[Football] To all the Southgate haters / wrong again and again and again **SOUTHGATE NOW RESIGNED**

[portlock seagull]

Pretty much this. Serverd up many games of utter dross but got it right tonight. Had some incredible luck (that wasn't a penalty) but in the end, England in another European Final. I'm not complaining but also not getting giddy over one decent game.

Blimey. Just enjoy it for what it is. This is as good as it ever really gets. Kids will be born tomorrow who may never see us in a final during their lifetimes let alone win something. I’ve been waiting all of my (considerable) life to see such an event and don’t intend to waste this 2nd opportunity in a row when once, just once, seemed unreal. Most on this board are probably unlikely to see it again so please let’s just enjoy this momentous occasion shall we? And not worry about the purity of performances because frankly in the history of tournaments hardly any team has ever won like Brazil 70. It just doesn’t happen. So stop thinking it does. You’re deluded if so. You need to dig deep and win ugly most of the time. And we’ve not only done this, we’re really good at it. Winners. Which is why we’re in the final when so called better teams like Germany and France….aren’t.

 

[fruitnveg]

Broken clocks, etc.

 

[Eeyore]

Criticised for sticking with Pickford - proved em wrong
Criticised for picking shaw - proved em wrong
criticised for his subs, brings on Palmer and watkins who assist and score the winner. previously Brought TAA and Toney on to take pens who both converted (v SwizzZZ)
He stuck with Kane and Bellingham despite all the 'experts' saying they should be subbed who both went on to score (v Slovakia)
won 3 knockout matches from losing positions
2 Euro Finals
1 WC Semi
Time to hold up your hands and admit you were wrong about Southgate

If we HAVE to go back over this then it must be considered that England were two minutes from defeat against Slovakia after an appalling match with intransigent tactics.

They have made it to tonight despite him rather than because of him. However, tonight he DID get it right.

I always said that success in international football was 50% down to the players liking the manager. Gareth has the full 50% marks there. He has dined out on that and some very fortunate draws.

However, he got it right tonight and hopefully he can do it again Sunday. I have never had anything against him personally. He is a top bloke and a great ambassador for English football. All the nasty comments from mature adults make me puke. They should know better.

But tactically, no. That said, many average managers have won major tournaments because they had very capable players who liked them. Hopefully he will be the next.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

What gubbins. Yes, England were much better tonight but still he allowed the Dutch back into the match by not bringing on subs. He is very consistent in his lack of taking the impetus. He's not a modern, pro-active manager

I nodded in agreement reading that. And yet.....as I have said before (and I appreciate you don't spend much time on NSC so you probably missed it) Southgate, like Potter, is a bit soft and geeky and brings out the bully in people, people who would prefer a 'man's man' (like Venables), people who repeatedly seize on every failing but ignore the good bits. I have fallen into that mindset myself, and sometimes find it hard to give my head a wobble

We are in another final. What's not to like? Given we have won f*** all since 66 the entitlement imperative is best nipped in the bud.

 

[Eeyore]

wrong, simple example / brought on Palmer who assisted, brought on Watkins who scored the winner. They changed the game / Masterstroke

Fine margins. compare and contrast

Sven Gormless Idiot gambles on an unfit Owen who gets injured after 5 mins, brings on Jamie Carragher (?) to take a penalty, who missed (natch), picked Theo Walcott who never played a minute of football for his club, and never played him. Picked an unfit Rooney who wasn't match fit and gets himself sent off. That is garbage managment

The only thing garbage is your football knowledge

It's a shame you feel the need to make such a crass comment about someone who is terminally and has never done you any harm. Just a footballing comparison without the vitriol would have done.

 

[portlock seagull]

Absolutely no dog in the game here as have no strong opinion on Southgate, and am not really an England supporter ( tho not a typical celtic ABE either). But England did underperform early in the tournament and there is no problem saying that - just for an accurate record!

The OP isn’t calling out criticism. More the abuse, of which there was a lot, by so called fans. And if you win, consistently, is that underperforming?

 

[hart's shirt]

Blimey. Just enjoy it for what it is. This is as good as it ever really gets. Kids will be born tomorrow who may never see us in a final during their lifetimes let alone win something. I’ve been waiting all of my (considerable) life to see such an event and don’t intend to waste this 2nd opportunity in a row when once, just once, seemed unreal. Most on this board are probably unlikely to see it again so please let’s just enjoy this momentous occasion shall we? And not worry about the purity of performances because frankly in the history of tournaments hardly any team has ever won like Brazil 70. It just doesn’t happen. So stop thinking it does. You’re deluded if so. You need to dig deep and win ugly most of the time. And we’ve not only done this, we’re really good at it. Winners. Which is why we’re in the final when so called better teams like Germany and France….aren’t.

France - 1984 Euros.
3 group game wins out of 3. 9 goals scored and just 2 conceded.
The 2 knockout games brought 3 goals in the classic Semi-Final against Portugal and another 2 in the Final against Spain.
So 14 goals scored in 5 games and a Euros trophy to show for it.

It is possible to play free-flowing attacking football that's both pleasing on the eye and that results in winning tournaments.

And having scored 13 goals so far in this tournament, Spain have every reason to think that they can do just that.

