The England Thread

[HildoSpur]

Can't agree with this at all.

Firstly very few people are saying we should walk it.

But more importantly so far we've played Serbia, Denmark, Slovenia and Slovakia.

That's 32nd, 21st, 57th and 45th in the World.

The fact that we won one of those games in 90 minutes and have scored 4 goals is poor by any definition.

Based on performances England are around the same level as those teams. Rankings don't mean much and the quality in international football generally is much higher than it was. England have no divine right to expect to beat those teams. I don't think you appreciate just how grating it is for those of us who are not from England and don't support England to listen to the hyperbole every two years that surrounds the team. It's extremely hard to take and then when you see posts from fans saying they can't even watch the team basically because they believe they should be winning every game easily (it is implied this is the case) then it's hard to not come to the conclusion that many England fans are indeed spoilt, arrogant and deluded. Your pundits certainly don't help the cause either. Most England fans may not be like this at all and can see it for what it is but christ almighty those fans who are like that are extremely hard to take.

I realise this view will not be very popular in a forum where most people are probably from or support England lol

 

[thelak]

God you lads are spoilt . You guys haven't won anything in a lifetime yet every tournament it's the same old shite about how you have a fantastic team that should just walk it.

Would expect someone who is apparently a spurs fan to get the narrative a bit better than this to be honest.

it’s clearly the terrible football and quality on show that is the issue and not the results or expectations of “walking it”

Southgates 4th tournament, arguably the best squad he has had but the worst football being played

 

[Styopa]

Based on performances England are around the same level as those teams. Rankings don't mean much and the quality in international football generally is much higher than it was. England have no divine right to expect to beat those teams. I don't think you appreciate just how grating it is for those of us who are not from England and don't support England to listen to the hyperbole every two years that surrounds the team. It's extremely hard to take and then when you see posts from fans saying they can't even watch the team basically because they believe they should be winning every game easily (it is implied this is the case) then it's hard to not come to the conclusion that many England fans are indeed spoilt, arrogant and deluded. Your pundits certainly don't help the cause either. Most England fans may not be like this at all and can see it for what it is but christ almighty those fans who are like that are extremely hard to take.

England doesn't have an inherent entitlement to defeat these sort of teams, they need to work for it. But given the talent at their disposal—players like Kane, Bellingham, Foden, Saka, Rice, Walker, Stones, Eze—it's reasonable to expect better results. Consider a Premier League team with these players compared to those of Slovakia, Denmark, or Slovenia. It's not an exaggeration to say England possesses quality players who should perform better against such opposition.

As Tottenham fans, we would be thrilled to have even half of these England players in our squad. Who here would turn down having Kane, Bellingham and Palmer in our squad, for example?

So the expectation isn't necessarily to beat these teams easily but to play well and cohesively as a team.

However, when England faces teams like Spain, Germany, or France, you won't find many supporters expecting England to win. Most supporters simply hope England will play well and give it their best shot. There's no unrealistic expectation that England should easily defeat those teams.

 

[jackson]

Based on performances England are around the same level as those teams. Rankings don't mean much and the quality in international football generally is much higher than it was. England have no divine right to expect to beat those teams. I don't think you appreciate just how grating it is for those of us who are not from England and don't support England to listen to the hyperbole every two years that surrounds the team. It's extremely hard to take and then when you see posts from fans saying they can't even watch the team basically because they believe they should be winning every game easily (it is implied this is the case) then it's hard to not come to the conclusion that many England fans are indeed spoilt, arrogant and deluded. Your pundits certainly don't help the cause either. Most England fans may not be like this at all and can see it for what it is but christ almighty those fans who are like that are extremely hard to take.

I realise this view will not be very popular in a forum where most people are probably from or support England lol

Na mate, the main issue is this group of players could play much better football and play like they're at least 'having a go' at winning a game. It's awful to watch.

