‘Petty’ Amorim ‘hate narrative’ debunked as 50 more stars in extended England World Cup ladder

A ‘petty hate narrative’ on Ruben Amorim has been debunked, while we have an extended England World Cup ladder that includes Gary Neville…

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Ru the day

So there was a call for reply by an Amorim supporter and though that’s not how I’d class myself the fact I don’t want his head on a pike likely means that’s how you see me. Your regular letters bashing United for one thing or another needn’t come with a warning like Stewie’s rants because you can see them coming a mile off, and though this current thorn in your arse regards the academy we all know its rooted in the decision to ditch your messiah Ten Hag 12 months ago. Time to get over that one I think.

However to stay on topic, the talents you’ve singled out are indeed promising players though which Fletcher are you referring to? Them being twins does mean there are two of them. The choice of Lacey and Biancheri seems more about their slight builds than anything, they are still teenagers though so perhaps that always be the case and you only have to look at Amorim favourite Bruno to see that if you’re good enough then size doesn’t matter to him.

The academy does have many other promising players and some might be very well suited to the current system. Where are your comments on Kone, Scanlon, or Ibragimov. The Fletcher brothers could do very well and so too Mantato. Its almost like you chose a few very specific examples to help push your Amorim hating narrative.

You don’t actually care about the progress of these lads at all. We can see this in the total absence of concern for all those previous academy lads that didn’t make it at United. I don’t recall your furious letters demanding United change how they play for the delicate Shoretire and where was your anger for Andreas Periera, James Garner, and Angel Gomes.

When it comes down to it your base argument is backward. The academy exists to produce players that are good enough for the first team. The academy adapts to the first team requirements, not the other way around. If some players make it then great, if they don’t then I’m sure they will have good careers elsewhere, that’s the simple fact of every academy. Trying to twist this into a negative against the current manager who you don’t like is just petty.
Dave, Manchester

The extended England ladder

Hi Mailbox,

It’s my view that the pool of England qualified players is deeper than I can ever recall. 10 years or so ago I think it was probably hard to find 50 plausible players to fill the ladder. I thought to myself today – ‘all of those 50 (apart from Phil) are perfectly plausible contenders for an England squad, I wonder whether we can get to 100’. So I tried that.

Short answer is, no I don’t really think there are 100 plausible options there, but there might be 75. I’d be interested to know what others think!

Here’s the list:

51) Liam Delap – given the paucity of non-Harry Kane striking options, Delap will leap way into the top 50 if he can get fit and scoring. Big if, but he has the tools.

52) Mason Mount – we know Tuchel likes him, and understandably so given his excellence in Chelsea’s European Cup winning campaign. Presses well, consummate team man, but significant competition in the attacking midfield means he would need to up his game significantly . This might be difficult in such a dysfunctional side as Man Utd.

53) Benjamin White – has he declared himself available? Not sure. And possibly not getting enough minutes, given the form of the exemplary Timber. But has a great relationship with Saka and can defend well, thus ticking a couple of Tuchely boxes.

54) Rico Lewis – despite being just 20 he has 62 Manchester City appearances and 5 for England, however he hasn’t made a squad for more than a year. He’s a skilled, adaptable operator but the feeling persists that he may be too physically slight for both Tuchel and Pep for his preferred full back and defensive midfield roles.

55) Eric Dier – with 49 caps, he could be a leadershippy, experiencey squad pick in the mould of Jordan Henderson. He’s somewhat versatile and is still playing regularly in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. In a 26 man squad, he wouldn’t be the worst 26th man.

56) Tyrick Mitchell – unlucky to only have two England caps, but could be hampered by playing as wing-back in a back three system that England are unlikely to deploy. He’s been integral for Palace and might deserve a chance in a position that is yet to be definitively claimed.

57) Angel Gomes – a key man for Lee Carlsey, who used his passing skills as a crucial midfield pivot. He’s been surpassed by Elliott Anderson and probably Adam Wharton too, but he is playing Champions League football at Marseille and could be a decent option if required.

