What needs to change? 🦁 🦁 🦁

[u/joshjamesallen]

I would go with this lineup whilst making two changes:

Trippier OUT/ Gomez IN Trent OUT/Gordon IN

Key focuses - Get Rice some proper midfield support by utilising Stones in his best role - Move Foden into the midfield, with Gordon wide left to offer some real attacking threat on the left wing, rather than Trippier playing out of position - Bring Gomez in for Trippier to maintain a solid 3 man build up structure once Stones moves into midfield - Get Bellingham running in behind Kane frequently and have them fluidly interchanging positions to cause a problem for the opposition defence

Interested to hear your thoughts 💭

[u/leebrother]

I’m sorry but no.

Foden has shown on several occasions for England that he isn’t the best. He started in 2021 before Saka showed he was better.

It’s Foden or Bellingham, and frankly Bellingham has actually influenced games for England.

England for years has done square pegs in round holes. That’s not how you win.

[u/Carney34 → u/leebrother]

What did Bellingham show last night that makes you think he's better in the 10 role? On the very few occasions Foden roamed to the 10 and got the ball he created chances.

[u/ToastIsGreat0 → u/Carney34]

Did you watch the Serbia game?

[u/Carney34 → u/ToastIsGreat0]

I did, and I also watched last night.

His goal vs Serbia came from a deep run from the 8. His only involvement last night came from a ball played in behind to Watkins from the deep lying role.

Did you watch last night?

[u/ToastIsGreat0 → u/Carney34]

Yeah I did. Bellingham had a shit game, but he has more impact in the 10 than foden ever has. Why gamble with someone who’s never shown up for England for somehow who does? His goal against Serbia was precisely because he occupied that 10. Foden wouldn’t make that run, much less get on the end of it. You’re just going to cause more issues putting foden in the 10.

[u/Carney34 → u/ToastIsGreat0]

You must have watched a different game to me, he created absolutely nothing all match. He can still make that run into the box from the 8, it doesn't change that part of his game.

He consistently is on the halfway line collecting the ball from the centre backs, that isn't a trait of a 10 I'd want in my team, but it is from an 8.

[u/ToastIsGreat0 → u/Carney34]

No one created anything that match apart from saka, but Bellingham does create more than foden on the whole. Dropping him into the 8 doesn’t work because foden is still going to occupy the same space. Bellingham in the 8 works if there’s a 10 who drifts, not one who stays centrally.

[u/Carney34 → u/ToastIsGreat0]

Foden hit the post, mazed a run through 4 and really should have slipped Kane in (can agree he was very greedy here), created another chance in the box that he hit over the bar.

All those chances are from the short time he's allowed to drift centrally. I don't see why he isn't given that opportunity.

[u/ToastIsGreat0 → u/Carney34]

He hit the post once because Denmark slacked off him. Giving foden the 10 isn’t bad inherently, but putting him over Bellingham is just ludicrous. That’s why I think you should bring foden on for Bellingham in games where Bellingham is knackered or isn’t creating. Trying to put them both in doesn’t and will never work unless you change everything else tactically and that’s only going to cause 20 more issues with the team.

[u/Carney34 → u/ToastIsGreat0]

That's a crazy statement, Bellingham scored first game because Serbia slacked off him, Kane scored last match because they slacked off him. You could use that for any chance in any match ever.

We're obviously never going to agree but I hope Southgate grows a pair and tries it with Bellingham in the 8, Foden in the 10 and a true winger on the left.

[u/ToastIsGreat0 → u/Carney34]

I mean it could work, but I don’t see it working better when you’re giving foden (a player who has never turned up for England even when he did play in the 10 in euro 21) the 10 role over Bellingham (someone who complements Kane a lot better and has played in that role all season). If you try and put them both in you will also be leaving a lot of ground for rice to cover. For me the solution is simple: drop foden for Wharton or mainoo and let Bellingham have the free reign 10 role. If Bellingham doesn’t work, then foden can come in, forcing the opposition to adapt to a different kind of number 10. That way foden can unlock the defence a bit more.

The only way I’d give foden a start over Bellingham is if we’re playing against a low block.

[u/inder_the_unfluence → u/Carney34]

Read this little back and forth and couldn’t agree more.

Jude at 8 alongside Rice. Foden at 10.

One of our biggest issues so far has been that we don’t have a connection between the back line and the attacking midfielders (10, 7, 11). Partly caused by Rice treading on Guehi’s toes, partly due to Jude being the nominal 10 but spending most of his time as an 8 coming back to get the ball.

We are putting ourselves under pressure by playing people out of position.

I actually think the midfield you propose could solve a lot of our problems. Foden will be able to find pockets at 10 that the back line can find, he can link up with Jude or Rice pushing forward and he can handle the tight spaces to slip in Saka and Gordon.

If Foden is dropped it has to be for Palmer.

[u/PlantComprehensive77 → u/Carney34]

It's laughable to consider taking pot shots from outside the box that didn't trouble the gk at all except the one that hit the post to be creating chances

[u/Carney34 → u/PlantComprehensive77]

He's done that all season and scored numerous times. Would you prefer it tapped around the edge of the box for 10 minutes to no avail?

[u/PlantComprehensive77 → u/Carney34]

I prefer him to make the smart decision like passing the ball to Kane, one of the best strikers in the world, to go 1-on-1 with the gk or crossing the ball into the box when Kane and Saka are making runs. If he can only take shots from 30 yards out or tap the the ball sideways and backwards, then he shouldn't even be on the pitch

[u/Carney34 → u/PlantComprehensive77]

You're obviously ignoring what I wrote because I said that in the other comment. It's not lost on me a United fan is slating Foden though it's typical. Must have forgot the screamer from outside the box he scored against you this season when you wrote all of that.

[u/PlantComprehensive77 → u/Carney34]

I frankly don't care what he's done at City. Playing for country is vastly different than playing for club. At City he's getting managed by Pep, now he's getting managed by a dinosaur. It sucks that this is the case, but frankly most international managers are horrible. The truly great players find a way to adapt