Fortunately for England, they were only playing Northern Macedonia.
If they’d had to face the whole of Macedonia, well, they’d be f**ked.
If they’d had to face the whole of Macedonia, well, they’d be f**ked.
You can laugh, but, half a meter higher up, Erling Haaland would not exist.
Dion Dublin: "Nothing wrong with that."
Statto
Free Kick Specialist
Mr. Blonde
Jack Burkitt
Nobody loves Gareth
He's beyond shit
He's beyond shit
BryanRoy22
Ian Bowyer
Gaweth couldn't even cut it at club level management.
The way the FA pick their managers baffles me. If you're a clown or boring, you're under serious consideration for the job. Yes man? You're considered top priority.
Then occasionally they go for the rogue or hard taskmaster like Allardyce or Capello to look like they're not being like their usual selves.
What's interesting is that the manager that hardly any England players 'liked' has the best win rate of any England manager throughout history who has managed more than 40 games. Fabio Capello. Because he was a winner and didn't care if the players liked him or not. Not saying his football was the best but he had a shite squad to deal with. Rob Green, David James. How can you rely on those two not to make a mistake?
HBB
Jack Burkitt
He's a top politician is our Gareth - always says the "right thing" until you challenge your players to be top of the world rankings and get a performance like that....we go on about the class of our players but they clearly lack leadership and/or have the backing to show what they're capable of ... a player like Foden makes Man City purr, for England he's shackled in a system that doesn't play to his strengths ... ok so come the finals no one will even remember this game but Christ none of the top sides really fear England, especially in a tournament we are the very definition of a side that is less than the sum of its parts...
BryanRoy22
Ian Bowyer
valspoodle
Steve Chettle
Despite Foden's form this season, you can bet your boots that Kelvin and Jordan will be in this Summer's squad.
Fitzcarraldo
Ian Storey-Moore
Saka, Kane, Foden, Bellingham, Rice. If he can't win the Euro's with that lot he wants fisting. Expect Kane, Rashford, Bowen up front.
MaxiRobriguez
Bob McKinlay
The quality we have is insane.
Pope
James Stones Colwill Chilwell
Rice Bellingham
Saka Foden Grealish
Kane
Technically outstanding balanced team with lots of physicality.
And you've got Rashford, Palmer, TAA, Guehi, Sterling, Watkins, Mount, Yates, Tripper, Maddison, Walker, Bowen, White, Watkins, Ramsdale, Pickford, Eze, JWP.... all in reserve.
Bored of the "Southgate has got us further than any other manager in ages!" comments. No shit, he's got access to talent that most national managers would give their nuts for, and he's had easy routes through to SFs/Finals.
He's achieved the bare minimum for me. I'd have ousted him a few years ago and I reckon Cooper would have won at least one tourney if he were in charge. The thing the team is missing is fight and ruthlessness. Southgate can't generate either of those two things.
Fitzcarraldo
Ian Storey-Moore
Using your template, I'd consider Walker as cover to allow Stones to replicate what he's been doing for City. Also allows Bellingham to push on for a quasi 3-2-4-1 in possession - Bellingham and Foden bringing the chaos. Only caution being we would need a solid CB covering and I'm not sure if Colwill is that(?) - he's no Dias, granted.
RedRobbo
Geoff Thomas
The whole thing falls down with our lack of decent centre backs.
Stones is currently playing in midfield for Man City.
Colwill is just not good enough.
Maguire is dogshit.
We’ll need to win games 6-5…
Stones is currently playing in midfield for Man City.
Colwill is just not good enough.
Maguire is dogshit.
We’ll need to win games 6-5…
Fitzcarraldo
Ian Storey-Moore
Not seen enough of him but I've heard senior pros speak highly of that Branthwaite kid at Everton. Maybe two years too soon(?)
Of the others, Guehi gets a lot of praise. I'd want pace AND experience if Stones is given some licence to roam - a combination we lack.
