Phil - Scapegoats and witch hunts

Brightwell Bros. said:
What frustrates me is we have a core of players who have basically come of age or worked with Pep, Klopp and to a lesser extent Arteta, have all worked similar systems of dominating the ball and pressing high and having an extra man in midfield, but we have a manager who can't make the most of what those managers have done at club level.
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Because he’s a not sure what to do waistcoat wa**er stumbled to a euro final and a semi final of a World Cup down to the players desire and not his shall I or shall I not tactics ..
 
If the Waistcoat had a bit more faith in his players, and kept Trippier further up the pitch, after we’d scored, maybe, just maybe, they would have created more problems for Serbia, rather than allowing Serbia to come back into the game.

I think Gallagher would have been a better option alongside Rice, as he has played in that position (more or less) most of the season.

We all know Phil can play anywhere across the front line, but if the team is too defensive, he will have little chance to make any impact.
 
It’s so fucking obvious what to do, but EVERYTHING with England is trying to get all the “stars” on the field at once!

Simply play Walker and Stones the same way Pep often played them…with Stones stepping into midfield, as needed, or sliding across in the 3 when Walker goes down the line as a wing back. If Trent was half the player he’s supposed to be, he’d be able to play the inverted full back, but he can’t defend!

That would allow Bellingham and Foden to run the inside channels, using their intelligence to exploit the spaces they and Kane can create, with Gordon and Saka/Bowen on the wings.

When we are defending, a midfield 5 of Saka/Bowen, Foden, Rice, Bellingham, Gordon should simply collapse on any potential counter to regain the ball as Walker and Stones slide back into their defensive positions.

City play this way for fun, and Southgate watches us enough to see us play this way, but the problem is that, good as England’s players are, they are simply not as good as City’s players!

At this point, after seeing Foden play his best football playing as a 10, coming inside from the RIGHT, on his left foot, it seems unconscionable that we try to shoehorn him into the team as a left winger, with an overlapping left back who is right footed!!!

For me, it should be simple, but if Southgate isn’t going to play Foden where he plays best, then simply play Gordon as a LM/LW and save Foden for a sub.

As others have mentioned, and as seems ridiculous to have to say at this point, Southgate should play his best TEAM, not his best eleven players in whatever position he can play them!

…………………Pickford
Walker..Stones…Guehi…Trippier
……………..….Rice
……...Foden…..….Bellingham
Bowen……..Kane……..Gordon
 
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Waistcoat can't play his best team, he has to appease the FAs sponsors and ensure he has the ratio of scum, dipper and arse players sprinkled into the team . I would not be surprised if Mainoo is not somehow shoehorned in for the Denmark game because well scum fans want to see him play in an England shirt . I doubt Hellmans will sponsor England again after being left with Mayonnaise on their faces with Grealish, but the FA have the sponsorship money so it's all good .
 
ChicagoBlue said:
It’s so fucking obvious what to do, but EVERYTHING with England is trying to get all the “stars” on the field at once!

Simply play Walker and Stones the same way Pep often played them…with Stones stepping into midfield, as needed, or sliding across in the 3 when Walker goes down the line as a wing back. If Trent was half the player he’s supposed to be, he’d be able to play the inverted full back, but he can’t defend!

That would allow Bellingham and Foden to run the inside channels, using their intelligence to exploit the spaces they and Kane can create, with Gordon and Saka/Bowen on the wings.

When we are defending, a midfield 5 of Saka/Bowen, Foden, Rice, Bellingham, Gordon should simply collapse on any potential counter to regain the ball as Walker and Stones slide back into their defensive positions.

City play this way for fun, and Southgate watches us enough to see us play this way, but the problem is that, good as England’s players are, they are simply not as good as City’s players!

At this point, after seeing Foden play his best football playing as a 10, coming inside from the RIGHT, on his left foot, it seems unconscionable that we try to shoehorn him into the team as a left winger, with an overlapping left back who is right footed!!!

For me, it should be simple, but if Southgate isn’t going to play Foden where he plays best, then simply play Gordon as a LM/LW and save Foden for a sub.

As others have mentioned, and as seems ridiculous to have to say at this point, Southgate should play his best TEAM, not his best eleven players in whatever position he can play them!

…………………Pickford
Walker..Stones…Guehi…Trippier
……………..….Rice
……...Foden…..….Bellingham
Bowen……..Kane……..Gordon
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Drop Phil , Walker and Stones and get them match fit for the big game……………Chelsea!!!
 
DenisLawBackHeel74 said:
Are any of us surprised?

I called it as soon as he dropped Grealish……knew he’d play Phil on the left and instead of playing on the half turn in the middle like he does for us, he’d end up playing as a static left winger with the ball being played into him with his back to goal…..

Fuck them all they can suck bellinghams cock for all I care
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He’s only 20 you know.
 