They might not achieve better results but would at least feel like they go out on their shield. Yesterday felt like we were sleep walking out the tournament until Jude stepped in with a bit of magic.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Based on performances England are around the same level as those teams. Rankings don't mean much and the quality in international football generally is much higher than it was. England have no divine right to expect to beat those teams. I don't think you appreciate just how grating it is for those of us who are not from England and don't support England to listen to the hyperbole every two years that surrounds the team. It's extremely hard to take and then when you see posts from fans saying they can't even watch the team basically because they believe they should be winning every game easily (it is implied this is the case) then it's hard to not come to the conclusion that many England fans are indeed spoilt, arrogant and deluded. Your pundits certainly don't help the cause either. Most England fans may not be like this at all and can see it for what it is but christ almighty those fans who are like that are extremely hard to take.

I realise this view will not be very popular in a forum where most people are probably from or support England lol

I genuinely think this misses the point entirely.

If Spurs were playing a Championship club you would rightly expect them to win and to win well.

That's not arrogance. It's just the facts based on the qualities of players involved on both sides.

The teams England have played are a similar distance behind England in terms of the quality of players. So yes we should be expecting to beat them.

Yes there are some idiot pundits who big-up England whatever the quality of the squad and yes the press are horrendous for doing that.

But this England squad is full of players who have been exceptional at the highest level this season.

Based on those qualities England should be considered one of the favourites.

The fact that we've therefore scraped through to this stage is very poor and therefore very worth commenting on.

 

[inclineyid]

People seem to forget that Southgate bless him has absolutely zero business being England manager in the first place. It’s unbelievable his appointment was accepted so easily.

His only real management experience came immediately upon finishing his playing career at Middlesbrough. He didn’t have his coaching badges and ultimately got them relegated and himself sacked in 3 years.

He couldn’t get another job for 3 years. Then somehow the FA decided this is the best man in world football to coach our finest young players and randomly appointed him under 21 manager. Then he somehow blagged the top job in the emergency after Fat Sam.

It is an absolute crime against football that we have found ourselves with this excuse for a football manager at the helm for so long. I mean his CV is literally 3 failed years at Boro without his coaching badges from the start… that’s it. How does that qualify you to coach the country’s best talent… it obviously doesn’t. Fair play to him for blagging this career but utter shame on the FA.

 

[absolute bobbins]

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.

I don’t hate him as a person; I just despise every facet of his being. He epitomises the quintessential 21st-century WASPy Englishman, replete with all the mediocrity and pretense that entails.

He resembles the archetypal senior civil servant or the inevitably uninspiring next CEO of your shitty building society: entirely unremarkable, devoid of charisma, and utterly incapable of straying from the straight and narrow of banal orthodoxy. His presence is as insipid as it is predictable, a testament to the dull, unadventurous spirit that he gleefully embodies.

There is, moreover, an air about him that suggests he is perpetually overshadowed, forever acquiescing to the wills and whims of those above him, parroting the talking points and towing the party line of the same types of men that made the 'inspired' choice of selecting Ron Greenwood over Brian Clough.. He stifles the team with his timidity, making their performances devoid of any joy or excitement.. He is a man whose life seems governed by convention, lacking the fortitude or imagination to break free from his self-imposed shackles of mediocrity.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I don’t hate him as a person; I just despise every facet of his being. He epitomises the quintessential 21st-century WASPy Englishman, replete with all the mediocrity and pretense that entails.

He resembles the archetypal senior civil servant or the inevitably uninspiring next CEO of your shitty building society: entirely unremarkable, devoid of charisma, and utterly incapable of straying from the straight and narrow of banal orthodoxy. His presence is as insipid as it is predictable, a testament to the dull, unadventurous spirit that he gleefully embodies.

There is, moreover, an air about him that suggests he is perpetually overshadowed, forever acquiescing to the wills and whims of those above him, parroting the talking points and towing the party line of the same types of men that made the 'inspired' choice of selecting Ron Greenwood over Brian Clough.. He stifles the team with his timidity, making their performances devoid of any joy or excitement.. He is a man whose life seems governed by convention, lacking the fortitude or imagination to break free from his self-imposed shackles of mediocrity.

