Fabinho could play there, but doesn't look like it'll be him either.

No Alex Sandro or Fabinho in the official Brazil squad.

It's incredible how Sandro, Fabinho and Naldo are arguably the best ones Brazil have on their respective position, but none of them get to go to the World Cup.

Sandro isn't better than Marcelo though.

Close to signing for Utd apparently.

It's up in the air, but Sandro has definitely been better for the past two seasons. Considering Brazil's options in general you'd want to work both of them into a team.

Felt like the decision was more Sandro vs Filipe Luis. Too bad their depth at LB doesn't translate at RB.

Tite primarily went with the players that he played the most throughout qualifying.

Thought they had Alves and Danilo at RB? That's not bad I would have thought.

Alex Sandro has been very poor this season to be fair to Tite, was possibly Brazil's best left back the season before but it's a good decision looking at recent performances.

We getting a sub forum this year?

Decision time for Southgate soon. I hope he is brave enough to bring some wildcards like Sessegnon, Alexander-Arnold, Lookman and Sancho into the fold instead of some absolutely average players like Livermore, Lingard etc. I would also take Shelvey to the world cup as he is one of a kind CM for England's options.

Lingaard deserves to go on performance alone. Livermore would be a joke though.

Notable snubs so far: Wilshere and Hart for England and Gotze and Sandro Wagner for Germany.

Lol the England squad is a joke, Southgate is a joke. Says won't select Wilshere previously because he hasn't played much and has injury problems.

Even Lallana who hardly played this season is selected as reserve. Rose and Loftus Cheeks mostly on the bench this season as well

There's literally no one in there that can pass the ball. Shelvey and Wilshere would actually add something to the team.

Clrnc wrote:

Lol the England squad is a joke, Southgate is a joke. Says won't select Wilshere previously because he hasn't played much and has injury problems.

Even Lallana who hardly played this season is selected as reserve. Rose and Loftus Cheeks mostly on the bench this season as well

Jack has played nearly 40 games and has been a starter since December. He clearly just doesn't like him. 

Is Shelvey not in the team either? That's going to be a fucking dire watch.

Shelvey is one of a kind and he isn't even selected as reserve. All these players are boring and average

Kane's in relatively shit form as well - this could end badly.

On the upside, Vardy has been awesome for most of 2018 and should arguably start for England in some capacity. Trust Southgate to leave him on the bench though.

He definitely will leave him on the bench and Kane will definitely play all 270 minutes of the tourney. Southgate to me seems like one of the dickheads who soon enough will sit on MOTD Sky or ITV explaining why it's imperative for a midfileder to get stuck in. His World Cup squad looks like he picked it with the lads Alan and Gaz down at the pub.

100% it's hard to believe he got the job.

Didn't he regularly play Gibbs in central midfield with the youth team to add more defensive stability and pretty much played the tallest players he could find so they were 'hard to play against'.

That's probably the best England can do anyway.

This is probably Messi's last chance to win a major trophy with Argentina. It's hard for me to call him the GOAT while having a 0-4 record in major finals with Argentina. Even if you give him a pass for 2007, it still looks bad.

BWoolley wrote:

That's probably the best England can do anyway.

Hardly helps the national team. Picking the ones who are particularly tall for their age at youth level. Rather then developing the players with the best potential.

If you have to play that way at senior level. Then you need to look back and think where did things go wrong.

speedy wrote:
BWoolley wrote:

That's probably the best England can do anyway.

Hardly helps the national team. Picking the ones who are particularly tall for their age at youth level. Rather then developing the players with the best potential.

If you have to play that way at senior level. Then you need to look back and think where did things go wrong.

I agree - I actually did mean the senior team and not the youth one.

Klaus wrote:

On the upside, Vardy has been awesome for most of 2018 and should arguably start for England in some capacity. Trust Southgate to leave him on the bench though.

Vardy is sharp as fuck. Wenger was right to try and sign him.

I think he's incredibly underrated too. I've never seen him flinch in a one on one. He's just the player you want up front in a game where you know you're only gonna get a few opportunities. He'll wage war on the defence and convert his chances. I'm actually surprised there isn't a bigger push for him to start for England.

He's a perfect example of a players personality reflecting in his playing style, complete chav and a nuisance to literally everything but his team mates and unlike the mouth breather he actually understands football is a team sport.

Klaus makes a great point that he never flinches in front of goal just the opposite he relishes it. If you pay attention like half his goals he hits the roof of the net and I'd bet that half the time he actually aims at the face of the keeper, 100% power no finesse because that's what he is. Last guy I've seen like that was Podolski but his mindset was different because he was a big talent since his youth team days while Vardy had to go 100% every game since day one.

There's so much endearing about him as a player at least until you get to the face. Easily my favourite English player, if I was working as an English youth coach I'd make all upcoming striker talents watch tapes of him. Bloke has a decentish first touch and very good pace everything else is pardon the cliche just him wanting it more than anyone and look where it got him.

Qwiss! wrote:
Klaus wrote:

On the upside, Vardy has been awesome for most of 2018 and should arguably start for England in some capacity. Trust Southgate to leave him on the bench though.

Vardy is sharp as fuck. Wenger was right to try and sign him.

Yep. Leicester tried hard to play progressive football under Puel too and Vardy adapted to it. He would have done well with us too.

His technical ability is so underrated, scored probably one of the best volley I have seen it recent times, so difficult technique.

jones wrote:

Klaus makes a great point that he never flinches in front of goal just the opposite he relishes it. If you pay attention like half his goals he hits the roof of the net and I'd bet that half the time he actually aims at the face of the keeper, 100% power no finesse because that's what he is.

It's like the penalty against us the other week. He had a chance to win the game for Leicester. 80 percent of all players stepping up to the spot would have aimed low. Vardy just blasted it into the roof, slightly to the right of the top corner. He could have told the goalie in advance what he was going to do and Ospina still wouldn't have saved it.

He doesn't quite have the technique for the comparison to hold up, but I reckon there are a lot of similarities between him and Diego Costa. They've really had to fight for where they are.

Lacazette, Rabiot and Martial miss out on the World Cup for France. They're replaced with Fekir, Thauvin and N’Zonzi.

Tough choices but I don't think most people will have too many issues with that selection.

Laporte is probably the only one from that list who can feel hard done by. The "best player in Ligue 1", Mathieu Debuchy, isn't even on the reserve list.

Edit: Payet didn't make the cut either. Now that's a shocking decision.

Payet is injured isn't he?

What would have been the last World Cup without an Arsenal player in the France squad? 1994?

Is any Arsenal player going to the World Cup apart from Ozil, Elneny, Iwobi and Xhaka?

Lacazette, Coman, Benzema and Martial and maybe even Ben Yedder are better than any English forwards not named Arry Kane. Incredible. They should form their own team. They'd still make the quarters.

Lacazette isn't better than Vardy, Claude. And Benzema hilariously scored 5 league goals this season.

Mirth wrote:

Welbeck!

According to Shearer

best option we have as back-up to [Jamie] Vardy and [Harry] Kane.

I'm going all in on supporting Welé at this World Cup