Elgar wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 12:09 pm
Like the England backline a lot (presuming the Youngs on the teamsheet is the Ben Youngs v France and the best bits of the Wales game rather than the Ben Youngs that's played the rest of this comp).
In absence of Manu, I think the midfield needs one of Farrell or Slade at 12 with either of Joseph or Daly at 13. I'd say Lawrence is presently (but he could still develop) too Manu 'lite' to replace Manu as like-for-like instead of any of the aforementioned.
Next cab off the rank for that kind of 13 is IMHO rightly Marchant, not Odogwu.
Agree that Odogwu has been handled terribly. Hope this has worked out at least in his favour financially.
Also very unfair on Joseph. Not sure what he's done to deserve being indicated as lower than 4th choice in BOTH of the positions that he covers.
The England players have agreed to share the match fees amongst the whole squad. Instead of c£17,250 for 23 players, it's £14k for all 28. In other words, he's made £70k to hold tackle bags for 2 months.
I do wonder if Odoguwe came into the squad and Jones realised that he didn't have "it". Before this season, nobody was talking about Paolo as an international. He did hit a vein of form at the right time to be considered.
Under normal circumstances, he may have been replaced by Marchant earlier in the competition but that wasn't possible with the bubble.
It's harsh to ask why Jones brought Paolo in with "no intention of playing him". Until Jones sees the guy up close, how will he know?
Joseph got caught breaking lockdown. For Jones the Disciplinarian, that might be enough for stint on the naughty step.