Oh my word those poor people. No wonder Raheem has to go home, and well done to Southgate for saying that family comes before football.
As you all know I had some bad news recently so my daughter has posted this on my grandkids YouTube Channel to try to cheer me up. It’s coming home!!!! https://youtube.com/shorts/bUC_2CK8qfI?feature=share
Yep, was due to be involved but found out the news last night and spoke to Southgate and headed back to England on a jet with compassionate leave. Apparently he’s hoping he can get back in time for training on Tuesday/Wednesday, seeing as tomorrow will be a recovery day, but he wants to check on his three young children and partner in person.
I'd keep it as it is. The Rice-Bellingham-Hendo midfield three should dominate two-man Tchouameni-Rabiot. I worry with a back three we're basically inviting them on to us.
Without being premature, what do we all think of Southgate really? He has delivered so far in all major tournaments, even if we all seem to be doing the typical English thing of making excuses why (easy draw, lucky with injuries, wait till we play someone good, etc) Even is this quarter final is the end of the road, I would love to see him honoured with a knighthood for just making us believing again, even if he doesn't ultimately bring it home. World Cup Semi Final, Euro Final, World Cup <insert here> Final #SouthgateYouretheOne
Tricky, it’s impossible to ignore that he is England’s most successful manager since Alf Ramsey and he deserves immense credit for the atmosphere he has created amongst the team. That being said I think a lot of the credit also belongs to the players who are vastly more professional in attitude than the ‘Golden Generation’ and to a degree I think they manage themselves. I have mentioned before but I do think his in game decision making leaves a lot to be desired and has cost us in big moments, but it is hard to push it too far when he is taking England far beyond where they have been in decades. I am curious to see how another manager would do with this squad though.
He's done a fantastic job, and anyone who thinks otherwise has an extremely short memory. England were absolute garbage between 2007 and 2017. I mean, f*cking awful. He came in and now we are contenders, earning a lot of respect after years of humiliation. We'll probably beat France, get to the final, but then lose to a dodgy deflection, and somehow it will all be Southgate's fault that we didn't win it.
He's done a very good job (last Nations League campaign not withstanding) but this England squad SHOULD be getting to the latter stages of tournaments. Probably the most talented England squad in my time of following football.
I agree and disagree. The 'Golden Generation' IMO were more talented, but individuals. This team are a team, rather like Saints of 2011 - the sum of all parts exceeds individuals. However saying that, what a future whatever happens with Saka, Bellingham, Rashford etc. Another difference which Shandy alluded to is that there are no prima donnas and they are more professional. #ICH
Compare the “golden generation” in defence for example. Immense riches in central defence, Ashley Cole far better than any left back option we have now We also had great midfield options apart from in the anchor. And they did seem to be trying to out compete and there was definite talk or real Cliques in the squad. As to “lucky with injuries”. I know it is being used as an example of an excuse people are making rather than a serious point. But have we been? Normally we are really unlucky. And we are missing easily our best right back. And I’d expect barring injuries Phillips would be in for Henderson. I’m not sure we are missing many others off the top of my head Us not getting injuries isn’t really lucky in my view. Rooney getting crocked in 2004 was “unlucky” as that tournament could well have been won by us. I guess it is the glass half full vs half empty
Definitely not as good as the Golden Generation. Southgate gets slagged off for picking players like Maguire and Henderson, but when we win, it's "oh yeah well he's got the best players". England SHOULD have got to the latter stages of almost every tournament since the 90s. But we barely ever did. The Nation's League is a daft competition, and it was obvious that the players weren't interested. Southgate's main mistake there, was not using those games to experiment more.
Re Nations League, you should take it semi seriously as it impacts qualifying. e.g we have a more difficult group for Euro qualifying now because of the last Nations League and (I think) we will be Pot 2 for the next World Cup qualifying no matter what happens in the next Nations League.
Yeah I agree. But I don’t blame the players for not trying, considering most of them play 50-60 games a season
I think Southgate is the perfect example of why the job of an international manager is very different to the job of a club manager. I think he's done an excellent job as an international manager - his man-management is generally very good, and he's moulded together a team from it's constituent parts, and what's more, made the England side likeable again. With a squad with that level of talent in it, that's the core thing that needed to happen, over and above tactical brilliance. Tactical brilliance is where he falls down, as he's no tactician, and because of that, you wouldn't want him in charge of your club side. But that doesn't tend to matter quite as much as team building for an international side, until you get to the latter stages of a tournament, where you do need to be able to tactically react in games to get past opponents that are at least as good as you. It's rare to find someone who has both tactical nous and the charisma to mould a team together (Pep, Klopp and Poch come to mind) but they tend to be the elite and are snaffled up for insane salaries by clubs.
I’m now hearing on the radio that Sterling’s family we’re thankfully not in during the robbery. Sorry to mislead, thought I’d genuinely heard the contrary.
You had. Without wanting to get Os feeling all unnecessary, Sterling's representatives said that they were, but the police have said now that they weren't.
