If England played like City...

[Blackadder]

An impossible dream perhaps, but what if England could play with the same verve and tactical superiority as City so far this season? Which players would you select for the nation to play the 'City' way, copying our current fluid formation?

Manager? Any Pep-like candidates amongst young English coaches?

Keeper - I have no clue. Is there an English keeper with Ederson's midfield-playmaker abilities?

Right Back - Kyle Walker, but who could be the back-up? Trippier?
Left Back - Delph or Danny Rose?
Centre backs - Stones of course, but who should partner him? Needs to be a stopper with Otamendi's passing range.

Holding Centre Mid - Not a clue. Who do we have approaching Fernandinho level?
Centre Mid - A Silva and a De Bruyne please. Again, not a clue. Alli perhaps, if he would do as he was told.

Front 3 - Sterling of course on the right, I would imagine Kane in the middle, but I can't find a Sane.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

An impossible dream perhaps, but what if England could play with the same verve and tactical superiority as City so far this season? Which players would you select for the nation to play the 'City' way, copying our current fluid formation?

Manager? Any Pep-like candidates amongst young English coaches?

Keeper - I have no clue. Is there an English keeper with Ederson's midfield-playmaker abilities?

Right Back - Kyle Walker, but who could be the back-up? Trippier?
Left Back - Delph or Danny Rose?
Centre backs - Stones of course, but who should partner him? Needs to be a stopper with Otamendi's passing range.

Holding Centre Mid - Not a clue. Who do we have approaching Fernandinho level?
Centre Mid - A Silva and a De Bruyne please. Again, not a clue. Alli perhaps, if he would do as he was told.

Front 3 - Sterling of course on the right, I would imagine Kane in the middle, but I can't find a Sane.

Gunn has been brought up the right way so he can be keeper. He's quality

We can find an ok holding midfield player, even if it is Dier.

Then we look to youth for the front players. Rashford obviously if he gets decent coaching can play the Sane role but Sancho is coming up too. And of course Foden isnt far away

[Nigels Tackle]

An impossible dream perhaps, but what if England could play with the same verve and tactical superiority as City so far this season? Which players would you select for the nation to play the 'City' way, copying our current fluid formation?

Manager? Any Pep-like candidates amongst young English coaches?

Keeper - I have no clue. Is there an English keeper with Ederson's midfield-playmaker abilities?

Right Back - Kyle Walker, but who could be the back-up? Trippier?
Left Back - Delph or Danny Rose?
Centre backs - Stones of course, but who should partner him? Needs to be a stopper with Otamendi's passing range. PHIL JONES?

Holding Centre Mid - Not a clue. Who do we have approaching Fernandinho level?
Centre Mid - A Silva and a De Bruyne please. Again, not a clue. Alli perhaps, if he would do as he was told.

Front 3 - Sterling of course on the right, I would imagine Kane in the middle, but I can't find a Sane - JESSE LINGARD?.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Get Zaha to change allegiance back to England and you have your Sane.

I haven't seen a lot of Winks but what I have seen I'd say he'd be the best bet to play the DeBruyne role from what's available.

Lallana in the Silva role.

Alli as a false 9. I don't believe Kane is a good enough footballer to play in a Guardiola side.

Jimmy Milner at left back, obviously.

[Justified logic]

An impossible dream perhaps, but what if England could play with the same verve and tactical superiority as City so far this season? Which players would you select for the nation to play the 'City' way, copying our current fluid formation?

Manager? Any Pep-like candidates amongst young English coaches?

Keeper - I have no clue. Is there an English keeper with Ederson's midfield-playmaker abilities?

Right Back - Kyle Walker, but who could be the back-up? Trippier?
Left Back - Delph or Danny Rose?
Centre backs - Stones of course, but who should partner him? Needs to be a stopper with Otamendi's passing range. PHIL JONES?

Holding Centre Mid - Not a clue. Who do we have approaching Fernandinho level?
Centre Mid - A Silva and a De Bruyne please. Again, not a clue. Alli perhaps, if he would do as he was told.

Front 3 - Sterling of course on the right, I would imagine Kane in the middle, but I can't find a Sane - JESSE LINGARD?.

Nah. Jones would be the half-time gurning entertainment and Lingard the spitoon in the corner of the dressing room.

[nottsblue]

If England played like City we would be talking time travel. Either by going back in time or fast forwarding a decade or so when hopefully our Academy will have provided the spine of the national team and our philosophy is able to be matched.

At present we are some distance in class ahead of England

[zuricity]

I'm a bit confused, are City playing England tonight at Wembley?

[Mikhail Chigorin]

If England played like City we would be talking time travel. Either by going back in time or fast forwarding a decade or so when hopefully our Academy will have provided the spine of the national team and our philosophy is able to be matched.

At present we are some distance in class ahead of England

I think, NB, you'd need more than the spine of the team coming from our Academy, I think you'd need the entire squad, substitutes and all, to be City 'bred'.

I think you'd also need the FA to be abolished and replaced by an organisation 'fit for purpose' and an entire sea change of fan opinion which deplored and ridiculed the style of football played by the likes of Mourinho, Pulis and Big Fat Sam.

As for managers, I don't necessarily think they'd need to be English, but they'd all need to be inspired and prepared to follow the teachings of Pep, in the overall cosmic world of football....and I'm not thinking in terms of false 'disciples' such as the idiotic failures Everton have recently recruited to their ranks.

As for daring to dream that, one day, England would be able to play the same, tactically sophisticated and imaginative flair football that City are currently producing, I think I can only applaud you for your temerity and your leap into fantasy land, as well as asking what opiates you're now in the process of taking.

I think I'd quite like some of those myself

[zabbadabbado]

When I was younger, and we were shit, I looked forward to the international breaks. Gave me a bit of respite from the weekly drubbings.

These days I seem them as irritating. It is like watching Championship Football.

Spoilt bastard I am.....

You realise just how good we are after watching England a few times. Watching England is a bit like watching Stockport County.

[PrezIke]

I actually think that this is the direction Southgate might want to take the team, but we shall see.

Loftus-Cheek isn't also a bad shout for the future at centre-mid, and you could have Alli to partner him with

Rashford-Kane-Sterling is a fairly similar front 3 and as others mentioned there is also the potential of Foden and Sancho.

[Wonderwall]

When I was younger, and we were shit, I looked forward to the international breaks. Gave me a bit of respite from the weekly drubbings.

These days I seem them as irritating. It is like watching Championship Football.

Spoilt bastard I am.....

You realise just how good we are after watching England a few times. Watching England is a bit like watching Stockport County.

Couldn't have put it better myself