The Official FIFA World Cup 2022 Megathread

[Johnny75]

I'd be more worried about who the next guy is. Think he needs to be British given the way the role has evolved with SGP and coaching development. I can't see who that candidate is, Potter a few months ago, but can't see him walking from Chelsea unless both he and them see it as a way out.

We do have time to sort this out. Could be that Southgate stays in the job until a successor is found.

I think it will be Howe as the Saudis won't care as they will just pay for Poch

 

[Tredman]

Who can blame him really, its been a very depressing place.

 

[Kenny]

Presume he met Lage and talked tactics that night

 

[Tredman]

Knew that fucker was to blame

 

[Tony Towner]

Presume he met Lage and talked tactics that night

Well that was the first 30 seconds covered with a tutorial in arm waving. What did he for the rest of the evening?

 

[White Wolf]

For all his faults I think Southgate should stay, particularly as the options to succeed him aren't the best.

Will a new manager, even one who is tactically more astute, maintain the same team cohesion and keep the media on side? For once England have been given a lot of patience but you could easily see the media saying new manager time to improve and deliver a trophy and piling the pressure on for the next Euros.

Potter obviously isn't going and I don't see why Eddie Howe would jump ship right now, he'll never get a bigger club job than he has right now you would think.

 

[Langers]

Southgate is the best man for the job IMO - would be disappointed if he stepped down as there's definitely progress being made.

 

[Kenny]

We do have time to sort this out. Could be that Southgate stays in the job until a successor is found.

I think it will be Howe as the Saudis won't care as they will just pay for Poch

We will give it to Stevie G (and then hope Mr Loyal wants to return to help to him out...)

 

[Tredman]

Having slept on it I'm not sure we'd end up with anyone better. At least Gaz has realised that he needs to let the team attack - Saturday wasn't another wasted game like Italy or Croatia in the last 2 tournaments

 

[Templeton Peck]

Since 66 the 4 European nations of similar size (Germany, Spain, France, Italy) have won:
Germany WC 3 EC 3
Italy WC 2 EC 2
Spain WC 1 EC 2
France WC 2 EC 2

In that same period English club sides have won 15 European cups/CL an average of 7-8 players in each side were English prior to it becoming the CL Man Utd 1999 had a strong core of English players 2 Neville’s,Scholes, Beckham, Cole, Sheringham.
Only 2 that low English representation was the Liverpool wins in 05 and 19 with only 2 in each.

I'm never sure how helpful it is looking at England with a grand sweep of history when these things come down to such tiny margins.

86 - Shocking handball decision, Lineker misses sitter
88 - we were just shit
90 - Better team on the night. Shilton awful for the freak deflection. Hit the post.
92 - Just shit again
96 - Gazza millimetres away. Fairly even game against an average Germany
98 - Beckham sending off, very even game
00 - just shit again
02 - lost to better team
04 - Would have won tournament if Rooney had stayed fit. He was that good at the time. Sven conservatism fucked us
06 - Rooney sending off, better team on the day
10 - just shit again despite Lampard non-goal
12 - Shit team but only out on pens
14 - Shit team. Not as good as Uruguay and Italy
16 - Shit team. Should be beating Iceland though
18 - 4th. Over achieved with average squad
20 - 2nd. Southgate conservatism cost us

I'd say the only times we really underachieved was during the Sven era because he played 90s 442 and tried to shoehorn celebrity players into the team. Also 2016 as despite having a shallow talent pool at the time there is never an excuse for losing to Iceland.

 

[Lycan]

He's got a really young group who seem to like him and have largely performed well for him. Don't see any reason to get rid just because England lost to the best team in the tournament.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Having slept on it I'm not sure we'd end up with anyone better. At least Gaz has realised that he needs to let the team attack - Saturday wasn't another wasted game like Italy or Croatia in the last 2 tournaments

You don't need to look too far from home to see where ditching a manager who has achieved more than any of his predecessors in 40+ years and appointing someone of dubious quality because "we need to change things" can get you.

