Lions Watch: Which of England's fringe players should go to the World Cup?

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1:11Pete Donaldson: Welcome, everybody, to a brand new series of Lions Watch. Yes, that's right. It's back. Lions Watch is returning for the 2026 World Cup. And this time we're doing it live. We're doing it live. Come on. for every other Wednesday starting from today obviously we'll be going live on the Football Ramble YouTube channel answering some of your questions about England as we count down to that first game in Texas not long now not long now at all if you're watching on YouTube hello pleasure to have you with us leave a comment where you can leave your comments get involved with the show ask whatever question you want hopefully about England but you know we are quite liberal on this show we'll be answering some of them as the stream goes on But before that, everybody, we've got to have something to get us started.

1:57Pete Donaldson: So, Luke Moore and Jim Campbell. Hello. How about this for a start of a 10? Which of the fringe players from England's squad this international break have convinced you that they should be on the plane this summer? Luke Moore, I'll go to you first. For me, it's probably Harry Kane. Right. Yeah. Didn't feature in the send-off series against Uruguay and Japan. Send-off series. It didn't feel like one, did it? No, it really didn't. I felt like I'd get the fuck out of it. But joke on the side, early swear word for the live broadcast. Bit of blue for the dads. There you go. After 12. My answer would be probably James Garner, actually.

2:34Garner. I think James Garner is impressed. He's done well. He's having a really good season. I think he offers quite a lot. When you look at the statistics around him and how he plays, I think he offers quite a lot to that midfield. And clearly he's not going to, I mean, the starters in the base midfield are going to be Rice and Anderson. We know that. But I think as a backup option, as someone who could offer something a little bit different, do a bit of everything, I think James Garner, for me, is taken to it like a duck to water. And I think you do tend to get players who come in quite last minute and force their way in there.

3:07I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of them, actually.

3:10Jim Campbell: Jim Campbell. I would echo the thoughts on James Garner. I think he's taken his chance really well. In a couple of games where it's been very difficult for players to stand out because they've been sort of disjointed, quite kind of experimental lineups. But I think he's been really good. And also he's got enough experience, I think now to kind of take this in its stride. And now it feels silly to call him a fringe player. But to me, the only one other than Ghana really that truly stands out is Harry Maguire. And he really does find himself as a fringe option now, which is, I suppose, understandable, given that he's a little bit older and whatnot.

3:43Jim Campbell: But he's been very good for Man United this season. He's relatively fresh. and you know what you're getting with him. And I think you need a little bit of that sort of consistency in the dressing room. I also think one of the interesting things about the Southgate era was the culture of it all and how kind of important that was in terms of really just kind of personnel exhibiting leadership. We've seen a lot less of that from Thomas Tuchel, understandably, partially because we've not needed the cultural reset because it happened. But I think in the same way that Jordan Henderson and he's absolutely going to that tournament, whatever happens, as long as he's fit and he'll probably turn up even if he's not.

4:22Jim Campbell: I think Maguire might end up as being like a similar sort of load-bearing slab. A load-bearing slab, yeah.

4:28Pete Donaldson: I would agree with that. The only other fringe player I would think probably had a, you know, what would the question be? You have a chance maybe to go to the World Cup after that international break. Dominic Zalanki. Yeah. Because quite clearly, we need a proper striker. he's had his reputation enhanced based on what we saw last night against Japan just by absence really and that can be all it takes sometimes

4:51Jim Campbell: to be fair to Solanke as well he has scored a decent amount of goals since he's come back to fitness for Tottenham and they're a struggling team so he's actually you know he's looking relatively sharp he is looking relatively sharp.

5:02Pete Donaldson: A few comments coming in H23, H23 morning chaps morning to you H23, H23 it is afternoon here it is afternoon, Daniel Temple 89 also says morning gents. Good morning. Chaps and gents. We'll take either. Lewis Stibbs says easy as hell. No, not easy. What's interesting, Marcus, about these comments, sorry to cut across you, but it's just that the overwhelming negativity about Tuchel, about this England squad, and about our prospects just because of these last two games is quite severe. Well, Killer Bees123 said, I would rather watch a Netflix documentary about actual Lions than watch that lot. That sounds fine.

5:41Either sounds fine.

