If you’re England boss tonight do you rest and rotate or go full strength?

[PaulHartman71]

Lot of noise about this. Big Sam has come out and said he’d rest Kane, Martinez already saying he’s resting players. 

Obviously would be different if finishing 2nd meant drawing a Spain or a Brazil etc, but is this an ideal time to rest? Or go for the win and keep morale up etc. 

[Bootador]

Do people seriously think morale drops if we rest players. How fragile they are even when not playing. 

Rest everyone! 

[Bliss Seeker]

 

 

 

[Nordan]

I'd rotate, spare the most important players from potential injury.

[Barry Cartman]

No surrender!  

[Pukey]

I wouldn't change every player or everything but not rotating would be crazy. Rashford, Dier, and Rose would be nailed on to start for me and I'd maybe make another couple on top of that.

[PaulHartman71]

2 minutes ago, Bootador said:

Do people seriously think morale drops if we rest players. How fragile they are even when not playing. 

Rest everyone! 

 

I think a lot of it rests on Kane. He will want to play and go all out for the Golden Boot, especially if one his main rivals for it isn’t playing in Lukaku. 

Weve seen the lengths he will go to get a Golden Boot, so I can see him being annoyed if he gets asked to sit this one out and rest. He’s the captain so maybe Southgate won’t want to upset him and the team. But then if his ankle gets snapped in this game we’ve got no chance of going much further. 

[Sons FC]

All out for glory - group stage winners or nothing!

[Barry Cartman]

3 minutes ago, Bootador said:

Do people seriously think morale drops if we rest players. How fragile they are even when not playing. 

Rest everyone! 

Its not about morale ffs

Its about a bunch of players who hardly spend any time together getting another game together and learning how each other play, you can't replicate a 60 game season in the space of a few games

Look how long it took Liverpool to click before they were good enough to get to the CL final, players need game time to get better as a team 

[Nordan]

5 minutes ago, Bootador said:

Do people seriously think morale drops if we rest players. 

I don't. Going for 2nd place, losing or not doing their best under order, might.

[darren1983]

1 minute ago, Pukey said:

I wouldn't change every player or everything but not rotating would be crazy. Rashford, Dier, and Rose would be nailed on to start for me and I'd maybe make another couple on top of that.

This for me too. I'd rest Tripper too, wing backs have covered a lot of ground, would drop anyone on a yellow too, no point risking them picking up a yellow. 

[Redshift]

Rotate. If we win and get the harder side we’ll need some rested players and having our subs get match fitness or prove themselves enough to get in the first is a great advantage. I guess playing Kane is the biggest dilemma. Does he need rest considering he was out for a while and hasn’t had to run around the pitch a lot?

[themadsheep2001]

Rest the wingbacks, as they have covered ridiculous amounts of ground, Rest anyone who could be suspended too (Walker, RLC?) Rest Henderson and one of Sterling/Lingard, and start Rashford. Vardy coming off the bench too.

[daylight]

Put the tea lady and the cleaning staff on.

[themadsheep2001]

1 minute ago, Redshift said:

Rotate. If we win and get the harder side we’ll need some rested players and having our subs get match fitness or prove themselves enough to get in the first is a great advantage. I guess playing Kane is the biggest dilemma. Does he need rest considering he was out for a while and hasn’t had to run around the pitch a lot?

Kane could probably do with the minutes tbh

[adhikapp]

Rotate. It's not like the players on the bench are massive downgrades. I bet a fair amount of people would've thought Dier would've started over Henderson this tournament.

Rose and Young are equal, just offer different things (width and leg preference (is that a term?))

Dier and Henderson are equal, one is just a tad more experienced. Same as Tripper and Trent.

Cahill and Jones aren't exactly downgrades to Maguire at all when the other two play in bigger clubs. Walker's on a yellow too, isn't he? Don't need to risk a suspension.

Vardy scored 20 goals last season. He's one of the few from that Leicester squad who hasn't dipped in form since their Champions run.

