England Vs Iceland.

[Brin]

You might look like a kunt, you certainly act like one.

Who’s that aimed at Crash? A tad strong don’t you think pal.

[Brin]

Not a surprise really, Southgate and Holland wouldn’t get a club promoted out of the championship, so much talent he has had and won nothing, we will struggle to make it out of the group stage and won’t go past the last 8. This could have been 3-0 to Iceland, with the chances they have had in the last 15 minutes.

DM, It’s all fake just to real em in. I’ll wager a small bet with you England WILL get out of the group stage.

[Derbymiller]

DM, It’s all fake just to real em in. I’ll wager a small bet with you England WILL get out of the group stage.

I am happy to have a bet with you buddy, but that we won’t get beyond the last 8, a muppet like Southgate can at least get this squad out of the group. I hope so anyway as I have tickets to the Denmark game and don’t want to attend with my German family and see us lose. Holland should have been sacked his treatment of Ben White was disgraceful, a right side for England of White and Saka would be excellent we lost that because of him. Not taking a left back and hoping Shaw will be match fit shows a desperate man that doesn’t learn by history, taking unfit players has never worked in the past. Ben Chillwell could have gone or the left back, Colwill, Dougherty even Burns would have given us an option, Shaw hasn’t been fit most of the season Southgate has had plenty of time to find a replacement. Playing a right back at left back at international level will not end well, why does a bloke that hasn’t ever had any winning success think he can play players out of position. That is the main thing for me, he is not a winner, and success is winning things not failing in finals and semis.

[Heliosphan]

I am happy to have a bet with you buddy, but that we won’t get beyond the last 8, a muppet like Southgate can at least get this squad out of the group. I hope so anyway as I have tickets to the Denmark game and don’t want to attend with my German family and see us lose. Holland should have been sacked his treatment of Ben White was disgraceful, a right side for England of White and Saka would be excellent we lost that because of him. Not taking a left back and hoping Shaw will be match fit shows a desperate man that doesn’t learn by history, taking unfit players has never worked in the past. Ben Chillwell could have gone or the left back, Colwill, Dougherty even Burns would have given us an option, Shaw hasn’t been fit most of the season Southgate has had plenty of time to find a replacement. Playing a right back at left back at international level will not end well, why does a bloke that hasn’t ever had any winning success think he can play players out of position. That is the main thing for me, he is not a winner, and success is winning things not failing in finals and semis.

Squad wise, I think Southgate has made some questionable decisions. I like Mainoo but would I select him before Maddison? Probably not. The same goes for Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon. These 3 lads have all performed well for their clubs but have barely had a kick in an England shirt between them, yet are deemed good enough to represent England, ahead of 3 senior pros who have never let England down. This is a major tournament not a development exercise for the world cup.

Regarding the LB situation, I tend to agree. Ben Chilwell played that position in both the Brazil and Belgium friendlies but he was awful. So he seems to have succesfully played himself out of the squad. Levi Colwill he's looked at in games before, we've even played the likes of Ricoh Lewis and Fikayo Tomori at LB (who aren't primarily LBs) so it isn't like he hasn't looked at other options. The manager obviously doesn't rate any of them, or the ones you mention, ahead of Trippier or an unfit Luke Shaw, so ultimately he's gone with players that he trusts in that position.

One thing I will challenge you on is the Ben White saga. You're using words like disgraceful and calling for Steve Holland to be sacked but do we really know what went on? How do you know Ben White isn't being a big baby over the matter and needs to get over himself?

[Derbymiller]

Squad wise, I think Southgate has made some questionable decisions. I like Mainoo but would I select him before Maddison? Probably not. The same goes for Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon. These 3 lads have all performed well for their clubs but have barely had a kick in an England shirt between them, yet are deemed good enough to represent England, ahead of 3 senior pros who have never let England down. This is a major tournament not a development exercise for the world cup.

Regarding the LB situation, I tend to agree. Ben Chilwell played that position in both the Brazil and Belgium friendlies but he was awful. So he seems to have succesfully played himself out of the squad. Levi Colwill he's looked at in games before, we've even played the likes of Ricoh Lewis and Fikayo Tomori at LB (who aren't primarily LBs) so it isn't like he hasn't looked at other options. The manager obviously doesn't rate any of them, or the ones you mention, ahead of Trippier or an unfit Luke Shaw, so ultimately he's gone with players that he trusts in that position.

One thing I will challenge you on is the Ben White saga. You're using words like disgraceful and calling for Steve Holland to be sacked but do we really know what went on? How do you know Ben White isn't being a big baby over the matter and needs to get over himself?

Your challenge is fair, i can only go on what is leaked out and from that I think the situation has been awfully managed and we have lost a real talent from the squad, if a manager that is suppose to be so good at dealing with a dressing room can't get all parties to sit down and move on then perhaps he isn't what we are told he is. The repeated comments about the dressing room make me think "she does protest too much". But I don't rate Southgate and I think Holland is average as a coach at best, they will both end up failing domestically then joining the international manager merry-go-round managing Congo and Saudi, so i suppose my analysis on the Ben White situation is bias

[Heliosphan]

Your challenge is fair, i can only go on what is leaked out and from that I think the situation has been awfully managed and we have lost a real talent from the squad, if a manager that is suppose to be so good at dealing with a dressing room can't get all parties to sit down and move on then perhaps he isn't what we are told he is. The repeated comments about the dressing room make me think "she does protest too much". But I don't rate Southgate and I think Holland is average as a coach at best, they will both end up failing domestically then joining the international manager merry-go-round managing Congo and Saudi, so i suppose my analysis on the Ben White situation is bias

I was thinking along similar lines myself because he would have been very useful in this particular squad.

Ben White is on record saying he isn't particular interested in football and never even watches it when it's on TV, except to do some self-analysis. My initial understanding was that he ruled himself out of the Belgium and Brazil friendlies because he couldn't see the point of joining the squad to just sit on the bench. I don't know whether that's right or not. If it is then that's an incredibly defeatist attitude to take. But as you say, there was talk of a spat between him and Holland so who knows.

[Heliosphan]

I see the Netherlands swept aside Iceland 4-0 last night.

Yet we, so called tournament favourites, could barely muster a shot on target.