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Gareth "Interesting" Southgate


Richard

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12 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Or it could be like when Gerrard left and Unai came in. I'm not saying we are gonna get a Unai next, but if it's a Potter,-esk coach, we won't get instant success, but I'm sure he can get something extra of this group of players.

Of course it could. I just don't think that it will. 

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18 minutes ago, jayEm said:

 

We were seconds away from deservedly losing to Slovakia, which would have been a new Iceland moment. We snuck through against Switzerland on penalties. His masterstroke against the Netherlands in bringing on Watkins and Palmer was something every England fan has been clamouring for from the first game, to the extent that it's almost more embarrassing for him that it worked.

 

The two English players with the most goals and assists in the Premier League last season. Its also not like he plucked them from the Burnley reserves

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The year is 3034 and the World Cup with 140 countries competing, split into 28 groups of 5 teams with anyone who has a shot at goal qualifying for the next round, being held on an asteroid circling Venus, is just weeks away. 

After narrowly missing out on the last 252 Tournaments, bravely losing 123 finals and reaching 156 Semi-Finals, the FA have just offered Southgate's corpse a new 2 year deal. 

Much will rely on the fitness of Davina Kane, the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandher/she/he/him/they of Harry Kane, who has excelled this season as a Left Back, Defensive Midfielder, Left Winger and occasional striker. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, jayEm said:

The narrative of 'Southgate has achieved decently at best given an exceptional group of players and some very fortunate tournament draws and results' is a frustrating one because it sounds like a cop out, but I really think it's the correct one.

But I think the issue is that the nuance that you've got in your post isn't the position a lot of people take. I can easily get on board with a "decently at best" narrative, although I think it still does him a bit of a disservice given the pretty mediocre options he's had in midfield and defence. 

It's people who can't accept a "decently at worse" narrative that I take issue with. 

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My instinct is that he has to go - it is time. But rationally, if he wins on Sunday then it's ridiculous to get rid. I think however, that he will want to leave, it's been quite bruising for him and he's earned £40 million over 8 years, he doesn't need to stay. 

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37 minutes ago, ml1dch said:

But I think the issue is that the nuance that you've got in your post isn't the position a lot of people take. I can easily get on board with a "decently at best" narrative, although I think it still does him a bit of a disservice given the pretty mediocre options he's had in midfield and defence. 

It's people who can't accept a "decently at worse" narrative that I take issue with. 

Mediocre options at midfield?

Bellingham? Rice? Prime Henderson? Mainoo? Ward-Prowse? Maddison? 

One thing England is not short of is good footballers. In all positions. (Maybe LB is an issue, but that goes for most countries). 

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2 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

Mediocre options at midfield?

Bellingham? Rice? Prime Henderson? Mainoo? Ward-Prowse? Maddison? 

One thing England is not short of is good footballers. In all positions. (Maybe LB is an issue, but that goes for most countries). 

The midfielders in the squad in 2018 that got to the semi-final:

Quote

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea).

 

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4 hours ago, Jareth said:

My instinct is that he has to go - it is time. But rationally, if he wins on Sunday then it's ridiculous to get rid. I think however, that he will want to leave, it's been quite bruising for him and he's earned £40 million over 8 years, he doesn't need to stay. 

If we win on Sunday, it will just be unbelievable what Southgate has achieved. Southgate is like Gerrard/Bruce, but with success. Like Gerrard/Bruce, he does everything wrong, the wrong starting 11, wrong tactics, wrong substitutes, but he still takes us further into competition than any England manager before him. There seems to be no relation between what Southgate does and what he achieves.

My hope is that he quits after Sunday and becomes ManU manager (or is that too much to hope for), and we get a new manager that play some exciting type of football. Of course we would be back to being old England again, and fail to qualify for WC26.

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5 hours ago, ml1dch said:

But I think the issue is that the nuance that you've got in your post isn't the position a lot of people take. I can easily get on board with a "decently at best" narrative, although I think it still does him a bit of a disservice given the pretty mediocre options he's had in midfield and defence. 

It's people who can't accept a "decently at worse" narrative that I take issue with. 

The people who insist he's the worst manager ever or completely hopeless or has done no good? I agree that's a silly position to take.

But see, it's interesting because what I take issue with is people who can't accept a "decently at best" narrative as being valid, who think that people complaining about nearly losing to Slovakia or a 0-0 with Slovenia are being entitled or heaping pressure on the players. Or who think that analysis of performances in matches is pointless because we reached the final or whatever.

I think both 'sides' are correct in their assessment of where the other 'side' goes too far and is unreasonable, but both need to do better in acknowledging what are valid criticisms or commendations. What frustrates me most as more of a Southgate skeptic are people who, when you try to point out that certain performances have been poor or certain selections seem bewildering, try to pretend these things just aren't true, and have never been true.

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4 hours ago, ml1dch said:

The midfielders in the squad in 2018 that got to the semi-final:

 

And that's why everyone enjoyed it.

There was no issue with us being shit and playing shit, because we had lots of shit players.

Now we can an obscenely good team.

FYI Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips from the championship should have gone to that world cup and started for England. We'd have been a better side and probably reached the final.

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