UEFA Nations League 2018/19

[MDK]

On 14/03/2019 at 15:09, Adam said:

Well, why is the Champions League final now on June 6th? It's far too late really, I don't see why the European tournaments hang over 2-4 weeks past the end of the domestic campaign. 

Wouldn't want the FA Mug to overshadow the tinpot "Champions" League. Better put it a few weeks later.

[Colly]

Europa League is only a few days before that too.

[MDK]

Shocking move by UEFA.

[Colly]

Spurs and Liverpool should just collectively agree to play at Villa Park weekend after next. Whoever wins turns up to Madrid and wins by forfeit with none of the English players in attendance.

[Bobfoc]

The fine margins here are interesting. England were minutes away from relegation, which would have prompted a lot of people to dismiss the Nations League as a waste of time, but we're now interested in it because they made it through the group. It's bad scheduling however you look at it, but fewer people over here would be talking about it if England weren't still in it. It makes me wonder how people from eliminated nations think of the competition.

[Malenko]

3 minutes ago, Bobfoc said:

The fine margins here are interesting. England were minutes away from relegation, which would have prompted a lot of people to dismiss the Nations League as a waste of time, but we're now interested in it because they made it through the group. It's bad scheduling however you look at it, but fewer people over here would be talking about it if England weren't still in it. It makes me wonder how people from eliminated nations think of the competition.

Pretty sure most have forgotten it was ever created, if football message boards are something to go by.

[Lineker]

Quote

Southampton’s Nathan Redmond is the surprise name in Gareth Southgate’s initial England squad for the Nations League finals.

The manager named a 27-man group in advance of June’s inaugural finals in Portugal, although he will need to cut the group to 23 by 27 May.

Redmond, overlooked since winning his one England cap in March 2017, recently won the Player of the Year double at Southampton.

The England captain Harry Kane has been selected by Southgate despite an ankle ligament injury which has kept him out since 9 April, and another Tottenham player, Harry Winks, has also got the nod after groin surgery.

There is no place for Ruben Loftus-Cheek after he sustained a nasty-looking ankle injury playing in a friendly for Chelsea on Wednesday but his fellow midfielders Declan Rice and James Ward-Prowse are involved again.

Jesse Lingard and Joe Gomez return to the squad, while Luke Shaw and James Tarkowski are left out.

Initial squad for Nations League finals
Goalkeepers Jack Butland, Tom Heaton, Jordan Pickford.
Defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Chilwell, Joe Gomez, Michael Keane, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker.
Midfielders Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Fabian Delph, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse, Harry Winks.
Forwards Harry Kane, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Nathan Redmond, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Callum Wilson. 

[Lineker]

Quote

Tottenham defender Kieran Trippier has been left out of England's 23-man squad for the Nations League finals, but captain Harry Kane has been included after an ankle injury.

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester City's Kyle Walker have been preferred to Trippier at right-back.

Spurs' Harry Winks and Southampton's Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse were also overlooked.

Tottenham striker Kane has not played since 9 April.

England face the Netherlands in the semi-finals in Guimaraes on 6 June.

Hosts Portugal play Switzerland in the other semi-final on 5 June in Porto. The third-place play-off and final are on 9 June.

England boss Gareth Southgate said dropping Trippier was "as hard a decision as we have had to make".

"Trippier has had such a big impact, he had such a brilliant World Cup," said Southgate.

"He has been a really valuable member of our squad and has a great attitude with us, real passion in playing for England, but Trent and Kyle have finished the season so strongly.

"It is a position where we have got real competition for places."

Kane injured his left ankle in the first leg of Tottenham's Champions League quarter-final victory over Manchester City.

He said on Monday that he is "ready to go" for Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool in Madrid.

Kane is one of seven players who could be involved in that match.

"There's been some difficult decisions to make and we are obviously a little bit complicated with so many players involved in the Champions League as well, but we are really excited by the squad and the players that are around it," said Southgate.

Midfielder Ward-Prowse and forward Redmond will remain with the England squad for training.

"We have still got two weeks to get through and two really big finals ahead," said Southgate.

Midfielder Winks had groin surgery in April and has not played since 9 April.

England squad
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Jordan Pickford (Everton).
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Leicester), Danny Rose (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Chelsea), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Declan Rice (West Ham).
Strikers: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Callum Wilson (Bournemouth).

[Lineker]

Raheem Sterling is set to be named as captain against Holland, on the occasion of his 50th cap.

[Chris2K]

Lol, nope.

[Lineker]

Quote

Netherlands: Cillessen, Dumfries, de Ligt, van Dijk, Blind, de Roon, F de Jong, Wijnaldum, Bergwijn, Depay, Babel.
Subs: Vermeer, Bizot, Hateboer, Ake, Propper, Promes, van Aanholt, de Vrij, Strootman, Vilhena, L de Jong, van de Beek.

England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell, Rice, Delph, Barkley, Sancho, Rashford, Sterling.
Subs: Butland, Heaton, Rose, Dier, Lingard, Henderson, Kane, Gomez, Keane, Alli, Wilson, Alexander-Arnold.

Referee: Clement Turpin (France).

[FLiam]

That's a pretty decent looking lineup.

[Lineker]

1-0; Rashford penalty.

[MDK]

Should be 2-0

[MDK]

Ah balls

[King Ellis]

Lovely goal that, nice flick by Sterling.

Hang on, VAR...balls.

[Bobfoc]

This is an entertaining match.

[Lineker]

Beats meaningless friendlies any day. 

[MDK]

Cock

[FLiam]

John Stones