5:42Pete Donaldson: Yeah, okay. Well, let's hopefully... What do you make of that negative response? Well, I think it is, you know, because these friendlies have been such a damp squib. I think fans understandably are a bit disappointed. You want a little bit of something. You want a bit of impetus and confidence going into the tournament from it, but it hasn't happened. Shorten Outlaw has said, did the last two games put the final nail in Foden's starting position? Does he even make the squad? And it's an interesting point or an interesting question because all this chat about, oh, Harry Kane and so on. It's understandable.

6:13Pete Donaldson: He's England's best player and there's no doubt about that. Tuchel has tried to think of a system where actually can we replicate this sort of style of play that Harry Kane can play almost as the Force Nine, although Harry Kane is also A9. I think that's the difference. And so what Chalton Outlaw I think is touching on, Jim, is should Phil Foden be in the starting XI? Perhaps I think many people think he should be. But certainly that system surely we got the answer that we need to.

6:44Jim Campbell: Yeah, I mean, absolutely. But I think it's deeper than that. I think it'd be absolutely mad to start him as a Phil, as a false Phil. He's definitely a real Phil. Yeah, he's definitely a real Phil. We're giving that. False Foden? Yeah, starting him as the false Foden, I think that experiment has proven to not work with the sample files we have. Because whatever you do, he is unquestionably Foden. He's absolutely a Phil and a Foden. He is, yeah, exactly. But I do think he's, not just his starting birth, but actually his squad plays is under threat. Now, it's easy for me to say that. Thomas Tuka will know the quality that Phil Hoden has and think that realistically, you might really only need a couple of moments of it in a tournament because that's how tournaments often go.

7:24Jim Campbell: So I think he's still got a good chance of making it. And I think another issue as well that kind of goes in his favour is actually with this group of players, picking them all on form is quite hard because there aren't very many of them that are in form generally. so I mean Foden's probably going to get some leeway there but I do think he's toiled in an England shirt for quite a while now so I don't think he'll be a starter and I think he is someone who's probably a little bit under threat of missing out altogether I think they have to Tuchel and his team have to understand that there's only room for one number 10 at 11 and you otherwise you become too narrow it becomes too messy and it doesn't play to Kane's strengths either and time and time again basically for Harry Kane's entire England career, we have talked about how Harry Kane can be greater than the sum of his already brilliant parts when players can go beyond him, when players can run past him and offer another dimension.

8:25And I think ultimately you need two really game, rapid, positive wide forwards, and you need a number 10 behind him. And the number 10 just has to be whoever Thomas Tuchel thinks is the best for that job, whether it's Rogers, Foden, Bellingham, Eza, whoever, there's a load of others I haven't named there, he just has to pick one of them. And maybe he picks a slightly different one for a different challenge or whatever, but he can't do what he did against Japan and just fit a load of attacking players in roughly the same space. Because as we said on the main show earlier today, any team worth its salt are going to know that actually you've got no threat at wide now because you've got no one attacking in the middle if you play a false nine really in that way and they can just gum up the middle of the pitch and England just become a really easy team to play against who then have to just rely on set pieces and England should be more than that and I think yeah ultimately in summary he just needs to pick who his number 10 is.

9:23Pete Donaldson: Yeah I think I mean when you're talking about some of the more sort of tactically bits and pieces there you've answered a question that David C. Jupp has asked why does this England team struggle to create chances? I mean again... It's a really fair question. Yeah I mean again we just perhaps you know basing it more on the friendlies that have just happened. England scored one goal, which was a goal which probably should have been disallowed if VAR had been switched on that night against Uruguay. It obviously didn't create much at all against Japan, but in qualifying, you know, again, it was fairly comfortable and they scored a few goals there.

9:52Pete Donaldson: But Kieran Smith, 247, says, why is it that England always look like less than the sum of their parts? So many excellent players in the team, even yesterday in the B team, but we always look low on confidence. I don't think they always look less than the size. No. That's true.

10:06Jim Campbell: Often, though. enough for it to be a reasonable question.

10:08Pete Donaldson: And I think that that's what it is. We spoke about this on the mailbag, Fish Pete, and I mentioned this on the main show earlier today, that going into tournaments, it does seem that, how is it going to click? What's the plan? What's the identity? What's the style of this team? And it feels like a little nod to the past, especially with those two friendlies. Yes, they're two friendlies. How much do you look into it? Blah, blah, blah.

