UEFA EURO 2024 (13 Viewers)

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
He's not a Lad. I genuinely think that's all it is. He's an articulate bloke who looks after himself. As a mass, we like TalkSport; fat drunks who just say things. I hope he wins it and tells us all to f*ck off.
A bizarre conclusion to draw. The football he’s had us playing has been awful to watch for years and our record against stronger teams is very poor.

The argument all along has been if we win games despite playing shit then it’s all fine, so here’s hoping we do it on Sunday. Most people just want to see him let the handbrake off given the players at his disposal.
 

Evo1883

Well-Known Member
My biggest problem is I don't know when to stop replying 🤣

Right done , if southgate wins he's the greatest manager ever and should be extended for 8 more years , come on England

Il leave it there , will not be engaging on this anymore
 

mmttww

Well-Known Member
A bizarre conclusion to draw. The football he’s had us playing has been awful to watch for years and our record against stronger teams is very poor.

Didn't we score more than any other team at a couple of tournaments and in most qualification groups? People wheel out the 'stronger teams' thing when we lose. If you point out we beat Germany, suddenly it's not a 'strong' German side. Same as vs. Holland. He'll get no credit for that. We were unlucky to lose vs. France and they nearly won it.

I also like the handbrake idea, that he's telling them to play slowly and pass backwards, and this isn't just young, mentally weak players bottling it on a big stage. Where are the leaders he could pick? He got endless sh*t for persisting with Henderson but you look now and see why he played. He's cautious? He had to rely on Maguire FFS!

Managers with Campbell, Terry, Ferdinand, Cole at the back got worse results. Managers with Scholes, Lampard, peak Rooney, Gerrard, Joe Cole played consistently worse going fwd. He's delivered, and he's had no more 'meh' performances at tournaments than anyone else. Who the f*ck would want the job? We are a mad, entitled bunch.
 
D

Deleted member 9744

Guest
Who can forget the 0-0 thrillers against Algeria and Nigeria in the World Cup? Or the stoppage time collapse against France in 2004.

2018 being an exception (Germany and Argentina underperforming in the groups), we have earned ‘easy’ sides of the draws because we won the group every time. Even in 2021, Denmark were a Top 10 ranked team in the world.

100% agree, it’s all revisionist and completely subjective saying international football was gone down in calibre. Personally, I disagree with that notion.
I remember so many England matches in the 70s, 80s and 90s when we were totally clueless and just lumped the ball forward to a big striker at every opportunity.

People talk about the game being boring these days but honestly it's so much better than then. I remember some really dull England matches under managers like Ron Greenwood when we had no creativity and were light years behind countries like Germany in terms of style of play. As for managers like Kevin Keegan...

It's the 'forward' and 'shoot' brigade who generally don't appreciate what Southgate has achieved.
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
One thing that is seemingly being forgotten, is how easy our opponents have been to get this far.

I mean at this point who cares, you get behind the team. However, beating a shit Netherlands team in injury time, an average Swiss team on penalties, and also Slovakia in extra time following some underwhelming group games isn't really something I would regard as particularly impressive. We should be winning those games, we've just done it by the skin of our teeth.

Again though, I don't really care. If we somehow beat Spain then it certainly doesn't matter either.

That’s moving the goalposts, the main criticism of Southgate is his record against Top 10 teams. Netherlands are ranked 7th and a good outfit. Denmark were are top 10 team in 2021 and beating Germany the same year was the first since 1966.

Barring one great shot from range, the Netherlands didn’t trouble us. Spain get rightly praised for beating Italy in the Group, yet when we beat Switzerland in the quarters, it’s an easy tie. The same team nearly beat Germany save for a stoppage time equaliser.

You can only beat who’s in front of you and we’ve elevated our game as the tournament has progressed. I don’t understand why people like to dissect things and put asterisks aside our journey to the final.
 

Earlsdon_Skyblue1

Well-Known Member
That’s moving the goalposts, the main criticism of Southgate is his record against Top 10 teams. Netherlands are ranked 7th and a good outfit. Denmark were are top 10 team in 2021 and beating Germany the same year was the first since 1966.

Barring one great shot from range, the Netherlands didn’t trouble us. Spain get rightly praised for beating Italy in the Group, yet when we beat Switzerland in the quarters, it’s an easy tie. The same team nearly beat Germany save for a stoppage time equaliser.

You can only beat who’s in front of you and we’ve elevated our game as the tournament has progressed. I don’t understand why people like to dissect things and put asterisks aside our journey to the final.

I'm not moving any goalposts, or putting asterisks on anything. Stop trying to start another fucking argument and enjoy the next few days and the final!
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Didn't we score more than any other team at a couple of tournaments and in most qualification groups? People wheel out the 'stronger teams' thing when we lose. If you point out we beat Germany, suddenly it's not a 'strong' German side. Same as vs. Holland. He'll get no credit for that. We were unlucky to lose vs. France and they nearly won it.

I also like the handbrake idea, that he's telling them to play slowly and pass backwards, and this isn't just young, mentally weak players bottling it on a big stage. Where are the leaders he could pick? He got endless sh*t for persisting with Henderson but you look now and see why he played. He's cautious? He had to rely on Maguire FFS!

