jd1981
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Southgate has had six years to work a method of getting us up the pitch when under pressure but we’re as bad at it now as we were in 2018. We may as just leave Saka up wide and go long over the top to him as at least we’d be in a better position territorially and then try and pin the opposition back.
We need a player in the midfield just to receive the ball and knit the play together and Wharton looked like he could do that in the bits I’ve seen of him but he’s not getting a look in.
I agree we can still go far though but it will be quite turgid stuff rather than tearing sides apart with free flowing football.
We’ve been very good at beating lesser nations but quite average against the better sides and I don’t see that changing whilst Southgate is still in charge.
I think some England fans like to think we’re in the elite group of European power houses with France, Germany, Spain & Italy but were absolutely not. We’re very much the tier below with Portugal, Netherlands, Croatia, Belgium, Czechia and Denmark.
Countries that either have 1 big success or have come close.
You’re right we’re very good at disposing of inferior opponents it’s why we generally always qualify and often reach the knockout stages. This is where the mental blocks and tactical ineptitude kicks in.
We’ve never beaten any of the European power houses or Brazil and Argentina outside of England in a knockout game.
Since winning the WC in 66 our knock out wins have been.
1986 W 3-0 v Paraguay
1990 W 1-0 v Belgium, W 3-2 v Cameroon
1996 (in England) 0-0 v Spain won on pens
2002 W 3-0 v Denmark
2006 W 1-0 v Ecuador
2018 1-1 v Colombia won pens, 2-0 v Sweden
2021 2-0 v Germany (in England) 4-0 v Ukraine, 2-1 v Denmark (in England)
2022 3-0 v Senegal
Don’t think it’s an English mental thing big example being the rugby side more often than not go deep at world cups and often beat big nations in knockouts. 1995 beat Australia, 2003 beat France and Australia, same again 4 years later and 2019 beat Australia and New Zealand.