23:04, Wed 15 Oct
Bellingham is a top drawer player and still young. Much of this discussion is a bit odd he’s easily in Englands best team will be captain and probably most capped player by the time he retires.

He also has that X factor top top players have he’s a winner.

As for the press never had time for them. Build em up knock them down.
23:12, Wed 15 Oct
Mutley
Bellingham is a top drawer player and still young. Much of this discussion is a bit odd he’s easily in Englands best team will be captain and probably most capped player by the time he retires.

He also has that X factor top top players have he’s a winner.

As for the press never had time for them. Build em up knock them down.

The team is doing well so keep picking the team. Bellingham will be in or around it and play some games of course, but I’m hoping the ‘pick the stars’ approach is over. We’ve tried it for years and it hasn’t worked. I’m keen to see how a ‘pick a team’ approach works. Must be worth a go 👍
06:06, Thu 16 Oct
Why though? “Picking the stars” approach has got us to two consecutive euros finals and World Cup semis/quarters.
06:13, Thu 16 Oct
And won us nothing.
06:22, Thu 16 Oct
Tuchel will live and die by his results, if he thinks he’s playing the right team then no problem

We all love jude, but it’s important to remember he’s barely played this season, international football isn’t the environment to get him fit

It’s also fair to say whilst we think he walks on water, others may not
Free Thongs
07:11, Thu 16 Oct
My Blue Heaven
Tuchel will live and die by his results, if he thinks he’s playing the right team then no problem

We all love jude, but it’s important to remember he’s barely played this season, international football isn’t the environment to get him fit

It’s also fair to say whilst we think he walks on water, others may not
Up the BA
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07:35, Thu 16 Oct
Tandy
And won us nothing.

Oh come on we were a penalty away from beating Italy and getting that monkey off our back. And other failures were more attributable to ingame management than playing our star players.
11:52, Thu 16 Oct
I think when fully fit Saka, Jude, Kane, Rice, Reece James and Palmer are a level above the alternatives, Foden has dropped out of that bracket for me.
12:04, Thu 16 Oct
Not sure about Reece James at right back now. It looks like he wants very aggressive pressing from the full backs and not sure James can do that in tournament football.
Wharton has to be in the mix in midfield though. We’re only really short of quality now at full back and striker after Kane but they’ll emerge. Our talent pool is huge
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12:20, Thu 16 Oct
JohnP
I think when fully fit Saka, Jude, Kane, Rice, Reece James and Palmer are a level above the alternatives, Foden has dropped out of that bracket for me.

I don’t necessarily disagree, but this is the point in a nutshell really.

Individually all these guys are levels above, but the manager’s job is to create a winning team and if he thinks that doesn’t necessarily always include all the ‘best’ players then that’s his call to make as the man trusted with the top job.

I’m pretty relaxed about who he picks and don’t pay much attention to England outside of tournaments. I’m also not really bothered about Bellingham from a blues point of view. He’s an ex player, and not hugely more interesting to me than all the other players in the squad. I also think he’ll play quite a lot anyway.

I do think that the England team has always had a sort of ‘hero complex’ associated with it, be it Lineker, Gazza, Owen, Beckham, Rooney, or whoever. If Tuchel’s judgment as manager is that it’s a negative influence on overall progress, and Bellingham is part of that whole sideshow, that’s his call to make and results as they stand mean it’s hard to criticise 👍
12:36, Thu 16 Oct
I get your point, and Rab's about Reece James, but the players on the list all seem to be top professionals to me, so ability plus character should equal a place in the team when it comes to the crunch.

I have enjoyed watching England lately but I think the narrative around this team being better than the previous team because they are nicer/or less self centred is way over the top and when the 'real ball' comes out the first team will include Jude, Palmer and Saka.
12:42, Thu 16 Oct
JohnP
I get your point, and Rab's about Reece James, but the players on the list all seem to be top professionals to me, so ability plus character should equal a place in the team when it comes to the crunch.

I have enjoyed watching England lately but I think the narrative around this team being better than the previous team because they are nicer/or less self centred is way over the top and when the 'real ball' comes out the first team will include Jude, Palmer and Saka.

I’m not sure it’s as easy as ‘ability plus character’- there’s also the whole ‘team/system taking primacy’ point.

I do think it’s moot anyway though as I’d be quite surprised if Bellingham doesn’t play more often than not when he’s fit.

But I’m also interested to see, if that is Tuchel’s thing, how a ‘team over individuals’ approach actually plays out and if he’s got the bottle to stick to his guns when ‘the real ball’ comes out as you say 👍
13:26, Thu 16 Oct
Rab C Nesbitt
Not sure about Reece James at right back now. It looks like he wants very aggressive pressing from the full backs and not sure James can do that in tournament football.
Wharton has to be in the mix in midfield though. We’re only really short of quality now at full back and striker after Kane but they’ll emerge. Our talent pool is huge

Livramento would be good I reckon if he stays fit. Great engine
13:39, Thu 16 Oct
Yeah I like both Newcastle full backs. Hall has been injured, Livramento out for a good few weeks with a knee injury but it could have been worse for him. Livramento is superb though. An athlete, superb on the ball, big bastard. Elite club player
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13:48, Thu 16 Oct
If Hall can get fit he has a great chance of being the first choice left back. Jude has lots of competition for the 10 role but when fully fit I still think he is our best option.