Surprised there's not already a thread. I agree with most that it's a bit of a nonsense this time round with the timings, Qatar, etc, but trying to get myself in the zone...

I look forward to some rose tinted selections!

1) What is your (not Southgate's) 26 man squad
2) What is our best 11?
3) What will our results be?
4) Who do you tip to go far?

1) My 26:
GK: Pickford, Ramsdale, Pope

DEF: Trippier, Trent AA, Walker, Stones, Dier, White, Ghehi, Shaw, Sessegnon.

MID: Rice, Henderson, Bellingham, Grealish, Mount, Saka, Maddison, Foden, Eze.

FOR: Kane, Sterling, Rashford, Tony, Abraham

Notable absentees:
- Harry Maguire: Confidence shot and is now a liability/time bomb.
- Kalvin Phillips: No match fitness, a World Cup is not the time to get sharp.
- Jadon Sancho: Not setting the world alight and behind the likes of Saka, Foden, Mount etc

Comments:
- Defensively we're buggered. I would risk taking an injured Kyle Walker as he's such a key player.
- Ward-Prowse will get in over Eze.

2) Best 11:

-------------Pickford-------------
Trent---Walker---Stones---Dier---Shaw
---------Rice------Bellingham-------
Foden----------Kane-----------Grealish

3) Results:
England 2 - 0 Iran
England 1 - 1 Wales
England 1 - 0 USA

Lacklustre but will grind out results to advance from an easy group. Lineker will be wetting his pants over 7 points.

R2: England 2 - 1 Ecuador
QF: England 0 - 2 Argentina

4) Tip to go far:
- I have France down as winners as they have too much firepower with Mbappe and Benzema. My outsiders to go far are The Netherlands and Denmark.

The overall performance will reflect the pre-tournament hype. Southgate sacked with no obvious replacement.

knocked out in the group stage (bad old '80s style)
OR !!!
we turn dark horses, perform & win it
(beating france in the final, 3-5)

Kids,tired of being bothered by your pesky parents?
Then leave home, get a job & pay your own bills, while you still know everything.

England progressed beyond the group stage in the two World Cups played in the 1980s.

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)

I'm expecting Southgate to name at least one player who is currently injured possibly 2.

It seems to be in the job description for England manager, take a player who is injured thus depriving a fit player of a place. Said player will then either break down or not be match fit and so wont do anything.

See Keegan / Beckham / Robson etc. etc.

The annoying thing is that this time it wont even be a so called talisman.

We never learn.

One more point

Agreed I only realised this week Wales and the USA were in our group. I have never been so uninterested in a WC.

One more point

World Cup

“That’s a joke son, I say, that’s a joke.” “Nice boy, but he’s sharp as a throw pillow.” “He’s so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent” “ “Son… I say, son, some people are so narrow minded they can look through a keyhole with both eyes.”__ Forhorn Leghorn