The Footie Thread

[Tashyboy]

QUOTE="fundy, post: 2372395, member: 5509"]does anyone really care about the rankings?[/QUOTE] ??

was meaning more performance stats, expected goals etc, such a small sample size and comfortably outperforming in several areas and highly statistically likely to revert to mean over a larger sample

he has an excellent set of resources at his disposal, way better than most and is doing ok with them but personally think there is far more scope from that group of players. just my opinion though

if fifa rankings are the way to judge a manager then hes doing great, just 3 better than him on all accounts

Joking aside, I don’t think you are the only one that thinks there’s more scope from those players. Up until yesterday I was unconvinced. I get the a wins a win. But yesterday was a massive improvement for me. What I have been impressed with is Southgates handling of the squad. In a similar sense to Pep managing City’s squad it’s about getting the players to believe in the system, and the players obviously are.
What I find a bit odd is the England have had an easy run. England won there group. There knockout fixtures were determined on other teams results. Not England’s.

 

[fundy]

Joking aside, I don’t think you are the only one that thinks there’s more scope from those players. Up until yesterday I was unconvinced. I get the a wins a win. But yesterday was a massive improvement for me. What I have been impressed with is Southgates handling of the squad. In a similar sense to Pep managing City’s squad it’s about getting the players to believe in the system, and the players obviously are.
What I find a bit odd is the England have had an easy run. England won there group. There knockout fixtures were determined on other teams results. Not England’s.[/QUOTE]


Hes clearly a very good man manager and well thought of by the squad and they are playing for him, thats not in doubt I dont think

 

[Deleted member 21784]

So, just checking in, do we all still think he's going to drop Kane?

Prob the same amount who think rice needed dropping despite bossing the Germany game .. whilst on a yellow (same as Phillips) both now have that wiped and will play the next game almost a shoe in

 

[Billysboots]

And how many still doubt Southgate? It’s amazing how many armchair experts decry him, yet many of the retired ex-pro’s really rate him highly. The results over the last 4 years suggest he’s the man for the job.

I will always dislike his conservative approach, but there is no doubt it is paying dividends. England are finding a way to win games, but that doesn’t mean I find watching them entertaining because, for the most part, I don’t.

Whether he is the man for the job is not a matter for me. I’m not a football expert, merely a fan. But I know what I like. And Southgate’s conservative brand of football just isn’t it, I’m afraid.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

And how many still doubt Southgate? It’s amazing how many armchair experts decry him, yet many of the retired ex-pro’s really rate him highly. The results over the last 4 years suggest he’s the man for the job.

No manager at any level is popular with everyone and let’s be honest the style of Football he plays is awful at times, tactically he maybe very good and let’s hope to takes us all the way.

He hasn’t won anything yet and hopefully this time next week he’ll be dishing out a huge serving of humble pie to his doubters.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Interesting stat just now on BBC. All four of the semi finalists played all three of their group games at home. Has the lack of travel around Europe given them an advantage?

It’s a fair shout - not just the lack of travel but also having the backing of the home fans - in some ways moving the tournament around seems a good idea but it can really screw some teams over - Wales being the perfect example

His best performance to date .. and there was movement etc .. but let’s wind it back here and get some perspective. That Ukrainian side had been through 2 tough games, with extra time. They don’t have the depth we do .. we should have beaten them. I am glad we did and I am glad we saw Sancho. I don’t think you can say anything negative about the new guys coming on because they played professionally.
There are 2 more games and they will not be easy and he won’t be contending with tired defenders ..

Kane looked a far better player when he was forced higher up the pitch , bringing in Mount seemed to work a lot better and then bringing in Henderson got the forward energy a lot more instead of just containment - Southgate is going to have some interesting choices- can see one of Rice or Phillips dropping out for Henderson who added that extra drive

 

[Slime]

Prob the same amount who think rice needed dropping despite bossing the Germany game .. whilst on a yellow (same as Phillips) both now have that wiped and will play the next game almost a shoe in

Same for Harry Maguire.

 

[Deleted member 21784]

Same for Harry Maguire.

Glad he didn't pick up that yellow, full team available

Fodens has gone aswell but after this euros will he even get on the pitch? Sancho did well, grealish is super sub...foden didn't take his chance unfortunately even tho set up didn't suit

 

[fundy]

Soccer fans in having different opinions shocker!!!!

Soccer fans rating & defending their clubs player above everyone else shocker!!!!! (except arsenal fans lol)

 

[Billysboots]

Soccer fans rating & defending their clubs player above everyone else shocker!!!!!

I’ll never defend Marcus Rashford. Vastly overrated and, given his form (forget what the Opta stats tell you), very lucky to be anywhere near this squad.

 

[fundy]

I’ll never defend Marcus Rashford. Vastly overrated and, given his form (forget what the Opta stats tell you), very lucky to be anywhere near this squad.

one player lol, that the best you can do

can list 25+ players at Arsenal I wont defend currently haha (yeah yeah i know that says more about the state of our squad lol)

 

[Billysboots]

one player lol, that the best you can do

Yep. ?

