Gareth Southgate appointed England U21 coach

[melias shoes]

Needed a different type of manager but it won't matter soon as there will be no decent English players to pick

This. Not long now and there will be no English players in the prem. The clubs can't be bothered to nurture young
English/British talent. They opt instead for the quick fix and flood the premier league with mediocre overseas players.

 

[mikeyjh]

Ach he's one of the more generally level-headed and reasoned chaps around. He'll want to play football on the ground in general, so we could do worse.

Correct, a good man for the U21s, obv not cut out to be a club manager, but a very intelligent bloke who fits the bill for what is a different job in that its primary am is not to win stuff but to provide players for the main team. Good appointment.

 

[joeinbrighton]

I think he's a good appointment. The skills needed to manage Middlesbrough are different to and not relevant to coaching the England under-21s, not least because he is not working with those players on a daily basis as he would be at club level. Southgate has spoken quite a bit about what he sees as the shortfalls in the development of players and this is something he can flag up further in this job. And although ultimately things didn't work out with Stuart Pearce, I think the principle of having a former England international working with players and getting them ready for stepping up to full international level is a good one, as much for instilling professionalism and managing expectations and nerves from first hand experience as for any technical expertise.

 

[fleet]

Oh dear

 

[Davemania]

Ach he's one of the more generally level-headed and reasoned chaps around. He'll want to play football on the ground in general, so we could do worse.

Yes, i think he's a step up from Stuart Pearce for sure

 

[Albumen]

The FA must have misinterpreted Pearce's toothless displays.

Oh come on, I was proud of this one.

 

[ali jenkins]

Pearce, WC90 Penalty miss
Southgate, Euro96 Penalty miss...

David Batty needs to hurry up and get his coaching badges...

 

[middletoenail]

The bloke is such a bore and regardless of whether he is a good coach or not, you've got to be able to inspire your players.

Should have asked Gus!

 

[Perfidious Albion]

A steady but unspectacular appointment.

As others have said, his English U 21 players will soon be all from the big club's reserves, which a lot are now, and League div 1

 

[Puppet Master]

Bloody hell give the man a chance. He certainly talks a good game when working as a pundit for England matches and seems to know where they're gahn wrong tactically so let's just wait and see first.