England Thread - 2022/23

[The Stockport Iniesta]

What? He must be even worse than i thought then cos Engaknd havent scored from open play in 8 hrs and ive never seen Pep play 7 defenders sat back on the edge of the box.

the only thing remotely close to Pep is that he tries to play it out from defence but he has no fucking clue how to coach a pattern of play so we end up pissing around for 10 passes then pickford lumps it forward to Kane.

I used to love watching England play, but don't bother anymore. The Football is a reflection of the Manager, dull and uninspiring.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

What? He must be even worse than i thought then cos Engaknd havent scored from open play in 8 hrs and ive never seen Pep play 7 defenders sat back on the edge of the box.

the only thing remotely close to Pep is that he tries to play it out from defence but he has no fucking clue how to coach a pattern of play so we end up pissing around for 10 passes then pickford lumps it forward to Kane.

Spot-on. The quality of coaching in the England set-up must be terrible. Southgate has been playing the same turgid style for years. Five at the back with two defensive midfielders in front. The only plan seems to be to try and score from set pieces. Football, especially English club football, has moved on but England are stuck in the dark ages with a rigid formation and no creativity. Most international games are against pub teams but England still can't break them down.

 

[MeeBeeGeeBee]

I think Southgate has lost the plot.

Having 4 RB's in the Matchday squad...

... omits a striker when Kane can't hit a barn door at the moment for England...

... playing 2 holding midfielders in front of 5 defenders...

... having no creative link from the midfield to the attack, forcing Kane to drop deep, playing a number 10, leaving no number 9...

... Playing a RWS at LWB, then subs him for an actual LWB after going a goal down...


... We'll be lucky to get the quarters at this point.

 

[Bantamgaz]

I'm not going to popular for this, but so far I think Southgate has done well.

We got to the World Cup semi finals and the Euros finals. Ok, we didn't win them but there's only Ramsey who can better that record. It's better than Robson, Eriksen, Capello etc. Does that mean I think Southgate is great and would I like him at City? No. I think that, on the whole, he's done a good job with what he has available. Of course, as soon as you lose a few games, the press dive on the "sack him" line but he's shown in 2 tournaments to be a very competent manager - far better than some people are saying.

Southgate has changed the way England play. He's shamelessly copied how City play under Pep and that is entirely the correct decision to make as a coach. That system of playing let's every single player know what skills he needs to show in order to be selected. It will also mean that when he goes, we have a system that we continue to play.

I've said for a while now that once Pep leaves City, he will want to manage a national team and I think that national team will be England. He has worked with Walker, Stones, Grealish, Foden, Sterling and Phillips. He would love players like Kane, James, Chilwell and Alexander-Arnold too as those players could easily play for us. I think Southgate is setting England up for that. Basically, the FA will copy City in that the team has a style of playing and in turn we will pick managers who know that system.

Back to Southgate. Maguire gets a lot of stick, but he plays well with Stones and is good on the ball. He stupidly decided to join a team which offered him a lot of money but he's a good player in poor form in a poor team. However, it's not easy to find many players who are comfortable on the ball in central defence and are English. I don't see any obvious improvements over Maguire/Stones so I'd rather we went into the WC with a pair we know works. And yes, it does work as getting to the Euros final and WC semi final showed. Defensively we were decent.

To be blunt, our biggest problem is that we simply don't have many world class players, especially in crucial areas. I'd probably only say Kane was a definite and after that I'd say Stones and Alexander-Arnold would be very close to it. I'd say these three would probably walk into most other countries teams. We have a lot of good players, don't get me wrong, but the problem is that teams like Brazil, Belgium, Germany, Croatia, France etc generally have world class players in the key area - midfield.

We just don't have world class players in midfield. Rice, Mount, Phillips, Grealish, Foden, Bellingham are all decent but don't change games. I think Foden has the most potential obviously, but he can't run a game for City like Bernardo, Rodri, KdB or Gundogan can, can he? It's not a criticism, it will come in time but not in time for the WC. Take Kane out of our attack and, simply put, we're in trouble. We don't have any strikers that come close to other countries.

I honestly think we'll do our usual in the WC, probably a quarter/semi final. I do think in a few years when we've got some more years under the belts of Foden, James, Bellingham etc we will have a better chance. Let's be honest, I could easily see France, Belgium and Brazil winning it as favourites. After that I wouldn't be at all surprised if Portugal, Argentina, Spain or us to win it either. We're probably in the top 6 favourites, but nowhere near the top 3 in my opinion.

