The Gareth Southgate Appreciation Thread (Warning may contain lots of words)

[Stottie]

Sterling is the key for me. His pace along with Lingard's engine will undo them and hopefully he can notch a goal or two.

 

Yeah Sterling's been lively and I hope he can make his mark on the game.

 

As a counterpoint to the "gets the best out of the players" comments, I'll just point out that Southgate has Sterling and Kyle Walker, two of best players in terms of league performance in 17/18, out of position. Walker hasn't mattered so much with Trippier playing so well, but Sterling looks much more effective for Man City as a wide forward. He may be the top scorer in the tournament, thanks largely to the three pens, but I would be amazed if any Spurs fan thinks that Southgate is using Harry Kane as well as Poch would. He is usually much more involved in the danger area and shoots much more.

 

Southgate is eminently likeable and has of course got the results with the players at his disposal. It is really great to have a team that the country wants to get behind. That is far from a given, maybe no John Terry and less WAGs nonsense helps, and wouldn't be the case with Hippohead in charge.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

This WC would've been an absolute disaster under Allardyce, it's painful to imagine.

[Dinho lad]

This WC would've been an absolute disaster under Allardyce, it's painful to imagine.

 

Even though set-pieces have been crucial in it?

[NG32]

This WC would've been an absolute disaster under Allardyce, it's painful to imagine.

 

Yup, totally.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

Dinho's gone full on Gammon recently, like.

 

 

[Mole_Toonfan]

Dinho reminds me of Trevor Brooking on" It's coming home " Atm tbh

 

Cheer up.

[Disco]

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/world-cup/2018/world-cup-2018-gareth-southgate-presenting-a-vision-of-englishness-that-fans-can-identify-with_sto6838586/story.shtml

 

Really good summation even if Andy Woodman features.

[Disco]

At last a meme I understand...

 

[Hanshithispantz]

I like what he’s done with us like, a couple of players coming through/improving before the Euros and a better defence and I think we’ll be a genuinely good side.

[54]

Yeah, everything he has done has been great. Only criticism is lack of a plan B.

[Mikky]

Yeah, everything he has done has been great. Only criticism is lack of a plan B.

 

This - hopefully it's the next step - he's a clever guy and will learn

[Guest chopey]

fuckin euro 2020 is in the bag.

[huss9]

too late with the subs tonight.

[Jaqen]

Trying not to be too reactionary but I’m not convinced by him as a manager still. Nearly threw the game away against Colombia with the Dier sub and totally failed to react to Croatia after half time, it was painfully obvious Vrsaljko was going to hurt us by allowing him acres of space to whip in crosses anytime he wanted. Think we win that tonight with a more tactically astute manager.

 

Obviously it’s great to make a WC semi final and he and the team come across as a lot more likeable than previous squads but when you take each game into isolation we’ve not been that great, just extremely fortunate we had an opportunity to throw a game to give us such an easy draw.

[Optimistic Nut]

He could be manager for the next 10-15 years. Doubt he’ll want to jump into club management again, he’s been a big part in the development of players coming through in the youth teams who’ll be pushing the main squad over the coming years. We could be a regular last 4-8 country for a long while.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Tactically not great in terms of finding a plan B and his subs are too late, but he's revolutionised the connection the players have with each other, their connection with the media, and their connection with us. The way he's got players playing with smiles on their faces and playing to their strengths has been again almost revolutionary. Man for man, this team is one of the poorer England teams I've seen and nothing compared to the players in the '02-'10 squad. As a team though, they shit all over them, more confidence, more cohesion, more of an actual plan, and more desire to get at teams and hurt them.

 

All of that is down to Southgate and he should be applauded, he's got a nation feeling like England fans again and that's a pretty mint achievement considering the animosity towards them over the years and how ubiquitously divided we are.  We might not have gone this far without the draw, but we still had to do it, and it was in the  context of us losing to Iceland 2 years ago and having not won a knockout game in years. With that in mind it's such a guttner to go out like that when we should have wrapped it all up in the first half.

 

[joeyt]

Expectations are going to be through the roof for the next euros

[Optimistic Nut]

There’s 5 better European countries than us like. The 3 left in it with us, plus Spain and Germany. I hope people are still realistic.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I really hope they're not, European teams have dominated this World Cup and obviously we had an easy route to the semis.

[Guest firetotheworks]

There’s 5 better European countries than us like. The 3 left in it with us, plus Spain and Germany. I hope people are still realistic.

Italy and Netherlands probably back in it as well.

[Mike]

This was your shot, imo.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Expectations are going to be through the roof for the next euros

 

Really don’t see why, we’re a good team but Europe has a lot of those.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I said no matter what happens, he deserves huge credit for the job he has done thus far and I personally cannot be more appreciative of what he has done and the effort of the players. I thought we would struggle to get out of the group stages and would have been amazed at a quarter final so a semi was beyond my wildest dreams. I just hope this isn’t his ceiling or purple patch, same with the team because I see what he and they are trying to do and it’s the only way forward for us, we cannot go back. So they all have to pick themselves up, learn from this and not let it become their moment. Keep developing and look to go one better at the Euros. the future is bright and I a, extremely proud of our manager and players which I haven’t been so for a long long time.

[UncleBingo]

Tactically not great in terms of finding a plan B and his subs are too late, but he's revolutionised the connection the players have with each other, their connection with the media, and their connection with us. The way he's got players playing with smiles on their faces and playing to their strengths has been again almost revolutionary. Man for man, this team is one of the poorer England teams I've seen and nothing compared to the players in the '02-'10 squad. As a team though, they s*** all over them, more confidence, more cohesion, more of an actual plan, and more desire to get at teams and hurt them.

 

All of that is down to Southgate and he should be applauded, he's got a nation feeling like England fans again and that's a pretty mint achievement considering the animosity towards them over the years and how ubiquitously divided we are.  We might not have gone this far without the draw, but we still had to do it, and it was in the  context of us losing to Iceland 2 years ago and having not won a knockout game in years. With that in mind it's such a guttner to go out like that when we should have wrapped it all up in the first half.

 

Good post, hopefully he's got enougb credits in the bank to give him at least a crack at another WC, but who knows with our press?

 

 

[Disco]

Tactically not great in terms of finding a plan B and his subs are too late, but he's revolutionised the connection the players have with each other, their connection with the media, and their connection with us. The way he's got players playing with smiles on their faces and playing to their strengths has been again almost revolutionary. Man for man, this team is one of the poorer England teams I've seen and nothing compared to the players in the '02-'10 squad. As a team though, they s*** all over them, more confidence, more cohesion, more of an actual plan, and more desire to get at teams and hurt them.

 

All of that is down to Southgate and he should be applauded, he's got a nation feeling like England fans again and that's a pretty mint achievement considering the animosity towards them over the years and how ubiquitously divided we are.  We might not have gone this far without the draw, but we still had to do it, and it was in the  context of us losing to Iceland 2 years ago and having not won a knockout game in years. With that in mind it's such a guttner to go out like that when we should have wrapped it all up in the first half.

 

Good post, hopefully he's got enougb credits in the bank to give him at least a crack at another WC, but who knows with our press?

 

 

 

Spot on both.

 

The bringing England together at this time of horrificness is worthy of commendation alone.