Of the next gen possibly being given a way in, of the little I've seen of him Mainoo looks like he has the juice. Plays in that pivot role too, possibly alongside Rice when Bellingham is given the 10 role. Got to be better than Hendo and Phillip(?)
I think Hendo gets in for his vocality but both Rice and Bellingham have stepped-up for their clubs in that regard making his one abiding quality defunct in my mind.
Of the others, Guehi gets a lot of praise. I'd want pace AND experience if Stones is given some licence to roam - a combination we lack.
Of the next gen possibly being given a way in, of the little I've seen of him Mainoo looks like he has the juice. Plays in that pivot role too, possibly alongside Rice when Bellingham is given the 10 role. Got to be better than Hendo and Phillip(?)
I think Hendo gets in for his vocality but both Rice and Bellingham have stepped-up for their clubs in that regard making his one abiding quality defunct in my mind.
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Baronvon
Jack Burkitt
England undoubtedly have a strong team but the goalkeeper position worries me somewhat. Always sounds harsh given that Pickford "hasn't let England down" but f*** me, he's an accident waiting to happen sometimes. I remember the Euros semi final against Denmark where he was an absolute bomb scare, so lacking in composure that he repeatedly gave the ball to the opposition when attempting to start a quick counter.
While it's true that he's not cost us, he's definitely got very, very lucky at times - and I fear it'll run out in a big moment sooner or later.
That said, given Pope is injured and Ramsdale has basically sat on his arse all season, we've not really got any other viable choice. Henderson has been poor for Palace and ultimately dropped, Johnstone is steady enough but it'd be a huge gamble to throw him in and lacks a number of qualities that, for all his flaws, Pickford undoubtedly has. James Trafford has struggled in a similar manner to Bazunu the year before - a lot of potential, but the Premier League is a huge step up from playing in League One for Bolton.
Interesting that Jack Butland is seemingly back in the frame though. I remember back in the day he was touted as the next great England keeper and was getting a lot of high level game time at a young age. Then he got a bad ankle injury and his career seemed to spiral from there - so will be interesting to see if he finally gets chance to live up to all that potential he once had.
Barring injury however, it will be Pickford. Southgate trusts him and, for all my concerns, I'm not sure there's any better option right now. Just hope his luck holds out for one more tournament.
While it's true that he's not cost us, he's definitely got very, very lucky at times - and I fear it'll run out in a big moment sooner or later.
That said, given Pope is injured and Ramsdale has basically sat on his arse all season, we've not really got any other viable choice. Henderson has been poor for Palace and ultimately dropped, Johnstone is steady enough but it'd be a huge gamble to throw him in and lacks a number of qualities that, for all his flaws, Pickford undoubtedly has. James Trafford has struggled in a similar manner to Bazunu the year before - a lot of potential, but the Premier League is a huge step up from playing in League One for Bolton.
Interesting that Jack Butland is seemingly back in the frame though. I remember back in the day he was touted as the next great England keeper and was getting a lot of high level game time at a young age. Then he got a bad ankle injury and his career seemed to spiral from there - so will be interesting to see if he finally gets chance to live up to all that potential he once had.
Barring injury however, it will be Pickford. Southgate trusts him and, for all my concerns, I'm not sure there's any better option right now. Just hope his luck holds out for one more tournament.
Project Zeus
Steve Chettle
Surely Southgate's time is up if we fail to win the Euros this summer. We have an exceptional team at the moment that needs an elite manager to go with it.
Baronvon
Jack Burkitt
I'd imagine so. Was touch and go as to whether he was going to stay on for this tournament after the Quatar World Cup. He seemed a bit burnt out by it all.
He has the players, the question for me, is - is he brave enough to use them?
(And that means, bin-off f***ing Henderson and Phillips and give Foden and Bellingham a chance to run games).
Project Zeus
Steve Chettle
We both know the answer to that.
Sadly, you are of course correct.
Anyone who‘s browsed the „European Football“ thread will know I have been absolutely raving about Jude Bellingham since he made his debut for Dortmund, and I was really happy to see an English player blossom in that time into one of the best in the Bundesliga.
