling at City having had all that experience - there is a reason for that wouldn't you say ?

[Dyched]

You didn't watch the Hoffenheim game then ! Point is still the same, the England team has good players that play in good teams but they turn up for England and drop down seemingly a minimum of 50%. These lads play in good teams for a reason, Klopp wouldn't carry a player and neither would Guardiola - he's gone from managing the best team the planet has ever seen to a very strong Bayern squad and yet he still picks Sterling at City having had all that experience - there is a reason for that wouldn't you say ?

I didn't watch that game no.

They are good players yes and they play for good sides granted.

What we have to remember is the sides they play for Liverpool, Tottenham, Man City ain't consistent. They drop to many points, playing poorly against smaller teams. They don't have that winning mentality like the top clubs in the top nations do. The top nations are made of players from sides who don't drop points too often against poorer opposition. They maintain their high levels. What I'm trying to say is players like Henderson, Kane, Sterling are not at the high levels required at all times for their club never mind their country like players such as Isco, Lahm, Alonso, Xavi have been. Dropping performance 10/15 games a season is not rare for players what play for England.

Take Germany/Spain. Made up of players from clubs that win 90% of their games. Liverpool, Tottenham, City don't.

[Vegas Claret]

I didn't watch that game no.

They are good players yes and they play for good sides granted.

What we have to remember is the sides they play for Liverpool, Tottenham, Man City ain't consistent. They drop to many points, playing poorly against smaller teams. They don't have that winning mentality like the top clubs in the top nations do. The top nations are made of players from sides who don't drop points too often against poorer opposition. They maintain their high levels. What I'm trying to say is players like Henderson, Kane, Sterling are not at the high levels required at all times for their club never mind their country like players such as Isco, Lahm, Alonso, Xavi have been. Dropping performance 10/15 games a season is not rare for players what play for England.

Take Germany/Spain. Made up of players from clubs that win 90% of their games. Liverpool, Tottenham, City don't.

I won't disagree with any of that - I'm not really expecting us to compete with the better teams but the level they show for England is not even what they show at club level when they have a poor game.

[HiroshimaClaret]

A chap came onto Five Live a few years ago after yet another embarrasing, inept and spineless tournament display from our supposed superstars and suggested we forget the Premier League and choose from the Championship and below for future teams. The Waddles and Mills of the world humoured him but pretty much laughed him out of the building.

This cam back to me today and got me thinking - 1966 WC winners, 1970 could have been winners, 1986 could well have been semi-finalists followed by 1990/96 and heartbreaking semi-final losses THEN REALLY kicks in the Premier League/Sky, the cult of celebrity footballers, riches beyond reason and an all^pervasive `my **** doesn`t stink` mentality.

In all honesty, would we seriously miss any of the current incumbents of the Starting 11? Coseted pricks the lot of them (epitomised by the Sterlings and Chamberlains of the world).

I genuinely think that if you didn`t even bother with the Top 8 teams in the Premier League (perceived big boys), therefore eradicating the huge egos, and then selected the best of the rest, we would achieve a great deal more. We don`t have the balls or technical ability to beat France, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentinas of the world with the current academy mob.

Just off the top of my head, choose this lot, play qualification games around the country (I KNOW THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN) and we would have a tournament team to be proud of. They probably wouldn`t win it but they`s give it a bloody good go. Saying that, Denmark, Greece and Portugal didn`t do too badly.

Heaton (Bur)/Butland (Sto)

Smith (Bou) Maguire (Lei) Mee (Bur) Taylor (Bur)

Ward-Prowse (Sou) Cork (Bur) Stephens (BHA) Albrighton (Lei)

Deeney (Wat) Gray (Wat)

[aggi]

One thing that was particularly noticeable watching the match live last night was how few players we committed to the attack. Very often a winger would be in place to cross and only Kane and possibly Alli were in the box. The midfield two (both fairly defensive by nature) weren't sprinting into the box (or even lurking on the edge) and the opposite winger would also be a fair bit behind.

This happened multiple times, particularly in the first half. We just couldn't counter with pace and numbers.

[Vegas Claret]

A chap came onto Five Live a few years ago after yet another embarrasing, inept and spineless tournament display from our supposed superstars and suggested we forget the Premier League and choose from the Championship and below for future teams. The Waddles and Mills of the world humoured him but pretty much laughed him out of the building.

This cam back to me today and got me thinking - 1966 WC winners, 1970 could have been winners, 1986 could well have been semi-finalists followed by 1990/96 and heartbreaking semi-final losses THEN REALLY kicks in the Premier League/Sky, the cult of celebrity footballers, riches beyond reason and an all^pervasive `my **** doesn`t stink` mentality.

In all honesty, would we seriously miss any of the current incumbents of the Starting 11? Coseted pricks the lot of them (epitomised by the Sterlings and Chamberlains of the world).

I genuinely think that if you didn`t even bother with the Top 8 teams in the Premier League (perceived big boys), therefore eradicating the huge egos, and then selected the best of the rest, we would achieve a great deal more. We don`t have the balls or technical ability to beat France, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentinas of the world with the current academy mob.

Just off the top of my head, choose this lot, play qualification games around the country (I KNOW THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN) and we would have a tournament team to be proud of. They probably wouldn`t win it but they`s give it a bloody good go. Saying that, Denmark, Greece and Portugal didn`t do too badly.

Heaton (Bur)/Butland (Sto)

Smith (Bou) Maguire (Lei) Mee (Bur) Taylor (Bur)

Ward-Prowse (Sou) Cork (Bur) Stephens (BHA) Albrighton (Lei)

Deeney (Wat) Gray (Wat)

I think Leicester proved your point