Hard to fathom
I thought writing about Charlton was hard, but after another tedious England game, it actually might be easier.
It is hard to fathom that this goal-loaded side full of attacking mastery is struggling to even put a ball in the opponent’s box.
The not-very-understanding-other-half asked me as I rolled my eyes back in my head for the umpteenth time ‘why I don’t support a better team?’ I didn’t have an answer to that, even though I’m used to the question, as she says that to me most Saturday afternoon’s.
Do these players want to play for Southgate? In club world, you’d have to query if he’d lost the dressing room. He is definitely losing the fans, but what a time to do it.
There were a couple of plastic cups thrown at the end, but the wall of noise from the English fans second half was brilliant, and with the intro of Mainoo, Palmer, Gordon and even TAA at right back we looked a little bit more alive.
Foden was better at least, but for Southgate to extend his time in charge he has to find room for Mainoo, who has the speed of thought lacking in Gallagher, and Palmer from the start. If we can find a fit left footed defender as well, then even better.
We made hard work of this group, almost making it look like the group of death, but here we are into the knockout stages with the Dutch the probable opposition.
I’ve heard about growing into a tournament but Southgate needs to take a delivery of a hundred weight of miracle grow before Sunday.
When, oh when is this ridiculous modern fad of playing out from the back all the time going to cease? I scream inside every time it happens now. It makes it all so pedestrian.
Anyway, poor old Southgate. When he took over as manager one of the things that had puzzled him was why England, with so many good players, never did well in tournaments. And it seems he still hasn’t worked it out at what will inevitably be the end of his time as manager – even if a miracle happens and we went on to do well.
Could it be that the players that do so well at club level are surrounded by much more talented, non-English, players and thus it makes life a lot easier? Just a thought.
There is no balance to that starting line-up…….and why is Southgate playing Foden out wide on the left when he is super effective in the Man City side as a 10. Southgate has an excellent natural left winger on the bench in Anthony Gordon.
As I have (tediously) been saying. When we play the first knockout match we’ll lose. If it’s against the Dutch (as seems likely) for sure.
The only good news will be the end of Southgate. His incompetence knows no bounds. Remember him putting the two least experienced players up for the penalties (Sancho and Saka) in the 2020 Euros !!
Southgate would do better joining the church of ‘woke’
P.S. Foden who has been played out of position in all three games, received a lot of criticism after the first two. Last night I thought he was our best player, so predictably was subbed off by Southgate.
I agree completely.
I don’t think he’s lost the dressing room but his tactics are too negative! I agree with bringing on Palmer or Gordon on the left side and putting Foden more central. This allows Bellingham to drop back and make runs from deep to help put with our weak attack at the moment.
Why take Shaw if he is unfit? Surely there are other options available before the tournament started to blood a few uncapped players to give them some experience? Let’s see what happens on Sunday but I think most of us know how Southgate will approach the game no matter who the opponents are! ……
That was the best of the three matches, but was still painful watching. There was no overlap, little or no pace out wide and I’m struggling to think of more than the very occasional one-two or a player trying to take his man on and make something happen.
This has been a decent team, it has the best goal-scorer in Europe, plus European cup winners in it and players who’d walk into most teams. It made the WC semis in Russia and Qatar, was beaten finalists in the last Euros besides which it is apparently ranked four in the Fifa rankings and qualified with ease for this tournament. You might forgive one bad game but three in a row? Hmmm…
But looking back to the last few pre-tournament prep matches and these group stages here there’s clearly something wrong behind the scenes. The body language of the players on the pitch, even Gareth Southgate and the coaches in the technical area, the tetchy defensiveness of everyone in media appearances…England have been quite open in interviews until now.
So, something is up…
As an aged OAP, I am most probably talking nonsense, but from my view, the problem is the modern thinking of the introduction of playing from the back!
I did not think I would see the day when the kick-off (start of the match) involved the player kicking the ball directly to his goalkeeper – which is a negative move, at least! The entire team are in a strait jacket and spend most of their time in their own half.
The fact that poor old HK spends most of his time back-tracking to get the ball says something!
Let’s be attacking from the start by pushing the ball out to a winger to put the opposition under pressure. We couldn’t do worse than using the old “W” formation that we used to have in the “fifties”, at least the game was entertaining as was the 7-6 result on 21/12/1957 at he valley. At my age I do not know how I am to expire, I hope it is not going to be through watching “WALKING FOOTBALL”!
This team has fallen a long way very quickly. According to the FIFA rankings we are 4th in the world, England made the semis of the last two WCs and the finals of the last Euros. Yet they are playing like strangers – to each other and the game.
There was no pace, no intent to use the wings, no overlapping…
Then you look at the body language of the players in the match and that of GS in the dugout or in interview afterwards. It’s defensive and tetchy etc. That’s at odds with the way England have presented themselves over the last few years.
I’d say that there’s something going on in the background that we don’t know about.
T’was ever thus CA, t’was ever thus….