Agree completely.
2 Likes
Spurs will have him for freeâŚ
Gareth Southgate would make Tony Pullis look like a tactical genius.
3 Likes
We watched a bit of the Spain game after watching England earlier. My wife, who doesnât like football much, used words like fast, slick and urgent when watching the Spanish. Which England were not.
2 Likes
Southgate is pushing Stevie Clarke hard for worst manager in the tournament!
1 Like
Just watched the game, having saved it to âbox. England were dreadful in large parts, almost like theyâd never played together before. Usual issues of being susceptible to being high-pressed, with an inability to exit. Kane either needs to play as a pure 9 (i.e. stay up-field) or we need a rabbit runner to occupy the opponentsâ defence.
The worst Italian team Iâve ever seen in my life.Outclassed and dominated not a single shot on goal.What a shameâŚ
1 Like
England are the best evidence yet that if you pay people lavishly they lack any hunger to win and you donât seem to get high performance eitherâŚ
Honestly some talented kids from the back streets of Liverpool could do a better job, truly shocking!!
I watched in amazement in the last 10 mins as they continually passed the ball back to the goalie - where was the killer instinct? Also endless passes made to other players when they werenât even under any pressure to pass. They gave the impression they were uncomfortable possessing the ball at allâŚ
Bunch of over-paid under-achievers as usualâŚ
JonathanG
1 Like
There is no joy in this England team.
I watch other nations play with passion and energy, we appear to play with fear. I donât buy that they arenât talented players, or indeed the right squad. Just something seems to cause them to collectively freeze in an England shirt.
Similar thing seems to happen with the England Rugby Union team. Discuss.
Bruce
1 Like
The England players do not just decide to go out and play a certain way they are coached to by Gareth Southgate and his team and it is my strong belief that they the players have no faith in Southgate.
He is playing players out of position all over the pitch and not to their strengths they are a group of very talented individuals not a team.
3 Likes
As an outsider (definitely not a neutral 
) had two three obvious issues.
1 - it makes no difference who is up front if you canât create chances for them.
2 - the attack was pressing whilst the midfield was not. Thatâs a managerial/tactical issue.
3 - there were more than enough creative midfielders on the pitch. The absence was clearly a ball winner as shown by the possession and tackling stats. The idea of another creative player like Maddison or Grealish changing that simply doesnât add up. Absent a ball winner they wouldnât get on the ball let alone do anything with it.
The general hysteria around these things always amuses. Getting out of the group stages requires results not performances as does football all in general. At most in tournament football a team will produce one, maybe two, great performances throughout the month. At the end of a 50/60 game season for most it is plainly ludicrous to expect anything else. The fact that other teams may have already produced such a performance tells you literally nothing about who will the last two teams left. Germany scoring five being a fine example. People purring over them simply taking advantage of a dreadful Scotland. Germany are poor in defence and lightweight in midfield. They might yet come good but that opening game was no indication of anything of what is to come. England have 4 points and will likely get 7. No-one will remember the group stage. They will only recall what happens next. There are clearly things to fix but 7 points will not be a crisis.
The same people bemoaning performances here will be bemoaning the average start to next season their EPL teams have because key players had no proper Summer break.
4 Likes
Summed up perfectly. 
The big problem is surely Southgateâs mind set. Heâs reluctant to commit to an attacking pressing game and appears to hope we can get a one goal lead and hang on for the rest of the game which doesnât suit our strengths. He made the same mistake at the World Cup. To repeat it is baffling.
1 Like
Needs a calm head in midfield who can pass to the forwards. Time to take a punt on Adam Wharton. TAA does long balls but a midfielder who can pass short balls is what is needed. Gallagher doing his usual running round like a mad thing
2 Likes
Southgateâs still trying to play the system in which Kalvin Phillips was the key (he was once our player of the tournament). Phillips allowed Rice to be Rice & protected the back 4. Southgate admitted as much after the game. Southgate needs a reset but can he manage such a shift? Heâs cautious by nature.
Alexander - Arnold is no Phillips & doesnât have the front 3 to ping passes to as he does for Liverpool (who, from memory, went backwards after he returned to the side). Gallagher is no England midfielder. Trippier isnât great as a RB let alone LB. Of our key players only Walker looks the part. Kane looks sluggish and confused. Foden has been neutralised by accommodating Bellingham who was also poor last night. Saka isnât the Saka we need.
On the bright side tournament winners tend to grow into the tournament. Letâs hope we do.
To paraphrase a poster on another site, if Maddison or Grealish would have been the answer last night, you have to wonder which crazy fool wrote the questionâŚ
1 Like
- Eddie Howe
- Harry Potter
- Tommy Tuchel
Answers on a postcard
Jurgen Klopp. The only top class manager currently available getting a team to move, press, and have a cutting edge. Doubt if Xabi Alonso would be too interested.
Having a manager who takes players who are actually fit to a tournament would be a start.
1 Like
Thatâs a very fair comment. Add 4. Jurgen Klopp
Not sure about Alonso at this time