England v Iceland - Fri 7th June, 19:45 | Friendly

[ali benarbia's studs]

Needs to solidify a defence....

Rice, bellingham, foden are fixed in mid.... Only players with heart in their play and game.

Harry needs a slap to get him back on track, a really poor game yesterday.

Palmer wont work unless he has his chelsea role... Far too greedy, had chances both should have been hit first time.

 

[Blue Steel]

It’s no surprise that several players have knocked on his door about it and there’ll be a few who look at him markedly differently than they did last week, which is not a great way to start a tournament, I wouldn’t imagine.

I think you’ve hit on something here. Southgate’s axing of Grealish from the squad clearly caused a reaction in the camp - including Rice being explicit on 5 Live about what he thought of it - which is terrible for squad cohesion.

It also suggests that Jack AND his teammates were expecting him to be going to the Euros. Atrocious man management and a fast track to losing confidence in the manager.

Lack of confidence in the manager’s decisions leads to lack of trust and an unwillingness to listen. Not forgetting that Jack is clearly the most well-liked character in the squad which as we saw last night, is clearly lacking in the chemistry and togetherness that is needed to win things.

 

[Cityfan1977]

I am from Iceland so sorry about spoiling the Wembley party.

What we dont get looking at it from the outsite is why doesnt Southgate get more stick, it is his shitshow not the players, how come everyone super super players play like that .

I am watching Sky sports now and everyone stíll thinks England can win the Euros.

The players can no question but Southgate cant there is no change, he is just teribel tacticly and as a man manager.

Why is he still the England manager I dont get it. You havent been shy firing manager before.

 

[Lauz9888]

I think you’ve hit on something here. Southgate’s axing of Grealish from the squad clearly caused a reaction in the camp - including Rice being explicit on 5 Live about what he thought of it - which is terrible for squad cohesion.

It also suggests that Jack AND his teammates were expecting him to be going to the Euros. Atrocious man management and a fast track to losing confidence in the manager.

Lack of confidence in the manager’s decisions leads to lack of trust and an unwillingness to listen. Not forgetting that Jack is clearly the most well-liked character in the squad which as we saw last night, is clearly lacking in the chemistry and togetherness that is needed to win things.

There should have been clear communication to the entire squad when the international camp started. Tell players if they're nailed on to go to the tournament, if they're there as back-up in case of pre-tournament injuries, or if you're undecided. And if you're undecided, you give them time in the first friendly and a clear outline of what qualities you want them to demonstrate with that time in order to maximise their chance of being on the plane.

Seems astonishing to me that Grealish and his teammates all seemed to think he was there as someone who would be on the plane if fit, using his time in the friendly to try to stake a claim on a place in the starting XI, but to Southgate he was there to...what? Make up the numbers in the friendlies? Get a place if someone else got injured?

I can't see anything he did in his half-hour against Bosnia that would change a manager's mind from taking him to not taking him, so Southgate knew he wasn't in his plans for a while. Should have had an honest conversation with him about that.

 

[Grassland Blue]

You don't pick 6 players with little or no experience in international football, You have the UEFA National League to blood players not a major tournament, Ok maybe the 6 will be squad players and gain some experience But you need somebody on the bench that can change a game (Grealish)

Agreed, but looking on the bright side, Jack can return to City fully re energised for the start of the new season.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

I am from Iceland so sorry about spoiling the Wembley party.

What we dont get looking at it from the outsite is why doesnt Southgate get more stick, it is his shitshow not the players, how come everyone super super players play like that .

I am watching Sky sports now and everyone stíll thinks England can win the Euros.

The players can no question but Southgate cant there is no change, he is just teribel tacticly and as a man manager.

Why is he still the England manager I dont get it. You havent been shy firing manager before.

Spot on.
He’s been there for 8 years and I’ve absolutely no idea what style of football he’s trying to play!

If he wants to play a defensive, counterattacking style, then he can happily pick Utd, Palace, Liverpool, West Ham and Brentford players and he’d get no criticism from me.

If he wants to play a progressive, possession based style, you don’t pick any of those players and pick from City, Arsenal, Brighton, Villa, Spurs and the players playing on the continent.

What you don’t do, especially because it’s what has never worked thus far, is pick the a group of players and ask many of them to play in an entirely different way.

 

[bluetonium]

First time I've watched England for a bit, maybe we're spoiled with Pep but I was dumbfounded by the lack of a plan...any plan.

Play Rice and Mainoo in the centre, yet neither offered any defensive cover or for forward into the box to support the attack. What was the plan there?

Should have been a concerted effort to get Foden, Palmer on the ball yet time after time they were bypass, often by Harry 'the lone wanderer ' Kane who'd decided to play quarterback to set up the counter attack, so that Gordan could cross too the imaginary twelfth man.

You have to question that manager after that
What was the plan? What were the game changing options off the bench and what did he send them on to do? Hopefully a hiccup but, essentially, a pathetic performance. Please make him United manager.

He needs to grow some balls. Tell Kane to stick up the field. Tell the team to work the ball to our playmakers. Drop the two man midfield if you don't have an understanding between them. Or a plan.

 

[Tolmie scores]

Keeps Mainoo and Gallagher whilst sending home Grealish and Maddison sums the bloke up. He cannot get beyond his two defensive minded midfielders and thus cannot possibly win a tournament.
He’s trying to play some sort of possession game but filling his team with player who don’t play like that.
Rags are an entirely counterattacking team, similarly Liverpool, Palace and Madrid with no idea what Chelsea are.

Its because our defence is sh*te. If we don't play 2 x DM's then it will be like a knife through butter v anyone decent. Intl football is still sh*te

 

[Axel Freed]

Amazing all the flak that Southgate gets. Irrelevant friendlies don’t matter, tournaments do and his record there stands scrutiny.

And I’m genuinely surprised at blues buying into the usual over the top narrative about what a sublimely talented squad we have. We don’t. An ageing Kane is world class, Foden and possibly Bellingham are too. That’s it. So Southgate is doing a decent job with the pretty average bunch at his disposal.

 

[Tolmie scores]

A lot of heavily overated players in the England squad tbf. All this world class nonesense .. on a huge stage we have ermm possibly Kane..that's it! Phil has potential but realistically im not sure World Class would come into it.

I am from Iceland so sorry about spoiling the Wembley party.

What we dont get looking at it from the outsite is why doesnt Southgate get more stick, it is his shitshow not the players, how come everyone super super players play like that .

I am watching Sky sports now and everyone stíll thinks England can win the Euros.

The players can no question but Southgate cant there is no change, he is just teribel tacticly and as a man manager.

Why is he still the England manager I dont get it. You havent been shy firing manager before.