England finish 4th.

[Dubai Blue]

They're both wrong then because it is the case.

That's fine. Just pointing out that the original poster can't use that logic without his whole argument falling to pieces.

 

[Dubai Blue]

France win the world cup and the manager gets a subway station named in his honour. England beat Tunisia and Panama and Southgate gets the same treatment.

What a bunch of deluded losers the fans and powers that be are.

We're the new Wales of international football.

You mean a tube station that's already called Southgate having Gareth put in front of it for 48hrs as a bit of a laugh? Yeah, how embarrassing.

 

[IH8MUFC]

Not for the reasons you gave.

Nor were most of attacks 'designed to win corners'.

You've made that up as well.

So why was so little created from open play? What was our tactics?

 

[Marvin]

Before the world cup I said I would be disappointed in the extreme if England didn't get out of their group but that after that it all depended on the luck of the draw. The draw was rather kind and we got to the semis. The team and the manager deserve credit for actually winning matches which we didn't do in 2014, and managed only against Slovenia in 2010. In 2006 we won two matches - against Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago! This world cup does represent real progress in that we beat a number of teams - that we should have beaten admittedly - quite convincingly (in the case of Tunisia on the balance of play rather than the scoreline) and the performance of the team did improve the national mood. They also avoided anything like the embarrassment of losing to Iceland, the dismal performances of Brazil, the humiliating goalless draw with Algeria and the abject thrashing dished out by Germany in 2010. We could actually enjoy this world cup unlike those of the recent , and not so recent past. We recorded our best ever finals win and looked unlike any England team for many a year. An England player won the Golden Boot for the first time since 1986 and only the second time ever.

What remains true, though, is that all the teams we beat were considerably lower in the FIFA rankings than we were. The team which eliminated us, Croatia, was well below us in the rankings. We still have not beaten a side which ranks higher than we do in the knock out rounds of any world cup or Euros outside England. We got to the semis legitimately by the only way possible in a knock out competition but I do not think for a moment that we are anything like the fourth best team in the world, any more than United, Chelsea, Southampton and Spurs were the four best teams in England last season.

There is much talk of the "legacy" of this team and many are already looking forward to the next Euros. That remains to be seen and I'm hoping for the best, but the real problem facing English football is the lack of qualified coaching for the young. The FA prides itself on its new facility, St George's, but as yet we have nowhere near as many coaches at work with the very young until the clubs become involved as the Dutch, Belgians, French, Germans, Spaniards etc etc. The results of their investment in coaching have brought clear and obvious results: our lack of investment has also brought clear and obvious results. The signs, with the under 17s especially, are encouraging but we still need massive intervention with the very young to get to where we believe we belong.

The rankings are rendered meaningless by the walkover qualifying groups which England have been presented with. Of course England are not the 4th best side in the world! They got there because of a very good draw that opened up a path to the semi-finals.

South America, and Africa are impoverished countries where the kids lack footballs and shoes, but they produce fantastic footballers. Money will not solve the problem.

I suspect that England will get it right shortly. Germany is the closest equivalent to England (France is not because they have large immigrant communities who produce their footballers). If they can do it, then England can too. But I don't believe England have many any progress in the senior national team yet. In fact in term of technique this is the weakest yet. Consider the stars who used to play for England, and the extremely limited players who play now.

 

[Jalfraag]

The rankings are rendered meaningless by the walkover qualifying groups which England have been presented with. Of course England are not the 4th best side in the world! They got there because of a very good draw that opened up a path to the semi-finals.

South America, and Africa are impoverished countries where the kids lack footballs and shoes, but they produce fantastic footballers. Money will not solve the problem.

I suspect that England will get it right shortly. Germany is the closest equivalent to England (France is not because they have large immigrant communities who produce their footballers). If they can do it, then England can too. But I don't believe England have many any progress in the senior national team yet. In fact in term of technique this is the weakest yet. Consider the stars who used to play for England, and the extremely limited players who play now.

The rankings are meaningless because friendlies are used in the calculation.
England aren't the 4th best team, they are about 8th rather than fifa's 12th.

 

[hilts]

You mean a tube station that's already called Southgate having Gareth put in front of it for 48hrs as a bit of a laugh? Yeah, how embarrassing.

Yes that one. For some reason people have got it into their heads that England and Southgate have achieved something. Would TFL have done it if we had lost all 3 group games? No.

England weren’t utterly useless just a bit shit.

#proud

 

[Dubai Blue]

Yes that one. For some reason people have got it into their heads that England and Southgate have achieved something. Would TFL have done it if we had lost all 3 group games? No.

England weren’t utterly useless just a bit shit.

#proud

They reached the semi-final of a World Cup for the first time in 28 years. Say what you want about the standard of opposition, but of course that's an achievement. And it would be viewed as such by any other country in the same situation.

Anyway, he's not been knighted; they've just stuck his first name in front of a tube station for 48hrs as a PR stunt. It's really not something to get so worked up about.

 

[TCIB]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-c...es-golden-boot-record-breaking-underwhelming/

Kane's reliance on minnows and penalties looked at here. Solid if not depressing read for England and indeed Spurs fans (if he carries this form on, unless they get loads of pena's).

 

[Silvas' left eyebrow]

You do realise 2 of those games were completely inconsequential.
Also last time I check we beat Colombia, unless we fielded a combo xi against Sweden

You do realise that those two inconsequential games we lost were also inconsequential for our opponents too. and we err lost!

 

[Silvas' left eyebrow]

Excellent post. Played 7 , won 3, drew 1 and lost 3. But the media like Southgate so tried to make it urban legend we over achieved LOL.

You do realise 2 of those games were completely inconsequential.
Also last time I check we beat Colombia, unless we fielded a combo xi against Sweden

London has a population of 8.7 million.
The whole of Croatia 4.17 .........yeah greatly over achieved lads. Not for Me campaign worth 6/10