[Football] Germany v England

[SAC]

Yeah, there's (nearly) always an element of luck involved in successful campaigns and I'm not even arguing that Southgate is a good or great manager, just that what he's achieved so far should be respected and enjoyed more rather than constantly belittled.

I've been watching England in tournaments since 1988. In that time we've had nine different managers attempt and fail to do over 15 tournaments what Southgate has done in his first two. All I'm saying is that deserves respect.

It's interesting that most England supporters, the ones who go to matches, are fine with Southgate. A vocal minority who watch on TV, or even refuse to watch, are against him. They can't all be Scottish/Welsh/Irish fans wanting us to fail, can they?

 

[Icy Gull]

It's interesting that most England supporters, the ones who go to matches, are fine with Southgate. A vocal minority who watch on TV, or even refuse to watch, are against him. They can't all be Scottish/Welsh/Irish fans wanting us to fail, can they?

Where does this “wanting England to fail” bollocks come from? I’d suggest you Southgate sycophants just don’t see how limited tactically he is

Failed as a league manager but brilliant for England…really?

Yes he has done well but we could be so much better with a manager who was tactically more astute. It’s because I want us to do better that he irritates me not because I want us to fail

 

[sydney]

Where does this “wanting England to fail” bollocks come from? I’d suggest you Southgate sycophants just don’t see how limited tactically he is

Failed as a league manager but brilliant for England…really?

Yes he has done well but we could be so much better with a manager who was tactically more astute. It’s because I want us to do better that he irritates me not because I want us to fail

if i was managing them
cants we would have won the Euro's and we'd be favourites for the world cup although i wouldn't be going cos i don't like air con and Arabs.

 

[Easy 10]

Southgate's greatest achievement is in cultivating a squad of players who now WANT to play for England. They no longer regard it as a chore, or another chance to generally get slaughtered by the press when they turn up for International duty. There is now a positivity around the squad, and a feeling that, unlike before, they are all pulling in the same direction. This has certainly not always been the case under previous managers, where turning up and training under the likes of Keegan (clueless, no drills on shape or direction), Sven (liked but not respected, indulged egos and underachieved), Hoddle (all ego, no man-management skills), Capello (overt disciplinarian, treated them like kids) and Hodgson (outdated old fart, Kane on corners ffs). I've read enough biographies to learn that playing for England, whilst an honour, was often not described as exactly being a pleasure.

Southgate seems to have suppressed the ego side of things, eliminated the damaging cliques, garnered some genuine team spirit, engaged the squad with a less toxic relationship with the media, and stuck to a plan. Is he or his plan perfect ? Nope. But the fact remains, he has achieved more in the last 6 years than the previous best managers we've had in recent times (Bobby and Venables).

If he was binned tomorrow, I'm not sure who we'd want to step in who could do any better.

 

[Giraffe]

It's interesting that most England supporters, the ones who go to matches, are fine with Southgate.

I agree. I go to most England matches and I'd say almost universally England fans are happier now with Southgate than any manager for a long long time. In short it is because he has achieved what no one else since Bobby Robson has achieved - to have a full team that cares and tries their most.

Southgate is undoubtedly not the best tactical manager. He should have reacted quicker in the Euro final, Potter would have done I am sure, but when he took over the disconnect between players and fans was massive. I was at the Iceland game. They were clueless and I'm not sure they really cared. Southgate has given them direction, belief and motivates them in the right way. Our problem for decades was never lack of talent, it was motivation. Southgate has made international football matter more to them. As a result we have made a semi final, and then a final. That deserves a lot of respect and praise.

I'd also add that he stands by players, which helps the team spirit. It would have been very easy to have dropped Maguire and Pickford for example for bad form for their clubs at different times. He didn't and as a result they have performed and the team spirit has continued. We might not like it because our players don't get picked but he likes the fact that players come through under 21, they have a bond with each other etc. By treating it like a club of it's own it builds the spirit. He won't please everyone but you can't argue with a semi final and then a final compared to what we previously had, you just can't.

 

[Simster]

Southgate's greatest achievement is in cultivating a squad of players who now WANT to play for England. They no longer regard it as a chore, or another chance to generally get slaughtered by the press when they turn up for International duty. There is now a positivity around the squad, and a feeling that, unlike before, they are all pulling in the same direction. This has certainly not always been the case under previous managers, where turning up and training under the likes of Keegan (clueless, no drills on shape or direction), Sven (liked but not respected, indulged egos and underachieved), Hoddle (all ego, no man-management skills), Capello (overt disciplinarian, treated them like kids) and Hodgson (outdated old fart, Kane on corners ffs). I've read enough biographies to learn that playing for England, whilst an honour, was often not described as exactly being a pleasure.

Southgate seems to have suppressed the ego side of things, eliminated the damaging cliques, garnered some genuine team spirit, engaged the squad with a less toxic relationship with the media, and stuck to a plan. Is he or his plan perfect ? Nope. But the fact remains, he has achieved more in the last 6 years than the previous best managers we've had in recent times (Bobby and Venables).

If he was binned tomorrow, I'm not sure who we'd want to step in who could do any better.

I make this about right. He's not perfect, he's tactically quite limited and of course we are all extra irritated with him on NSC because he's a Palace/Villa prick who picked Mings over Dunk in his pomp - which is laughable. However, his record more than stands up for the reasons you state, and he also comes across quite well publicly.

I just know that once I get over the Dunk thing, I'm alright with him - until he takes us balls deep into another tournament but then gets horribly shown up tactically when just one or two matches from immortality.