I just think it's easy to jump on the "sack him" bandwagon, but it's highly unlikely we'll have anyone better to come in and replace him. As others have said, Potter would've been ideal but he's a good manager and good managers are never out of work. Howe might've done well, but when I've seen Newcastle play I'm not sure they play much of a possession style. We could get a foreign manager in like Pochettino, but there's no guarantee is there?

Southgate has the experience of taking us to a semi-final and then a final. I think he deserves the time to show us whether he can take us any further. Of course, if we disappoint in the WC then we should re-appraise his position but I certainly think he's done a better job than many of his - far better paid and respected - predecessors.

Done well in what way ???
Scuppering our chances of actually winning things ........... as for being better than Robson the same Bobby Robson that was robbed by a cheat in 1986 and was very unfortunate in 1990 :( Southgate has had none of that to deal with and the only reason we ain’t won a thing is down to him not the players him

 

[Bantamgaz]

You’d like to think that he rewatches the Italy game and spots we created nothing with 5 at the back with 2 holding midfielders.

Our strength is wide forwards and we’re totally negating them by isolating them.

Will he change it ???? Will he Fook

 

[melrose40yarder]

Who is better out there who would take the job?
He has done a decent job with his brand of negative safety 1st football.He is exposed as soon as we come up against 1/2 decent opposistion.Having said that Germany are in same boat as us they and us have about 4 world class players each.We have over acheived with what we have.You could all pick your best elevens probably all be different with different formations.
Also remember the media outrage when we lose last year he was a hero and the best thing going now he is being ridiculed by the very same media.
Thankless job and he is the most successful England manager for over 50 yrs.Good luck to the fella with what he has available he is lacking a world class Gk,Cb and Midfield holding player that is why struggle against truly class opposistion.

 

[Stephen230]

Done well in what way ???
Scuppering our chances of actually winning things ........... as for being better than Robson the same Bobby Robson that was robbed by a cheat in 1986 and was very unfortunate in 1990 :( Southgate has had none of that to deal with and the only reason we ain’t won a thing is down to him not the players him

If everybody is going to put an asterisk next to Southgate’s World Cup semi due to having an easy run then it’s only fair to put Robson’s under the same scrutiny. An awful draw against Ireland. A stalemate against Holland and then just scrapped out of the group with an uninspiring 1-0 against Egypt. Then just about edged past two average teams in Belgium and Cameroon. All this after a near player revolt forcing him to change the formation.

 

[willipp]

Problem is even if Southgate goes with a more attacking team which wouldn't suprise me tonight, its still the same manager who has limited coaching ability at best and cannot get this group of players playing anywhere near what they are capable of. He has no idea how to get the best out of Foden who this team should be built around. We try and play out from the back but that just isn't true at all. We pass around,nearly lose it and then back it goes to Pickford who just launches it 80 yards and we lose the ball.

Our whole game plan is around trying not to lose and maybe scraping a set piece goal. We have no idea how to keep the ball and actually create chances from open play and because of Southgates inability to coach, he reverts to the back 7 to try and protect. He consistently plays players in positions they don't play for their clubs and has some weird fetish for right backs.

We've been incredibly lucky in the last two tournaments that we haven't had to face a decent side until we got to the semis in 18 and the final in 21. A decent coach would of won the final as Italy are far from a great side as well but sadly in both those games we got an early goal and then Southgate spent 80 minutes clinging to the hope that we would hang on rather than pro actively going after the game and trying to win them.

This England team probably has the best crop of young talent we've seen in a very long time, yet sadly the manager has them playing like we have Carlton Palmer, Alan Smith and Paul Parker in starring roles.

 

[East Level 2]

As I have said before: There isn't a match going fan of a Premier League or Championship side who would want him as their next manager, other than West Brom fans who would prefer most ahead of Steve Bruce.
Perhaps he really is still in place because there are no suitable alternatives, but I find that hard to believe.

 

[BlueMoonday]

I think Southgate has lost the plot.

Having 4 RB's in the Matchday squad...

... omits a striker when Kane can't hit a barn door at the moment for England...

... playing 2 holding midfielders in front of 5 defenders...

... having no creative link from the midfield to the attack, forcing Kane to drop deep, playing a number 10, leaving no number 9...

... Playing a RWS at LWB, then subs him for an actual LWB after going a goal down...


... We'll be lucky to get the quarters at this point.

He was completely obsessed with that unbeaten run and has no other clue. Some of the players he is playing are in form but Southgate is then playing them out of position.

I'm glad that this WC is a farce and won't be a proper tournament. Will hopefully see Southgate being sacked and we can get somebody competent in who can be more creative and attacking with the squad.