 

[White Wolf]

You don't need to look too far from home to see where ditching a manager who has achieved more than any of his predecessors in 40+ years and appointing someone of dubious quality because "we need to change things" can get you.

Let's not also forget who the FA actually chose as their man for the 2018 World Cup either. I wouldn't trust the FA with finding a good coach, even in the youth setup they stuck with Boothroyd for years.

 

[YoungWolf]

Yeah, they actually appointed Allardyce for this crop of players!!

 

[Wolf Hunting]

No, when arseholes come on here talkng the piss, just like they did 4 years ago then they deserve to be called exactly that. T3ch is an arsehole and can fuck off with Mark

Well, I think that's a bit uncalled for.
There are many who display a shocking attitude and shout fairly acidic abuse at any number of people on here, fairly frequently.
Those two guys are well able to write articulate and entertaining posts any time they like.
So what if they're running against the grain of an emotive string of opinion.
Are there some faint unwritten rules being broken here?
It's an opinion and this is a forum, wind it in a bit Tony.

 

[Jinky]

Who can blame him really, its been a very depressing place.

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It's a shame that we've been name-checked in there. Whilst I appreciate the fans in the ground had every right to voice their opinion, and the performance on the night losing 4-0 to Hungary was always going to have a bad reaction, I'm pretty sure this is also why Molineux isn't on the list of grounds in the bid for Euro 2028.

As for England's "record" against elite teams - you can look at the results on paper all you like; but I choose to use the eye test instead, and it's obvious to anyone with eyes, that we've improved massively on the pitch over the last 2-3 tournaments, and we've got a really talented group of players now. Southgate has been responsible for bringing those players together and is also responsible for getting fans back interested in the national team again (despite people saying otherwise in this thread). I remember a period where I just had no interest in England at all, and now I do. Southgate is largely responsible for that.

I think he's realised he's got to "let the handbrake off" and has done this to an extent, whilst trying to keep us tight at the back - and I really do feel like we were the better side v France. My view has flipped after this tournament and I'd like him to stay on. I'm surprised to see how many people would be happy to see him go (generally, not just on here), given the absolute dirge in potential replacements.

 

[Templeton Peck]

We've long had the enthusiasm and infrastructure. The advantage we have over previous years is that our coaching and facilities have finally caught up. We're already starting to see a huge amount of talent coming through. I think cultural diversity is also helping too. Southgate has made great progress in managing the mental health side of playing for England and I don't think that will go backwards.

We'll win something soon I'm sure. But we'll need a bit of luck too.

 

[EpsomWolf]

Southgate is the best man for the job IMO - would be disappointed if he stepped down as there's definitely progress being made.

Progress definitely ‘has’ been made, although not so sure progress ‘is’ being made.

The barometer for an England manager is ultimately tournament wins and Southgate has the same as (almost) everyone else.

There’s always a chance we could regress with a change, but do think Southgate shown by now he’s not going to get us across the line. A punt on another guy or a punt that Southgate will miraculously find killer touch he’s not found yet.

There’s a fair argument both ways, but for me it’s a ‘thanks for the memories and all the best Gareth’.

 

[jd1981]

Yep it’s not as if the FA have a great track record for recruiting managers.
Southgate’s tournament record where it counts reads

W 12 D2 L5 2 of those one a dead rubber and the other the pointless play off. GF 36 GA 15.
Sven who had 3 cracks at it W7 D3 L4 GF23 GA11

In the last 20 years the FA deemed Steve McLaren and Big Sam as the best candidates for the job.
I’m a big Southgate critic tactically but you can’t deny he’s built a good atmosphere for the players to thrive in sometimes that’s a huge part of the battle especially dealing with top level players.
In 2016 England we were a figure of fun who it was fashionable to poke fun at.
Now we’re taken a bit more seriously at the very least.

 

[Johnny75]

Personally I think Pep Guardiola has done more for the current England team than anybody else.