 

[Hobbit]

I will always dislike his conservative approach, but there is no doubt it is paying dividends. England are finding a way to win games, but that doesn’t mean I find watching them entertaining because, for the most part, I don’t.

Whether he is the man for the job is not a matter for me. I’m not a football expert, merely a fan. But I know what I like. And Southgate’s conservative brand of football just isn’t it, I’m afraid.

No manager at any level is popular with everyone and let’s be honest the style of Football he plays is awful at times, tactically he maybe very good and let’s hope to takes us all the way.

He hasn’t won anything yet and hopefully this time next week he’ll be dishing out a huge serving of humble pie to his doubters.

Agree with both of you but it’s a tough ask to play open, entertaining football and not concede. I didn’t relax till 3-0 up in the last match, even though the team and tactics doesn’t ship goals. Letting the opposition have the ball for lengthy periods but trying to keep them at arms length from the goal is dangerous, IMO. A team will score, and 1-0 will be enough to lose by.

As for “he’s hasn’t won anything yet,” he’s won plenty of matches that other teams, by definition, haven’t. The fact the win column is so high is good enough for me. A trophy would be icing on a pretty decent cake.

 

[Junior]

The one thing that resonates with me is that this England team seem a really tight unit. There is a real togetherness about the side that I've never seen in any England team. Whether that's Southgate , or the relatively younger side , there are no prima donners and they play for the badge, no complaints or dramas. Combine this with the obvious talent on show and it goes a long way. Whether they beat Denmark or not, their attitude and drive is the best I've seen in an Eng side, better than the team in Italia 90.

 

[Deleted member 21784]

The one thing that resonates with me is that this England team seem a really tight unit. There is a real togetherness about the side that I've never seen in any England team. Whether that's Southgate , or the relatively younger side , there are no prima donners and they play for the badge, no complaints or dramas. Combine this with the obvious talent on show and it goes a long way. Whether they beat Denmark or not, they're attitude and drive is the best I've seen in an Eng side, better than the team in Italia 90.

I think a lot has to do with southgate being under 21s manager 3 years before this means he got to work with some of the players before and built good relations ie Kane for example

 

[Neilds]

No manager at any level is popular with everyone and let’s be honest the style of Football he plays is awful at times, tactically he maybe very good and let’s hope to takes us all the way.

He hasn’t won anything yet and hopefully this time next week he’ll be dishing out a huge serving of humble pie to his doubters.

And if we win, how many will look back and say " Yes, we may have won in 2020(21?) but we didn't play very nice football"

 

[Tashyboy]

Read something this morning. England have got to 6 semi finals of major comps. Southgate has been manager for 2 of them. Every fan has different opinions of where we are but there are a few things that he has done that could of blown up in his face big time. One of those being, including taking Maguire and Henderson. They were not fully fit and was a gamble. It look like it has paid off.
Another in not taking TAA. There was massive discussion over whether he should go. 5 clean sheets says at the moment he has got his defensive options set up right.
He has made tough decisions which he deserves credit for

 

[Orikoru]

Read something this morning. England have got to 6 semi finals of major comps. Southgate has been manager for 2 of them. Every fan has different opinions of where we are but there are a few things that he has done that could of blown up in his face big time. One of those being, including taking Maguire and Henderson. They were not fully fit and was a gamble. It look like it has paid off.
Another in not taking TAA. There was massive discussion over whether he should go. 5 clean sheets says at the moment he has got his defensive options set up right.
He has made tough decisions which he deserves credit for

Trent was injured, otherwise he would have been in.


I am just about ready to admit I was wrong about Southgate. I thought he was too weak to manage the English egos, but it seems that they respect him and he has got them working for each others. I thought his tactics were a bit too defensive and passive, but we have grown into the tournament nicely. I really respect his approach of trying not to peak too early, nobody has ever won a tournament in the group stages, you just need to get through with minimal effort. We did that. Then you need you step up and improve bit by bit as you go through, and we've been doing that as well so far. I still think we need to get past Denmark and into the final though for people to really be eating their humble pie and say he's been successful. If we go out now it will be another case of falling at the penultimate hurdle when the opportunity was right there. However if we get to the final I don't think anyone will hold it against him if we lose to Italy (or Spain).

 

[Deleted member 16999]

And if we win, how many will look back and say " Yes, we may have won in 2020(21?) but we didn't play very nice football"

And how many years do we keep watching the same boring football, bar the odd match, if we don’t win anything?

Ask Utd fans if they were happy to keep Jose as he was winning stuff!

 

[harpo_72]

I don’t hold the manager 100% responsible for failure. I never have. The players have a responsibility on the pitch to give everything, this is at club and national level. They are paid .. it is their job, I know that sounds rather blunt and under appreciative .. but if you are paid to do something you do it to the best of your abilities to do otherwise indicates that your a lazy ?.
So for me the criticism should be aimed at the players. I have directed mine in that direction, but likewise I have praised good performances.
Once the manager has selected the player, that player has an obligation to perform.
I think Southgate has done a good job, and I think his predecessors were good as well .. for me their failure were the players and their lack of hunger.