Hell, even Butland and Pope aren't that much of a downgrade to Pickford (I think they're all equal apart from Pickford's kicking). If the clubs of the three keepers we're switched, the one playing at Everton would still be the #1 choice.

Dele's well rested after missing Panama from a slight injury, but RLC didn't do too bad. Rashford could come in for Sterling so Sterling can be fully focused for the knockouts.

When the team is equal everywhere and fits the system, why not rotate?

[ryan045]

Full rotation tonight please. Maybe keep Kane in because he’s on a hot streak. 

[toon_84]

I'd be more inclined to try a plan b tactic more than anything.

[Haguey]

Some rotation, don't risk anyone on a yellow or a slight knock, give Rose a run out and maybe rest Lingard and/or Kane. Otherwise keep everyone else, especially the backline (sans Walker).

[Citizen Sandman]

Having ran football teams (and no means this level!) I'd carry on with the team, players want to play. They won't be completely knackered, if we do better than expected the rush of success will take over and they'll see it through. 

Players want to play, yes the manager should make executive decisions but for the most part i'd play the strongest side.

Maybe Rose and Dier to come in, outside of that, no changes.

[georginho_juventusygr]

Rotate. Why playing full strength?

Plus, I'm sick of Sterling.

[herne79]

Saw an interview with Southgate who mentioned player match fitness / sharpness is something to consider, so possibly a clue into at least some rotation.

Not sure I'd rotate everyone, but certainly one/both wingbacks, give Rashford a start and perhaps Dier as well.  Maybe test Dele's fitness in the second half if he's up to it too.  I'd keep the 3 centre backs, they're not rock solid and could use the time together I think.  And I don't like all this talk of playing for a draw and what not.  We're going to win the tournament anyway so it doesn't matter who we play .

[AJJ]

Go full strength and win the group. We got to beat some of the big boys sooner or later so what better way to get momentum and confidence by doing it in 2nd Round/Quarters?

[pearcey_90]

Walker/Maguire/Hendo/Young/Trippier/Lingard/RLC rested, Jones/Cahil/Dier/Delph/TAA/Rose/Rashford in.

Pickford needs to face a side where he will finally face at least 2 shots on target, be pointless and a joke to ‘rest’ him. Kane hasn’t made one sprint yet this World Cup so doesn’t need resting either, he’s cleverly conserving himself whilst scoring.

[theonets]

It doesn't matter either way.

 

IT'S COMING HOME

[AJJ]

I'd play Rose all day long to be honest. We look so unbalanced with Young as left back.

[mark1985]

Full strength BUT rotate in the second half. 

[enigmatic]

2 hours ago, georginho_juventusygr said:

Rotate. Why playing full strength?

Plus, I'm sick of Sterling.

Sterling's the one player in the starting lineup that actually needs minutes to get his form going (maybe Maguire could do with a proper test too and I wouldn't drop Stones or Pickford either). 

[bestbrother]

Bung it and we are in the Semi Finals.

Play it out for a  tight 0-0, then in the last seconds, hammer it in our own net, job done.

[Bootador]

This is why we're a nation of losers

[bestbrother]

Colombia in the 16s, not ideal, but we should beat them comfortably.

 

[georginho_juventusygr]

2 hours ago, enigmatic said:

Sterling's the one player in the starting lineup that actually needs minutes to get his form going (maybe Maguire could do with a proper test too and I wouldn't drop Stones or Pickford either). 

How long, though? Does he need to play every match?

[enigmatic]

19 minutes ago, georginho_juventusygr said:

How long, though? Does he need to play every match?

A good sixty minutes to try to get a goal and state his case for staying ahead of Rashford/Vardy. Obviously he's not in the starting lineup now, but I hope he gets half an hour to do something instead

[git2thachoppa]

Sensible Southgate strikes again.

Even if we get walloped in our next 2 matches, give him a long contract. When was the last manager we had who had common sense? Venables? Robson?

[georginho_juventusygr]

Big Sam.

[git2thachoppa]

1 minute ago, georginho_juventusygr said:

Big Sam.

I was going to say that, but bit hard to judge regarding England, and he did something not very sensible to end it.