World Cup: National Team threads #2

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Balerdi is loved by his new coach and will play along Kamara in a defensive system (if Kamara isn't sold).
I wouldn't say anything definitive yet on him.

Pencil Marseille in for relegation.

 

[Savi]

Nations League is supposed to start in September, I think you'll see a lot of NT's leave their stars at home and go with younger/reserve players.
For Belgium I can't see KDB, Hazard, Lukaku, etc being selected to go play Denmark and Iceland in empty stadiums after barely having an offseason and with the PL/Liga to start soon.

Luis Enrique just announced his Spain squad and I think this kinda shows what we could expect from other nations as well.

GK - David De Gea (ManUtd), Kepa (Chelsea), Unai Simon (Athletic)

D - Navas (Sevilla), Carvajal & Ramos (Madrid), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Eric Garcia (ManCity), Llorente (Sociedad), Reguilon (Sevilla), Gaya (Valencia)

M - Ruiz (Napoli), Thiago (Bayern), Busquets (Barça), Rodri (ManCity), Merino (Sociedad), Oscar Rodriguez (Levante), Olmo (Leipzig)

F - Traoré (Wolves), Torres (ManCity), Asensio (Madrid), Fati (Barça), Oyarzabal (Sociedad), Rodrigo (Valencia)

 

[BMann]

Also gotta replace Palacios with someone that’s actually playing every week.

Just because the Leverkusen coach is an idiot. Palacios is a tremendous talent. Alario could not even get much of a look in with this idiot coach despite his superior strike rate and clutch goals which he was known for at River.

Argentina may well have to wait one more cycle before becoming a dominant force. This time around not with a forward imbalance but at last developing defenders, keepers and midfielders of the required calibre.

GK: Musso/Martinez/Pourtau
DF: Perez/Senesi/Medina/Balerdi/Romero
MF: Palacios/de Paul/Lo Celso/Asascibar/Dominguez/Paredes
FW: Martinez/Dybala/Ocampos/Gonsalez

Looking towards 2026 and several others on the fringes like the younger Palacios and trying to figure out Lisandro Martinez as a DM as well as Foyth. Velez, River, Argentinos Juniors continue to produce top level talent.

 

[BMann]

Was Martinez in the Argentinian GK picture before his run of form post lockdown?

He was forgotten. Rightly so. Playing for Reading. And years sitting on the bench. Too many Argentine keepers in recent memory do this. Most of them not good enough anyway. Look at Carrizo and now Werner. After years searching for a decent replacement to Pato and Goyocochea finally to have Musso and Martinez is a relief. Plus there are several at last top notch youth keepers. Pourtau at Estudiantes and Blazquez at Valencia B. Scaloni has one thing right. If you are not playing first team football no chance of selection. Romero quite happy to sit on his backside for years after showing some promise at AZ and never becoming a dominant number one.

 

[BMann]

Yes and as I said he's in a very good situation.
OM has played very defensively, his partner is top notch and he's going to play the CL.

Balerdi. So much for the great youth development machine they have. Kicked his heels wasting valuable time in development. Reads the game better than most his age. Still to fill out and not the quickest but his reading compensates for it. Solid in the air. Never afraid to get stuck in. And so comfortable on the ball passing deep and carrying it invaluable if you are playing a team that is sitting deep. Unsurprising as he was an accomplished central midfielder before being converted at Boca for his size. Also forgot to mention Quarta. Montiel is great going forwards and has a great engine. Like most young full backs needs to learn the defensive side of the game. When to commit to attack and he still tends to pull away from his opponent. Too much tucking in. He will learn. Medina looks a great prospect to succeed Tagliafico who should be made captain before the best of them Nehuen Perez takes over the reins. If he carries his development forward he will be world class. A long time since we the Albiceleste had a world class defender rather than forward.

 

[Eye of Ra]

there is no better option than Busquets?

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Just because the Leverkusen coach is an idiot. Palacios is a tremendous talent. Alario could not even get much of a look in with this idiot coach despite his superior strike rate and clutch goals which he was known for at River.

Argentina may well have to wait one more cycle before becoming a dominant force. This time around not with a forward imbalance but at last developing defenders, keepers and midfielders of the required calibre.

GK: Musso/Martinez/Pourtau
DF: Perez/Senesi/Medina/Balerdi/Romero
MF: Palacios/de Paul/Lo Celso/Asascibar/Dominguez/Paredes
FW: Martinez/Dybala/Ocampos/Gonsalez

Looking towards 2026 and several others on the fringes like the younger Palacios and trying to figure out Lisandro Martinez as a DM as well as Foyth. Velez, River, Argentinos Juniors continue to produce top level talent.