Managers with Campbell, Terry, Ferdinand, Cole at the back got worse results. Managers with Scholes, Lampard, peak Rooney, Gerrard, Joe Cole played consistently worse going fwd. He's delivered, and he's had no more 'meh' performances at tournaments than anyone else. Who the f*ck would want the job? We are a mad, entitled bunch.
These players do not play like that for their clubs in higher stakes games than group games against Slovenia. It’s part of the game plan and when it clearly isn’t working he refuses to change things up in the hope that Harry Kane will bail out the game from defensive midfield.

The bottling of the last Euro final was done on his instruction to get the side to camp in for a half on a 1-0 lead instead of continuing what worked in the first.
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
I'm not moving any goalposts, or putting asterisks on anything. Stop trying to start another fucking argument and enjoy the next few days and the final!
Believe me, I’m having a blast! It’s just irritating and disappointing to give it the ‘yeah but’ when talking about this England team. The vitriol to Southgate is a disgrace.
 

mmttww

Well-Known Member
These players do not play like that for their clubs...

No, they don't. Most of them are EPL academy grads who can't play what's in front of them. Surround them with the same players who've been coached to do the same things each game and they're fine. Take them out of that comfort zone and they freeze. Massively overcoached. No freedom and no leadership.
 

Calista

Well-Known Member
May have already been mentioned, but anyone thinking of driving to Germany this weekend needs to check out the effects of the planned closure of parts of the M25. Sounds like it could cause mayhem.
 

MusicDating

Euro 2016 Prediction League Champion!!
A bizarre conclusion to draw. The football he’s had us playing has been awful to watch for years and our record against stronger teams is very poor.

The argument all along has been if we win games despite playing shit then it’s all fine, so here’s hoping we do it on Sunday. Most people just want to see him let the handbrake off given the players at his disposal.
I've heard that phrase a lot. Genuine question, how do you 'let the handbrake off' when you're playing teams with 10 men behind the ball?
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
I've heard that phrase a lot. Genuine question, how do you 'let the handbrake off' when you're playing teams with 10 men behind the ball?
By not allowing them to get set in such a position in the first place. One, two touch passing at higher tempos with more active movement off the ball.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
It's such a weird situation, because if we don't turn up on Sunday, it will be back to throwing coffee cups at Southgate again. Win and he will be a bloody hero

I am actually convinced we will put a good showing in on Sunday, though.

Have they said anything about what the fan split is looking like for Sunday at all? Obviously we were totally outnumbered by the Dutch.

Should be more even shouldn't it?
 

Evo1883

Well-Known Member
It's such a weird situation, because if we don't turn up on Sunday, it will be back to throwing coffee cups at Southgate again. Win and he will be a bloody hero

I am actually convinced we will put a good showing in on Sunday, though.

Have they said anything about what the fan split is looking like for Sunday at all? Obviously we were totally outnumbered by the Dutch.

Should be more even shouldn't it?

I think we will win tbh , I think England on their day can beat any team in the world

I actually think the best England performance I've ever seen under Southgate was the first half against Spain years ago ..we were brutally good and won 3-2 in Spain .
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
I think we will win tbh , I think England on their day can beat any team in the world

I actually think the best England performance I've ever seen under Southgate was the first half against Spain years ago ..we were brutally good and won 3-2 in Spain .
First half of the Euros final for me, Mancini was visibly panicking
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
Spain had

Italy 10th
Croatia 9th

In their group too

Not that I think either are particularly good sides

Switzerland are ranked 19 , Germany 16 , Slovakia 45 , Holland 7, France 2 , Georgia 74


Spain have played 3 top 10 teams this tournament and beat all 3
Croatia couldn’t even beat Albania and Italy got beat comprehensively by Switzerland. Two team that are overrated in the world rankings imo - because of their previous major tournament performances.

I’d have backed us to beat Italy (even before the tournament) and the narrative flips had we beat two top 10 teams going into the final.
 

Evo1883

Well-Known Member
Croatia couldn’t even beat Albania and Italy got beat comprehensively by Switzerland. Two team that are overrated in the world rankings imo - because of their previous major tournament performances.

I’d have backed us to beat Italy (even before the tournament) and the narrative flips had we beat two top 10 teams going into the final.
Right but really croatia had lost 4 games since 2022 leading upto the tournament , we beat Italy twice in qualifying for this very tournament .

I don't particularly rate either side but they are amongst the 10 best sides in the world currently
 
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HuckerbyDublinWhelan

Well-Known Member
Spain had

Italy 10th
Croatia 9th

In their group too

Not that I think either are particularly good sides

Switzerland are ranked 19 , Germany 16 , Slovakia 45 , Holland 7, France 2 , Georgia 74


Spain have played 3 top 10 teams this tournament and beat all 3
Apologies - stole that from somewhere else without confirming, does show that our run has been somewhat similar though.

I’m confident though - on paper, I don’t really fear the Spanish side
 

Great_Expectations

Well-Known Member
Whatever your thoughts on Southgate, his perceived negative tactics, his lack of subs, him being a L1 standard manager, or your view on the standard of opposition, the competition itself, our easy run etc etc etc.

Whatever you deem the reasons to be, it surely can’t be disputed the Southgate tournaments have been way more enjoyable than previous. Getting to semi finals and finals, playing shit football or otherwise, is so much better than early knock outs.

Southgate should be recognised for creating special memories for all of us. These extra knock out games with friends/family etc are occasions that we hadn’t had pre Southgate.

He deserves the win on Sunday.
 

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