The thing here is 'the manager'.
Foden has said he and Bellingham need time to gel.
It's because Southgate isn't at Pep's level to make it work. I suspect he'd have Bellingham as an 8, Foden a 10 and take your pick out on the left!

The press are talking about being a choice between Foden and JB. Foden should (if he's not gonna be a 10) be on the right BUT that's not gonna happen because the Tarquins and the Tarquin loving media would foam at the mouth.
 
Blue Pete said:
The whole of the left side was wrong, both Foden and Trippier out of position. With an overlapping left back Foden would have looked ok. With a out and out left winger Trippier would have looked fine. The two together was the worst possible combination.

Southgate isn't the first England manager to try to play the best 11 players rather than the best players for the team. Think of the team with Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard three great players who all played similarly and should never have played together.

If that means Saka, Foden, Bellingham or Terence Trent Darby are dropped to the bench to create the correct balance then so be it.

Personally and for totally City reasons I want Foden on the bench. It'll mean he has a point to prove, he'll be more rested, and he won't be blamed when we crash out because Bellingcunt decides he wants all the glory and decides not to pass to anyone else.
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He brought Shaw which is a joke. Surely there is a better LB in England?

England are the cults of Spurs Liverpool United rolled into one. All talk.
 
Said it before Phil plays under the world's best coach, best team and best club. Our club doesn't do egos our team is about winning as a team and lose as a team.

England is full of individuals who want to be the hero. Bellingham is allowed to be the biggest knobhead because southgate is shit scared to stop him. Phil is a quite humble guy, that is what is required at City. Southgate uses this against Phil by playing him out of position and is prepared to knock his confidence and let the press/media make Phil the scapegoat to protect himself. Southgate is a fucking knobhead.

If Bellingham had done his beat the defender 3 times than crossed into the keepers hands Pep would have pulled bellend up. He had at least two unmarked players on the edge of the box.

Rice isn't anywhere near being a Rodri, taa is KDB, Phil isn't a park the bus type player nor a hoofball player.

The England players know Phil is the best in the squad,

Its a shame Phil has got any Spanish or Portuguese blood !
 
RobinHood said:
Phil will shine for England when Southgate fucks off.
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Frank Lampard GIFs - Find & Share on GIPHY
 
Bellingham playing for England is like Gordon out of There's only one Jimmy Grimble.

Southgate on the sidelines just telling everyone to give it to bloody Jude.

Pretty one dimensional how we play. Others in the team are just bit part players and the supporting cast.
 
TonyM said:
He brought Shaw which is a joke. Surely there is a better LB in England?

England are the cults of Spurs Liverpool United rolled into one. All talk.
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Pep is the latest England whipping boy for our toxic media. There always has to be one in this country. Every story about him will be twisted and distorted from now on. It is an English disease to destroy people who have success. Perhaps Ben White has the right idea. He is also being pilloried in the press. I don’t blame him for quitting the Southgate circus. We have the most poisonous media in the world.
 
manimanc said:
Bellingham playing for England is like Gordon out of There's only one Jimmy Grimble.

Southgate on the sidelines just telling everyone to give it to bloody Jude.

Pretty one dimensional how we play. Others in the team are just bit part players and the supporting cast.
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I like that !



Who would have thought 'jimmy Grimble would be the blue print for England in 2024.

Gordon = bellend
Jimmy = foden
Gordon dad = southgate
 
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schfc6 said:
Not that I disagree with any post suggesting the ineptitude of Southgate, but I honestly think if they just leave Phil where he is, he’ll adapt and still make a good account of himself. Problem is, the aforementioned managerial abomination will likely give him an out 60 minutes more. Gordon or Eze will play half decent and that will be it. Rather than building towards the later stages.

Our only chance is due to a fair level of ineptitude amongst other nations.
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Some numpty on the radio yesterday was saying give him 20 mins of the next game in that setup and then take a view.

And yet persist with combinations and setups that don't work for months!
Fucking imbeciles!
 
Gorton_Tubster said:
Phil sidelined is exactly what utd, lfc, ars fans and their media puntis want. They wanted a clickbait LFC player in the midfield, they wanted Bellingham (A talent thats nothing to do with City) as the headliner. Grealish out. Stones is lucky he is in but only due to no one else being available. Mainoo satisfies the utd fans.

Sorry to spoil your thread but really fucks me off that we shoot ourselves in the foot for the sake of clickbaiting journalists satisfying their fanbase.

But, Foden (Like City) has to do absolutely everything himself. He will get no lift up, no favourable coverage. Nothing. He needs to step up and prove himself the best.
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Do you honestly believe that Southgate's selection is to satisfy Arsenal, United and Liverpool fans through clickbait, rather than the fact that he's simply incompetent? Why wouldn't he completely leave Foden out if that were the case?
 
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