World Cup: National Team threads #2

[Evilo]

Complain about Lenglet, complain about Sissoko, I don't care. But don't you DARE come after Zouma and his well-earned call up

I like him but there are rougly 5 CBs better than him right now not called up.

 

[Evilo]

I think it’s smart to take the better options to the U21. The senior team is going to breeze through qualifying regardless, whereas the U21 is an actual tournament.

Yes it's true, but seeing guys like Kamara or Kounde or Fofana without a NT callup so far is a bit weird when you see Lenglet or Sissoko called up.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

I like him but there are rougly 5 CBs better than him right now not called up.

Look, you know I don't disagree, but how can you deny Zouma this joy!

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

So I'd assumed that Trent wasn't in the squad at Liverpool's request. Turns out Southgate has just dropped him.

 

[Blender]

No Harvey Barnes?

 

[Power Man]

We have a lot of injured defenders, our defense is going to suffer

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

No Harvey Barnes?

Would be harsh to force him to play with a busted knee, no?

 

[Savant]

So I'd assumed that Trent wasn't in the squad at Liverpool's request. Turns out Southgate has just dropped him.

Either way works for me.

don’t think Southgate would come out and say that Klopp asked him to stay home either if that was the case though. Doesn’t really benefit him to do that

either way Trent needs the rest more than he needs more caps.

 

[Blender]

Would be harsh to force him to play with a busted knee, no?

Didn't even realize he was out long term with a knee injury.

 

[Power Man]

Yes it's true, but seeing guys like Kamara or Kounde or Fofana without a NT callup so far is a bit weird when you see Lenglet or Sissoko called up.

Fofana's dad is a nice dude
Too bad a lost his autograph

 

[Evilo]

Fofana's dad is a nice dude
Too bad a lost his autograph

Who is his dad?

 

[Eye of Ra]

Who is his dad?

Jean Reno.

 

[Power Man]

Jean Reno.

I thought it was Gary Oldman

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Is Southgate wrong about TAA? He’s been bad this season and England has a lot of good RB’s.

 

[Savi]

Martinez has called up 33(!) players for the Belgium squad. We play Wales(H), Czech Rep(A) and Belarus(H) next week.
Some notes:
- Lukaku has been called up even though Inter players are banned from travelling (they do have another test on Monday, Martinez hopes Lukaku will still be allowed to join if he can show a negative test)
- Origi hasn't been called up which means the odds of him making the final EC squad are almost zero
- Players from the Bundesliga are banned from travelling to the Czech Republic so Meunier, T.Hazard, Casteels etc will skip that game
- I think the 3rd game against Belarus we'll very likely see an extremely experimental line up
- Martinez has a weird fetish with Anderlecht players and that continues. Yari Verschaeren has made the squad again despite having played terrible or being injured for about 1,5 year now, also Sambi Lokonga has been called up for the first time despite being very underwhelming for the entire season. Martinez views him as an option to replace Witsel, meanwhile there are better players at Club Brugge or Genk at that position but they get ignored

GK: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Koen Casteels (Hoffenheim), Thomas Kaminski (Blackburn)

D: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Jan Vertonghen (Benfica), Jason Denayer (Lyon), Thomas Vermaelen (Vissel Kobe), Dedrick Boyata (Hertha), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge)

WB: Thomas Meunier (Dortmund), Timothy Castagne (Leicester), Alexis Saelemakers (Milan), Thorgan Hazard (Dortmund), Nacer Chadli (Basaksehir), Thomas Foket (Reims)

DM: Leander Dendoncker (Wolves), Orel Mangala (Stuttgart), Sambi Lokonga (Anderlecht), Youri Tielemans (Leicester)

AM: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Dennis Praet (Leicester), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Yari Verschaeren (Anderlecht), Charles De Ketelaere (Club Brugge)

F: Romelu Lukaku (Inter), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace), Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace), Yannick Carraso (Atlético), Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Adnan Januzaj (Sociedad), Leandro Trossard (Brighton)

 

[Evilo]

Meunier skipping the game is a bonus for Belgium

 

[Savant]

Is Southgate wrong about TAA? He’s been bad this season and England has a lot of good RB’s.

a lot of interesting reading on this today. All I can say is LFC fans are happy he is getting a rest.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Europe are allow to travel but not South America? THat sucks

 

[robertmac43]

Leandro Trossard (Brighton)

This selection made me really happy. Leo deserves a spot on the team!