Get off the fence there mate

 

[Marty]

While this is a flippant comment, there is a proper discussion to be had about England's lack of an "identity" that teams that win tournaments so often have. The best Brazil sides, the best Spain sides, the best Italy sides, you know exactly how they played and what philosophy they subscribed to, across eras. England have never had this.

 

[Nerine]

The thing I hate the most about England games is watching them in a crowded room with other so called fans.
I usually watch them at home or with the fam.
I’m in Barcelona at the min and I headed to a large Irish type sports bar to watch.
Some people weren’t watching the game, but every time there was some clamour, they’d shout and swear like it “meant” something to them.
The faux outrage, caring, passion etc is fucking laughable. People don’t watch Engerlaaand to watch the football. They do it to indulge their primal instincts like shouting, throwing objects and swearing etc.

Basic as fuck.

 

[teok]

I've seen Walker getting a lot of stick elsewhere but I didn't think he'd been too bad? Always one of my favourite England players and was gutted when he left Spurs.

Directly at fault for their goal which was a simple ball behind.

 

[Marty]

Directly at fault for their goal which was a simple ball behind.

One of many at fault for the goal to be fair, but he was five yards behind the rest of the defence so has to take a lot of blame for the attack ending in a shot.

 

[Frank Blank]

Guardian journalist nailed it - describing yesterday's events as "95 mins of constipation, followed by two mins of rapid relief"

 

[LSUY]

View attachment 142562

While this is a flippant comment, there is a proper discussion to be had about England's lack of an "identity" that teams that win tournaments so often have. The best Brazil sides, the best Spain sides, the best Italy sides, you know exactly how they played and what philosophy they subscribed to, across eras. England have never had this.

Southgate's forgotten England should be playing

 

[RuskyM]

On the one hand that was 120 minutes of pain.

On the other hand I lost my voice screaming when we equalised with an overhead kick so I really couldn't care less. Project Win The Euros By Never Playing Well going exactly as it was prophesised.

 

[Westmorlandspur]

The thing I hate the most about England games is watching them in a crowded room with other so called fans.
I usually watch them at home or with the fam.
I’m in Barcelona at the min and I headed to a large Irish type sports bar to watch.
Some people weren’t watching the game, but every time there was some clamour, they’d shout and swear like it “meant” something to them.
The faux outrage, caring, passion etc is fucking laughable. People don’t watch Engerlaaand to watch the football. They do it to indulge their primal instincts like shouting, throwing objects and swearing etc.

Basic as fuck.

Nothing worse. Somebody puts the ball over the bar and you get. 100k a week and kicks it over the bar.
Always watch at home. Most pubs are full,of dipsticks for England matches.

 

[Westmorlandspur]

People seem to forget that Southgate bless him has absolutely zero business being England manager in the first place. It’s unbelievable his appointment was accepted so easily.

His only real management experience came immediately upon finishing his playing career at Middlesbrough. He didn’t have his coaching badges and ultimately got them relegated and himself sacked in 3 years.

He couldn’t get another job for 3 years. Then somehow the FA decided this is the best man in world football to coach our finest young players and randomly appointed him under 21 manager. Then he somehow blagged the top job in the emergency after Fat Sam.

It is an absolute crime against football that we have found ourselves with this excuse for a football manager at the helm for so long. I mean his CV is literally 3 failed years at Boro without his coaching badges from the start… that’s it. How does that qualify you to coach the country’s best talent… it obviously doesn’t. Fair play to him for blagging this career but utter shame on the FA.

Who do you suggest and don’t say Pep.
You May find his successor is the current under 21 manager.

 

[SlotBadger]

 

[Marty]

Guehi's eyes at Trippier after his yellow

 

[SlotBadger]

View attachment 142570

Guehi's eyes at Trippier after his yellow

Rightfully thinking, "This guy's a helmet"