 

[keaton]

If he'd have started Palmer and Watkins we'd have won 6-1

 

[Randy McNob]

Why so aggressive?

Just because Sven was a bit of a gadfly doesn't mean Southgate is great. False equivalence.

it's called backing what you say with context, examples and evidence, rather than simply resorting to knee jerk insults

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

He's played Kane for all the games apart from 20 minutes. Kane has been awful.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I was impressed with his squad selection before the tournament and it is worth reviewing some of those calls, i.e. no dickheads (Grealish, Maddison), leaving out favourites (Maguire, Phillips, Hendo, Sterling, Rashford), backing youth (Mainoo, Gordon, Wharton, Palmer).

For a team that have struggled for cohesion they seem remarkably together as a squad. He gets that bit right every time.

Yet he is clearly a cautious manager and very loyal, too cautious and too loyal at times.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

it's called backing what you say with context, examples and evidence, rather than simply resorting to knee jerk insults

Well you started the thread with bold assertions and have replied quite aggressively to people who disagree with you. You have your opinion, but why start a thread to ram it down people's throats? There are many threads on which you could have posted rather than start this one. And as I said, being better than Sven does not back up your opinion.

(And I don't even necessarily disagree with you. As I have suggested, I think Southgate brings out the bully in people. My guess is you won't change the minds of people who disagree with you. It makes more sense to tread the middle ground over Southgate. If we win the Euros, hooray! If we don't, he's still done OK and I wouldn't insist he quit, although he probably will.)

 

[portlock seagull]

France - 1984 Euros.
3 group game wins out of 3. 9 goals scored and just 2 conceded.
The 2 knockout games brought 3 goals in the classic Semi-Final against Portugal and another 2 in the Final against Spain.
So 14 goals scored in 5 games and a Euros trophy to show for it.

It is possible to play free-flowing attacking football that's both pleasing on the eye and that results in winning tournaments.

And having scored 13 goals so far in this tournament, Spain have every reason to think that they can do just that.

I know. I didn’t say it wasn’t. I quoted Brazil 70 in fact. But more teams don’t play salsa or samba through every game to become winners. Plenty examples of these over the years. So we’ve every chance. We’re in the final!

What is clear is if we win, many England fans will still be disappointed. I can only pity them, they’re waiting for a train that will never come, the poor deluded inexperienced fools probably think the last 6 years are normal where’s you’ll likely to be in your late 60s at least now to have remembered England winning our only ever trophy to date.

 

[keaton]

I was impressed with his squad selection before the tournament and it is worth reviewing some of those calls, i.e. no dickheads (Grealish, Maddison), leaving out favourites (Maguire, Phillips, Hendo, Sterling, Rashford), backing youth (Mainoo, Gordon, Wharton, Palmer).

For a team that have struggled for cohesion they seem remarkably together as a squad. He gets that bit right every time.

Yet he is clearly a cautious manager and very loyal, too cautious and too loyal at times.

Maguire was injured. Mainoo was in the squad but despite 99% of anyone surveyed putting him in the team he went for TAA.
How did Kyle Walker get through the no dickheads policy?

 

[Randy McNob]

France - 1984 Euros.
3 group game wins out of 3. 9 goals scored and just 2 conceded.
The 2 knockout games brought 3 goals in the classic Semi-Final against Portugal and another 2 in the Final against Spain.
So 14 goals scored in 5 games and a Euros trophy to show for it.

It is possible to play free-flowing attacking football that's both pleasing on the eye and that results in winning tournaments.

And having scored 13 goals so far in this tournament, Spain have every reason to think that they can do just that.

what about Spain in 2010? Arguably one of the most talented squads taken to a WC, yet they weren't pleasing on the eye, they just mastered the art of keeping possession and not giving their opponents a sniff. Most of their games were boring and I think they scored 8 goals?

 

[studio150]

Still yet to win anything, but no doubt if we beat Spain on Sunday, he will become Sir Gareth within a few days.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

My annoyance is picking the same players when we play shit time and time again. Trippier and rice especially, both have been a liability. Kane has slowed down and gets no time against quicker younger defenders. Should have started watkins. Before that was slab head, picked time and time again. It's frustrating to see decent players under perform so often for their national side, it has to be tactics....so no, I won't take back what I think of this current England manager regardless if we actually win this thing as it's been a painful watch

 

[Eeyore]

Still yet to win anything, but no doubt if we beat Spain on Sunday, he will become Sir Gareth within a few days.

Given the gongs that get given to political aids, I would suggest that he deserves it more. He has been a great ambassador for the game.

 

[StonehamPark]

What is clear is if we win, many England fans will still be disappointed. I can only pity them, they’re waiting for a train that will never come, the poor deluded inexperienced fools probably think the last 6 years are normal where’s you’ll likely to be in your late 60s at least now to have remembered England winning our only ever trophy to date.

Total codswallop.

 

[dippy2449]

England have managed to match every team they have played be they bad (very bad) or half decent.
Do you want a good General or lucky General? in this competition we have the later BUT BUT BUT!!!!
England are in the final!!! keep that luck for the next match and Lewis should be coming home to the same welcome as Alexis!!!!