Gareth Southgate has confirmed that @_DeclanRice will captain the #ThreeLions for the first time tomorrow night!
He'll also win his 50th international cap 👏 pic.twitter.com/j0Qxnt5Flz
— England (@England) March 25, 2024
Morning all.
Just when I hoped Gareth Southgate would apply common sense by giving Declan Rice the night off having played in the first England friendly against Brazil, he’s made him captain for tonight’s match against Belgium which of course means he’ll start. 50 international caps for our midfielder could have waited and if Southgate thought that much of Rice, he’d give him the captains armband for a game which matters rather than a pointless friendly and just because Kane and Walker are ruled out.
Talking about England’s chances of winning silverware, our midfielder said:
It’s the talk of the town before every major tournament. It’s the pressure that comes with playing for England. If you look at the players we have now and the level they are playing at in terms of form, everyone is playing well. We lost narrowly to France at the World Cup and lost in the Euros final to Italy. We are close now. We have players that are winners. Players that have been and done it at the highest level, but it is on us at the end of the day. We are the ones that have to go out there and perform. I’m sure we are capable of going to Germany and delivering history.
There’s no doubting the quality of English players in the game but in my opinion, Gareth Southgate isn’t the manager to lead them to silverware. England won’t win anything with Maguire at the heart of defence. I don’t think Pickford is the best English keeper either, not when Nick Pope is fit. Henderson, why? Lewis Dunk, oh dearie me. I know every team/squad needs experience but…
France manager Deschamps has had another dig at William Saliba:
He is having a good season, but he also does things that I don’t like so much. For France, he has limited game time, but when he plays, that hasn’t necessarily gone well. The hierarchy doesn’t favour him at the moment, but he is here.
I wonder how William Saliba feels about that eh, I think if it were me, I’d not bother next time.
Any and every player should be picked for a team/country on merit and nothing else. Why a manager feels the need to make public the whys and wherefore of a players career is something I really don’t understand. Southgate did it with Ben White and since he announced his ‘unavailability’ our right back, one of the best right backs in English football in my opinion, has been constantly criticised by anyone who has a voice in the media.
Southgate has been talking about injuries within the England camp and how he’s never known anything like it before. If he really believes every player who has either withdrawn from the camp or returned home since they got together is injured, I don’t think he’s reading the room very well. I don’t think all of the players are injured at all, I just think they are putting club before country with just two months of the season to go.
Anyway, tonight is the final round of international fixtures which involves Arsenal players so fingers crossed they all come through unscathed. Then we can start talking about Sunday…..
Catch up in the comments..
Morning Rico and all,
The ref’s have said they will look after Rice now, he is captain like they did kane,
Bugger I just woke up and relised it was a dream, there is no way they will look after him while he plays for us.
Morning Geoff. No chance, just like they do nothing about Saka getting constantly fouled each week.
Morning Rico
Is the international break over yet? Yawn…
Why risk players’ fitness in meaningless friendlies? These games are about trying some alternatives, not running your best players into the ground.
My opinion on Southgate hasn’t changes since he took over England. He’s a limited manager. With that group of players he should be winning tournaments. If they do win Euro ’24 it will be despite him not because of him.
Morning Pete. Couldn’t agree more. How Southgate got the job in the first place I’ll never know. Very limited experience at the top of the game. I guess he speaks well though….
Good morning Rico. …..he speaks well? Really? It’s all scripted by the FA’s PR department, nothing to rock the boat!
Rice has said that he will, together with, Saka and Ramsdale, will try to convince Ben White to return to the England squad. Good luck with that while Southgate and his mate are still around.
My thoughts on that little French s**t have not changed, and never will.
Morning Cicero, you didn’t spot my sarcasm then.. lol
Morning Rico and Co.
I spotted you sarcasm Rico…
It a pleasant warm day today, it must be Easter soon?
I’ve had enough of grey skies, rain and the cold, roll on summer.
Looking forward to Sunday and taking on the 115 charges mob from Wastelands.
The Changing of the Guard perhaps?
Morning Kev, me too re Sunday. Should be a cracking game. Hopefully we’ll be talking about the football after the game rather than the officials.
Southgate.Absolutely clueless.It was so obvious he was going to play Rice again.Using the excuse to do so as it’s his 50th cap. So I’ll make him Captain.Meanwhile walker literally skips off the pitch after 20 mins to avoid tonight’s fixture.And you can be sure Southgate I’m sure will play him for the entire 90 or as close as he can.
Agreed Positive Pete. Dreadful man management of Rice. Still, the world of football favours City with their 100 odd financial discrepancies hanging over them…
I wish Rice had been a bit less enthusiastic to play tonight..
Southgate will be gone when England crash out at the quarter final stage of the summer tournament. What worries me is who the brain dead dinosaurs at the FA will choose to take up the poisoned chalice of England manager ship.
In the interests of wokery I guess the next appointee won’t be pale, male and stale. More than likely of the LGBTQIA+ persuasion.
There aren’t many English candidates Cicero. Potter maybe, that’s Graham not ours. lol Maybe Frank Lampard is an option too.
Hardly encouraging is it Rico? Both complete failures in management and can’t even get jobs as pundits. 😉
No Cicero, not at all although I think Lamps is better than his Chelsea managerial career would suggest.
Trossard off, Rice still on..
Jon Stones went off injured after 10 mins. 🤔
As expected Rice one of only a very few who played 90+ minutes in both games.
Sounds like Rice was made captain, just to get Ben White back on board,
Get rid of Southgate’s sidekick first and they may have a chance, but even if they did it would make no difference while Southgate is there. England will be tactically inept. -This week we have played two better than average teams and have shown to be inadequate in dealing with them.
Whether the main players that either did not go or went off early were there or not, it was proven that a few injuries and we are found wanting.
Southgate will be gone after the next tournament but I do not hold out much hope for the future as I don’t see a coach that could turn them around. England has been rudderless since Robson and Venables.
. they have tried foreign coaches and then when that didn’t work they reverted to a safe bet and that’s not working either.
Pleased for Rice that he got the captaincy on his 50th cap, but other than that the game passed me by, although I did listen to the last 20 minutes on the radio driving home yesterday. I’ve not seen the goals and probably won’t bother.
Fingers crossed that Arsenal have a clean bill of health leading up to this weekends 6 pointer and that City may have a few injury issues for a change – here’s hoping.
I am too re Rice but there hangs a cloud over Southgate’s decision imo. Rice deserves to be England captain ahead Kane and Walker, not because of their absence.
New post up