Also Sanchez getting a call up to Spain was awesome to see, crazy to think he was the fourth choice GK to start the season.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Martinez has called up 33(!) players for the Belgium squad. We play Wales(H), Czech Rep(A) and Belarus(H) next week.
Some notes:
- Lukaku has been called up even though Inter players are banned from travelling (they do have another test on Monday, Martinez hopes Lukaku will still be allowed to join if he can show a negative test)
- Origi hasn't been called up which means the odds of him making the final EC squad are almost zero
- Players from the Bundesliga are banned from travelling to the Czech Republic so Meunier, T.Hazard, Casteels etc will skip that game
- I think the 3rd game against Belarus we'll very likely see an extremely experimental line up
- Martinez has a weird fetish with Anderlecht players and that continues. Yari Verschaeren has made the squad again despite having played terrible or being injured for about 1,5 year now, also Sambi Lokonga has been called up for the first time despite being very underwhelming for the entire season. Martinez views him as an option to replace Witsel, meanwhile there are better players at Club Brugge or Genk at that position but they get ignored

GK: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Koen Casteels (Hoffenheim), Thomas Kaminski (Blackburn)

D: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Jan Vertonghen (Benfica), Jason Denayer (Lyon), Thomas Vermaelen (Vissel Kobe), Dedrick Boyata (Hertha), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge)

WB: Thomas Meunier (Dortmund), Timothy Castagne (Leicester), Alexis Saelemakers (Milan), Thorgan Hazard (Dortmund), Nacer Chadli (Basaksehir), Thomas Foket (Reims)

DM: Leander Dendoncker (Wolves), Orel Mangala (Stuttgart), Sambi Lokonga (Anderlecht), Youri Tielemans (Leicester)

AM: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Dennis Praet (Leicester), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Yari Verschaeren (Anderlecht), Charles De Ketelaere (Club Brugge)

F: Romelu Lukaku (Inter), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace), Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace), Yannick Carraso (Atlético), Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Adnan Januzaj (Sociedad), Leandro Trossard (Brighton)

How is Meunier perceived by Belgian fans? I hope he isn’t starting for you guys at the Euros.

I’m a big fan Hazard, and Witsel has served Dortmund well for a couple of years, but I can’t stand Meunier. Lazy, out of shape, bad decisions on the ball. He’s brutal. One of the biggest flops of a transfer we’ve had in recent seasons.

 

[Savi]

How is Meunier perceived by Belgian fans? I hope he isn’t starting for you guys at the Euros.

I’m a big fan Hazard, and Witsel has served Dortmund well for a couple of years, but I can’t stand Meunier. Lazy, out of shape, bad decisions on the ball. He’s brutal. One of the biggest flops of a transfer we’ve had in recent seasons.

Meunier rarely gets any hate in Belgium to be honest. Of course most people here only know him from when he played at Club Brugge (and was great) and his games with the NT in which he's always solid. The NT formation/tactics also suit him perfectly and he very rarely gets tested defensively because we always draw easy groups in qualifying rounds and don't play top teams much.

Hazard though.. I'm not a fan. I always feel when I watch him, that he thinks he's as good as his big brother, which he isn't BY FAR. Martinez really likes him so he's had a lot of starts for the NT in the past year or so even though a large chunk of his games he just wasn't any good. He's so nonchalant, he loses the ball way too often and makes dumb decisions or tries to be too cute. To be fair I'm struggling to see why you hate Meunier but love Hazard

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Meunier rarely gets any hate in Belgium to be honest. Of course most people here only know him from when he played at Club Brugge (and was great) and his games with the NT in which he's always solid. The NT formation/tactics also suit him perfectly and he very rarely gets tested defensively because we always draw easy groups in qualifying rounds and don't play top teams much.

Hazard though.. I'm not a fan. I always feel when I watch him, that he thinks he's as good as his big brother, which he isn't BY FAR. Martinez really likes him so he's had a lot of starts for the NT in the past year or so even though a large chunk of his games he just wasn't any good. He's so nonchalant, he loses the ball way too often and makes dumb decisions or tries to be too cute. To be fair I'm struggling to see why you hate Meunier but love Hazard

Formation fit may play a part. Hazard fits in well as a winger at Dortmund, and we lack natural wingers. He plays a complimentary role for us, and doesn’t try to do too much. Meunier probably doesn’t have the defensive support with Dortmund that he has with Belgium. He’s probably gotten even slower over the years, as well. I didn’t watch him that often with PSG, but there’s no way he was this bad. Otherwise, they would’ve gotten rid of him much sooner.

 

[Live in the Now]

It's great that none of our players are on that England 3 game gulag trip this time. That shit ruined our season last time.

 

[Power Man]

Ugh......


I love Belmadi but I’m not super happy about this list

We’re already qualified for AFCON so this was the perfect time to call up some promising young players from the Algerian league like Amoura or Zorgane......

Also, Ferhat deserves a call up

And to make things worse, Ghezzal is back

 

[Evilo]

Boudaoui is injured.