England

[Tiresias]

I swear to god TAA is going to have to perform like fucking beckenbauer to get me to accept he's actually a midfielder. I still only think it gets bandied about because he's shit at defending but I also think you kinda have to have spatial awareness as a midfielder too...

[AyeDubbleYoo]

7 minutes ago, Tiresias said:

I swear to god TAA is going to have to perform like fucking beckenbauer to get me to accept he's actually a midfielder. I still only think it gets bandied about because he's shit at defending but I also think you kinda have to have spatial awareness as a midfielder too...

 

Yep, I don't buy it at all either. Especially when we have so many good midfielders anyway. 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 hours ago, leffe186 said:

Some podcast mentioned something like this was the first time we’d lost the friendly before a major championship since 1968. I’m going to take that as a good omen.

We were knocked out by the Yugoslavians. 

* looks at first group game*
 

Bugger

[Jaqen]

3 hours ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

Yep, I don't buy it at all either. Especially when we have so many good midfielders anyway. 

 

Do we? I think it hinges on where Bellingham plays. If he's played as a 10 then there's not a great option to partner Rice IMO. 

[Disco]

Trent starting in midfield according to the press. All non tournament England games blur into one for me, has he been tried there much or is this a shoehorning? I get he can in theory play there but feels like he could do with more of a run at it. Also he was good at RB the last two games he came on.

[RobsonsWonderland]

Just now, Disco said:

Trent starting in midfield according to the press. All non tournament England games blur into one for me, has he been tried there much or is this a shoehorning? I get he can in theory play there but feels like he could do with more of a run at it. Also he was good at RB the last two games he came on.

Well I do remember Keegan playing a defender in CM against Germany.... 

 

 

Keegan's team selection for Germany indicated that this realisation had dawned on him. Gareth Southgate, at the time a centre back for Aston Villa, was employed as a holding midfielder just in front of the experienced duo of Martin Keown and Tony Adams. His selection ahead of the likes of Dennis Wise and Paul Ince, two veterans in the position, represented a substantial risk - but at least it was one Keegan was willing to take.

Southgate, in Keegan's mind, was to be the insurance policy in midfield that protected England against Germany's incisive counter-thrusts. But Southgate had played in the role before in the early phases of his career, notably at Crystal Palace, to no great success - indeed, he was only seriously considered as an international player when employed in the backline.

[McCormick]

I think the narrative that TAA is a bad defender is a really overblown one. I think he’s a decent defender, all things considered; it’s Liverpool’s tactics and the fact that he’s up the pitch contributing to attacks a lot that can sometimes leave him exposed.

[astraguy]

A 38 old keeper gets the nod over pope wtf?

[gbandit]

He’s got the best delivery in the squad from dead ball and on the move, he also strikes a ball incredibly well but he’s not a good midfielder aside from that. Depends what you want from him I guess

[Jaqen]

Gordon going to be dropped to stick Foden on the left then I'm guessing? 

 

Bias aside I genuinely think Gordon is a better option out there for how England play. 

[nemtizz]

24 minutes ago, McCormick said:

I think the narrative that TAA is a bad defender is a really overblown one. I think he’s a decent defender, all things considered; it’s Liverpool’s tactics and the fact that he’s up the pitch contributing to attacks a lot that can sometimes leave him exposed.

 

TAA is a shitty defender but the trade off will be worth against teams that'll sit back. Walker escapes a lot of criticism at both ends of the pitch because omg recovery pace.

[NUFCDoog]

Trent in midfield is a horrendous decision. He's just not very good there.

 

Thankfully it's very rare you keep the same team throughout a tournament etc so hopefully by the group stages it's changed, but Southgate doing this and thus meaning Foden is chucked out on the left doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

If you're chucking Foden on the left he may as well not play, it's got all the hallmarks of an early exit this, not playing the best players in their best positions is often the undoing at this level. 

 

Fuming this squad have ended up hamstrung at another tournament by Southgate.

