England

[Fantail Breeze]

Just now, ManDoon said:

Hadn’t realized we got a bye to the KOs that’s great, what a weight of the nations shoulders. Thank god. 
 

With that news, a disappointing QF exit against a poor side would be. 

 

Okay. So the ‘minimum bar’ will be a SF/Final appearance.

 

Let’s see how that goes.

[toon25]

Lampard, Gerrard or Rooney will get the gig after Southgate is binned I'm convinced.

[toontownman]

Anyone else find it disrespectful to the extreme all these manager names are being bounced around, yet no one has mentioned Steve Bruce? #MadDisrespect 

 

[Mattoon]

Southgate missing Jones?

[Fantail Breeze]

4 minutes ago, toon25 said:

Lampard, Gerrard or Rooney will get the gig after Southgate is binned I'm convinced.

 

Wow. That’s depressing.

[The Prophet]

This England squad is overrated by some. We're stacked in wide positions, but we lack quality at central defence and players who can control the game in the centre of the park.

 

I've aways been a sceptic of Southgate's tactical ability. He's always susceptible to have his pants pulled down by a better footballing mind. However I think his approach is very much aimed at protecting our soft spots in the middle of the park. Hence the insistence on the Rice-Phillips double pivot.

 

You can't underplay what he's achieved. Off the field he's united players, fans and media for the first time in decades and conducts himself in a professional fashion. On the field he's taken us to our best consecutive tournament finishes, something others have failed to achieve with far better squads 

 

The way I see it he's built a fantastic platform and he's earned a shot at the next world cup. Even if we don't win, we're in a brilliant position for someone to come in and build on, something that I never thought I'd be saying looking at the state we were in when he arrived.

[Pata]

Tbf Southgate has done a great job in changing the image of the team/country and I don't think it would be seen as a toxic job anymore. He had two great chances to go all the way and ultimately failed, I thought you should have gotten a real manager in after the Euros to have a real shot at the WC with the nice squad you now have. 

[Mazzy]

10 minutes ago, toon25 said:

Lampard, Gerrard or Rooney will get the gig after Southgate is binned I'm convinced.

 

 

Rooney would be alright I think. The other two wouldn't be! With everything happening at Derby he was pretty impressive. Would certainly get some fight into the players if nothing else. Would need an extremely strong coaching team around him for it to work though.

[Chicane]

dgaf about Nations League so haven't watched any of it but...yikes

[Heron]

26 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

This England squad is overrated by some. We're stacked in wide positions, but we lack quality at central defence and players who can control the game in the centre of the park.

 

I've aways been a sceptic of Southgate's tactical ability. He's always susceptible to have his pants pulled down by a better footballing mind. However I think his approach is very much aimed at protecting our soft spots in the middle of the park. Hence the insistence on the Rice-Phillips double pivot.

 

You can't underplay what he's achieved. Off the field he's united players, fans and media for the first time in decades and conducts himself in a professional fashion. On the field he's taken us to our best consecutive tournament finishes, something others have failed to achieve with far better squads 

 

The way I see it he's built a fantastic platform and he's earned a shot at the next world cup. Even if we don't win, we're in a brilliant position for someone to come in and build on, something that I never thought I'd be saying looking at the state we were in when he arrived.

Bang on this.

 

I think he deserves massive credit for ensuring these lads have grown into good young professionals who by and large act respectfully and understand what it means to play for their country. Something the last bunch didn't seem to have. 

[Pata]

20 minutes ago, Heron said:

Bang on this.

 

I think he deserves massive credit for ensuring these lads have grown into good young professionals who by and large act respectfully and understand what it means to play for their country. Something the last bunch didn't seem to have. 

 

[MrRaspberryJam]

6 minutes ago, Pata said:

 

 

Good point that Pata. Southgate should be reinforcing the point not to sexually assault anyone. 

[Pata]

28 minutes ago, Heron said:

Bang on this.

 

I think he deserves massive credit for ensuring these lads have grown into good young professionals who by and large act respectfully and understand what it means to play for their country. Something the last bunch didn't seem to have. 

 

Seriously speaking, this is something he should be applauded for but I also think he's just not good enough tactically to take that last step and you are wasting this tournament when Kane is still in his prime.

