No Henderson in the provisional squad 

I'd prefer to be still in it than out 

I'd prefer we had a playing style that was worth watching.

It seems the latter is impossible whilst we aren't confident enough to use our talent in a creative format & Southgate has no intention of changing that.

Ah well. It's been 58 years since we won anything ... I don't count the wimmin.

I’ve called him out this tournament for some of his decisions, but come on this deserves some acknowledgment and appreciation:

“England have now reached their third major tournament semi-final under Southgate's management.”

Years ago we had McLaren and Taylor who failed to even get us qualified for the Euros/World cup.

We’ve had countless underachievers and failures who don’t even come close to achieving what Southgate has.

I think he’ll go after this tournament. Surely no Englishman would want anything other than him going out as  a major trophy winner.

Like it or not, those boys love playing for him and its a motivating factor to do it for him.

It is never down to one player but Kane has been terrible. It is admirable that he helps out at the back but he is doing nothing up front. 
 

Would be a massive call to drop the captain but it is crying out for it. 
 

Others players to have a poor tutnament would include IMO Walker, Foden and Rice. Could not believe how good the BBC panel thought we were first half. 

1 hour ago, zurichwhite said:

France is the most easterly country left

 

Their overseas territories are classed as 'France' too in certain quarters, so it could be argued they are the most westerly - Martinique/Guadaloupe and southerly - Reunion.

Fact obtained from Retard Radio

Edited July 7, 20242 yr by Barnstoneworth White
Additional info

8 hours ago, jmjhb said:

Don't really disagree. There does seem to be a system-based rigidity which leads to moments of individual quality being few and far between. Ironically, when they do happen (Bellingham, Saka) it makes the difference.

So true but these rigid systems are so boring to watch and for me stifle the ability of the really talented players. It is hopefully just a phase before coaches realise it’s shit and bin it.

1 hour ago, Ani said:

It is never down to one player but Kane has been terrible. It is admirable that he helps out at the back but he is doing nothing up front. 
 

Would be a massive call to drop the captain but it is crying out for it. 
 

Others players to have a poor tutnament would include IMO Walker, Foden and Rice. Could not believe how good the BBC panel thought we were first half. 

We'd be a better team without him. 

We have a striker who's incapable of making runs. 

Through to the semis though

 

 

11 hours ago, Adlington Trotter said:

Hope the Dutch beat Turkey. Its time for our long overdue revenge on Koeman for 1993.

Think Euro 96 did that 

1 hour ago, Ani said:

It is never down to one player but Kane has been terrible. It is admirable that he helps out at the back but he is doing nothing up front. 
 

Would be a massive call to drop the captain but it is crying out for it. 

I thought about posting similar yesterday, but didn't because I think it's almost certainly a non-starter

The credit for continually qualifying is a valid one, but I think the point about three consecutive semi-finals is a bit of a red herring

Progress in tournament football cam be heavily dependent on the draw and it's undeniable Southgate's been fortunate in that regard

The same applies to our relative success in Italia 90 under Robson

2 hours ago, desperado said:

Like it or not, those boys love playing for him and its a motivating factor to do it for him.

The ones playing do. That's how it works.

Though I'd not mind hearing Foden's view after GS has exited.

7 minutes ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

The ones playing do. That's how it works.

Though I'd not mind hearing Foden's view after GS has exited.

Interviewed him before the game yesterday, and yes I get that even if he thought he was shit and a boring twat, he’d tie a party line, but he was praiseworthy of him and actually said that he deserves to win a trophy for what he has done for England:

“I feel we want to win for him [Gareth Southgate] and for the big occasion that it is."

I can't stand this

Have one design for the whole tournament, you money-grabbing bastards

Did we stick in a 343 the whole game yesterday? Or when we went behind did it switch back to 4231? I can't see it on reports and I lost interest at half time and just popped back in when I heard goals and for the shootout.

24 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

The credit for continually qualifying is a valid one, but I think the point about three consecutive semi-finals is a bit of a red herring

Progress in tournament football cam be heavily dependent on the draw and it's undeniable Southgate's been fortunate in that regard

The same applies to our relative success in Italia 90 under Robson

I think luck and fortune will always follow the best managers (not that I’m saying Gareth is…… yet) 

Fergusons “Robins moment” as he was about to get potted.

Ramsay throwing in Hurst after Greaves got injured. 

It’s what you do with the fortune or opportunity that presents itself. 

The argument with Gareth is that perhaps he’s not made the most of his “opportunities”…… yet

But that could change in the next week…

11 hours ago, Marc505 said:

That game at Sunderland felt unhinged and I only saw it on telly.

