There has been a response to an England ranking that positioned Jude Bellingham above Arsenal's Declan Rice and Dominic Solanke above Liam Delap.
England ladder ahoy
A couple of remarks:
1. To claim that Bowen lost his opportunity because it was "on a night that seemed perfect for him to excel" is quite severe. Bowen plays tirelessly, pressuring the opponent when in possession and swiftly counterattacking, taking on defenders whenever the opportunity arises. The very last thing he requires is to play “behind” a stationary Kane who, when Bowen has the ball, is inevitably trudging up from an absurdly deep midfield role.
2. Laughing at Solanke in the 32nd. £65 million... Did anyone watching from home believe he could be the solution to any England dilemma, at any moment? I don’t believe so. Indeed, I challenge the mention of Delap at 37, asserting “he would follow Kane, Watkins, and Solanke in line.” To begin with, what has Solanke done to earn a “well of course” remark about him being our third best striker? And secondly, who, even Spurs fans, would genuinely claim they would prefer Solanke at this moment, or even at any time, instead of Liam Delap? Certainly nobody.
3. While we can hope this is just a theoretical debate, choosing Bellingham over Rice is ridiculous. This is not concerning personal global rankings. Straightforward question for you… If someone were hurt for an entire tournament cycle, whom would England miss the most? Which essentially signifies who cannot be substituted in their roles? There’s really no doubt, is there? Bellingham is excellent, but we have several alternatives for that position. Who takes Rice's place? Exactly.
Mike
Unfortunate Jarrod?
I found it puzzling that Tom G felt sympathy for Jarrod Bowen, who had an opportunity to shine but failed to do so against Latvia. Tom likens the situation to when Andy Johnson was summoned and played in an unfamiliar role, but this comparison is honestly rather strange.
Jarrod Bowen is 28 and has spent most of his career playing as a right winger; I seriously doubt he has forgotten how to play that position simply because he’s been filling in for Antonio for a few months. Furthermore, what options do we have? Bowen won't be selected as a 9 for England, as that would be completely crazy.
Having the opportunity to play in his most natural role is the best and sole chance he would ever receive.
Phil, London
The law is a symbol
I went through the email from Mannix (Boro Fans) and he raised intriguing and valid arguments.
Nonetheless, he fell into the same trap as many others and remarked, ‘City fans will always remember those moments, whether obtained legally or not.’
Illegally suggests wrongdoing, and the City, along with its employees, is not subject to any form of criminal prosecution.
Regulations might have been violated. There is a significant distinction between laws being violated, and this should be evident in the manner it is discussed.
A, LFC, Montreal
Dial it back.
Although not directly connected, Keith's message in the mailbox did address a recurring problem with this site recently. In particular, since we are all now required to pay to access this website (either financially or with our personal information), could you please reduce the exaggerated, divisive clickbait content? This is precisely the kind of behavior that I (and many others, I'm certain) have traditionally visited this website to escape, but the regression in recent years towards immature teasing and derision that true football enthusiasts loathe has been incredibly disheartening.
As an Arsenal supporter, I've occasionally felt pity for Spurs fans this season because of the consistent and unjust criticisms their team has faced in several of your articles. Indeed, it’s amusing to watch them struggle, and yes, I’m certain the idea of Arsenal not clinching the league is hilarious, but when your writers begin to resemble the constantly confrontational pub jerk, then honestly, I might as well just chill with Jason Cundy.
Matt, AFC (at least the Mailbox contains a few well-written and thought-provoking articles)
Fewer crusts, greater trust
Nicholson, you wretched, grumpy old curmudgeon.
Your most recent article seems as if it was penned by a guy who hit his high point in ’66 and hasn't witnessed a good match since then. Please take a break from all that negativity for just five minutes, okay?
You keep insisting that Tuchel is an “elite” manager as if that's a negative. Breaking news: We brought him on board to secure victories, not to offer hugs and sing Kumbaya.
And while we're discussing this, let's tackle the nonsense about club management being more difficult than international management. Assembling a squad from numerous distinct clubs, each possessing their unique style, and attempting to make them function as a cohesive team in ten training sessions is arguably far more challenging than managing an established club side. A top manager on a top team has a top recruitment team, so recruitment isn’t a point to use against Tuchel.
Your comment on the “hipster’s selection” and “footballing ark of the covenant” – that’s quite amusing. Particularly from an individual with an overly nostalgic perspective on ancient football. I sense a touch of jealousy, I believe, from someone who considers themselves a hipster.
Rather than dwelling on your nostalgic sadness, why not allow Tuchel the opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities? He could fail, certainly. However, he does have a strategy. He noticed the mistakes made in the tournament finals and is now determining how to fix that in the qualifying rounds – a step Southgate (whom I admired) seemed to take only after the qualifiers.
Your longing for Southgate’s “beta male culture” is quite sweet, honestly. However, as far as I know, we're not gathered for group therapy meetings. We’re here to achieve victory. Everything. It has been 58 years, in case you don’t remember. Southgate’s early highly defensive strategy was effective until it was not. England couldn't perform when it mattered – like they did against Italy in the final. The greatest opportunity since 1066 – I mean 1966 – to secure a victory. We observed that repeatedly. Sufficient to navigate the initial stages but inadequate to overcome that last obstacle.
Tuchel will make some correct decisions and some incorrect ones at the beginning, but as long as we advance and he gains enough knowledge to enhance England's competitiveness in the finals… Observe how we condemned Carsley for a single poor performance and subsequently praised him—once he adapted and improved.
Johnny, take a cup of tea and rest for a bit. I'm certain there are some reruns of First Division matches from the 1970s that you can watch to calm your nerves.
Paul McDevitt
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