[Football] Gareth Southgate: 90 minutes to save his job?

[Bry Nylon]

Yes, England qualified for the R16 top of their group, undefeated and without conceding a goal. This is undoubtedly mission accomplished and a big tick in the box. In interviews the players have responded to a growing undercurrent of disquiet about the unambitious style and lack of chances and goals by talking about the unique demands and 'safety-first' objectives of tournament football. This is fair enough.

But the tournament football phase has ended and from here on in we are playing knock-out football. If England had played the group games with a little more elan and swagger and piled up some more goals in the 'goals for' column then I reckon a R16 exit against one of the tournament powerhouses would be regarded as disappointing but at least we gave the EUROs a good go. But the dour nature of the Group performances as England huffed and puffed sideways around Wembley with just 2 goals from 3 games, doesn't leave much room for Southgate to hide and claim he is still the right man for the job if we exit the EUROs next Tuesday.

Of course, win next week - even if it's another 1-0 snoozefest - and on we go to the quarter finals.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

The English FA haven’t succeeded in appointing a successful manager in 55 (fifty five) years. They’ve tried English, Italian, Swedish, wide boys, dullards, smooth types, all types....all with the same outcome.

 

[SAC]

Unless we get absolutely humiliated on Tuesday, he's not going anywhere. We have the World Cup next year and I doubt there is another English manager out there who would both want the job and do a better job.

 

[ConfusedGloryHunter]

I wonder how much watching potterball has spoilt us? I mean 3 years ago we would have been nodding with approval at this style of play. And that style of play got us closer to winning a major cup than we had been for 35 years. If we bore our way to Euro champions I doubt many will complain.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Potter IN.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Unless we get absolutely humiliated on Tuesday, he's not going anywhere. We have the World Cup next year and I doubt there is another English manager out there who would both want the job and do a better job.

Howe!!!

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Unless we get absolutely humiliated on Tuesday, he's not going anywhere. We have the World Cup next year and I doubt there is another English manager out there who would both want the job and do a better job.

Yep this, 7 points in the group will be seen as a success in itself and if we get dumped out by France or Germany that wouldn't be a surprise to anyone. He will be staying unless we get beaten 5+ goals to nil

 

[strings]

I think the FA and Southgate have watched and learned. They realise that teams that don't conceed and are generally a little bit boring can go far in tournaments. It ain't pretty, but so far it is job done.

I would imagine Southgate is safe in his job, unless we get thrashed in the next round.

 

[Springal]

Agreed - unless we get tonked in the next round, going out at any knockout stage to Portugal, Germany or France is probably not going to lose him his job.

 

[Icy Gull]

I am no Southgate fan but it would take an Iceland level performance to get him sacked or to resign so I think we’ve cleared that hurdle. Defeat in the next game would not get him the sack imo because we’ll be playing the quality of team we have gone out to in tournaments for decades. It’s like suggesting Potter should get the sack if we lose to a top six team

I always aim low when I’m supporting England

 

[Bry Nylon]

I am no fan bit it would take an Iceland level performance to get him sacked or to resign so I think we’ve cleared that hurdle. Defeat in the next game would not get him the sack imo because we’ll be playing the quality of team we have gone out to in tournaments for decades. It’s like suggesting Potter should get the sack if we lose to a top six team

I don't see going out in the next round being the issue as in many ways it is be expected - or at least shouldn't be a surprise.

I guess what I am saying is have the performances in the group games bought him sufficient insurance if we crash in R16? If we had played with a little more ambition and swagger then he's got Fully Comprehensive cover. As it is, stinking out Wembley three times in a row leaves him with Third Party, Fire and Theft at best.

 

[zefarelly]

I think Brighton would have beaten England last night. or in any of the three games thus far

All GS has succeeded in doing is building a barely driveable diesel Astra from the entire contents of the Pro Drive Aston Martin factory. Yes it does a job of moving forward but its insipid, uninspired and clutching its RAC card.

 

[Commander]

Yes, England qualified for the R16 top of their group, undefeated and without conceding a goal. This is undoubtedly mission accomplished and a big tick in the box. In interviews the players have responded to a growing undercurrent of disquiet about the unambitious style and lack of chances and goals by talking about the unique demands and 'safety-first' objectives of tournament football. This is fair enough.

But the tournament football phase has ended and from here on in we are playing knock-out football. If England had played the group games with a little more elan and swagger and piled up some more goals in the 'goals for' column then I reckon a R16 exit against one of the tournament powerhouses would be regarded as disappointing but at least we gave the EUROs a good go. But the dour nature of the Group performances as England huffed and puffed sideways around Wembley with just 2 goals from 3 games, doesn't leave much room for Southgate to hide and claim he is still the right man for the job if we exit the EUROs next Tuesday.

Of course, win next week - even if it's another 1-0 snoozefest - and on we go to the quarter finals.