A proper pressure qualifier but played away from Wembley, made it into a club style game. Lads in Aquascutum caps on the pitch after we scored. That doesn't happen with England games 😂

England v Finland qualifier at Anfield was probably the moodiest game I've ever been too before, during and after, and not a Finland fan in sight

11 hours ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

There's a lot in this imo

 

I've said the same many times, it's never been easier to be a professional footballer 

Run a lot and press you'll make a decent career 

No superstars anymore either 

14 hours ago, wiggy said:

Southgate says we played well and caused them all sorts of problems.

Where Have We Heard That Before 

 

1 hour ago, desperado said:

Interviewed him before the game yesterday, and yes I get that even if he thought he was shit and a boring twat, he’d tie a party line, but he was praiseworthy of him and actually said that he deserves to win a trophy for what he has done for England:

“I feel we want to win for him [Gareth Southgate] and for the big occasion that it is."

Do you think he's going to say "the rat-faced twat keeps playing me in the wrong position & it pisses me off" ?

2 hours ago, Barnstoneworth White said:

Their overseas territories are classed as 'France' too in certain quarters, so it could be argued they are the most westerly - Martinique/Guadaloupe and southerly - Reunion.

Fact obtained from Retard Radio

Curacao and Aruba are far more westerly than Martinique and Guadaloupe though and they're Dutch overseas territories.

The Dutch would have had the eastern thing nailed too if they hadn't given Indonesia etc independence after the war.

But British overseas territories like the Cayman Islands top both Holland and France - although they are not English overseas territories.

Pitcairn is in the Pacific and British Antarctic Territory is where you'd expect it to be.

Edited July 7, 20242 yr by Wanderlust

4 minutes ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

Do you think he's going to say "the rat-faced twat keeps playing me in the wrong position & it pisses me off" ?

No…….which is why I said…

and yes I get that even if he thought he was shit and a boring twat, he’d tie a party line

 

12 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

Curacao and Aruba are far more westerly than Martinique and Guadaloupe though and they're Dutch overseas territories.

The Dutch would have had the eastern thing nailed too if they hadn't given Indonesia etc independence after the war.

But British overseas territories like the Cayman Islands top both Holland and France - although they are not English overseas territories.

Pitcairn is in the Pacific and British Antarctic Territory is where you'd expect it to be.

Martinique and Guadeloupe are considered an integral part of France and can vote in French elections

I don't think the same is true of the British and Dutch overseas territories

I'm giving this one to Retard radio

5 hours ago, bolty58 said:

Living close to an Ajax fan at present. "Over the moon" to be playing us rather than Switzerland. Reckons the Swiss can score and we can't.

I'm still in the predicament. Seeing us finally lifting another international trophy against seeing Southgate being placed on a pedestal with the late, great Sir Alf Ramsey.

I think the answer to that is to enjoy the victories (if not the flat performances) and not to place the manager on a pedestal.  If France or Holland win the tournament I won't be putting Deschamps or Koeman on a pedestal, they'd be rightly congratulated but nobody is fooled into thinking getting through against average opponents is testament to being a great manager. 

All 3 have under performed and scraped through against average opponents IMO (Weghorst up front 😀) and its possible 2 of the 3 will be in the final by scoring some penalties, we can all enjoy it as fans but there's an argument its despite the managers not because of. 

1 hour ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

The credit for continually qualifying is a valid one, but I think the point about three consecutive semi-finals is a bit of a red herring

Progress in tournament football cam be heavily dependent on the draw and it's undeniable Southgate's been fortunate in that regard

The same applies to our relative success in Italia 90 under Robson

The thing thrown at Southgate has always been that if we play a heavyweight team in a knockout match overseas we don't win.  Its great that we're in the semi again but the question of how we play against a better side hasn't been addressed yet.  95% or whatever of other teams get to test themselves against a top team during qualifying for tournaments.  Then if they do get through they face a top seeded team in the group stages of the tournament, we never do. 

We rarely get to play one before the semi (last WC we lost in Q-Fs to France but if we'd played Switzerland we would have probably progressed to the semi and GS would have 4 under his belt instead of 3).

As an England fan, its great, can't wait for the semi.  But to laud Southgate for getting this talented group of players to scrape past Slovenia and Switzerland is over the top IMO (1 game and 4 draws in 90 minutes against average opposition).  Each to their own but I won't be judging the England manager whoever he is on the games played so far, more questions than answers.