England Squad - Euro 2024

[bluenova]

You reckon? This is southgate you are talking about. Only surprise is Stuart Pearce isn't his number 2. Saying that, the FA probably have him lined up to take over once they finally fuck southgate off.

Yeah - you're right, Southgate probably wouldn't play without a goalkeeper. What was I thinking :)

 

[christened at st marks]

Think I’d go with a goalie, just to be on the safe side.

Nah fuc it

 

[Crooked_rain]

You've dropped Kane, but also Jude Bellingham for Jobe Bellingham.

Jobe would've probably done a better job yesterday

 

[shevtheblue]

Nor the balls

When have you ever seen Southgate look pissed off at a player during a game and let it be known?

I know every manager has their own style but do you reckon Pep, Lego Head, Ancelotti, Klopp, Mourinho or anyone else would say absolutely nothing when Bellingham or Arnold are giving the ball away so cheaply in the middle of the park again and again? Waistcoat says fuck all, just stands there looking lost.

Players don't mind if you give them a bollocking from the touch line, they're used to it every week so they'd probably actually respect it more. It fires them up. You've seen De Bruyne literally tell Pep to shut the fuck up for screaming at him, but they both love it, it's part of the winners mentality.

Don't even mind players giving the ball away, but the players that should be given the reigns to control the team aren't and the ones who shouldn't be are! Makes no sense to me. The reason we lost the final against Italy was loss of control and reverting to type, it seems Southgate not only hasn't learnt a lesson, he has in fact doubled down and made that capitulation his whole style of play now. He has at one point or another, had access to all of the best managers in the world working with PL players in England - Pep, Klopp, Ancelotti, Tuschel, Mourinho (i know, i know) and you can maybe even put Arteta in there - but what has he learnt? Fuck all.

 

[shevtheblue]

Totally agree. The one thing he didn't have was time to create a system, so why not pick as many players as he could who were familiar with a similar system, one that has seen City win a load of trophies and Arsenal emerge as the main domestic challenger?

Like Pep did at City, you start by changing the keeper. We could have gone along these lines with Rico inverting from LB and a box midfield. Just then tell them to play the way they play. Bellingham an impact sub if needed.View attachment 123010

I don't think Bellingham should be a sub btw, i think there's a space for the best players in the team but they have to move into the system and not the other way round. He is pocketing Foden out left but asking him to drift inside, hes got Bellingham going everywhere with Kane sometimes being behind him(!) and hes got a right back at left back when there were options for lb's there, Trent playing in a position he's not played before to do a job he can't do. It's not the players fault, even Pickford can play the ball to the CB's in front of him but he's got no instructions to do it and neither have the players to understand movements to take it from him.

 

[mattcity5]

I don't think Bellingham should be a sub btw, i think there's a space for the best players in the team but they have to move into the system and not the other way round. He is pocketing Foden out left but asking him to drift inside, hes got Bellingham going everywhere with Kane sometimes being behind him(!) and hes got a right back at left back when there were options for lb's there, Trent playing in a position he's not played before to do a job he can't do. It's not the players fault, even Pickford can play the ball to the CB's in front of him but he's got no instructions to do it and neither have the players to understand movements to take it from him.

I think Bellingham could play in that system, I was kind of exaggerating my point a little with some of the selections to make the point though. He could have picked players who know a system, but decided not to. He's gone with individualism and the cult of personality, hoping that moments of brilliance will conquer all. It doesn't usually happen that way.

The best team in the World over the last few years on his doorstep, and he's learnt nothing.

 

[KentBlue]

I am staggered by the amount of people who rate Pickford - the man is bloody awful. He stands and bellows at his defenders whenever he is forced to actually do something for the team. Screaming abuse at them because the opposition have got a corner.
But his real problem is his distribution - it doesn't exist. He bounces the ball a few times then just hoofs it up the other end and hopes for the best. Inevitably it lands at the feet of an opposing player and hence it all starts again.
Yes, I appreciate we are all used to Pep's way of doing things, and Pickford is certainly no Eddie. But a more controlled way of returning the ball to open play now and again might give the outfield players a chance to reorganise themselves.

 

[Phil1]

I am staggered by the amount of people who rate Pickford - the man is bloody awful. He stands and bellows at his defenders whenever he is forced to actually do something for the team. Screaming abuse at them because the opposition have got a corner.
But his real problem is his distribution - it doesn't exist. He bounces the ball a few times then just hoofs it up the other end and hopes for the best. Inevitably it lands at the feet of an opposing player and hence it all starts again.
Yes, I appreciate we are all used to Pep's way of doing things, and Pickford is certainly no Eddie. But a more controlled way of returning the ball to open play now and again might give the outfield players a chance to reorganise themselves.

T-Rex are notorious for making lots of noise but being shit at football so we should have seen it coming..

 

[Gray]

I am staggered by the amount of people who rate Pickford - the man is bloody awful. He stands and bellows at his defenders whenever he is forced to actually do something for the team. Screaming abuse at them because the opposition have got a corner.
But his real problem is his distribution - it doesn't exist. He bounces the ball a few times then just hoofs it up the other end and hopes for the best. Inevitably it lands at the feet of an opposing player and hence it all starts again.
Yes, I appreciate we are all used to Pep's way of doing things, and Pickford is certainly no Eddie. But a more controlled way of returning the ball to open play now and again might give the outfield players a chance to reorganise themselves.

When we beat them at home in the last match of the 2020/21 season I was fortunate to get a ticket in the ballot as there was a resricted crowd after Covid.

We won 5-0 with Aguero coming on in the second half to bag a couple in his last match at the Etihad.

I was in the South stand with my son and we were right behind Pickford who frankly is a short arse, he flapped at everything and waved his hands about a lot. Dreadful keeper who makes the odd spectacular save.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Southgate is getting absolute pelters from all corners this morning.

Maybe he’ll wake the fuck up after hearing all this.

He never looks at social media during tournaments. He’ll still be oblivious.