1.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 12:04:58
ED001, i agree with your meaningless friendly comment.

Friendlies are an opportunity to call up and try out new players etc, see if they are ready/ can play international football.

However this is rarely the case. Even to a point where a manager would rather play a player out of potion than give another player a chance. trippier at lb.

With the league nations fixture being added, albeit pointless in my opinion, squad rotation at club level will become more crucial as players tire/ succumb to injuries.

{Ed001's Note - it is getting ridiculous now MH. Southgate admitted he had Gomez out training, even though he was knackered and should have been resting. There are going to be a lot more injuries caused by moronic actions like this during the season. International football should have been put on hold during a pandemic, it is the only sensible thing to do.}

2.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 13:36:28
Alan Browne: Republic of Ireland midfielder tests positive for C.V. after facing England playing for the full 90 minutes. Will England squad players now obliged to isolate or are they free to return and infect club squads and family. Utterly reckless playing internationals at this time but friendlies? Ye gods!

3.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 14:11:11
It was risk assessed as a part of the return off football, a study showed players on average spent less than 4 minutes within what is classed close contact .
I found that surprising at the time but as such there shouldn't be sn issue I terms of contact during the game .

4.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 13:25:10
Its too many people trying to get a slice of the pie. Football is big business, the FA makes millions from the national team playing. However, that money is dependant on the national team having its "star" players in the team. No one will pay to watch the B team.

Ultimately it is greed that is putting players health at risk, while the PFA does absolutely nothing to protect the players.

5.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 13:38:57
Agree with Ed, the players are going to suffer which is a knock on affect to the quality of the game, also international football is such a borefest the qualifying should be done at the end of the season in a mini tournament so the league can have a rest on them weeks it should be on.
Surely the tv figures can't be that good for these boring games, I don't think i've watched England since the semi finals 2018.

Regarding the domestic leagues they could rotate the weeks of rest like they did a couple of years ago so there would be still game days.

6.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 14:24:39
Conor Coady was withdrawn from the squad after the NHS track and trace App alerted him that he came into contact with someone who returned a positive test. He will now have to self isolate in accordance to the government protocol even though he returned TWO negative test results while with England.

So if he has to self isolate due to the App flagging up he had come into contact with someone who has had a positive test then I would imagine the players who came into contact with an opposition player who has tested positive would need to self isolate as well, or else its ridiculous double standards regardless of how they try to wriggle out of it.

7.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 15:20:03
Shappy the app flags up if you have had close contact . You need to have a look at what is considered close contact.

8.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 15:25:47
Indeed Shappy. My thoughts exactly.

9.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 16:52:06
It seems to cause confusion when to isolate and when to test, I have tested positive and as I understand it I informed the tracers of people I've have contact with .

These people were asked to isolate but not test, they can not test unless they develop symptoms as the test would be meaningless as they could test negative but they may develop symtoms anytime in the next 14 days.

10.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 17:21:19
Jred, at the very minimum I would expect all of the Ireland players and coaching staff to have to self isolate. I would imagine they will have spent prolonged time with him in the dressing room, at the team hotel and on the coach to and from the game.

While a player was on the pitch, breathing heavily, getting close and making physical contact with England players while being positive for C.V.

People are catching it from being in the same room as someone who has it, nevermind tussling with them at a corner or free kick.

11.) 13 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020 18:47:58
So southgate admitted Gomez was at risk of injury, but put him in training anyway? Makes sense.

12.) 14 Nov 2020
14 Nov 2020 06:07:31
Shappy it doesn't work like that pal, it will all be classed as a C.V. secure environment.
I would be surprised if anyone else has to isolate, lot of work has been put in to get football back up in a safe way .

13.) 14 Nov 2020
14 Nov 2020 09:13:20
That doesn’t make sense jred. If a footballer has it, they have the same chance of passing it on as a brick layer.

There’s no such thing as a “CV secure environment”. If a kid playing football down the park can pass it on, so can a professional footballer. Especially given they spend a lot more time together.

14.) 14 Nov 2020
14 Nov 2020 07:58:23
ED001,

Thanks for the reply. Who do you think would be viable/ future CB options for England?

The available options are decent but there are no standout players like Rio or Terry.

{Ed001's Note - that depends on the system, but a back two of Gomez and Godfrey would not be bad and would have pace. Though I would prefer Gomez never to play for England as his injury problems always come along when with the national team! The other option, for me, would be Holgate. I would actually have him ahead of Godfrey thinking about it as I never thought of him initially. He is a very good defender and good on the ball, can also play in midfield or right-back. Players like Gomez, Godfrey and Holgate are much more useful than most because you can use them elsewhere in times of need. It makes tournament play a little easier when you have options like that.

I just don't understand the obsession with Mings, he has far too many bad games to be trusted. Tarkowski is simply not good enough, similar to Maguire he gets pulled out of position too easily and lacks recovery pace, plus he is not good enough on the ball. Keane is just average and reliant on the player alongside him to lift him up, but if they are playing badly, he does too. Coady is not good enough in a back four and so it means you have to play a 3 if he plays. Dier is a bit like Keane but with more pace. I would love England to take a look at Webster and maybe White as well from Brighton. The other one to consider, when fit, is Jack O'Connell. Not that any of the last few will ever get a look in, nor the one that should have already had all Maguire's caps at least - Ben Mee. He has been the best left-sided centre-back in the Prem for years, but never considered, while his partners get the role and look crap without him. Does no one at England ever wonder why that is?}

15.) 14 Nov 2020
14 Nov 2020 11:20:13
Your wrong Shappy. Jred is correct.

16.) 14 Nov 2020
14 Nov 2020 12:54:06
Cheers ED001,

As you know I have never rated Maguire. He is more suited to 90s football than the present day football.

It is annoying that friendlies aren't used to experiment and try new players out etc.

A phrase often used near an International tour amount is, he has never played for England before it is too big a risk to take him to a tournament. Then a mediocre player is instead called up.

Southgate has England playing well, but his decision making as a manager is quite poor. I remember when England Croatian the WC. At Half you could see bith full backs were knackered.

{Ed001's Note - are they playing well? I don't watch much international football, but I saw them in the World Cup and they were abysmal. I was shocked how people were blinded by lucky results against even worse teams. Must be like being an Arsenal fan in the last few years, convincing yourself that Emery and Arteta are the answer initially as they get lucky results, completely ignoring how bad the team is actually playing.

It is very sad that England managers never have the balls to look around for the best players for the system they want to play. Though I am not sure Southgate would have the intelligence to spot the right players if they were playing on a pitch outside his front window.}

17.) 14 Nov 2020
14 Nov 2020 14:14:30
ED001 they have played well under Southgate. They were abysmal under Hodgson.

Maybe its due to the fact they have better players available now.

At least England managers look beyond the top 4/ 5 teams in the EPL now when picking the squad.

However, Pickford has been shocking for awhile. He should have been dropped last year and Henderson should have be given the number 1 Jersey instead.

The same can certainly be said about OGS with DDG aswell. We can all see it except them🤔.

The point i'm trying to make is that for me, England have been more enjoyable to watch, with the odd hit and miss games. The bar had been set very low by Hodgson. Almost similar to when OGS took over after Mourinho was sacked.

I do remember a few years ago watching England U21s instead of the senior team, as. the football they played was better and more enjoyable to watch.

{Ed001's Note - I am going to have to disagree, from what I saw they were awful under Southgate.}

18.) 14 Nov 2020
14 Nov 2020 15:38:28
Fair play ED001.

Enjoy your weekend.

{Ed001's Note - you too mate, take care.}