[Tiresias]

For teh record he is a very good player, but he's very much a tradeoff player, he will get caught out of position and you have to accept that because he will create a lot of goals doing what he does, and if you have a quick in form virgil van dyke alongside he will sweep up the occasional mess. Has Klopp played TAA in midfield in any of the big games? Or was it in a game where Liverpool were going to dominate and needed to break down a low block. That is the scenario I can maaaaaybe see some merit and maybe that will be the case but I just don't think Southgates England dominate games like that on the regular, there is normally some defending required and i'd prefer the midfield to be keeping possession or pressing high to regain, will TAA not just float around too much? Hmmmm

 

 

[Yorkie]

I know I go on but I honestly can't get my head around the sheer amount of grief Southgate is getting atm. I feel like it's not grounded in anything actually real or new, just everyone revving up the pre-disposed view that he's not cut out for the job or is too negative - despite all the actual evidence indicating that we'll go deep in the tournament under him, because that's what we've done every time. 

 

The team is flawed, by the way. As usual there's an embarrassment of riches to choose from across the front four - Walker and Rice - and then problems. The constant inference that he's got this unbelievable team to work with and we do anything in spite of him/we're worse than the sum of our parts because of him has always been bollocks. 

[RS]

Does anyone still get excited by England?  Maybe my age but I cannot get enthused by them. I’d rather see us win the league cup than England win the Euros

[Lush Vlad]

5 minutes ago, RS said:

Does anyone still get excited by England?  Maybe my age but I cannot get enthused by them. I’d rather see us win the league cup than England win the Euros

Whilst I agree with the club before country bit. I’ve loved the last few tournaments. 3-4, whatever it is. 
 

Just an excuse to get up the pub with a load of mates. Usually everyone supporting the same team and to coin a Yankism ‘FREE FOOTBALL’ (Baseball) in the off season. 
 

Hard to be excited by the style of play and international football is often slow and cagey. Especially in the knockouts. But for all his flaws and I do think he should have gone already. Southgate did get me interested and engaged in the national team again. So I’m grateful for that, at least.  

[The Prophet]

 

[BlueStar]

[OCOCOL]

34 minutes ago, BlueStar said:

I’m surprised it’s not much higher. I’d hazard a guess if you confined it to match going supporters it’d be far higher.

 

I would like to see England win a tournament but just don’t have the same connection I do with Newcastle and as said above I’d say 99% of people I know would take a league cup win over the euros / WC. 

[Nucasol]

3 minutes ago, OCOCOL said:

I’m surprised it’s not much higher. I’d hazard a guess if you confined it to match going supporters it’d be far higher.

 

I would like to see England win a tournament but just don’t have the same connection I do with Newcastle and as said above I’d say 99% of people I know would take a league cup win over the euros / WC. 

Newcastle to win the Carabao Cup would mean more to me than England winning the next 5 World Cups and Euros.

[RobsonsWonderland]

What is this "winning" thing you are all talking about? 

 

Never experienced it before so no idea how either would feel lol

[Kid Icarus]

1 hour ago, BlueStar said:

 

Sandwiched betwixt two fanbases from the city some try to claim we're nothing alike

[BlueStar]

Surprised about Brighton fans, didn't have them down as an England supporting hotbed and unlike City they've not won anything for ages. Also not sure on what basis they decided to include Brighton and Wolves but not, say, Palace and Fulham..  

[TheBrownBottle]

2 hours ago, BlueStar said:

I’ve never met anyone in that 33%.  Someone’s fibbing.  Is this like the shy Tory effect? Or are people putting on a Geordie accent and saying ‘England’?

 

I get more excited by NUFC winning a corner than England winning a match. 

 

 

Edited June 11 by TheBrownBottle

[Froggy]

1 minute ago, TheBrownBottle said:

I’ve never met anyone in that 33%.  Someone’s fibbing.  Is this like the shy Tory effect? Or are people putting on a Geordie accent and saying ‘England’?

 

I get more excited by NUFC winning a corner than England winning a match. 

 

Aye. Most fans I've spoken to don't like international football at all.  Suggesting 45% would rather England win the Euros than us win the league is utter nonsense.