Gareth the Genius

[ClaretinBudapest]

As I watched us trounce the mighty Serbia 1-0, I began to realise just what a genius our Gareth is.To take a pool of talent that he has available in the England squad and mould it into a bang average squad requires immense amounts of tactical nouse and dedication to his craft.
Bellingham has obviously got a lot to learn under Southgate in order to fulfil his potential and fit into the squad but hopefully by the end of the tournament he will be a key player in that bang average squad that has become the hallmark of Gareth`s tenure .He needs to reign himself in and stop bursting forward into the opponents final third.I am pretty sure Gareth and his assistants will be able to nullify these mistakes and get him to fit into Gareth`s well proven system.
All the other giants of international football in the tornament like German,Spain,Italy etc. will not be looking forward to playing against such a tactical genius as our Gareth.

[Swissclaret]

Exactly, CiB. Not many people could do what Southgate has done.

He has done a brilliant job turning Foden into a bang average player in an England shirt. It will not take him long to bring down Bellingham to the same level.

[ClaretinBudapest]

Exactly, CiB. Not many people could do what Southgate has done.

He has done a brilliant job turning Foden into a bang average player in an England shirt. It will not take him long to bring down Bellingham to the same level.

No seriously Swiss-anybody can take a bunch of average players and win a tournament with them but in order to take a massive squad of talented players and mould them into a bang average team really takes some doing.
Even though the Serbs were the favourites going into the game we made them look very average up to the opening goal.Then after a break in play when a Serb player went off injured Gareth gave instructions and from then on it was normal service resumed and we scraped through in the second half against a team predicted to finish in the top four of their group.
He is a genius.Foden,Kane,Rice were all nullified and that young Bellingham still has a lot to learn under Gareth.A precocious talent and still very young so it may take a bit longer than usual for Gareth to get him not firing on all cylinders.It may take a while to correct the mistakes he has learnt under Ancelloti but I have no doubt Gareth and his staff will succeed.

[outwoodclaret]

We started well getting forward and pressing Serbia. Got the early goal. All our best attacks coming down the right but we know even if Gareth does not that we look unbalanced with a right back playing on the left. As long as we play to our attacking strengths it doesn’t matter too much. In the second half we were pushed back and exposed. Fortunately Serbia could not find the goal to punish us. On now to Denmark.

[chastenor]

Do I detect a touch of irony in this thread?

[ballcock]

Only watched the 1st half, due my bed time.

Thought we played well until we scored with the wee Arsenal lad and Bellingham running the shop.
Foden looked subdued, kane never had a sniff and Rice needs to be more positive. Defence looked ****e. We are going to struggle against a decent forward line, we looked well off it.

[ballcock]

Do I detect a touch of irony in this thread?

Definitely

[Swissclaret]

Do I detect a touch of irony in this thread?

Absolutely Chas. You look at PL teams, even the fated VK season in the PL, possession and attacking is the order of the day. Southgate would play eleven defenders if he could.

[kritichris]

Do I detect a touch of irony in this thread?

It wouldn't be a thread on here without a touch of irony chas, as well you know.

[mnrht]

Impossible to understand Serbian approach. Losing 1-0 but happy to play it around the half -way line and back to the GK all from a starting point well inside the England half. I must be missing something.