The Road To Germany 2024

[Wolftone]

It's all ok anyway, we've got the Rooney documentary on next to cheer us up. Sure that will be uplifting and enlightening

 

[Tony Towner]

Tells you who’s not up to it

It really doesn't. They play against better opposition week in, week out. Much more to it than the binary they aren't up to it

 

[jd1981]

It really doesn't. They play against better opposition week in, week out. Much more to it than the binary they aren't up to it

Nor is it binary as they play in different systems and philosophy at club level, need to view whether they fit in to how you want to set up.
If it was pointless you’d play your best possible 11 every game just to get results.

 

[Templeton Peck]

Plenty of England players haven't been up to it at international level despite being excellent domestically.

Barnes
Gerrard
Lampard
Andy Cole
Ian Wright
Fowler
Martyn
Scholes
Kevin Philips

 

[Tony Towner]

Plenty of England players haven't been up to it at international level despite being excellent domestically.

Barnes
Gerrard
Lampard
Andy Cole
Ian Wright
Fowler
Martyn
Scholes
Kevin Philips

Half of those on your list are pure comedy

 

[jd1981]

The Southgate out brigade are out in force tonight. The “it’s boring” “we’re to safe” “he’s clueless” blah blah.
Since September the 2 games that all England fans would’ve wanted him to win he has and did it very positively. Comfortably disposed of Scotland at Hampden and blew Italy away second half at Wembley. Unbeaten all year, ultimately if he fucks up next summer that’ll be the lasting memory for most.
Never known so much confirmation bias around one manager and side than this England side under Southgate.
People always quick to pluck out the poor stuff but omit the good stuff.
People criticise him for 2018 and the SF defeat, that’s about as far as we could’ve gone with the side we had.
2021 penalty kicks between him and probably going down in history, 2022 better side in the QF and a crap penalty from ET.
Unfortunately as an international manager you get 1 trophy every 2 years to go for unlike your club counterparts that have 3-4 trophies a season to aim at.

 

[jd1981]

Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes were more than good enough at international level probably just didn’t reach the heights we wanted them to and poor set up by the likes of Sven etc
Andy Cole 15 caps and played fleeting appearances so could never establish himself.
Same for wright and Fowler struggled to get a regular game due to the traffic in front of them.

 

[Tony Towner]

Dive for me, but absolutely gets given against Wolves

https://twitter.com/x/status/1726731654113206644

 

[Lupo]

Dive for me, but absolutely gets given against Wolves

https://twitter.com/x/status/1726731654113206644

Was watching the game, my heart was in my mouth when this happened in injury time

 

[AndyWolves]

Dive for me, but absolutely gets given against Wolves

https://twitter.com/x/status/1726731654113206644

I haven't watched back any of THAT game, but feels very similar to dendonckers foul.

 

[Lupo]

 

[PuntsWolf]

Dive for me, but absolutely gets given against Wolves

https://twitter.com/x/status/1726731654113206644

I always think, like with Kane’s, where else was he going to put his foot? Doesn’t look too disimilar to a natural running stride but for sure he is looking for it.

There’s so much of it about now IFAB probably need to come out with a dedicated rule/explanation like they did with handball! If there is any evidence that your position is “unnatural”, ergo looking for it, then it doesn’t get given. Only way to stamp it out. FWIW I think both Kane and Mudryk get fouled if they don’t look for it, but they did so…

 

[Johnny75]

The Southgate out brigade are out in force tonight. The “it’s boring” “we’re to safe” “he’s clueless” blah blah.
Since September the 2 games that all England fans would’ve wanted him to win he has and did it very positively. Comfortably disposed of Scotland at Hampden and blew Italy away second half at Wembley. Unbeaten all year, ultimately if he fucks up next summer that’ll be the lasting memory for most.
Never known so much confirmation bias around one manager and side than this England side under Southgate.
People always quick to pluck out the poor stuff but omit the good stuff.
People criticise him for 2018 and the SF defeat, that’s about as far as we could’ve gone with the side we had.
2021 penalty kicks between him and probably going down in history, 2022 better side in the QF and a crap penalty from ET.
Unfortunately as an international manager you get 1 trophy every 2 years to go for unlike your club counterparts that have 3-4 trophies a season to aim at.

Hell be known for getting to and bottling a final he was ahead in. Which is harsh but accurate.

He certainly has invigorated an England set-up and played some really good stuff along the way

The talent he has at his disposal and the current team he's choosing is showing he's run out of steam, which is understandable. Who we replace him with is a difficult one.

 

[Tony Towner]

Alongside France we have the best group of players at the upcoming tournament, maybe even the best player in the world season to date. We are too good for a plucky defeat to be acceptable now. That's both a compliment to and a criticism of Southgate

 

[Templeton Peck]

Half of those on your list are pure comedy

Who of those listed excelled for England then?

 

[Tony Towner]

Who of those listed excelled for England then?

You didn't say excelled, you said haven't been up to it. Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes were all good players for England and all won the player of the season vote by fans at some point.

 

[Templeton Peck]

Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes were more than good enough at international level probably just didn’t reach the heights we wanted them to and poor set up by the likes of Sven etc
Andy Cole 15 caps and played fleeting appearances so could never establish himself.
Same for wright and Fowler struggled to get a regular game due to the traffic in front of them.

You can count the good games Gerrard and Lampard had on two hands. Mainly against the likes of Latvia too. Similar with Scholes.

Cole, Wright and Fowler never looked remotely good enough. It happens.

 

[Alan]

Wasn’t one of the issues with Gerrard and Lampard that they couldn’t play in midfield together effectively, but the managers kept trying it anyway?

 

[Tony Towner]

Wasn’t one of the issues with Gerrard and Lampard that they couldn’t play in midfield together effectively, but the managers kept trying it anyway?

The biggest issue with that team was they all hated each other. That was a product of that imo

 

[Templeton Peck]

Wasn’t one of the issues with Gerrard and Lampard that they couldn’t play in midfield together effectively, but the managers kept trying it anyway?

Yep. That's my point though. Plenty of good players don't produce for England. For a variety of reasons