The Footie Thread

[Golfmmad]

The same discussion was raised during the Euros, Phil. And I agree.

Southgate has a wealth of young attacking talent at his disposal, possibly the most for a generation, and his negativity stifles it. It’s an absolute crying shame.

A top manager’s eyes would light up if given the likes of Grealish, Saka, Mount, Foden and Gallagher to work with.

What do you mean? Apart from Saka all those players were on the pitch tonight. I agree it wasn't the best game to watch but he gave 3 their debuts.
Looking on it from an England managers point of view he has to look at different players and formations in preparation for the World Cup.
Let's judge him in Quatar.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Italy the world beaters we tried to shut up shop against when there for the taking dont even make the world cup, thats how big an open goal we missed in the Euros. Instead of going for the kill at 1-0 he tried to sit on it and let them back in the game Have no doubt it will be the same if we get deep in the world cup too sadly Southgate is a safe pair of hands that wont go out in the group games and will play the penalties roulette in the KO stages if needed, sadly talent wise this is as good a squad as weve had in a very long time when a lot of the other so called major nations are lacking, personally think we'll regret the wasted opportunities of his tenure not celebrate the near misses in years to come

But a side like Italy are used to soaking up pressure and had we gone for a more attacking response we would have been ripe for the counter-attack. At the end of the day by the second period of ET neither side wanted to win and were happy to go to penalties

 

[Billysboots]

What do you mean? Apart from Saka all those players were on the pitch tonight. I agree it wasn't the best game to watch but he gave 3 their debuts.
Looking on it from an England managers point of view he has to look at different players and formations in preparation for the World Cup.
Let's judge him in Quatar.

What I mean is he doesn’t make the most of what he has available to him. I’m not sure why we should wait until Qatar to judge him as a manager - he’s already failed when it really matters at two tournaments.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

What I mean is he doesn’t make the most of what he has available to him. I’m not sure why we should wait until Qatar to judge him as a manager - he’s already failed when it really matters at two tournaments.

Not sure you can call him a failure after a final and a semi final. Far better than what has gone before all the way back to Robson at Italia 90

 

[fundy]

But a side like Italy are used to soaking up pressure and had we gone for a more attacking response we would have been ripe for the counter-attack. At the end of the day by the second period of ET neither side wanted to win and were happy to go to penalties

Rubbish they were sitting ducks half an hour in, 1-0 down and creaking, an aging defense whod played a lot of football and were there to be run at by the likes of Saka, Sterling etc, instead we sat back and didnt ask a single question of them, instead relying on 7 defensive players to try and hold them out. Not the modern football progressive approach, put the foot on the throat in those situations and that will never be Southgates choice sadly. As i said safe pair of hands but wasting a squad some previous England managers could only dream of

 

[Billysboots]

Not sure you can call him a failure after a final and a semi final. Far better than what has gone before all the way back to Robson at Italia 90

Okay, a glorious failure then!

 

[Tashyboy]

Yeah, but you and I are sadly used to it!

?????
Post of the day

 

[Golfmmad]

What I mean is he doesn’t make the most of what he has available to him. I’m not sure why we should wait until Qatar to judge him as a manager - he’s already failed when it really matters at two tournaments.

I disagree, he got us to the Euro final and Italy couldn't beat us over 120mins.
Hardly a failure.
We're never going to see the best eleven in a friendly so not a time to judge him.

 

[Deleted member 21784]

Rubbish they were sitting ducks half an hour in, 1-0 down and creaking, an aging defense whod played a lot of football and were there to be run at by the likes of Saka, Sterling etc, instead we sat back and didnt ask a single question of them, instead relying on 7 defensive players to try and hold them out. Not the modern football progressive approach, put the foot on the throat in those situations and that will never be Southgates choice sadly. As i said safe pair of hands but wasting a squad some previous England managers could only dream of

One of the strangest decisions of the euro finals was taking off rice (who wasn't even injured and was running the midfield) to bring on Henderson... It's a position you don't change for the sake of it, maybe if you were changing system and brining off a defensive player for attacker but litterally like for like

 

[Tashyboy]

I disagree, he got us to the Euro final and Italy couldn't beat us over 120mins.
Hardly a failure.
We're never going to see the best eleven in a friendly so not a time to judge him.

I don’t expect to see the. Best eleven, but after two tournaments I expect to see a football pattern, I expect to see a style of play, I expect to see a plan B. I don’t see any of that. What I saw was a ball being lumped 80 yds upfield to Foden. That is the first time I have ever seen that. What I saw was a goalkeeper struggling at Everton who should of been dropped and competition for his place. It was Rammel.

 

[Swango1980]

I disagree, he got us to the Euro final and Italy couldn't beat us over 120mins.
Hardly a failure.
We're never going to see the best eleven in a friendly so not a time to judge him.

