The England Thread

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Bellingham is clearly a very talented and self confident boy, but for me prime Dele was better.

Hopefully Jude doesn’t have his demons in the same way and can continue to improve.

My hot take: Dele never really regressed - managers just stopped playing him as a 2nd striker, where he was at his best.

He was never a good CM - but he was great playing off a striker, and helping to press from the front.

 

[Marty]

I don't understand the hatred towards Southgate and frankly find it reprehensible.

Hatred is OTT. But to see him set the team up to be so timid when we all know the players he has available are best at attacking the opposition goal just creates immense frustration that sometimes boils over.

I've completely had it with Southgate's setup and I really hope this tournament is the last we see of it. But I don't hate the man.

 

[Marty]

This paragraph sums up my feelings today to a tee.

 

[ItsBoris]

I don't understand the hatred towards Southgate and frankly find it reprehensible.

Come on, be fair it’s not hatred….




It’s absolutely venomous revulsion and disdain

 

[talkshowhost86]

Next game we need to see something completely different selection wise.

I'd go:

Pickford
TAA
Stones
Konsa
Gomez
Mainoo
Wharton
Gordon
Bellingham
Palmer
Kane

 

[Marty]

Next game we need to see something completely different selection wise.

We won't. Save your characters.

 

[Spriggan]

I don't understand the hatred towards Southgate and frankly find it reprehensible.

I don't hate him because I don't know him, but as a coach he is completely incompetent, tactically naiive, and negative in his set up. I'd rather watch paint dry than watch his version of football. I want him gone ASAP, but I'm sure he'll get a 4 year contract from the Old Boys Club.

 

[talkshowhost86]

We won't. Save your characters.

True

 

[Marty]

 

[UncleBuck]

I didn’t even celebrate the equaliser even though everyone else around me went nuts.
I’ve just got no emotional attachment to England and I’ve said it for years, the national team is a bigger let down than supporting us.
Taking Bellingham and Kane off for a CB and Gallagher (not too sure what he is in all honesty) and then dropping back to our 18 yd box just sums up everything that is wrong with England’s tactics and in game management.
FA need to go and get Poch after this tournament

 

[talkshowhost86]

I didn’t even celebrate the equaliser even though everyone else around me went nuts.
I’ve just got no emotional attachment to England and I’ve said it for years, the national team is a bigger let down than supporting us.
Taking Bellingham and Kane off for a CB and Gallagher (not too sure what he is in all honesty) and then dropping back to our 18 yd box just sums up everything that is wrong with England’s tactics and in game management.
FA need to go and get Poch after this tournament

Not sure Poch is the answer.

He is not the manager he used to be.

 

[WiganSpur]

Said we should have dropped Rice before we play anyone worth worrying about. Wharton and Mainoo will add some tempo and quicker passing as well as the ability to break lines.

Would go with this against the Swiss:

Pickford
Trent -- Stones -- Konsa -- Gomez
Mainoo -- Wharton
Palmer -- Foden -- Gordon
Kane/Watkins
​

It's about as balanced as we can go imo. Gomez gives us more security but zero width hence you need Gordon out on the left. Walker, Bellingham, Trippier and possibly Kane have played lot of minutes so might not be the worst idea to rest them. He won't drop Rice of course but I do believe doing so would make us less pedestrian.

 

[UncleBuck]

Not sure Poch is the answer.

He is not the manager he used to be.

Seeing what we’ve been served up with by the FA since Hoddle I think he’d be a step in the right direction, looking at the current players available he might actually get them to play some decent football, get a coherent starting line up together and get them playing to their strengths

 

[WiganSpur]

None of these players want to play like this. It's instructions from the moron in charge.

I don't think it's him telling them to do it per se, it's more weak management. The difference is had it been Pep or Klopp, or even Ange, they'd have seen it a long time a go, gave the players a bollocking and nipped it in the bud very quickly. Southgate tolerates it and that's what makes him stand out from the top tier coaches.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

I think the key takeaway - Southgate sets his line-up and tactics on purpose. He wants to play that kind of deliberate football to minimize the risk of counter-attacks. He probably wants to press a little better from the front - but not enough to take Kane out of the line-up.

Otherwise - it will be more of the same - hold possession, grind it out, wait for moments of individual brilliance. (And to be fair - there are enough players capable of such moments that I expect this strategy will get England to the Final.)

 

[WiganSpur]

Southgate says Luke Shaw might not be ready for tomorrow.

Why the fuck did he take him? Shaw is a decent left back but hardly worth fucking our left side for in the hope that he might play in the final, which we won't even get to.

He won't be match fit anyway. He last played in mid-February!

Total negligence not to take a fit left back instead.

The Shaw risk is one thing and somewhat understandable. But what is completely fucking incomprehensible to me is how Mitchell was completely overlooked given the situation we were in. Everyone could see it at the time.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

The Shaw risk is one thing and somewhat understandable. But what is completely fucking incomprehensible to me is how Mitchell was completely overlooked given the situation we were in. Everyone could see it at the time.

Southgate blindly trusts Trippier (and Walker) - but absolutely, given the year Trippier had, and Shaw's injury - a natural LB should have been in the squad.

 

[rossdapep]

It's the highest level of incompetence I have seen from a coach.

And it is compounded further with the fact he took no back up LCB and no Grealish or Maddison but 3 CFs.

And then the continuation of waiting deep into the game to make a change despite it abundantly clear to everyone something is missing

The Shaw risk is one thing and somewhat understandable. But what is completely fucking incomprehensible to me is how Mitchell was completely overlooked given the situation we were in. Everyone could see it at the time

 

[spursville]

Said we should have dropped Rice before we play anyone worth worrying about. Wharton and Mainoo will add some tempo and quicker passing as well as the ability to break lines.

Would go with this against the Swiss:

Pickford
Trent -- Stones -- Konsa -- Gomez
Mainoo -- Wharton
Palmer -- Foden -- Gordon
Kane/Watkins
​

It's about as balanced as we can go imo. Gomez gives us more security but zero width hence you need Gordon out on the left. Walker, Bellingham, Trippier and possibly Kane have played lot of minutes so might not be the worst idea to rest them. He won't drop Rice of course but I do believe doing so would make us less pedestrian.

Unfortunately I think he'll start with same team except some disaster waiting to happen (such as Dunk) at CB. But who knows. I mean obviously Southgate's spent a lot of the last two years going through the slick transition needed at the knockout stage when time is pressing - Saka at LWB and then three at the back, with Eze and Saka as wing-backs. All pre-planned and carefully developed over the last 17 games - NOT!

 

[Dashy]

I didn’t even celebrate the equaliser even though everyone else around me went nuts.
I’ve just got no emotional attachment to England and I’ve said it for years, the national team is a bigger let down than supporting us.
Taking Bellingham and Kane off for a CB and Gallagher (not too sure what he is in all honesty) and then dropping back to our 18 yd box just sums up everything that is wrong with England’s tactics and in game management.
FA need to go and get Poch after this tournament

You must have been absolutely gutted when Kane scored then.
If you can't cheer a last minute equaliser, even out of sheer relief, then possibly you do indeed need to take a break from Football.