Scotland v England - Tue 12th Sept, 19:45 | Friendly

[urban genie]

You play to your talents, and with our talents and offensive 4-3-3 is thebest formation or when stones is fit one that can recert to a hybrid 3-2-2-3/3-2-4-1



pickford
walker
stones
calwell
chilwell/shaw
rice/phillips
bellingham
foden/madison
saka/foden
kane
grealish/rashford

 

[1961_vintage]

99% of England games are us coming up against inferior opposition and trying to find a way to beat them.

Inferior how exactly? Smacks of media hype bullshit and rag-like arrogance this kind of statement.

 

[paulchapo]

That’s thrown at me a lot, but funnily enough I support the team where our fanbase demand ‘excitement’ and ‘play the West Ham way’ (embarrassing need to pretend we have to play like Man City or we won’t be satisfied)

Irony is, if we lost a game 5-4 in a entertaining match it’s still the same abuse thrown at manager and outrage over defence.

Away to Brighton other week we sat back, hardly had any possession, but won 3-1 and could have been more. Yet fans were ecstatic!

Shows it’s a results business rather than this embarrassing demand of being ‘entertained’

You are actually correct in what you say here. If it wasn't the case Kevin Keegan would still be managing and winning or losing games 4-3 but with zero trophies to show for it. There has to be a balance, unfortunately Southgate is tilting the balance too much the opposite way to Keegan and so far is also having zero success.

Even the greatest managers in the world don't always get it right though and I include Pep in that. I believe if he'd have played games like we did last season we would have at least two more champions league trophies in the cabinet. He even as good as admitted it himself when he said the difference was this year we had proper defenders. Yes and no. If he'd adjusted his tactics differently then that would probably have been the difference. We've arguably had more talented squads than this one but fallen short in the champions league for those failings. Of course domestically we've dominated, but in the champions league the level and margin for error at the sharp end is a lot higher.

 

[give it to gordon]

A very slow negative start by England but once they started to believe in their ability to attack much better.

Phil had spells were he was running the show, Bellingham good player but loves himself, Rashford is not an international player way out of his depth. Cant see Rashford getting a game if Grealish was fit.

 

[meeesh]

I think he’s a cock.

But wouldn't if he was with us

 

[paulchapo]

But wouldn't if he was with us

His does come across as a cock on the field but decent off it. He's actually very mature in his interviews. I think all great players have that in them on the field and he's still very young.....though not seventeen anymore lol.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

I have to agree with this tw*t of a journo. The bullying isn't on.



I must say though, Maguire's greed is prolonging the stick he's receiving. Maguire had opportunities in summer, but sounds like he isn't looking to move for lower wages. If Maguire moved to a club like West Ham he would be a lot happier, would return to form and be welcome etc.

I don’t think you can blame greed for the treatment he’s getting. He’s getting abuse from people who aren’t even football fans now.

A lot of it is coming from online, in particular the so called football YouTube experts. To me he’s being bullied now, when he hasn’t done anything wrong really

 

[meeesh]

His does come across as a cock on the field but decent off it. He's actually very mature in his interviews. I think all great players have that in them on the field and he's still very young.....though not seventeen anymore lol.

There are plenty who come across as cocks on the field of play though, but this lad does seem he can walk the walk as well, I was more meaning his post match interview, silly little smile at the end but as he matures that will be cut out.

I'm a bit miffed he ain't with us, but sooner him be where he is than say at Liverpool for example.

 

[Mon Autre]

Everyone needs to give all players/managers/officials a break. It’s embarrassing how much pent up anger and outrage there is over a game of football.

Social media has played a major part I guess.

Defo. Although I'm not sure I blame social media as I can remember this kind of thing going on for as long as Ive been watching football. I remember Richard Edgehill getting a lot of shit off our own fans. And David Baddiel's bullying of Jason Lee was awful.

Social media has definitely emboldened some people to think they can hide behind a veil of anonymity and say things they'd never dare say IRL though, I agree on that.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Everyone needs to give all players/managers/officials a break. It’s embarrassing how much pent up anger and outrage there is over a game of football.

Social media has played a major part I guess.

I agree. The amount of anger is ridiculous. I’ve said above I think a lot of this is from social media and the so called YouTube experts. A generation of younger fans who can’t think for themselves and mimic what their favourite YouTuber says