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

[portlock seagull]

Total codswallop.

You disagree, that’s fine. But listen to the jeers already on tv and radio and down the pub that we’ve been lucky, easy draw blah blah. People are falling over themselves to lambast how we got to the final so why do you think it would be different if we won it? Christ, people are still banging on about Russian linesman from 66 and how we shouldn’t have won back then. Nah, I think it’s safe to say plenty will caveat victory, should we win the tournament.

 

[portlock seagull]

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

 

[portlock seagull]

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

Rightly so, if he manages to.

 

[hart's shirt]

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.

To be fair, you did also say "It just doesn’t happen. So stop thinking it does. You’re deluded if so."

Except it does happen, probably a lot more regularly than we might think.

You mentioned Brazil in 1970, so let's use them as another example in World Cup 2002.

11 goals in their 3 group games!
2 goals in 3 of their knockout games including the Final and 1 in the other.
18 goals total and a World Cup win.


Why do you think England fans would be disappointed if we win? Having watched them home and away, I'll be delighted.

It's quite possible to want England to win trophies, but fundamentally dislike the style of football in which they try to do it.

Having shown examples where attacking football wins trophies, it's a shame that England don't play that way with the players we have.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Great win tonight. The subs actually made a difference so let’s give Gareth some credit. I’m not his biggest fan but I’ll not begrudge him a night out tonight. England were the better side

 

[StonehamPark]

You disagree, that’s fine. But listen to the jeers already on tv and radio and down the pub that we’ve been lucky, easy draw blah blah. People are falling over themselves to lambast how we got to the final so why do you think it would be different if we won it? Christ, people are still banging on about Russian linesman from 66 and how we shouldn’t have won back then. Nah, I think it’s safe to say plenty will caveat victory, should we win the tournament.

I just don't believe that I've ever met a single person that'd be so insanely negative as to be actually disappointed if we were to win a Euro's (or any) tournament.

 

[AstroSloth]

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

So you're saying he got it wrong and had to adjust?

We were lucky to get through the first two knockout games.

Tonight Pickford again being too short to make the save, a taller keeper saves the Simon shot.

He's doing the bare minimum, we've got a world class attack and midfield that is under utilised and has been for far too long.

 

[AstroSloth]

I just don't believe that I've ever met a single person that'd be so insanely negative as to be actually disappointed if we were to win a Euro's (or any) tournament.

I've felt no excitement throughout this tournament.

We'll probably lose against Spain and all I'll have done is wasted my time watching 5 shit games and a good game tonight.

If we win then fair play, I still won't think he's a good manager but he will have done well the last two games.

 

[AstroSloth]

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.

If we don't get to another final with this group of players then we would have failed.

We have an outstanding team that are winning in spite of Southgate.

 

[hart's shirt]

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?

Firstly, Spain were winning back-to-back Euros in 2008 and 2012, so we're talking about a side that could win regardless of style.
Until England have actually won one trophy immediately previous, it's not really comparing like with like.

Seeing as you mentioned 2010, Spain scored 4 goals in their group games then. England managed only 2 this time.
Yes, only 8 goals scored in the entire tournament for Spain, but no goals conceded in any of the four knockout rounds.

England have 7 goals so far, but have conceded in all 3 of the knockout games.

So less goals scored and a defence that leaks goals. Not a great comparison.

 

[dippy2449]

The final is squad v squad, legs v legs, heads v heads, I don't want to presume how the final will play out I just look forward to it.
If England prepare as well for the final as they did for the penalty shoot out v Switzerland then maybe just MAYBE........

 

[AstroSloth]

Firstly, Spain were winning back-to-back Euros in 2008 and 2012, so we're talking about a side that could win regardless of style.
Until England have actually won one trophy immediately previous, it's not really comparing like with like.

Seeing as you mentioned 2010, Spain scored 4 goals in their group games then. England managed only 2 this time.
Yes, only 8 goals scored in the entire tournament for Spain, but no goals conceded in any of the four knockout rounds.

England scored 2 in the group games and have 7 so far, but critically have conceded in all 3 of the knockout games so far.

So less goals scored and a defence that leaks goals. Not a great comparison.

Not to mention, Spain looked in control of every game that tournament.

We haven't looked in control of a single game, today was the closest but still wasn't in control.

 

[herecomesaregular]

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.

Very well put and can't help agreeing. Southgate won't suddenly change, this is His Way: cautious, loyal to who is on the pitch, mostly late subs, work hard, be lucky. i'm no longer frustrated by it and have enjoyed the last few games a lot more. The glory is in the results, not the style now. Lets win something again and then worry about the style in future years.

 

[BadFish]

The winning combination is to support the team and enjoy the success but not watch the games.

Southball is perfect for the highlights package.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Beat Spain and you might have a point

 

[nickjhs]

Shan't bother. Time for a change anyway, win or lose at the weekend.

Why? Depending on how you look at the stats he is already the most successful England manager since Ramsay, and if we win this I would suggest he surpasses Ramsay due to the number of "finals" games we have played. Why the time for a change when someone is still getting results. The only argument against him from this tournament is that we had a relatively easy route to the final, and made heavy going of it. However you see this from many successful teams at tournaments, they struggle to get going and then it clicks.

 

[nickjhs]

Beat Spain and you might have a point

Beat Spain and there will be no argument to be had.

 

[Flounce]

I thought the first half was the best I’ve seen England play against a decent team for years. Unrecognisable from the disjointed shit that went before in this tournament. Second half had an ominous feel to it as we reverted to safety first. Kane was taken off 20 mins too late as he looked lethargic and lacking in energy and competitiveness imo. Great win though and for the first half I was loving it, Watkins goal was a peach.

Very up for the final

One game does not make me a Southgate fan though.

 

[dazzer6666]

I thought the first half was the best I’ve seen England play against a decent team for years. Unrecognisable from the disjointed shit that went before in this tournament. Second half had an ominous feel to it as we reverted to safety first. Kane was taken off 20 mins too late imo as he looked lethargic and lacking in energy and competitiveness imo. Great win though and for the first half I was loving it, Watkins goal was a peach.

Very up for the final

One game does not make me a Southgate fan though.

This. Being in my 50s, England not winning tournaments is kind of hard-coded into me I think and the frustration boils over. Getting to the final here is about par with the squad he has at his disposal imo but he got it mostly right last night and we were much improved. Win it on Sunday and he puts two fingers up to any criticism as his record will be unimpeachable - lose and he’s remembered as another manager that continued our desperate run of trophyless years despite having another ‘golden generation’. Fine margins

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

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

All you’ve proven is that it’s better to be lucky than good.