I think they have a good team for copa and 2022 tbh. In 2026 the likes of Almada,Romero, Palacios, Amione and the rest will definitely be on it.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Just because the Leverkusen coach is an idiot. Palacios is a tremendous talent. Alario could not even get much of a look in with this idiot coach despite his superior strike rate and clutch goals which he was known for at River.

Bosz is a polarizing coach. Fun to watch, but his teams concede so many goals because his tactics cannot keep the ball out of his own net.

As to Palacios, I'm not suggesting you are even wrong, but do you want a guy playing for your National Team in big games that isn't playing regularly? I wouldn't want a rusty player in the team for important National Team games. I think thats even more so when the player isn't an established National Team player.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Bosz is a polarizing coach. Fun to watch, but his teams concede so many goals because his tactics cannot keep the ball out of his own net.

As to Palacios, I'm not suggesting you are even wrong, but do you want a guy playing for your National Team in big games that isn't playing regularly? I wouldn't want a rusty player in the team for important National Team games. I think thats even more so when the player isn't an established National Team player.

He did just that for Bayer.

He will be a regular starter for Bayer by the time copa starts anyway.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Nations League is supposed to start in September, I think you'll see a lot of NT's leave their stars at home and go with younger/reserve players.
For Belgium I can't see KDB, Hazard, Lukaku, etc being selected to go play Denmark and Iceland in empty stadiums after barely having an offseason and with the PL/Liga to start soon.

Luis Enrique just announced his Spain squad and I think this kinda shows what we could expect from other nations as well.

GK - David De Gea (ManUtd), Kepa (Chelsea), Unai Simon (Athletic)

D - Navas (Sevilla), Carvajal & Ramos (Madrid), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Eric Garcia (ManCity), Llorente (Sociedad), Reguilon (Sevilla), Gaya (Valencia)

M - Ruiz (Napoli), Thiago (Bayern), Busquets (Barça), Rodri (ManCity), Merino (Sociedad), Oscar Rodriguez (Levante), Olmo (Leipzig)

F - Traoré (Wolves), Torres (ManCity), Asensio (Madrid), Fati (Barça), Oyarzabal (Sociedad), Rodrigo (Valencia)

Kepa...Christ...based on what? Balls zipping past him regularly until Frank couldn't take any more of it. Its an affront to many of the competent number 1's playing in Laliga.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

England squad dropped today.


First caps for Foden and Greenwood, well deserved. No Grealish still. The logic of Mings or Keane over Dunk eludes me.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Hot take: Bellingham will be called up to the England squad by the end of the year.

 

[Ajacied]

Gosens called up for the Mannschaft. Would have liked him in Oranje seeing we are thin at LB, but no biggie.

 

[JoemAvs]

Gosens called up for the Mannschaft. Would have liked him in Oranje seeing we are thin at LB, but no biggie.

Honestly if he looks good, he will probably lock down a starting spot for Germany as well.
The easiest way to play for a top team or a top NT seems to be above average- good at FB..
Ridiculous how thin this position has become over the years (somewhat understandable considering it might be the hardest position in the world to play but still)...

 

[Live in the Now]

Honestly if he looks good, he will probably lock down a starting spot for Germany as well.
The easiest way to play for a top team or a top NT seems to be above average- good at FB..
Ridiculous how thin this position has become over the years (somewhat understandable considering it might be the hardest position in the world to play but still)...

He'll take the LB spot for sure. Even though he's not great defensively, having a great attacking LB is like playing a joker card at international level.

 

[robertmac43]

No Dunk seems ridiculous to me at this point. Surprised to not see Grealish, and I thought there would maybe be a Saka sighting, guess Southgate isn't there yet.

 

[koyvoo]

Didn’t Maguire get dropped after his verdict came in?

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Didn’t Maguire get dropped after his verdict came in?

Seems so.

 

[JaymzB]

@Ajacied - Any insight on who is the favourite to replace Koeman?

 

[Ajacied]

@Ajacied - Any insight on who is the favourite to replace Koeman?

Lots of names being mentioned. Can't say I am happy with most of 'm.

Would like:

• Peter Bosz - Very entertaining and offensive playing style. Weak defensively. Could work with our strongest line being defense.
• Louis van Gaal - Experienced vet is unofficially retired, but tactically he's still among the very best in the world.

