TheBrownBottle

If you’d written that at any point during the 50 years prior to around 2020 I would have been nodding in agreement. But it isn’t so at present - nothing to do with the relative strength of the PL. This England team is built from the international youth sides that have won trophy after trophy, and England has a gamut of technically able footballers. You don’t need eleven superstars to win international tournaments.

I mean, it isn’t though. The conveyor belt of footballing talent isn’t guaranteed at international level - Brazil, Italy, Germany, Holland etc are all particularly weak atm, yet if you said that ten years ago it would seem crackers. And Howe won’t know how his reputation will stand in a few years’ time.

None of that is guaranteed

Where did England get Southgate’s predecessor from again?

I don’t think it would be disastrous, but it would be a pain in the arse. I don’t picture us appointing a buffoon should the worst happen. This is one of the few times when the England job might tempt a younger manager with an excellent reputation. It’s a cracking squad at the moment. It’ll be Potter or Carsley would be my bet, though.

No, because they haven’t been gradually selling at all. Though I do think the idea that she has money trouble generally may have legs. Can’t imagine you would’ve got much from the Geordie dentist mind

He doesn’t understand what he’s talking about. He keeps talking about her ‘liquidating’ her shares - as if she was selling for profit. She wasn’t - her shares were being diluted as she wasn’t keeping pace with the other investors’ insertion of cash.

It would be like a mind challenge on the Crystal Maze to that fucker

'I hope I give you the fucking shits' is up there with any Arnie or Clint one-liner

Robson was forced by his players at Italy '90 to change to a sweeper system after looking shite in the first couple of games. I'm not sure that Robson did a great job with England - and that side wasn't as talented as the current generation. Venables played one Euros - on home soil - and lost to a good, but not great, German side, having been very, very fortunate vs a mediocre Spain side in the QF (Spain would have scored but for poor refereeing). As others have pointed out though, Robson wasn't a colossal failure at club level, so had that in the bank.

Honestly if Southgate has done such a good job, how many of the players England have has played at least as well as you’d expect - or even better (which would be impressive coaching?) I’ll go Pickford. That’s about it.

Mainly because he’s not the one responsible for producing the players. Relative to the rest of the international teams, this is the strongest I’ve ever seen England. If Southgate does go then the performances won’t get worse.

To blame for both for me. Unintelligent defending

Yep. It’s been the problem from day one - the assumption that previous tournament performances by entirely different players mean that this is outperforming the mean.

Wouldn’t be too sure of that this time. The football was turgid, and it was clear that we rode our luck both in performance and the draw

Player-manager

Fair result tbh

Giving stupid FKs away in injury time man. Fucks sake

They need to stop hoofing it. It does work doing it

Brainless by Watkins

Back to Pickford????? Fucking he’ll man

Fucking head the ball anywhere else

Shite

If that is off, then this extremely harsh

Jesus wept is Walker capable of tracking a runner?