I agree. In the Southgate years we haven't beaten ANYONE good when it really mattered. He's done a great job on the mentality of the players and has rejuvenated international football with the fans in this country, which is brilliant, and exactly what was needed. We were fun in 2018 but we played 3 games against good opposition and lost them all.

I'm really glad we won the group, because limping through to the quarters or semis with an easy draw would have just papered over the cracks. Shit is about to get real now, so it's time we find out if we have actually made any genuine progress or not. If we lose to Germany / Portugal / France in the 2nd Round then I think it's fair to say there has been no progression since 2018, and it's time for Southgate to go. If we win this game, even if we then go out in the quarters, I think he can claim some kind of progression, and should therefore get another chance.

 

[herecomesaregular]

Yes, England qualified for the R16 top of their group, undefeated and without conceding a goal. This is undoubtedly mission accomplished and a big tick in the box. In interviews the players have responded to a growing undercurrent of disquiet about the unambitious style and lack of chances and goals by talking about the unique demands and 'safety-first' objectives of tournament football. This is fair enough.

But the tournament football phase has ended and from here on in we are playing knock-out football. If England had played the group games with a little more elan and swagger and piled up some more goals in the 'goals for' column then I reckon a R16 exit against one of the tournament powerhouses would be regarded as disappointing but at least we gave the EUROs a good go. But the dour nature of the Group performances as England huffed and puffed sideways around Wembley with just 2 goals from 3 games, doesn't leave much room for Southgate to hide and claim he is still the right man for the job if we exit the EUROs next Tuesday.

Of course, win next week - even if it's another 1-0 snoozefest - and on we go to the quarter finals.[/QUOT

Nonsense really. He is in zero danger of losing his job, the WC is only a year away.

We've played very well for 20 minutes in the first half of all 3 games. Do that against France/Germany/Portugal without conceding and we have a good chance. His problem is how to extend that period or work out why it has petered out after that and what is going wrong 2nd half of each of those games (or change his half time team talk).

 

[A1X]

I think going forward what will be seen as the big missed opportunity from last night was the failure to sacrifice a few sacred cows (and one in particular) on the basis of form. Dropping Kane might have given him the kick up the backside he needed entirely without risk, feels like he's coasting in this team knowing he's under no threat.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I don't see the fact the next WC is only a year away as an issue when it comes to potentially changing the manager. In fact, it should sharpen focus about whether a change in leadership is required. This kind of timid, safety-first thinking is exactly what we are seeing on the pitch. Football should be about courage and daring to win. Not being afraid to lose.

It's not like an international manager has to buy and sell, develop players and prepare a team every week. These are the best English players of their generation and I'm sure they can't enjoy being told to go out and stroll around Wembley for an hour and a half, knocking the ball sideways like they are playing in a UNICEF fund-raiser and then getting booed off.

Anyway, Southgate it is

 

[Stat Brother]

'Gareth you seem absolutely destroyed by that defeat?'
'Ive never before seen a manager curl into a ball and remorselessly sob, while in his technical area and with 10 minutes to go'.
'You've called out all your players and headbutted Harry Kane'.
'Why I've you taken this so badly?'...














...'Ive now got to manage palace...


...The new stand only puts lipstick on a pig...






... you're shitting me, work started late 2018 and the money was ring fenced...







...IT WAS RING FENCED'.

 

[jakarta]

I reckon Smug Eddie is sitting there stroking a fluffy white cat and waiting for the phone call...

 

[Brovion]

Yep this, 7 points in the group will be seen as a success in itself and if we get dumped out by France or Germany that wouldn't be a surprise to anyone. He will be staying unless we get beaten 5+ goals to nil

Agreed - although even a 5-0 defeat will be explained away as being expected as we were playing a world class side who 'clicked' on the night. And that probably sums England, and English hopes and expectations, up. Despite what the Scots and others say about us there is (virtually) no trace of arrogance about England fans. Defeat after defeat after defeat in tournament after tournament after tournament means we have a totally realistic view of our place in football's hierarchy.

That's why, yes, winning the group without conceding a goal IS good by English standards. It IS a success. History says we'll now lose to the first decent side we meet, maybe on penalties, but who knows? Maybe we won't. After all whilst we admit we're not a top team and we're not one of the favourites two other nations at our level, Greece and Denmark, have won the Euros so it ain't over till its over.

 

[Perkino]

No great team performances and plenty of dull individual displays. We have a set up and formation that doesn't excite or generate many goal scoring opportunities admittedly against sides who would all be delighted with a draw vs us so have possibly sat deeper than better opposition would do. We are ranked 4th in the world behind Belgium, France & Brazil. If France top their group we will be the strongest side on our half of the draw so should be able to go quite far, however if they finish second then a Belgium vs France final is on the cards