Theregulars

Cool. I’m still going to credit him as a decent person whose views on life are pretty spot-on and who has used his platform to promote positive change and messages of hope. I know the narrative is now not to rate him because England are in a bad run of form (and it’s anti-narrative to point out that this was arguably caused by ludicrous fixture congestion, injuries and experimentation), but I still like and back him. Is there a source for your doubt that it’s a Southgate idea?

Well no I wouldn’t say he’s “shite”, given that he’s delivered literally the best results in our history bar Alf Ramsey. The “football side” involves many aspects. One of those is tactics, at which I think he’s limited and unadventurous. Another side is man management and player development, at which I think he’s rather good. Sometimes opinions can’t always be packaged into one word, despite our intellectually stultifying and monosyllabic button-bash culture.

I feel like a bicycle, a lampshade, a Martian, a labradoodle and a bra.

Greed.

It’s why Southgate ranks as my favourite England manager of all time, just by being a decent human he wins by default.

As if his diving wasn’t enough. Hopefully at the SJP fixture Joelinton breaks him like a ryvita

Really trite take but Ronaldo is, and has always been, an insufferable egotistical cockgoblin. Stop giving him air and let him ride a go kart powered by his own sense of self-satisfaction to a graveyard football league. Piers Morgan ffs, what a foreskin warlock

Howe: set piece routine Bruce: extra poutine

Howe: ball passing technique Bruce: ball sniffing fat creep

3, Rashford.

I’m probably overthinking but the club putting Wilson in the social media video last night makes me think he’ll play. Difficult one to call, would take a point. Really hope the referee doesn’t give them the result like last time out. If the atmosphere is like it was vs arsenal last year and city this year, we’ve got a great chance. I’m not convinced Potter yet knows his best side.

Absolutely this. Want Havertz broken for his carry-on and blatant cheating in the Stamford Bridge robbery last year.

I’d be less confident of Wilson starting if it wasn’t just before a break.

He’s usually unavailable when I come up so that streak continues.

Midfield looks weak and there are some very questionable selections in defence based on this season's form. There is no sensible argument in favour of Maguire and Dier beyond having played well for Southgate years ago. Off the top of my head, Burn, Guehi, Tarkowski, Tomori, Dunk, Webster and Mee have all played better than Maguire and Dier this year.

Britain

Long job back to Croydon for those arseholes.

It's genuinely a lost cause. Just pave it over and make it a parking lot for real London.

I really hope we pump a few goals past them at Selhurst Park, they're such poundland dullards.

Honestly man it's an art form pretending you've slipped into the back of your own player studs up on their achilles. Just watch a 5 minute video on acting out an apology, job's a good'un.

Yeh it comes to the surface quickly. I went to school near there and so many of the dipshits in my year supported them. I remain friends with a few of them and the way they went on about Pardew for months was seriously tiresome, and the moment I turned round and asked how the felt about it they spat the dummy something rotten. There's also a bloke at my Thursday 7s who supports them who is one of those "a good football player is a shouty football player" kind of guys. Every time somebody is on the ball he tells you where to run for it and it's literally always the wrong option. Once fouled him despite him being on my own team (pretend by accident) just to get him off and shut him up, absolute pain in the arse.

Can't stand Palace. Annoys me mightily that we've not scored against them in 180 minutes, they're such an uninteresting side. Just a u-bend clogger with no other ambition than to block out. Crappiest part of town as well, such absolute arsehole fans too.

Unpopular opinion but I've seen absolutely nothing to justify the hype whatsoever, he's not at the required level yet.

Going to undermine my own argument now but I think Carragher is informative. Richards I don't mind but don't think he offers me any analysis or understanding of the match that I wouldn't have garnered using my own eyes and brain. My broader point with US sports is their TV analysis of what's happening live and immediately afterwards is lightyears ahead of ours. I hate him because I like the Eagles but Romo is incredible at explaining the plays that you've just watched in NFL matches, he really brings it to life for the non-obsessed viewer (which is the job of the co-commentator in my view). It's the same in baseball - I have mlb.tv and watch local Phillies stream so have Tom McCarthy and John Kruk - Kruk explains what a pitcher is going to throw and why, and it helps me understand pitching tactics etc, it really brings an extra dimension to the game and makes me understand it more. Compare it to "unbelievable" and "kwalitee" etc, just such little in game and post-match analysis of any intellectual value. Neville decent.

Thank you for reminding me to add Townsend to my list of garbage, what a charlatan he is. Owen Hargreaves, Steve McManaman, Joe Cole too.