58) James Maddison – badly injured, but could he play his way into contention by getting fit and firing by the end of the season? Probably not.

59) Joe Gomez – it’s hard to believe he’s still only 28, but he’s a dependable and versatile defender who rarely lets Liverpool down when called upon. He’s suffered a bit with injuries, but given the form of Konate, I could easily see him getting a run in the Liverpool side, which could precipitate a return to the England reckoning.

60) James Tarkowski – he’s a really good defender, in the head it and block it mould of Dan Burn, and like Burn he’s probably an underrated distributor too. A substantial England career might have passed him by, but I wouldn’t be concerned if I saw him in the squad.

61) Rio Ngumoha – if he were to nail down the spot on the left of Liverpool’s attack, his talent is such that he could challenge Gordon and Rashford for a spot. This will probably happen one day, but it’s unlikely to be this season given he’s just 17.

READ MORE: The multinational stars England may lose in eligibility fights include Liverpool pair and Arsenal teenager

62) Jamie Gittens – frankly it’s a bit odd that a player signed for nearly 50 million from Dortmund by Chelsea is this low, but I haven’t really seen him do anything much in a Chelsea shirt as yet. Perhaps he’ll explode into life in time to make a late run into squad contention.

63) Tyrone Mings – was thrown into the England Team in Euro 2020 (2021, really) and let nobody down. I can’t really see a repeat happening, especially given Villa’s form, but you never know.

64) James McAtee – the captain of the successful England U21 side in the summer, he’s not really found his feet at Forest yet. He’s a tidy and skilled player, but will have to motor to warrant consideration in such a stacked position.

65) James Garner – playing really well for Everton under Moyes and could definitely be a thought if messrs Anderson, Henderson and Wharton were all to get caught in some sort of freak yachting accident.

66) Alex Scott – same as James Garner, really.

67) Jadon Sancho – what has gone on with him? Chelsea paid money to avoid signing him permanently. Clearly, there is talent there. He showed that when loaned back to Dortmund, but he’s never shown it in the Premiership and that looks unlikely to change at Villa, who clearly only signed him in desperation.

68) Tyler Dibling – a fun player to watch and a sensational dribbler, but currently doesn’t have the end product to truly push himself into contention. I’m not sure that will change this season, but am hopeful it may in the future.

69) Archie Gray – acquitted himself well while playing out of position in a dreadful Spurs side last season, but has only played 72 premier league minutes this time round. A talented player who may go onto win many caps, but I suspect that his time is still to come.

70) Callum Hudson-Odoi – he was stellar for Forest last season, and may even have deserved a return to the England fold, but Forest being quite so poor this time around cannot he helpful. Has the kind of pacy direct profile that Tuchel seems to value.

71) Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – he’s a nice player and a good signing for Everton. I’d be surprised to see him picked given all the talent in his position.

72) Max Dowman – a generational talent. Unbelievably good for his age. But his age is currently 15. So yeah, bit early.

73) Marcus Tavernier – who is the most unfairly overlooked English player in the Premiership? This guy. Consistently a strong contributor for the excellent Bournemouth, he’s in the top 15% of Premier league attacking midfielders for progressive passes, tackles, and aerials won. Will this be enough to get him in the England squad? Not a chance.

74) Jacob Murphy – on the subject of being overlooked… if it was ever going to happen for Murphy, it was probably last season, where he received no sniff of a call-up despite 8 goals and 12 assists. Unfortunate really, but it’s not going to happen.

75) Jacob Ramsey – Newcastle spent big money on him in the Summer and have wanted him for some time. He moves with the ball very well. However, he’s not really played much in the black and white, so doesn’t seem a likely prospect.

76) Lloyd Kelly – it feels a bit weird that a Juventus first-team central defender is English and yet he is nowhere near the England squad, but here we are.

77) Brooke Norton-Cuffy – funnily enough, he’s also been linked with Juve, and he has been looking a fine prospect for Genoa and the England u-21s. He can certainly get up and down the right touchline with aplomb and might feature one day. But not soon.