And, he has continued that stratospheric journey at arguably the biggest club side in the world, Real Madrid, where he has absolutely bossed games.
And yet, and yet….internationally?
Gah. I would love to see an England manager throw-off the shackles and just go with players who are bang in form and firing on all cylinders, but instead, you just know he will start with a pensioner who is going through the motions for Ajax, and a man who’s played about as many minutes for Manchester City this season as I have.
BryanRoy22
Ian Bowyer
Spot on comments above.
England apparently had a golden generation that never achieved back in the mid 2000s. There's no denying there were some world class players such as Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes and Rooney, and maybe it's slightly unfair for me to shrug off their quality and focus more on today's standard of player with more advanced technology, diet, youth academies, training methods and all the rest of it.
But I just feel that technically, England can finally compete with countries who they never seemed to be able to compete with before. They have a generation who are able to set aside their club loyalty and egos when they join up at International level. Players that can play in different positions seamlessly. I believe they have a golden generation right now and they have these players in abundance, unlike in the mid-2000s where knock-it-past-you-and-run Stewart Downing would be on the left wing occasionally. Joe Cole was shoehorned out there too.
Saka is probably the best wide player in the world currently. Bellingham is probably the best advanced midfielder in the world. You could also make a case for Foden in both positions. John Stones and Trent-Alexander-Arnold are two of the best technically sound defender-cum-midfielders around and can cover numerous positions. Declan Rice; one of the best holding midfielders in the world. Harry Kane; England's all-time top scorer leads the line. Ollie Watkins is in brilliant form and just like Kane is equally good at shooting with his right and left foot.
Technically brilliant Cole Palmer and Jack Grealish can provide support across the attacking midfield line at any time. Jarrod Bowen, James Maddison, Rashford, Eze. Morgan Gibbs-White can't even get in the squad.
It's time to deliver.
England apparently had a golden generation that never achieved back in the mid 2000s. There's no denying there were some world class players such as Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes and Rooney, and maybe it's slightly unfair for me to shrug off their quality and focus more on today's standard of player with more advanced technology, diet, youth academies, training methods and all the rest of it.
But I just feel that technically, England can finally compete with countries who they never seemed to be able to compete with before. They have a generation who are able to set aside their club loyalty and egos when they join up at International level. Players that can play in different positions seamlessly. I believe they have a golden generation right now and they have these players in abundance, unlike in the mid-2000s where knock-it-past-you-and-run Stewart Downing would be on the left wing occasionally. Joe Cole was shoehorned out there too.
Saka is probably the best wide player in the world currently. Bellingham is probably the best advanced midfielder in the world. You could also make a case for Foden in both positions. John Stones and Trent-Alexander-Arnold are two of the best technically sound defender-cum-midfielders around and can cover numerous positions. Declan Rice; one of the best holding midfielders in the world. Harry Kane; England's all-time top scorer leads the line. Ollie Watkins is in brilliant form and just like Kane is equally good at shooting with his right and left foot.
Technically brilliant Cole Palmer and Jack Grealish can provide support across the attacking midfield line at any time. Jarrod Bowen, James Maddison, Rashford, Eze. Morgan Gibbs-White can't even get in the squad.
It's time to deliver.
Fitzcarraldo
Ian Storey-Moore
Hendo must have the sex tapes. WTAF is he doing in there?
Mr. Blonde
Jack Burkitt
Southgate doing Southgate things
Fitzcarraldo
Ian Storey-Moore
Even now, I think Carrick would do a better job. This speaks to the obvious dearth of that type of player available but, on the other hand, it speaks to the opportunity to change it up.
I think sticking Hendo in is a risk and has the potential to spoil the work and potential of others.
I think sticking Hendo in is a risk and has the potential to spoil the work and potential of others.
redtreeant
Viv Anderson
Sooner we get rid of twatgate the better, utter clown, will cost us trophies