10:32Jim Campbell: I get that. They are experimental friendlies, though, aren't they? And also, we fall into this trap very often, and everybody does really, of thinking that this little break in particular, or the sort of penultimate break before the friendlies that happened right before the tournament, are a proper representation of what you're going to see at the tournament. Rarely the case, the conditions are really different. Players have come off the back of a season, the location makes it different in terms of the headspace. You're trying a completely different thing because it's plan A. This is nowhere near plan A.

11:03Jim Campbell: This feels like a plan C at best, doesn't it? Yeah. And what one that is essentially confirmed to not really work at all. So I don't think this is representative of what will actually happen at the tournament. Obviously, we've seen England be very disappointing, very boring to watch at tournaments, although, you know, also very effective in recent tournaments. So I think it's important not to read too much into this, this type of performance, because we have seen England play much better than this under Tuchel. It is in there. It's just, it's a personnel issue. I think.

11:30Pete Donaldson: Well, yeah, to try and put a positive spin, I honestly think and hope that Tuchel has a plan. And as you say, Jim, these are just two experimental friendlies. Tuchel, like I say, in qualifying, he showed enough, he went, ah, I've got them, I know what I want from this team. It's now a case, as he pretty much said, I want to just meet certain players just in case of injuries and so on and so forth. However, I do think, though, that in these two games, we should have seen a little bit of something. I agree. Because it felt like this is almost like, when you go for your football trials and you've just got loads of lads there who you've never met before and it's all very disjointed.

12:06Pete Donaldson: People just, some playing for themselves knowing that this is an audition. And it felt too much like that rather than a manager trying to say, look, this is how I intend to play. I want to see you guys try and do that. Yeah, which I think was the disappointing thing. I just think we come off the back of this game and to an extent the game against Uruguay as well, it all just feels a bit complicated and maybe necessarily so necessarily so because he wants to, as you've just said, meet players, try players, whatever. There will be a lot more clarity probably come the two friendlies they play against Costa Rica and New Zealand and certainly by the first game.

12:39He's obviously going to play the best team he can in the first game. And as Jim said, it is in there. I mean, in crucial qualifiers, they've played coherently and they've played well. I don't think you could say... They won every game. Exactly. I don't think you could say England look like the lesser of the sum of their parts away in Serbia. They didn't. They won 5-0. They were brilliant. so it clearly is in there as Jim says but I do think without trying to oversimplify you know a high stakes thing at the very top of sport which I don't really know an awful lot about because I've not been there you do sometimes just have to say you know Cole Palmer's not been in great form Phil Foden's played for Man City in different positions these guys as good players they are maybe I'll have them in the squad because I might want to call on them if I need to when I'm in a pinch or there's an injury or something they're not going to start for me and I say this all the time whenever we do Lions Watch.

13:27There are so many players just in the time I've been watching England that have been great players and they've perhaps not got more than 15 caps because there's just been other good players and that's just how it goes. The great example of that is these kind of strikers we had in the 90s, right? How many caps does Robbie Fowler have? How many caps does Andy Cole have? How many caps does Ian Wright have? The answer is not as many as they probably could have had but ultimately Andy Cole was given what? I think he had 13 caps scored one goal. that. Yes, go one goal. Robbie Fowler, brilliant finisher, but wasn't ahead of a Shearer or a, you know, a Chris Sutton or whoever it was.

14:04And that's just how it goes. Sometimes we can't just expect that because we've got loads of good players to lose our heads entirely and just jam them in because that's basically what Svenjaer and Eriksen did at his worst. It didn't work. So I think a bit of bravery, a bit of confidence in, in, in what we're trying to do would be important but I expect that to come I don't think you can discern all that stuff from yesterday and from Uruguay

14:27Pete Donaldson: yeah Phil Neville's got 59 caps incidentally very good utility player yeah exactly could play full back could play hold midfield yeah nothing wrong with that nothing wrong with that at all interesting some comments you mentioned James Garner earlier saying that he's perhaps the player who stood out the most in this international break for England in terms of fringe players again definitely standing out might be too extreme. No, I think he did. Well, he even got mad at the match against Euroguide. But anyway, a couple of people on the... We've got Dougs, 44, 56. If Jordan Anderson or Cobby Mayne go ahead of Garner, I'll never forgive Tuchel.

