Murray 17
Well-known member
- Jul 6, 2003
- 2,159
I'm sure you're right, but that's the reason why we will continue to underachieve. There's even a company offering cashback on TVs, if England progress in the World Cup.
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[Football] Dunk for England??
- Thread starter lawros left foot
- Start date
I'm sure you're right, but that's the reason why we will continue to underachieve. There's even a company offering cashback on TVs, if England progress in the World Cup.
Murray 17
Well-known member
- Jul 6, 2003
- 2,159
I get the feeling you think Gareth Southgate was a good appointment, and will do well with England! [emoji3]
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
True, the youngsters have done brilliantly to win those tournaments. But it remains to be seen whether those successful players at U21 and U17 level get any gametime back at their clubs - that'll be the acid test. The difference between England and France is that our top league is so awash with money that all the clubs, even the smaller ones, can simply go and buy the finished article, usually from abroad (and BHA are as guilty as any when it comes to this practice nowadays). The talent is coming through, its just whether they'll ever be given a chance.
Gritt23
New member
No, I don't know yet. All I'm saying is that we shouldn't throw him under the bus because of his record at Boro.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Southgate doesn't particularly inspire much confidence in me, but lets face it, over the last 20-odd years we've tried every other type of manager. The thoughtful tactical innovative but crackpot coach (Hoddle). Then the "passionate" but clueless tubthumper (Keegan), the highly decorated, successful, expensive trendy foreign ones (SGE, Capello), then back to the experienced english coaches (McLaren, Hodgson), then briefly dipped our toe in the water with a belt-and-braces no-nonsense english bloke again (Allardyce), and now we've got an internal appointment, a safely inoffensive blazer with a mediocre track record at club level.
Southgate has already been told his job is safe even if we lose every game next month, so we might as well get used to it.
Iggle Piggle
Well-known member
- Sep 3, 2010
- 5,337
Southgate has got plenty of flaws. The picking of the U21 clique against PL evidence, the backing himself into a corner about not picking players that don't play and then picking players that don't play and a demeanour of the boring bloke in the pub you try to avoid at all costs.
That said, he hasn't done the usual England managers trick of picking the players from the big 6 come what may - Wiltshire the obvious example - who either don't fit into the team or have enough personality flaws to do everyone's head in for the weeks away. The bit that gave me the most confidence was the Dutch performance. We looked solid and we had a plan. Lets face it, most of us thought the team and formation was bonkers beforehand and yet we did a number on an admittedly limited Dutch team. I credited Southgate with more single mindedness and tactical nous than most people gave him after that. I'm pretty sure Harry Kane won't be taking corners this time round.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
You make some good points, and much like you, I'm not totally cold on the Palace fishlips. He seems to have a plan with his 3 CB's, and he's sticking to it, not just blowing in the wind or cowtowing to media-driven selections such as Smalling and Wilshire. He's also resisted taking any crocks. He's a rather uninspiring figure, you can't imagine him doing a rousing Churchillian speech when we're 3-1 down at half time to Panama. And a Southgate hairdryer is probably akin to being savaged by a dead sheep, but with more spit. But perhaps in his own quietly understated way he's getting his ideas across and connecting with the players.
Here's hoping.
I've been impressed by Southgate's reign so far.
Not his fault at all, but I think we'll ultimately come unstuck this summer by a lack of gifted CM 'general'. Gazza was the last, Scholes was good. Our centre midfielders are good players who hold their own in the CL, but they're not of the Gazza, Pirlo, Modric class, who ran/run games instinctively.
Not his fault at all, but I think we'll ultimately come unstuck this summer by a lack of gifted CM 'general'. Gazza was the last, Scholes was good. Our centre midfielders are good players who hold their own in the CL, but they're not of the Gazza, Pirlo, Modric class, who ran/run games instinctively.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Agreed. That is the most glaring miss in this squad, aside from a truly domineering CB, a world class GK, and a proper captain. OK, so there are some gaps. That piece of creativity in midfield is the big miss though, someone with that extra vision, and the technique to use it and orchestrate, dictate. There's no point taking along a Lallana or a Wilshire and attempting to build a team around them, because the high likelihood is...they just ain't going to be around to build a team around.
I think Southgate accepts this, so he's just working with what he's got. And its not unheard of for some pretty ordinary teams to become more than the sum of their parts and go deep, just by being belligerent, organised, and difficult to beat. Think the Danes, the Greeks in years gone by (albeit in the Euros). Uruguay, Ghana, Portugal, Italy have all reached latter stages without being vintage. Yes some of them have individuals who can swing a game, but if our forward line starts firing, then so do we.
We will almost certainly come unstuck by the QF stage if we make it there, but I do genuinely believe we have every chance of getting there. More often than not, teams that go deep "grow" into the tournament, so there could well be some early stinkers, but if we muddle through then lets see. Then, we're just going to need them to pull out a massive performance, take our chances when they come along, and ride some chunky luck.
Feel free to bounce though, when we're homeward bound after 2 weeks.
lancyclaret
New member
- Jan 10, 2014
- 566
Even ultra-cautious Burnley majority shareholder Mike Garlick is said to be "warming to the idea" of outside investment (sale at right price?) from China or US. He says he has rebuffed a number of approaches but who knows if the right offer comes in?
This was before Europe qualification boosted the club's profile.
Stato
Well-known member
- Dec 21, 2011
- 6,585
Whilst still thinking that Dunky would have been the best cover Southgate could have for the three centre backs currently starting, I had to go back to this post and eat a bit of humble pie.
However this turns out from here on in, it has been obvious that I was wrong in my statement about Southgate's approach. He and his team have obviously given careful thought to the system that would best suit the players he has available and he has kept things simple and allowed the team to play to their strengths. I've been particularly impressed with the fact that, other than a tired five minutes at the end of the Columbia game, we don't sit deep and give up possession when we have a lead. This has long been an Achilles heel of England's. I underestimated Southgate. He seems to have paid close attention to what worked and what didn't at tournaments where he was a player. Win or lose on Wednesday, he's done very well. (He's still Palace though.)
Silverhatch
Well-known member
Dunk is by far a better back up than Jones who is tainted by England pre Southgate
Dunk is quute possibly a better CB than Jones, who's game has been increasingly chaotic, relying on pace to recover from his awful initial decision making.
Looks like Southgate took note of almost all your comments. None of your dead men have made it, and Stones has been great. The only anomaly is Dunk - and long may it be that way - keep him keen.....and ours
Also, he's not very good. And he won't feature....