The England Thread

[Thenewcat]

I don’t think the expectation was much lower under Sven. When you go through the teams he had, you had 8 or so of the best players in Europe in their positions too.

Sven never got us past a quarter final. At least with Southgate we’ve actually reached a final.
no one else managed that
Not venables
Not robson
Not Sven

that’s my point.

And with the squad that we have this year, I expect us to reach the final and play France (because they’re the only other team with a squad a strong as ours)
Anything less has to be seen as a failure

but I’m also not here to be an advocate of Southgate’s either.

Sven had an outstanding defence and a number of midfielders who didn’t complement each other at all, and not enough up top (he got a fully fit and firing Rooney once, Owen was well past it), but yes he failed imo. Venables and Robson both lost semi finals to the eventual winners on penalties after being the better side. Southgate hasn’t beaten a single really good side in 3 tournaments (1 if we’re generous and count Germany). It’s not as clear cut as you are making out.

Southgate has the best collection of attacking talent in the world at the moment, which no England manager in modern times could say. You’ve just said yourself we should be making the final. He’s been very good at winning games we should win, but so have most England managers. He hasn’t won any genuine heavyweight clashes, he’s just had better draws than his predecessors

 

[McFlash]

It’s not that attacking if the full backs don’t bomb on. And under Southgate they don’t tend to.
I think it’s worth exploring; it takes away the problem of ‘the other midfielder’ which I think is going to be our biggest issue. He will continue to play Henderson/Phillips/Gallagher rather than try something different and I think it will cost us big time.

That's what's worn me down with him, we've got some of the best attacking talent we've ever had but he's stifling them by not being ambitious enough.
When you look around the other teams in world football, then cast a glance at our squad, there should be no need to play two boring midfielders. Rice in a must but Henderson, Phillips and Gallagher are no more than steady, safe players and we really don't need that.

 

[Hazelton]

After the Euros, Graham Potter is the man for the job IMO. Howe further down the line.

 

[McFlash]

After the Euros, Graham Potter is the man for the job IMO. Howe further down the line.

I'd rather have Howe than Potter because he's shown he can have more on an immediate impact, which is important for an international manager.
I like Potter but I'm not sure his style of coaching suits international football.

I'll happily admit though, that I'm pretty stumped for suitable candidates to take over from Southgate.
Just can't really see an outstanding contender at the mo.

 

[Cochise]

As others have said, Southgate ideally has his fullbacks pushing up past the midfield, however I'm not a fan of using a system that relies on players we don't have. I think outside of Potter and Howe there is some attraction to going for a foreign coach. We have the midfield talent and depth to play a high possession, pass and move system so a coach who knows how to play such a system would be ideal.

 

[Kirito]

I won’t watch England until Southgate is gone. Boring man, boring manager that leads to boring football. Conte on steroids

 

[Riandor]

It’s a lack of tactical flexibility.
When games are there to be won he makes strange defensive changes. Most glaringly against Italy and well, in every important match we have lost.

I don’t mind a double pivot when the opposition merits it, but to not play Bellingham AND Madisson (for example) when the opponent is there to be beaten is criminal.

 

[Westmorlandspur]

Sven had an outstanding defence and a number of midfielders who didn’t complement each other at all, and not enough up top (he got a fully fit and firing Rooney once, Owen was well past it), but yes he failed imo. Venables and Robson both lost semi finals to the eventual winners on penalties after being the better side. Southgate hasn’t beaten a single really good side in 3 tournaments (1 if we’re generous and count Germany). It’s not as clear cut as you are making out.

Southgate has the best collection of attacking talent in the world at the moment, which no England manager in modern times could say. You’ve just said yourself we should be making the final. He’s been very good at winning games we should win, but so have most England managers. He hasn’t won any genuine heavyweight clashes, he’s just had better draws than his predecessors

Sven had, on paper, the best squad we have ever had, apart from David James. Didn’t have the courage to leave out some star players to get the proper balance in the team.

 

[ItsBoris]

I don’t agree that our central midfield is weak.

Keeper and entire back line isn’t top quality though.

Walker, Trent, and John Stones are quality players. Reece James, Ben White, Luke Shaw as well when they're available

 

[Trix]

After the Euros, Graham Potter is the man for the job IMO. Howe further down the line.

Not for me. The press would eat potter alive. He struggled with them when he had the Chelsea job.

 

[Shanks]

This squad is crying out for an attacking manager whose style is score more goals than we let in, let them loose and go for thr jugular for 90 mins!

Just not ange, but he is exactly what this england team need

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Like it or not, because of his record, the FA are having wet fantasies over Southgate which means he's pretty much got the gig for as long as he wants it, he won't be pushed, so he'll go when he wants to.

When he does eventually go the list of candidates will be thin and even thinner if they want to go with an English manager, so he'll come from the obvious two or three (if that) plus whoever is flavour of the month at the time. Fuck knows who that will be.

Didn't Southgate come up through the England ranks so to speak? Which, if the FA decide to repeat that, gives Lee Carsley a shout.

 

[PCozzie]

Maguire out for Belgium.

 

[philll]

No Kane, no Maguire, no Henderson... Southgate's probably crying himself to sleep tonight.

 

[Trent Crimm]

No Kane, no Maguire, no Henderson... Southgate's probably crying himself to sleep tonight.

Never been closer to a Southgate resignation than today

 

[14/04/91]

That's what's worn me down with him, we've got some of the best attacking talent we've ever had but he's stifling them by not being ambitious enough.
When you look around the other teams in world football, then cast a glance at our squad, there should be no need to play two boring midfielders. Rice in a must but Henderson, Phillips and Gallagher are no more than steady, safe players and we really don't need that.

And we’ve finally got technically proficient players who are comfortable in possession. Which then makes players like those 3 stand out as so average.

 

[Thenewcat]

Sven had, on paper, the best squad we have ever had, apart from David James. Didn’t have the courage to leave out some star players to get the proper balance in the team.

The midfield was unbalanced and the attack wasn’t actually that good. He had Rooney in 2004, but other than that a past it Owen and the likes of Vassell, Heskey and crouch. Relative to the other top teams rather have Southgate’s position for sure

 

[McFlash]

Didn't Southgate come up through the England ranks so to speak? Which, if the FA decide to repeat that, gives Lee Carsley a shout.

That's what I mentioned earlier and I'm sure it was said that they were looking to create a pathway for future managers.
I don't know much about Carsley but will he be a big enough name for the baying mob?

 

[dontcallme]

That's what I mentioned earlier and I'm sure it was said that they were looking to create a pathway for future managers.
I don't know much about Carsley but will he be a big enough name for the baying mob?

I think challenge with promoting a manager in such a way is he will be seen as a “yes man” for the FA.

It could be unjust but that will be how it looks to many.

 

[McFlash]

I think challenge with promoting a manager in such a way is he will be seen as a “yes man” for the FA.

It could be unjust but that will be how it looks to many.

Yeah and that already gets levelled at Southgate, having come through the ranks but then his vanilla personality doesn't help either.

It's going to be a tough job to select the next manager.