15:04Pete Donaldson: We've got Brian Chan, 99. Garner starts with Rice and Bellingham in midfield now. Now, I wouldn't go that far. No, I wouldn't. Because I think Elliot Anderson's got that place. He's not going to do that. Yeah. But a bit of support for James Garner, interestingly. Another player who we saw feature for England in this international break is subject of a comment here from Elsevier86 who says Lewis Hall must start at left back over Nico O 'Reilly. I agree.

15:28Jim Campbell: I thought they both did well actually. Similarly well. But I would also have Hall just over. I think they are they're actually enjoyably different. You know, Nico O 'Reilly's got that kind of physical profile and he can tuck into midfield and he's also a goal threat as well in quite annoying circumstances recently if I remember. rightly and do you think he'll have room for both because they're absolutely players where I think he'll take two left yeah they'll be the two one

15:56Pete Donaldson: they must be surely yeah I would have thought so yeah my late campaign to get Luke Shaw back in the squad has failed you gotta know sometimes when you're beaten I think which is kind of interesting in itself because if you were going to apply the credentials and the context you're applying to Harry Maguire I mean that applies to Luke Shaw as well yeah I mean he's played a lot he'd be relatively rested I mean used to playing in tournaments for England coming off the back of big injuries and doing okay. I think he can, weirdly enough, figure himself to be a little bit unfortunate. But if he does take two left backs, they'll be Lewis Hall and Nico O 'Reilly.

16:28And I suspect Hall will start ahead of O 'Reilly, but O 'Reilly will feature. That'll be my prediction.

16:32Pete Donaldson: Yes, indeed. Interesting question here from Alessandra Hedgeblog. Has any nation taken only one goalkeeper to the World Cup? I think you have to take three. Because they never get injured. Wasted space.

16:44Jim Campbell: Well, do you remember North Korea tried it? they tried to that's right they registered an outfield player as a goalkeeper and Feeb was like you can't do that you just had the players you had to be a goalkeeper

16:53Pete Donaldson: yeah that's right I didn't think they realised did they and then he turned up at the tournament and you can't have a registered goalkeeper suddenly start playing up front yeah I've got another one England could have done it with Phil Jagielka back in the day he should have done nice pronunciation of his name you like that I've got one here just here saying welcome to the live chat remember to guard your privacy and abide by our community guidelines so important to get a reminder out there for everyone for that yeah so past you as well Jim yeah Don't dox yourself. No, don't do that at all.

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17:56Pete Donaldson: Let's go straight here to Leroy B's question. Lads, how far do England get if Harry Kane misses the World Cup? Brackets get well soon, has. Yeah, we don't want to think about that, do we? Yeah. There's a lot of Harry Kane chat on the comments. A lot of people worried about Kane's absence. It's understandable. Tuchel himself said that any team is reliant on their best players. How worried are you, Jim?

18:22Jim Campbell: If Cain were missing, I mean, that's the worst player we could possibly miss, obviously. And I think our style of play would be devastated by that in a way that, you know, some of the top teams might be better equipped to recover from. If you look at France and the wealth of options they've got, if they were to miss Mbappe, they could probably carry it because of the sort of depth that they have there. I think, yeah, Kane changes the picture totally. Although, I mean, that said, you know, in the last Euros, he wasn't at his best, was he? He clearly wasn't fit. There's a possibility that that could happen again, even if he doesn't actually have an injury.

18:58Jim Campbell: Bayern are probably going to go deep in the Champions League. There's a lot of games still to go between now and then, and we're seeing more and more, particularly when you factor the conditions in as well, that players are fatigued at these tournaments now. You often don't get the best versions of them. So, yeah, I would be, it would, I would kind of expect us to maybe go out a round earlier without Kane. I think it could be quite a seismic thing. So semi-finales, eh? Yep. Well, runners up. Okay, right, right. Do you think that, it's a genuine question, do you think that Argentina spent their time, or had in the past, spent their time worrying, planning for if they haven't got Messi?