Meh

• Dick Advocaat - Experienced and somehow got Feyenoord rolling again last season. Not a fan of playing youth and plays a rather dull, defensive style.
• Bert van Marwijk - Took Oranje to the finals in 2010. But he was also there during the downfall.

Would not like:

• Frank de Boer - I've always given him credit for winning 4 straight with Ajax - with a weak roster to boot, but he just plays very unattractive football, is a weak tactician and seems to have failed pretty much everywhere else besides Amsterdam.
• Henk ten Cate and Ruud Gullit - Ten Cate is actually a decent tactician and seems to gain respect from his players, yet he's not solo-coach material. Ruud Gullit is among the worst in the business.
• Philip Cocu, van Bronckhorst or Mark van Bommel - Three great and smart players during their playing days. But both have had a hard time coaching so far. Maybe down the road with a little more succes and experience under their belt, but right now they are a no go.

Foreign coaches are mentioned as well, but the KNVB have expressed a Dutch coach is priority. Arsene Wenger is one who stepped forward himself.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Ruud Gullit is a legit candidate? He's barely managed in the past two decades

 

[YNWA14]

Lots of names being mentioned. Can't say I am happy with most of 'm.

Would like:

• Peter Bosz - Very entertaining and offensive playing style. Weak defensively. Could work with our strongest line being defense.
• Louis van Gaal - Experienced vet is unofficially retired, but tactically he's still among the very best in the world.

Meh

• Dick Advocaat - Experienced and somehow got Feyenoord rolling again last season. Not a fan of playing youth and plays a rather dull, defensive style.
• Bert van Marwijk - Took Oranje to the finals in 2010. But he was also there during the downfall.

Would not like:

• Frank de Boer - I've always given him credit for winning 4 straight with Ajax - with a weak roster to boot, but he just plays very unattractive football, is a weak tactician and seems to have failed pretty much everywhere else besides Amsterdam.
• Henk ten Cate and Ruud Gullit - Ten Cate is actually a decent tactician and seems to gain respect from his players, yet he's not solo-coach material. Ruud Gullit is among the worst in the business.
• Philip Cocu, van Bronckhorst or Mark van Bommel - Three great and smart players during their playing days. But both have had a hard time coaching so far. Maybe down the road with a little more succes and experience under their belt, but right now they are a no go.

Foreign coaches are mentioned as well, but the KNVB have expressed a Dutch coach is priority. Arsene Wenger is one who stepped forward himself.

I wonder if Liverpool would allow Lijnders to do it.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don’t think Bosz teams can have defensive success. His system is insane. It’s not as if he’s never had defensive talent.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Nations League is supposed to start in September, I think you'll see a lot of NT's leave their stars at home and go with younger/reserve players.
For Belgium I can't see KDB, Hazard, Lukaku, etc being selected to go play Denmark and Iceland in empty stadiums after barely having an offseason and with the PL/Liga to start soon.

Yeah think this will be the case, the guys who played deep in the CL will barely have a break, for Croatia they will probably be without Perisic, Modric, Rakitic, Brozovic. It's a good way to test the depth and youngsters of most teams but I doubt many will take this too seriously, at least not the first matchdays

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Lots of names being mentioned. Can't say I am happy with most of 'm.

Would like:

• Peter Bosz - Very entertaining and offensive playing style. Weak defensively. Could work with our strongest line being defense.
• Louis van Gaal - Experienced vet is unofficially retired, but tactically he's still among the very best in the world.

Meh

• Dick Advocaat - Experienced and somehow got Feyenoord rolling again last season. Not a fan of playing youth and plays a rather dull, defensive style.
• Bert van Marwijk - Took Oranje to the finals in 2010. But he was also there during the downfall.

Would not like:

• Frank de Boer - I've always given him credit for winning 4 straight with Ajax - with a weak roster to boot, but he just plays very unattractive football, is a weak tactician and seems to have failed pretty much everywhere else besides Amsterdam.
• Henk ten Cate and Ruud Gullit - Ten Cate is actually a decent tactician and seems to gain respect from his players, yet he's not solo-coach material. Ruud Gullit is among the worst in the business.
• Philip Cocu, van Bronckhorst or Mark van Bommel - Three great and smart players during their playing days. But both have had a hard time coaching so far. Maybe down the road with a little more succes and experience under their belt, but right now they are a no go.

Foreign coaches are mentioned as well, but the KNVB have expressed a Dutch coach is priority. Arsene Wenger is one who stepped forward himself.

It feels like NL has only like 5 managers sometimes. Van Gaal, Advocaat, van Marwijk..I've heard these names for like at least 20 years now. Are we sure Hiddink isn't available?