78) Max Kilman – he’s been closer to the England team at points in the past. Doesn’t help that West Ham are faintly rubbish.

79) Dominic Calvert-Lewin – his England career is probably a thing of the past. But we aren’t exactly replete with back up strikers, so a decent run of form could drive him upwards on this list. Do I think that’s likely? No.

80) Jobe Bellingham – the lesser Bellingham, but not lacking in talent. He probably needs to stop his dad from bickering with the powers-that-be at Dortmund and put a sustained run of form together. Even if he does, it’s likely too soon for him.

81) Jack Hinshelwood – always looks pretty good at Brighton and quite versatile too. I’d be quite surprised to see that translate into England caps in the short-to-medium term.

82) Fikayo Tomori – if it was ever going to happen for Fikayo, it’s not now. Shame really. He was born in Canada – might be worth exploring that.

83) Josh King – an ever present for Fulham this season and a lovely, balanced dribbler. Definitely too soon for him.

84) Charlie Cresswell – played well for England u21s and a strong player for Toulouse. Probably needed a move to a bigger club if he was going to contend for the World Cup squad.

85) Tyler Morton – playing regularly in Ligue 1 for Lyon and has done well for the u21s. That’s not unimpressive. Maybe one day.

86) CJ Egan-Riley – playing regularly in Ligue 1 for Marseille and has done well for the u21s. That’s not unimpressive. Maybe one day.

87) Omari Hutchinson – Forest signed him for biggish money after a ho-hum season for Ipswich. Looked excellent for the u21s. Doesn’t feel a natural fit for Dycheball if that’s what Forest see-saw into next.

88) Eddie Nketiah – hasn’t really done much for Palace, but it’s probably a little hard when Mateta is an imperious first choice. Still, as with a few on this list if he puts a run of goals together, there may be a squad spot for the taking.

89) Ryan Sessegnon – has been deputising ably for Antonee Robinson and it’s great to see him back to fitness and form, however it’s hard to see how that translates into becoming an England player.

90) Anthony Patterson – haven’t named a goalkeeper in the above. I’d like to have done so but couldn’t think of one. Patterson isn’t even number one at Sunderland. Where have all the good English keepers gone?

91) Emile Smith Rowe

92) Callum Wilson

93) Harvey Barnes

94) Josh Acheampong

95) Dwight McNeil

96) Taylor Harwood-Bellis

97) Carney Chukwuemeka

98) Tosin

99) Sam Johnstone

100) Gary Neville
Pete, now of Melbourne, formerly of Tunbridge Wells

We are often told to keep politics out of football, but…

Hi there,

Keir Starmer has condemned the decision by West Midlands Police to ban away supporters from Aston Villa’s home game against Maccabi Tel Aviv . Now, this decision seems to have been taken a) because there is a legitimate fear that protests against Israeli clubs’ participation in sporting events, in a diverse part of an inner city in the UK, could have public order implications, and more importantly b) because the last time these supporters played a fixture in Europe, they committed serious public order offences in Amsterdam.

There are allegations and counter-allegations about the nature of the supporters’ behaviour in Amsterdam, but it seems that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were in some cases the victims of racially-motivated abuse and violence, but also, and this is not denied by anyone, also the perpetrators of racially-motivated abuse and violence.

You can have an opinion about whether or not Israeli clubs should be banned from international sporting competition (for the record, there’s a fairly compelling case that Israel have repeatedly violated FIFA and UEFA statutes, and there is the clear precedent of Russia who have been suspended from international competition following their invasion of Ukraine) and you can have an opinion about whether or not this decision is particularly risk-averse, but linking this, as both the Prime Minister and LOTO have, with anti-semitism is prima facie absurd, and actually quite dangerous.

If supporters of an English football club rioted in another European City, and a subsequent European city’s authorities decided that they couldn’t be doing with them, then I don’t believe that the Prime Minister or Leader Of The Opposition would have anything to say about it at all. So why are they making a stand on behalf of supporters of a club from another nation?