19:34Pete Donaldson: Yeah, it is a good question. In fact, we've got a question which is, I think, somewhat similar, Luke, from Hutchin9235. I like to do the numbers as well. if we're criticising England for not being connected or knowing their best team are we saying every other nation is slash does is this not just often a problem for international teams you know and again a number of comments on here saying how important are these friendlies and so on and so forth I think it goes to your point there Luke my answer to that would be you know when I see France beat a Colombia side who were really up for it you know they played in America and they beat them was it 3-1 maybe 4-1 certainly one of the two and you see them show a little bit of what they've got and score a few goals you kind of think that just would be nice as a fan can we just do that and we have seen England do that before tournaments and we've seen them do this before tournaments and go all the way back to 2016 if you remember when England went away to Germany in a friendly England were 2-0 down Harry Kane himself scored Jamie Vardy got the equaliser a lovely little flick and I think Eric Dyer got the winner in the 90th minute and England showed something we came in the studio next day and Luke said this is the last thing we need that is the English mentality so whatever happens clearly there's going to be oh blimey you know it's funny because in the build up to Euro 2024 England beat Bosnia pretty handily and they lost to Iceland and they also lost a narrow one to Brazil in that kind of line up of whatever it is the four friendlies before the US ultimately I don't think it matters that much I honestly don't think it matters what I mean by that is that's not me downplaying it because England had a poor result last night.

21:12What I mean is, when I say it doesn't matter, it's not indicative of how the tournament will go. No, no. It doesn't make any sense for the reasons that Jim said earlier because experience tells us that.

21:21Pete Donaldson: Because Brazil have been quite poor in qualifying. But are you not worried about Brazil and Carlo Ancelotti in the World Cup? Don't want to play them. There's no, I don't think there's anybody who will say, yeah, but in qualifying they've not been that good. Okay, fine. Tell that to Vinny Jr. when the tournament comes around. Tell that to Gabriel when they've swing it in a corner. You know what I mean? And Ancelotti again is giving it the eyebrows. I understand that it might not be... Hanselot's eyebrow, he's worried about that now. I'm seriously worried about that. You've got your own eyebrows, very powerful.

21:46Do it for the camera. There you go.

21:49Pete Donaldson: Can we get this eyebrow on the touchline? Just transplant it onto the... What would you think? If Thomas Tuchel said, what we need is we need Marcus Speller next to me on the touchline, giving it the eyebrow, would you think game's gone or would you think we've got our game back?

22:02Jim Campbell: I personally would think we've got our game back, but I would understand why most of the population were a bit concerned. and I love the fact

22:10Pete Donaldson: that you'd always be with me Jim I've got your back mate I've got your brow if you're in the trenches you want a guy like Jim Campbell I've always said that yeah I mean a number of people are saying about these friendlies don't mean anything and blah blah blah but an interesting one from Supernova Dragon who says after the World Cup if England go out at say the quarter finals will we look at Southgate more favourably well I think we've always looked at Southgate quite favourably in the studio anyway I think we've always been pretty balanced about it I think perhaps you know I actually thought the negativity around Southgate in the Euros was quite entitled and quite ridiculous.

22:45Pete Donaldson: I understood it a little bit, though. But what people were asking for was, we want to progress and we want to win this tournament and we want to do it in this amazingly swashbuckling way. Now, I think he kept the handbrake on longer than he should have. And I think he was worthy of some criticism. But I think the way some people were carrying on was like, this is the worst thing ever when it obviously isn't. And it made, the reason it came across as a bit entitled, I think, is because it wasn't that long before that that we were on in the absolute doldrums. It was like seven years before that where England were in a terrible state.

23:21So I do think that, yeah, you have to maintain a bit of balance. And I think we've done that here. I think if England bomb out of the World Cup early in the summer...

