This is one of the reasons why I don't understand the back 5 formation. 4-3-3 is the formation that gets all our best players in the same side.If England don't start with Alli in Russia then it will be a joke. You already have a pretty average squad so to leave out one of the very few top class talents you actually have would be suicidal.
He was far more effective last season with key goals against top 6 teams. Not repeated that this year. His ball retention has also not been great this year and he has tended to take far too many touches when we break.Funny that Southgate is being critical when Alli has actually had his best season for us imo.
Funny that Southgate is being critical when Alli has actually had his best season for us imo.
This is one of the reasons why I don't understand the back 5 formation. 4-3-3 is the formation that gets all our best players in the same side.
With 3-5-2 Southgate has created a Lingard or Alli problem that isn't really necessary.
Why not just play:
KeeperIt gets all of our best players into the team and is reasonably well balanced too.
KW/KT Dier Stones Rose
Henderson
Dele----Lallana
Lingard---------Sterling
Kane
Although i'm not a massive fan of Dier in midfield you could also give yourself greater flexibility by playing Dier at the base and have him drop back into defence occasionally when both wing backs bomb forward.
Everyone keeps mentioning that England have no Eriksen, a type of player so crucial to any team. Lallana aside, Dele is our best option in that regard. Both of them have to start. At the very least one of them.England players should be picked on form not merit, just look what happened with our 'golden generation.'
Alli does need to step up his performances, no-one has a divine right to start for their country.
But I'm confident he'll go on a run banging them in from now until the end of the season.
This is one of the reasons why I don't understand the back 5 formation. 4-3-3 is the formation that gets all our best players in the same side.
With 3-5-2 Southgate has created a Lingard or Alli problem that isn't really necessary.
Why not just play:
KeeperIt gets all of our best players into the team and is reasonably well balanced too.
KW/KT Dier Stones Rose
Henderson
Dele----Lallana
Lingard---------Sterling
Kane
Although i'm not a massive fan of Dier in midfield you could also give yourself greater flexibility by playing Dier at the base and have him drop back into defence occasionally when both wing backs bomb forward.
I think he can be a good link to pick up the ball from the defence and put those forward players into play.That puts a huge amount of pressure on Henderson, especially when he is not an out-and-out defensive midfielder.
I think he can be a good link to pick up the ball from the defence and put those forward players into play.
He's not the completely ideal choice but I certainly think he's got the discipline to do a job there. A small price to pay for getting all of our most dangerous players on the pitch in a balanced formation.
If you wanted to you could even drop Henderson, play Dier in there and bring in Maguire at CB. However Dier has a lot of deficiencies in possession imo. I'd rather have a natural midfielder there personally.
Personally I think it's quite balanced with Henderson alongside two number 8s there. It's certainly not Gerrard/Lampard 442 levels of shoehorning players into unfamiliar roles.Henderson is at his best when he plays alongside someone like Dier. I'd rather the manager tries to play a system that works rather than just shoehorning in all of our best players into a formation that leaves us incredibly vulnerable defensively.
So why didn't he send him back to the club ala Wilshere
hes crap waste of a shirtThat puts a huge amount of pressure on Henderson, especially when he is not an out-and-out defensive midfielder.