Cf

Probably reading too much into it but felt like Hall featured very heavily in that video.

We all know that Eddie Howe lies his face off every time he speaks to the media yeah? He knows exactly how PSR works. "I'd love to keep" means "get them out of my sight" and "I'm disappointed to have lost" means "thank fuck they're not my problem anymore". He knows the story and the squad rebuild we need and he has a history of ruthlessly changing players. He'll be fully versed and involved with what's happening.

Looking at your Guardiolas, Klopps, Artetas... Aren't they making all the big calls? They're not some Brighton style where you can just swap the coaches in and out. They've made those teams in their images with long term projects. Yeah for sure there'll be teams behind them but they're very much in the driving seat, no? They're way more than the guy who takes training and pick the team. That's my one concern with Eales' comments about Eddie being best on the grass. I don't want us to have this mindset where the manager is an easily rotatable piece.

I think on balance it sounds ok but I have some nerves that weren't there before. Eales' comments about wanting Eddie to focus on the grass are suggestive of the type of system where the manager has little input beyond training and picking the team, with overall direction, strategy, and players selected a level above. That sort of system might work in allowing some mid table stability player/manager churn but the top teams have long term managers who have input on all that stuff. I'm not saying Eddie needs total control, and I'm sure it'll all be fine, but as I say it's a slight concern whereas it wasn't before.

Garbage is probably a bit too strong in that instance I guess. But was another where I think we achieved at the lower ends of what we'd have expected to. Games until France were Iran, USA, Wales, Senegal. On paper all games England should (and to our credit mostly did) win comfortably.

I feel so gaslit watching the coverage about this. Yeah he did a good job 8 years ago. For the last 4 he's been garbage.

Staff should be the same as players. Have to be that nationality and if you could pick more than one once you choose you're locked in.

I think Bellingham saved him from this fate with his last minute equaliser. Had we gone out then the narrative would be very different despite the job he'd done being exactly the same.

Just heard Southgate gone on LBC.

In terms of the tournament being interesting there's just too many teams. Due to the seedings being split over 6 groups there weren't many interesting on paper matches. And because of 6 groups and this concept of best 3rd places to to round of 16 it encouraged safety first play where you could qualify from your group by drawing your games. Needs to go back to 4 groups of 4.

How the fuck Gordon got 5 minutes in the entire tournament will be a mystery for the ages.

Summed him up that.

One thing I will say in our defence is we do a good job of making other teams look not good. Whilst looking crap ourselves of course.

Did Gordon get a medal? Didn't see him go up.

Fair result in the end, even if we gave a reasonable display. Walk away with your head held high Southgate. But please do walk away.

That run forward in the first half was one of our only positive moves.

Palmer bringing shame on our country with his goal celebration.

Can't help but look at Shaw stood up the pitch and wish it was Gordon there. Isn't going to happen.

Argh. So close.

The fact that he's took Kane off multiple times now suggests he really should t have been starting him.

Did Shearer just basically say "we need players on the pitch who are better than the current players on the pitch"?

Surname is too close to Bruce for my liking.

This is where I'm at with him. He's had his season to get up to speed, know the team, Eddie's methods, etc. He's going to be massive for us.

Just take the common scenario of a player is through on goal and the defender throws in a tackle to try and block the ball. The shot gets away and the defender ends up making contact with the player after the shot goes. It happens all the time and we don't, and shouldn't, give penalties for it. But it's essentially what happened last night.

Was surprised the penalty was given. I think anywhere else on the pitch it's given as a foul, even if it was a bit 50/50 but generally there's an unwritten rule that if the striker gets the shot away then no action is taken.