[Pata]

1 minute ago, MrRaspberryJam said:

 

Good point that Pata. Southgate should be reinforcing the point not to sexually assault anyone. 

 

Thanks mate.

[Heron]

Just now, Pata said:

 

Seriously speaking, this is something he should be applauded for but I also think he's just not good enough tactically to take that last step and you are wasting this tournament when Kane is still in his prime.

I tend to agree but wouldn't begrudge him this last tournament too. 

 

FWIW I think we'll go out in the last 16 and Argentina will win it. 

[Jaqen]

Find it more depressing than watching Bruce's Newcastle now to be honest. 

 

Similar to Ole at Man United really. Everyone knows he's not good enough in terms of tactics and in game management but because he's sorted the dressing room atmosphere out and is a nice guy he should keep getting another crack at it. 

 

Sometimes you have to be ruthless in football. After the Euro's we should have thanked him for the job he's done and looked for a replacement if we were serious about winning the World Cup. 

 

 

[Disco]

People who think the FA have the gumption, the ambition and most importantly the financial clout to pay an ambitious PL manager out of their contract and competitively in comparison to their contract and the wages they’d get elsewhere may find themselves sorely disappointed.

 

Steve Cewper fucked it up by getting himself promoted.

[leffe186]

1 hour ago, Fantail Breeze said:

 

Okay. So the ‘minimum bar’ will be a SF/Final appearance.

 

Let’s see how that goes.

Isn’t that exactly the point?  The minimum bar is a SF/Final appearance. It always is. And he’s cleared it both times. 
 

Not that I don’t think he’s tactically moribund, but he’s done what he’s supposed to do. I think he’s a bit shit, and England are dull as fuck under him, and I wouldn’t shed a tear if we ditched him now…but I guess I’m truly just not all that fussed about stupid fucking friendlies at a stupid time of the season.

[triggs]

Surely a quarter is par given your history

[mighty__mag]

Ramsdale looks garbage 

[St. Maximin]

I don’t really see the squad as overrated imo. I’m 32 and there have definitely been better squads on paper in my lifetime, but this is still one of the best in the world. The PL is I think the best league in the world in recent years, judging by the number of teams excelling in Europe and we’ve got players consistently dominating it. We have a clear imbalance in our squad, but I don’t think anyone is in denial about that - they just recognise there is so much attacking talent in the squad and feel frustrated it gets sacrificed to shore up a defence, without the desired results. 

I can hardly look at some of the players in our spine and think they’re world class, but right now how many teams can you say that for? Is this really a golden era for centre-backs/midfielders in general? In fact in general I can’t say international football is an amazing standard. Italy were deserved winners at the Euros and tbh I had barely heard of half their team. 
 

Southgate has the typical English overly cautious approach. Different sports and all that, but watching cricket all day and it’s interesting how we get a Kiwi coach in and all of a sudden stop playing with fear. Need a bit more of that in football. 

[Yorkie]

His choices in match contexts were constantly justified throughout both the World Cup and the Euros. Trippier at LB, pairing Rice and Phillips, Sterling, sticking with Kane when everyone

wanted him out the team. It isn't just the mentality/team ethic/culture stuff, though that is obviously critical and probably doesn't receive enough praise despite receiving some. 

[TheBrownBottle]

QF is par for England; history suggests that England are knocked out by the first really good side they play.  And if the tournament is played outside England, this becomes a hard and fast rule.

 

The second part didn’t change under Southgate - England had some fortune with the draws and home advantage at the Euros (not to be sniffed at - England haven’t beaten any major footballing nation in a knockout game played outside of England - and by major I mean Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, Portugal).

 

There is no reason to think Qatar will be any different.

[Wolfcastle]

36 minutes ago, triggs said:

Surely a quarter is par given your history

Invariably not beating a good team is par for England historically, just depends when they play them.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Wolfcastle

[Mountain]

Gareth has done wonders creating a great group spirit and positive atmosphire, he should have always been the assitant manager to someone with half a brain, some charisma and a forward thinking, attacking philosophy. His tactics just aren't working and it will destroy the good things he has created.