He put those 3 lads on to take penalties as well ensuring they got dog's abuse on social media. Not that he was responsible for the abuse, of course he wasn't but in this day and age taking a really silly risk like that is detrimental to the team and the reputation of players involved as everything is played out on Twitter etc.
in fariness if the amount of talent that we have was given to a prime eriksen or capello or anchelotti they'd deliver as well. Lets be clear. Southgate's the luckiest man alive in managerial terms. the draw he got in the last world cup was ****ing epic. he got away wiht playing nobody til croatia who then easily dispatched him but a SF had the press gasping. A home euros in 2021. a HOME euros. look at the teams again czech, scotland, croatia. Croatia had many changes and that helped england no end. they were a shadow of the side in the world cup. the other two were rubbish. Get a weak german side in last 16 and did well to win. Fair play like. then an average ukraine and a tired and played out denmark team who were out of their depth. Then italy in the final. The main credit with those players is beating germany but then Germany were a bit all over the place as well. Now look at national league. people kind of ingore this cos its total ****e but he's been given a few hidings in it now. in 2019 we were 3rd on pens having been beaten in the knockouts and we beat switzerland. our group was spina and Croatia. in 2021 we were actually 3rd in group with iceland relegated on 0 points. we had belgium and iceland and Denmark in group. belgium kicked the **** out of us. this time round we are in with Germany italy and hungary and are highly likely to get relegated. This means next time there no finals. its just to get back into the top groups. need to beat italy well and get a result v germany to avoid this. Lets be clear. he's got 2 or 3 player for every position and still picks really negative teams set up to not concede rather than to hurt the opposition. Mean time look at how lucky this guy is: Iran, USA, Wales. with our players it's "almost" impossible not to top this group. barring wales getting 9 points and us 6.
If lost having give it a go, it would be acceptable. To be extremely defensive and lost is unforgivable
Eriksen had a better squad, or at least as good, and did no better. And while the draws were kind, it's not like (all) those teams were terrible. Croatia took Spain to extra time and the Czechs knocked out the Netherlands. Apart from Scotland, they were generally decent (not amazing, but solid) performances from us in the Euros. Anyway, my initial point was simply that I doubt the FA will sack him before the WC.
Never said it was acceptable. And yes, Southgate's approach is only acceptable as long as it gets results.
I have little or no interest in the national team, but I do usually watch the games when they're on. All I can say is that if I really had a vested interest in them (if I imagine I'm watching MY Team for instance) I would be very frustrated with the way they play.
It's also fair to say that I have a real downer on internationals these days. I used to like them, but there's just too much football put on top players now. The internationals continually interfere with club football, and that is all that I'm truly invested in. They wear out and injure our players for the sake of meaningless friendlies far too often. If they were abandoned right now I really wouldn't miss them. The coming world cup, being where it is and under those circumstances is thoroughly shameful, imo.
did eriksen have better in 2006? i wouldn't disagree par se but i would have found it less depth and unbalanced 2004 Goalkeepers: 1. David James (Man City), 13. Paul Robinson (Tottenham), 22. Ian Walker (Leicester) Defenders: 2. Gary Neville (Man Utd), 3. Ashley Cole (Arsenal), 5. John Terry (Chelsea), 6. Sol Campbell (Arsenal), 12. Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), 14. Phil Neville (Man Utd), 15. Ledley King (Tottenham), 16. Jamie Carragher (Liverpool). Midfielders: 4. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool|), 7. David Beckham (Real Madrid), 8. Paul Scholes (Man Utd), 11. Frank Lampard (Chelsea), 17. Nicky Butt (Man Utd), 18. Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), 19. Joe Cole (Chelsea), 20. Kieron Dyer (Newcastle) Strikers: 9. Wayne Rooney (Everton), 10. Michael Owen (Liverpool), 21. Emile Heskey (Birmingham), 23. Darius Vassell (Aston Villa). 2006 world cup Provisional squad: Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich); G Neville (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal). I'd contend the squad today has a lot of options to pick from bar maybe LB where theres an injury. I think theres more forward power by far, quite a bit of midfield capability that untapped cos of southgates insistence on 2 bruisers and keeper is probabaly no better or worse. The defence is very much different. Ferdinand neville, terry, cole v todays clowns. Southgate is very very lucky. please log in to view this image
Not to defend him or anything, but there were lots of other peak sides in world football in 2006. Whereas now, France and Belgium obviously up there, but not incredible. Maybe Brazil and Argentina, but again, they've been better in the past. So the 2006 team may have been better, but this current team is better placed in world football.
He's a crap manager if he thinks Henderson is a goalkeeper. It's the cliché "old adage" though... "You can only win against the teams you play". A semi and a final isn't bad. As he just showed against Hungary, and United keep showing in Europe... You can lose against small teams too if you're not careful. He's got a decent record. There again, I don't expect to see England win anything in my lifetime, so my expectations are low.
La Liga send a letter to UEFA accusing man city and PSG of consistently breaking FFP rules. They say they consider these practises alter the ecosystem and sustainability of football and harms all European clubs and leagues.
