Ollie Watkins

[eamonn]

Well, you're always siding with the pundits these days, SE. Is that the only chemistry between ye?

[LeeB]

I think it's entirely possible Toney is a better player, and a better fit for England, than Watkins. If that makes me a c-word, well, I'd point you to a number of other factors much higher up the list.

No, you may well be right, I think Toney is more instictive and more off-the-cuff which England will need in absence of any co-ordinated threat.

[Sexual Ealing]

Well, you're always siding with the pundits these days, SE. Is that the only chemistry between ye?

I'm not siding with the pundits, I'm just allergic to conspiracy theories.

[Dogtanian]

It's the StevieG school of management - expect one player to produce a moment of magic to get the result rather than building a team that can work together to achieve it.

Southgate honestly thinks he's going to learn more about playing to Watkins' strengths in his training sessions than he could by watching the 200+ games he's played up front? 

[AlexAlexCropley]

Southgate pre Brazil game was all "we've got to adapt our style to accommodate Ollie blah,blah". He threw him under the bus.
And will he play long balls over the top into the channels for Ivan "Z sign" Toney?

[eamonn]

Well, you're always siding with the pundits these days, SE. Is that the only chemistry between ye?

I'm not siding with the pundits, I'm just allergic to conspiracy theories.

Anderson often comes across humourless in interviews.

[LeeB]

Southgate pre Brazil game was all "we've got to adapt our style to accommodate Ollie blah,blah". He threw him under the bus.
And will he play long balls over the top into the channels for Ivan "Z sign" Toney?

They've got the only keeper in the league who still boots the ball up the pitch, 90's throwbacks Maguire and Gallagher huffing around and bumping into everyone, may as well go route one.

[Dave]

Southgate on Toney: "His passing, his link play. We're still getting to know all of those strengths because until you work with a player more regularly you don't know them inside out."

There's your problem. You've only worked with Kane and no-one can do what he does. If you'd tried something different and, in truth, were able to spot strengths and weaknesses from a distance, you'd not be so one dimensional.

Toney should start, but I suspect England will learn as much about how to use him as they did on Saturday.

Exactly, paying the price for puffing up Harry's stats in rollover fixtures that could serve better as preperation for games that actually test us.

Of England's last five matches, Watkins has started three of them. One of the two that he didn't was the qualifying match away in Italy, which seems fair enough to pick Kane over him.

In the latter Smith and the Gerrard period while the calls on here were mainly for Watkins to be replaced, not to be starting for England, they picked a variety of Wilson / Toney / Rashford / Abraham all of whom had time playing there.

But it's not a massive surprise that the captain and best player is picked for most of the matches. We're not starting Duran every third match to make sure he's up to speed in case Watkins gets injured. He's getting ten minutes here and there and starting group games in the Conference League.

[Risso]

I think it's entirely possible Toney is a better player, and a better fit for England, than Watkins. If that makes me a c-word, well, I'd point you to a number of other factors much higher up the list.

I think Toney's a better striker ie a better finisher than Watkins. I think you'll see from Toney when he leaves Brentford this year for Arsenal or whoever that he'll start to achieve Harry Kane style totals of league goals. That's no disrespect intended to Ollie, who's great (for us) and is probably a better all round player, but I think Toney is probably easier for a chump like Southgate to integrate into the existing framework, such as it.

[LeeB]

Southgate on Toney: "His passing, his link play. We're still getting to know all of those strengths because until you work with a player more regularly you don't know them inside out."

There's your problem. You've only worked with Kane and no-one can do what he does. If you'd tried something different and, in truth, were able to spot strengths and weaknesses from a distance, you'd not be so one dimensional.

Toney should start, but I suspect England will learn as much about how to use him as they did on Saturday.

Exactly, paying the price for puffing up Harry's stats in rollover fixtures that could serve better as preperation for games that actually test us.

Of England's last five matches, Watkins has started three of them. One of the two that he didn't was the qualifying match away in Italy, which seems fair enough to pick Kane over him.

In the latter Smith and the Gerrard period while the calls on here were mainly for Watkins to be replaced, not to be starting for England, they picked a variety of Wilson / Toney / Rashford / Abraham all of whom had time playing there.

But it's not a massive surprise that the captain and best player is picked for most of the matches. We're not starting Duran every third match to make sure he's up to speed in case Watkins gets injured. He's getting ten minutes here and there and starting group games in the Conference League.

All of those have had bits and pieces, 10-15 minutes here and there, and Kane is such an unusal type of player, and therefore difficult to replace effectively, more efforts should have been made for an effective 'plan B'.

It's not just Kane either, the keeper, Maguire, Henderson etc, it feels like constant thing.

Mind you, I'm saying all this and actually I don't really care a toss anyway, bollocks to them.

[VillaTim]

Hopefully Watkins gets a rest tomorrow . Want him fresh for Saturday now .

[Brazilian Villain]

Anderson often comes across humourless in interviews.

It's all been downhill for him since he left Yanited.

[ChicagoLion]

I think it's entirely possible Toney is a better player, and a better fit for England, than Watkins. If that makes me a c-word, well, I'd point you to a number of other factors much higher up the list.

I think Toney's a better striker ie a better finisher than Watkins. I think you'll see from Toney when he leaves Brentford this year for Arsenal or whoever that he'll start to achieve Harry Kane style totals of league goals. That's no disrespect intended to Ollie, who's great (for us) and is probably a better all round player, but I think Toney is probably easier for a chump like Southgate to integrate into the existing framework, such as it.

I also think that Toney is a more like for like replacement for Kane.
Is happy to come deep, link play, back to goal player.
Ollie us a more dynamic, sadly Toney is a bit of a Dick.

[pablo_picasso]

I think it's entirely possible Toney is a better player, and a better fit for England, than Watkins. If that makes me a c-word, well, I'd point you to a number of other factors much higher up the list.

I actually agree with you, to a degree.

I think he is a better out and out goalscorer than Watkins.

He is more similar to Kane than Watkins is, so there will be less adapting to do for other players too.

Especially when they decide to slowly pass the ball around the back six for five minutes before hoofing it up to 6'2" Kane or Toney, as happens more often than not.

And as Southgate is unable to spot the changes needed for Watkins to work with England, never mind implement them, Toney will always be a better fit for England than Watkins is while Southgate is in charge.

But as an overall footballer, as both creator & scorer, with a work rate that is second to none, Emerys version of Watkins is a better all round footballer than Toney is.

[Sexual Ealing]

I think it's entirely possible Toney is a better player, and a better fit for England, than Watkins. If that makes me a c-word, well, I'd point you to a number of other factors much higher up the list.

I actually agree with you, to a degree.

I think he is a better out and out goalscorer than Watkins.

He is more similar to Kane than Watkins is, so there will be less adapting to do for other players too.

Especially when they decide to slowly pass the ball around the back six for five minutes before hoofing it up to 6'2" Kane or Toney, as happens more often than not.

And as Southgate is unable to spot the changes needed for Watkins to work with England, never mind implement them, Toney will always be a better fit for England than Watkins is while Southgate is in charge.

But as an overall footballer, as both creator & scorer, with a work rate that is second to none, Emerys version of Watkins is a better all round footballer than Toney is.

You make well-reasoned, nuanced worthwhile points. So why (I'm not addressing this to you, Pablo) is every journalist and pundit who'd prefer Toney a ******?