Southgate is a pragmatist, through and through. The man I see too terrified of conceding a goal to actually set his team up to use it's attacking flair properly. There are times when that style works and is necessary, for example the Germany game. The problem is that he plays that style every single game.augie wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 8:12 amwilson2.0 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 8:04 amI cant believe how quickly the knifes are out for Southgate. Im hearing he needs to be sacked and replaced with a 'proper' manager as this England team is so talented that Southgate's limitations as a manager are fault for England not winning the World Cup and Euro's. Ive heard this before when England were stocked with Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney, Roo, Terry Cole ect. The 'golden generation' shouldn't be wasted and a top tier continental manager was brought in which was Capello & England were still shit.
Who the fuck would want this job where an entire nation think you should be winning World Cups and Euro's & not doing so is considered a failure. As if this England team has Dino Zoff in goal, Beckenbauer at centre half Zidane in midfield and front three of Maradona, Messi and Ronaldo, Pele on the bench.
Southgate did everything he can to give this team a shot at winning. The penalty line up was a spectacular failure but I get the feeling three senior players (Grealish, Shaw and Sterling) shit themselves at the thought of taking a penalty & Southgate had no option. He says the penalty line up was his choice, but does anyone really think Harry McGuire was a 'choice'? McGuire took a penalty because he put his hand up, not because he was one of five chosen. Grealish, Shaw and Sterling all ducked.
This was the closest England have been to success since 66, and its official, Southgate is England's most successful England manager after Alf Ramsey. He has gotten England deep into two consecutive international tournaments when so many other managers have failed to be competitive, in even one tournament.
Perhaps he is to 'nice', but he seems to have good rapport with the players and puts them at ease. They also seem to want to play for him. Southgate is now the 'England Manager' with authority over the role. If people think sacking Southgate is the answer, your wrong. Although he should be a bit more ruthless. I think Sterling should be phased out given Saka, Foden, Sancho are coming through and Sterling proved himself a fairy boy.
Apart from the brainless social media mong's, I dont think anyone actually believes that sacking southgate is the answer now. That being said, southgate DID NOT do everything he could to give england success - his best players are all attacking players, but throughout the tournament he played defensive football and deprived them of service, so why would you basically nullify your own best players ??
The first 30 mins of the final were brilliant. We utilised our pace, Kane was proving my point that he's a #10, who's better suited to working deeper and playing those killer passes, and not a proper #9. We were fighting for (and winning) every ball. Even when the first-half began to wind down and Italy started to relax, we looked clam and in in control. Then Captain Pragmatism sent the out for the second half to defend a 1-0 lead. Mind blowing.
The depth of talent on our bench, going forward, is electric. We all know that Rashford, Greilish, Calvert-Lewin, Saka, Sancho are all fast and dangerous players. The world knows it, so why not bring them on earlier?
Trippier (who surprised the hell out of me) was having the game of his life in that first-half. Why haul him off? The Italians had already out two players on him because of his crossing ability and pace. Haul Sterling off. Or get experimental; haul Mount off, push Sterling into Mount's role and just tell him to run at them, bring Saka on and leave Tripper to create space and whip some balls in.
Southgate's pragmatism was called out by the Danes, he should have learned his lesson from that. He didn't.
Had we had scored a second in that first half, I reckon we would have won comfortably.