23:29Pete Donaldson: Blame the weather. Could blame the weather. Could call it a protest against the Trump regime. No, you're talking. Yeah, so we've got our excuses ready. A lot of get out. but I don't think it massively reflects More of a Euros team It doesn't reflect on Southgate because Southgate delivered relatively speaking delivered some kind of good times Well it's got us up to a point where as ludicrous as some people may find this watching this Hi everybody, especially if you're not English Southgate got us to a place where we're ready to win a tournament Yeah, absolutely Do you know what I mean? To try and get a little bit of positivity though Jim Doug's 44-56 there he is again saying Saka Kane Rice Bellingham and James transformed this side

24:11Jim Campbell: yeah I think that's true we sort of already touched on on how you know the team that we've seen play in these friendlies is not an England team that we're ever going to see again that's half a team I really think that this has to be taken with multiple pinches of salt Bellingham's an interesting one a decent amount pocketful no like I think like a proper fancy grinder of it Like you might get in a restaurant. Yeah. You love a fancy grinder. I do love a fancy grinder. What's your login? That's private and you know it.

24:44Pete Donaldson: No, it's live, sorry. Yes. Another comment, Jim, if I may, off the back of what you've just said there. Kieran Smith 247 says, I came here a bit low in confidence after watching the game yesterday. You're slowly changing my mind though. We're not confident. And reminding me these were experimental friendlies. I think, Jim, you're at the vanguard.

25:02Jim Campbell: Yeah, but I do think... Right here, right now. It's a very interesting point for us to maybe think about what we expect from England then. Because, you know, we've gone into the last few tournaments with a lot of expectation, a lot of excitement, which I think has been justified because of, you know, how far we've got in the tournaments and how regularly we've done that. And, you know, even losing to France that time, we managed to convince ourselves on another day that we would have won that and we were at least competitive in it. I don't really know what I'm expecting from England here. I can't say I look at this and go, oh, we're going to be heavy favourites to win this or among the favourites.

25:36Jim Campbell: I don't really know where I think England end up. Yeah, I mean, England are in the top four favourites.

25:42Pete Donaldson: Sure, but as we know for the seeding. That's often the case though, isn't it? Well, they've done the seeding differently for this World Cup, having that top four, which England have benefited from. Sure. Hopefully we'll take advantage of that. Yeah, I know what you mean. I mean, I would have England behind Spain, obviously, behind France. I'd be tempted to put them behind even though they've not been great Brazil and Argentina England are third favourites for the World Cup Spain and France and just ahead of Argentina and Brazil

26:08Jim Campbell: I have insecurity about every single team that you just mentioned I couldn't see us beating any of those

26:14Pete Donaldson: Indeed I can understand Brazil because they haven't done that much at the World Cup by their own standards But you've got to play the idea of Brazil as well in the World Cup And Ancelotti Don't forget that

26:21Jim Campbell: They will ultimately lose to the idea of Brazil but probably not against England On their own terms On their own terms very much so yeah So on the question of what we expect, I mean, this is a cop-out answer, but it is really difficult to say because, you know, you can start to try and plot paths if you want, but ultimately, not only does that run the risk of looking past two games in the group that are quite difficult, it also assumes that the other teams and the groups that you're expecting to play do okay. And they don't always. And look how much the draw opened up for England last time and in the World Cup in 2018, to be fair.

26:56Yeah. Didn't it? And so, you know, that's all part of it, you know. And another thing that plays into this is your reference to the France game. England play France early in that World Cup, really. I mean, the World Cup history is littered with massive games earlier than perhaps you want them to be just as a neutral football fan, right? You sometimes see a game and you go, oh, that could have been the final or that could have been the semi-final or whatever, but the draw means it comes early. if England beat France in the quarterfinal then you know does it open up for them it probably does and they'd get confidence from winning that and just the way the draw went was we played them early

27:34Pete Donaldson: it was a shame because I thought again to make this point again 2022 I thought England played really well the World Cup actually benefited where it came in the season and also Marcus that was that's the big comeback on people who say Southgate doesn't play attacking football for England because in that World Cup England played good football yeah yeah indeed yeah yeah How about this from David Jones? I don't think it's the Sky guy, as he's known. Is Dan Byrne out of contention if John Stones is back fit? Gay, Konza, Maguire, Stones as the four. He's also put Ben White as a utility player, question mark.

28:09Pete Donaldson: I think that probably is an easier one. Dan Byrne goes ahead of Ben White. Yeah, right. But if he's only taken four centre-halves, could take a fifth because Byrne could also be cover at left-back, although I think it would be Hall and O 'Reilly. but what do we think? I mean, Tuchel said, didn't he, those comments, much scrutinised comments, that Maguire would probably be fifth choice. But he didn't mention Dan, he mentioned Trevor Chalabar, who's not featured that much. So what do you think, Jim? I mean, you saw, obviously, Byrne and Maguire both come on, which was thoroughly enjoyable for an old-timer like myself against Japan.