Teams like Greece and Denmark have won the Euros. Getting to a final or semi is not the only evidence that is required to determine whether England are progressing to fulfil the potential of the players.

A great team could go out in the quarters, sometimes a bit of bad luck on the day ends a teams hopes. However, fans can still see many positive signs from that team just in terms of how the players play. I've seen many more encouraging periods for England over the last 30 years than under Southgate's reign. If course, there have been worse periods also.

Under Southgate everything has just become stale. In his first few years he always had a ready made excuse for the players if they got beat, their youth. They can't really fall back on that anymore, so now the pressure is on. Under Southgate, I cannot imagine you will ever see an England team play positive, dominant football against the other big nations. England will always be underdogs against them with him in charge.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I don’t expect to see the. Best eleven, but after two tournaments I expect to see a football pattern, I expect to see a style of play, I expect to see a plan B. I don’t see any of that. What I saw was a ball being lumped 80 yds upfield to Foden. That is the first time I have ever seen that. What I saw was a goalkeeper struggling at Everton who should of been dropped and competition for his place. It was Rammel.

It's always the same thing with the National team manager....play their favoured players regardless of form or fitness.
I don't make an effort now to watch or follow the England footy team now, I'm sick to death of the acceptance of drivel.

 

[Tashyboy]

Teams like Greece and Denmark have won the Euros. Getting to a final or semi is not the only evidence that is required to determine whether England are progressing to fulfil the potential of the players.

A great team could go out in the quarters, sometimes a bit of bad luck on the day ends a teams hopes. However, fans can still see many positive signs from that team just in terms of how the players play. I've seen many more encouraging periods for England over the last 30 years than under Southgate's reign. If course, there have been worse periods also.

Under Southgate everything has just become stale. In his first few years he always had a ready made excuse for the players if they got beat, their youth. They can't really fall back on that anymore, so now the pressure is on. Under Southgate, I cannot imagine you will ever see an England team play positive, dominant football against the other big nations. England will always be underdogs against them with him in charge.

If he didn’t have the players to play positive football I could understand, but he has a wealth of talent. I feel it will be another wasted golden generation.

 

[Golfmmad]

If he didn’t have the players to play positive football I could understand, but he has a wealth of talent. I feel it will be another wasted golden generation.

As I've already said, judge him in Qatar, if he fails then I will hold my hands up.
Teams and players evolve over time and in the finals we'll see a different team. All the patterns, tactics and players tried in "Friendlies" will come to fruition at the right time.
In Southgate I trust! ?

 

[Deleted member 29109]

As I've already said, judge him in Qatar, if he fails then I will hold my hands up.
Teams and players evolve over time and in the finals we'll see a different team. All the patterns, tactics and players tried in "Friendlies" will come to fruition at the right time.
In Southgate I trust! ?

What constitutes a successful World Cup?

 

[Golfmmad]

What constitutes a successful World Cup?

You know the answer to that, let's wait and see. ?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

As I've already said, judge him in Qatar, if he fails then I will hold my hands up.
Teams and players evolve over time and in the finals we'll see a different team. All the patterns, tactics and players tried in "Friendlies" will come to fruition at the right time.
In Southgate I trust! ?

Can he not be judged on the previous two tournaments where it was handed to them on a plate and both times despite the squad available fell short when faced with stronger opposition - he has had one really great result - the one against Germany

Southgate is rigid in his tactics and formations, he doesn’t know how to get the best out of the likes of Foden , TAA , Bellingham etc , he will continue to persist with at the very least 6/7 defensive players on the pitch.

A better more proven manager would have won either the World Cup or Euros with those players and the matches they had.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

I was at the game yesterday and it was a typical end of season friendly where no one wanted to get injured. And it was used to give some players a run out.

A few things stood out to me.

Henderson and Kane were poor. Very poor. Kane won absolutely nothing and his first touch was off. He didn’t look all that interested.
Henderson might as well not have been there for most of the first half. Rice was an improvement when he came on, but it highlighted how much they need the Rice and Philips partnership.

Foden is a different class to the rest of them (apart from passing when 1v1 with the keeper ?‍) You can tell he is used to playing with much better players.

Ben White could easily play on the right wing.

There were lots of opportunities to shoot, but they seemed reluctant to. Shaw was the only one who did and scored.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Going to the game also served as a reminder as to why I don't take the lad to more games. The number of complete and utter bell ends there in the so called "family section" was shocking. Some of them with their own kids. It's a depressing sight to see young kids and their dads wearing matching stone island ger swearing, gesturing and abusing other people. A few even with te Mrs and a couple of kids.

Embarresing!

 

[Tashyboy]

As I've already said, judge him in Qatar, if he fails then I will hold my hands up.
Teams and players evolve over time and in the finals we'll see a different team. All the patterns, tactics and players tried in "Friendlies" will come to fruition at the right time.
In Southgate I trust! ?

Am not waiting til Qatar, I have already seen enough.