Maybe it’s the politicians who should be keeping politics out of football, not footballers past or present?
Dara O’Reilly, London 

Apologies for this, but I need to put my thoughts across on another instance of politics crossing into football so please feel free to stop reading at this point if you’re not interested or cba with it all.

Yesterday my club Aston Villa put out a statement to say that on the advice of the Safety Advisory Group, fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv would not be allowed to attend our match with them in the Europa League on 6th November.  As someone who will be attending the match myself, I welcomed this decision on the basis that it has been made on safety grounds – for those that have never been to Aston, it is a heavily Asian populated area with quite a few mosques so the introduction of a set of fans who have previously been known for racist and aggressive behaviour abroad doesn’t require a lot of mental gymnastics to see how this has got the potential to be a very dangerous situation.  For anyone that isn’t aware, this makes for some very interesting reading.

Now we have various politicians including our very own prime minister chipping in to say that the decision is wrong and “antisemetic” – but is it? Antisemitism is defined as “prejudice or hatred against Jewish people, which can manifest as hostile actions or rhetoric toward individuals, their property, or Jewish community institutions”.  I’m pretty confident in saying that this decision wasn’t taken based on the fact that Maccabi fans are Jewish but instead that a number of their fans are savages that can’t control themselves.  Yes you can station more police at Villa Park but what’s going to happen to the people who live in the surrounding area? How are you going to police every nearby street to ensure public safety? Whether you agree with it or not, there are more than a few houses with Palestine flags hanging from the windows in Aston – how do you see this playing out if/when Maccabi fans on their way to the ground walk past?

To those that say “banning all fans is unfair to those who just want to support their team”, I don’t disagree with you but the moronic element don’t exactly wear badges or uniforms so what else do you do? Matches behind closed doors is one option, but then you’d have to do that for every game Maccabi play in Europe so why even take part?

I honestly and truly believe that this decision has been made in the interests of public safety and for no other reason.  As I type this email, the government are “trying to find a way to reverse the ban” – assuming they are successful in doing so, I expect each and every one of them to be back on TV the following morning to be held responsible for making it happen and the carnage that will undoubtedly follow, which of course they won’t.  This is the equivalent of holding a lit match over a bucket of petrol, it’s really not going to end well at all.
Jeff G, West Brom Villan (Wondering how many of these politicians will be at Villa Park to see the match in person….)

With the news that the West Midlands Police have decided that no Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will be allowed to attend the Europa league match against Aston Villa for safety concerns, has football now got a major antisemitism problem?

Regardless of your thoughts on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and beyond, football is supposed to be a way to unite and bring happiness to the masses. As a football website I won’t delve into the complexities of the terrible conflict.

As a Jewish man in England it appears I am no longer able to attend synagogue without the threat of being murdered, attend an NHS hospital without fear of prejudice and now no longer able to watch football live?

In a country where we debate microaggressions and perceived threat of a national flag, where does actually being barred from attending football sit? As we all know it starts with antisemitism (Jews being the smallest of minorities in England circa 300k) and then other groups will be next…

I always thought football was for everyone regardless of age, gender, race or religion.
Zak

Saluting the flag

Is Chris, Croydon a former or current member of the armed forces? If so, then his action of ‘saluting the Union flag’ is certainly a little odd whilst walking down the street, but maybe just about acceptable if you squint.

If he (and I’m assuming it’s a he) isn’t, then am I the only one who thinks that is verging on cringeworthy or parody?

I love a particular Indian restaurant, but I have never felt the need to salute it as I walk past. I like to think that it already knows…

Or is ‘Chris, Croydon’ actually a nom de plume for Alan Partridge?

‘Aha!’
Stu (I’m glad real football is back this weekend) Gooner in France

Did I just see horseshoe theory in the mailbox?

Extreme left – everyone should have shelter,  food and education.

Extreme right – let’s exterminate those people.

Not really as bad as each other really, are they Chris?
Chris, NUFC