England Thread - 2023/24

The expansion of the World Cup is there as a money making opportunity for FIFA . They currently have technical directors assigned to lesser teams like Canada to try and boost their quality in the attempt to make them less like cannon fodder and make the World Cup more competitive therefore making more and more money. Fuck the quality of the competition money is the sole driver
 
HumbledGooner said:
Still think we are overhyping this 'group of players'. I hear all the time Southgate 'should be winning with this group of players'. Why should he? How many English players get in the French team? How many English players would crack the Spain 2010 team, Brazil in 2002 or Germany in 2014? 2012 Spain had a midfield of Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta. 2002 Brazil had a front three of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos as wingbacks. Germany in 2014 were the epitome of German efficiency and power. The current England team and England of the past 4 years isn't anywhere near the caliber of teams to previously win the World Cup.

Two World Cup semifinals, and one European championship final in which we lost on penalties. Its a decent record. Reality is Southgate could get the bin, and his replacement would struggle to match his achievements, no matter who replaces him.
Click to expand...
We probably do overhype our players somewhat.
But the fact is weve got some excellent players.
The manager,in my opinion, isnt.

I can't recall a time when there were so few standout sides.
Italy,Germany,Brazil even Spain France and Argentina are weaker than they once were.
So with that in mind,I expect a bit more than playing the way we do,against average opposition.
 
Its not just the fact he cant find a way to fit the most dynamic player we have in the team. Its his complete reluctance to deviate from 2 crab defensive midfielders. So he shoe horns others in. Take Maddison for example. He's started the season well, Waistcoat wants to use him ahead of Foden, thats his perogative (wrong but still). But then he puts him out left where he hasn't played a minute this season. Quelle surprise, we look shit.

He has 1 way of playing and flair is not in that style.

We are boring as fuck
 
super_city_si said:
Its not just the fact he cant find a way to fit the most dynamic player we have in the team. Its his complete reluctance to deviate from 2 crab defensive midfielders. So he shoe horns others in. Take Maddison for example. He's started the season well, Waistcoat wants to use him ahead of Foden, thats his perogative (wrong but still). But then he puts him out left where he hasn't played a minute this season. Quelle surprise, we look shit.

He has 1 way of playing and flair is not in that style.

We are boring as fuck
Click to expand...

A side modelled in his own image.

As a player he was,a solid,no frills, technically decent utility player,could play def midfield or centre half .
 
freshie said:
Southgate’s a fucking moron

Click to expand...

I've got mixed feelings about Southgate but he's not completely wrong, is he?

We all want and know Phil can play in the midfield but Pep constantly playing him on the wing despite saying for YEARS that he will eventually play centrally all while saying he lacks certain qualities to play in there consistently isn't exactly a ringing endorsement.

Let's see if this is the year Phil gets a real run in the middle but seeing Pep put him back out on the wing versus Fulham after a 10/10 performance versus Newcastle through the middle doesn't fill me with hope.
 
Last edited:
freshie said:
Southgate’s a fucking moron

Click to expand...

Not good to see that Southgate is looking to the future with Henderson and dismissing Foden even though he has shown to do well in the middle.

Reality is that he’s just obfuscating things because he knows fuck all about tactics and how to get the best out of talented players, sticking with ‘his’ boys, even though they’re well past their sell by date.

Tactically inept, no personality to project, he’s proving fans right that with a very decent set of players, he doesn’t have the KSE to get the best out of them.

Maguire, Henderson, no creativity and 2 defensive mid’s against Ukraine, what can one expect?
 
It really, really annoys me how Southgate wastes Fodens talent. If he was any other nationality he’d walk into the starting 11.

I’m not even suggesting it needs to be through the middle (although that’s my opinion), but players as good as Foden you put on the pitch, it’s that simple.

It’s pretty staggering that Foden, given his pedigree has yet to have a meaningful run of games at international level. How many times has he started back to back games?
 
The dinosaurs at the FA got their fingers burnt with BFS, GS was a "safe" option. no trophies but no scandal. He has never shown any promise as a tactics man, he is out of his depth at this level, incapable of innovation and inspiration, seems not to have grown into the job, or ever will...
 
Why is the daft **** digging Phil out IN PUBLIC? If he feels Phil isn’t good enough to play centrally for England (which obviously isn’t true) why the fuck isn’t that a PRIVATE conversation between him and Phil? Moron
 
Southgate quoting Peps tactics when he hasn’t got a fucking clue how he thinks.

The waistcoat wanker sees the game rigidly like a 442 where everybody has a role. Even if they play a different formation he still sees the game that way. He expects full backs to go up & down the flanks & midfielders to protect the back 4. It’s a symmetrical line up where the left matches the right. Possession football is just passing across the back with no purpose. He is everything that Pep despises ( and me the ****! ) He uses stats to back up his selection of Henderson instead of the critical thinking of his set up that’s made workman like Henderson his best player & nullified his stars.

Pep laughs at formations & says often it’s just numbers on a piece of paper & the importance is space, overloads, 1:1s & moving opposition players.

At times when Foden is RW at the start he moves inside & KDB is pinging crosses in & Phil plays between the lines. If Grealish is left wing he’s playing it differently to when Phil plays there. Now on the right we are using Walker high & wide, last season Bernardo & Palmer & Doku have played there all differently. It’s constantly changing & fluid so to get the most of the players he has. When Alvarez was playing Pep said I’ve got to find a way to get him in but the left doesn’t match the right but the importance is control & moving the ball with purpose.

I keep hearing criticism of Foden & it’s insane. He’s not Sonny Pike, the lad came on & replaced KDB in centre midfield & this **** says Pep doesn’t trust him in the middle. Phil has been amazing in 4 of the 5 games this season, his performance against Newcastle was record breaking & Haaland should have scored 5 & Phil should have had 7 assists. But he misses 85 minutes versus Sheff Utd cos he’d had the shits all week & he can’t get a game which follows the pathetic narrative created last year.

So the **** who’s asking which players start in top international teams I’ll say the City, Real & Bayern players cos to get in those teams is higher standard than any international team.

Walker, Stones, Foden, Grealish
Bellingham,
Kane

Every time Southgate talks he’s showing his lack of understanding.
 
r.soleofsalford said:
Time to get rid of this fucking no mark losing fucker Southgate.

We need a foreign manager a tried and tested winner.

Southgate has never won any major trophy, in fact when did an English manager last win a major trophy of any kind.
Click to expand...

I think we had tried and tested winners with Capello and Sven, who had better teams than Southgate had and we failed.

I think we as a nation are rather arrogant thinking we can win stuff when we haven't since 1966. I always compare England to Spurs, we tried this tried and tested foreign winners with AVB, Conte and Jose and won fuck all. I dunno how it would work with England when we have gone that route before and it failed.

I think we have punched above our weight personally. My only beef with Southgate is we are too negative when push comes to shove, but you could say that about the past 7-8 England managers.

I think with friendlies and qualifiers all most people hope for is their players come back unscathed. I think part of the slow mundane shit is risk of injury
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top