Southgate being a realist

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I certainly am in this case, Oliver Holt in the Mail has come up with TEN reasons why England will win it. Help me out mon ami, I can't think of one.

I'm more apt to give you TEN reasons we won't mon ami.

[sinkov]

We have the attacking talent Sinkov to win the tournament but as I hinted to BT the other day - the stars need to align and you need a bit of luck along the way to win any tournament- whoever’s in charge of the team.

I agree we have the attacking talent army, but Gareth won't use it, he insists on a back four and two holding players in front of them, leaving us with just three attacking talents and Harry Kane. So it's down to Bellingham, Foden and Saka to open up the opposition and create the chances. if that doesn't work it'll be Gordon, Palmer and Bowen who are given a go, but he'll stick to just three of them, it won't be until we're behind with just minutes to go that he'll throw four players at it, by which time it will likely be too late.

Rice and whoever can and will move up to help out, but they'll just be pushing the ball sideways across the edge of the box, they don't have the skillset required to open up a packed, or well organised defence. Two players who do have that ability will be sat in a bar somewhere knocking back the sangria, but that's Gareth for you. I've nothing personal against him, I'm sure he's a nice enough bloke, but I wouldn't have him running a pub team.

[outwoodclaret]

Southgate has now, and has had in the past, a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal but he has not yet in any major tournament been able to fashion a winning team out of it. In defence he persists with playing a right back at left back unbalancing the team. He did not pick Tarkowski and Branthwaite despite their excellent form for Everton. England should get through the group stages but then it becomes a lottery and Southgate is a three time loser against Croatia, Italy and France when those games were all in the balance and Gareth was outthought or could not respond. I think Germany with home advantage will win the tournament.

[Swissclaret]

Ever since 1966 the media has been convinced that England will win whatever tournament it is. We will not come close under Southgate. He was a defender in his playing days and views every match from a defensive - let’s not lose the match - perspective.

He could have picked the Everton defensive set up - Pickford, Tarks and Branthwaite - and let the team go and attack in the knowledge that he has a solid defensive unit. I can’t think of any better. But no. Instead it will be as Outwood has predicted, 7 in defence with 4 trying to create something.

I think I will support la Suisse. Hop Suisse as the saying goes.

[Acido]

He's still taken us further in tournaments than any of these other so called bigger/better managers have...
like Keegan, Hoddle, Eriksson, Capello, McLaren, & Hodgson etc. 😵
But I do agree, I also have the defensive side to him, which is what has stopped us winning those said tournaments.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Ever since 1966 the media has been convinced that England will win whatever tournament it is. We will not come close under Southgate. He was a defender in his playing days and views every match from a defensive - let’s not lose the match - perspective.

He could have picked the Everton defensive set up - Pickford, Tarks and Branthwaite - and let the team go and attack in the knowledge that he has a solid defensive unit. I can’t think of any better. But no. Instead it will be as Outwood has predicted, 7 in defence with 4 trying to create something.

I think I will support la Suisse. Hop Suisse as the saying goes.

What does the Swiss media think about Amdouni? His goal scoring exploits for the national team are quite something I hear.

[kritichris]

He's still taken us further in tournaments than any of these other so called bigger/better managers have...
like Keegan, Hoddle, Eriksson, Capello, McLaren, & Hodgson etc. ��

I think the calibre of players he has available are far better than those available to previous managers, he just doesn't know how to use them.

[Acido]

I think the calibre of players he has available are far better than those available to previous managers, he just doesn't know how to use them.

Yeah I know Chris, and I've also said I think it's that defensive side to him, that maybe eventually spoils it for us.
Fans say we've got to those Qtrs and Semis and a Final, despite him, and not because of him.
But that seems a bit contradictory to me, in a way!.

[Swissclaret]

What does the Swiss media think about Amdouni? His goal scoring exploits for the national team are quite something I hear.

He is not a star, like Granit Xakar, but he is becoming a regular in the National squad. He scored and had an assist recently. He is rated by the Swiss. The media here are far more level -headed and, if anything, understated compared to England. They don’t go over the top. I would see him, like several Swiss players, ending up with a team in Europe. If not outside la Suisse then Young Boys or Grasshoppers.

[army88]

Yeah I know Chris, and I've also said I think it's that defensive side to him, that maybe eventually spoils it for us.
Fans say we've got to those Qtrs and Semis and a Final, despite him, and not because of him.
But that seems a bit contradictory to me, in a way!.

It’s true Acido as with everything in football the results don’t lie - and much as he doesn’t appeal to me he has achieved more than most managers at international level.

He does have a wealth of talent to pick from but when you look back to the likes of Gascoigne sheringham hoddle waddles and later beckham scholes Lampard Gerard Mcmanaman Neville shearer

Suddenly the previous managers also had a wealth of talent to choose from. ( let’s be honest the list isn’t bad is it ).

It is a bit of a poison chalice the England job as the media are over it like a bad rash from day one - so in fairness to Southgate - he’d have been driven out by now had he not delivered / improved us over the last few years.

I’ve posted further back tournament football is a lot of luck and if we get it - no reason we can’t go all the way in this.