28:45Pete Donaldson: But what do you think of this, Chad?

28:47Jim Campbell: I think the question's mostly actually about John Stones, isn't it?

28:51Pete Donaldson: if he's fit

28:52Jim Campbell: yeah if he's fit

28:55Pete Donaldson: John Stones goes do you think though

28:56Jim Campbell: because he's he's really not actually played that much this season

29:00Pete Donaldson: you don't think no I think his experience gets him in the head there I think he's one of those players his experience and his quality is there so the question is is Dan Burnett out if John Stones is back so let's assume John Stones is fit and I think it would be mad if he didn't take it

29:15Jim Campbell: well I think it depends really then on where you see Burns value right is his value there as someone who's going to start as a centre-back or is his value there as someone who's going to come on late in a game and give you that sort of threat in the box which is which is well it but try him as a false but it's going to be i'm talking more from set pieces obviously i imagine the focus in in the world cup will be similar to what we've seen all season where you know teams are putting a lot more into it um and i wonder if mcguire does the same thing and that for that reason burn might miss out i think i think it just becomes tricky to answer because you're thinking about it in quite a linear way.

29:50Jim Campbell: Right. Because these players play in different positions now. If you look at the defenders that England took to 2024, in terms of centre-backs, it was Stones, Gaye, Konza, Dunk, and I guess you potentially say Joe Gomez, who can play there. So it was actually four and a half, really.

30:05Pete Donaldson: Yeah, sure. So then if you're looking at it, and it's a different manager, of course, but you're going to apply it in the same way, then you're looking at probably, I think Stones will go. I think, obviously, Gaye goes, Konza goes. and then you've got Maguire and then you have to make a decision about Burton, right? Who have I missed out there? I probably missed someone out there. But ultimately, it's tricky to answer because you've got, Burn can play left back, Konza can play full back. There's different ways of going about it, I think. Yeah, I think so. I think so. We have talked a little bit about Luke Shaw prior to that, but I would like to say that a certain at Pete Donaldson2698 said, nobody can take away the decade enduring stonker Luke Shaw gave me in that final.

30:52Pete Donaldson: Get him in the side. Get down to hospital. Why is that his username? Why has he got so many numbers in it? I don't know. Maybe there's a lot of Pete Donaldson's out there. We know there's a lot of lookalikes out there. He said he wasn't available for the show. Yeah. Why is he watching it? I don't know. I simply do not know. But let's hope he can get a proper old lob on again for this World Cup. Listen, if we go out. Maybe with Lewis Hall at left back. Careful, Lewis Hall's quite young. Oh, come on. But he's only 21. It's not age appropriate for Peter. But if we can get away with whatever stage of the tournament we get knocked out in, if we come into the office the day after and Pete's got our big old stonk on, is that a win for us?

31:32Pete Donaldson: I think it's a win for the nation. It's a win for the Luke nation, I'll tell you that. Now, I do speak on behalf of the Luke nation and that is a win for us right there. St.

31:39Jim Campbell: George's flag hanging off it. Do you know what I'll say to him? I'll say first one in the while, well done to you. Congratulations.

31:46Pete Donaldson: Use it. Yeah. Don't waste it. Deary me. Let's end with this from Nelson Comedy 96. Meat pie, sausage roll. Come on, England. Give us a goal. You're damn right. There we are. We've got a corner. Yeah, that was the full lyrics. Thank you so much for joining us for this Lions Watch. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for all your comments. We are going to be doing these every two weeks on a Wednesday at midday in the run-up to the World Cup. Again, that game in Texas where England kick off against Croatia will come round sooner than you think. So thank you very much for joining us, everybody.

32:21Pete Donaldson: It's been an absolute pleasure. We'll see you for the next one. But until then, we'll see you on a ramble very, very soon. So thank you, Jim. Thank you. Thank you, Luke. Thank you. And thank you, you good people. See you soon.

32:41Football Ramble is a stack production and part of the ACAST Creator Network.

33:11Thank you.