The Official England Thread- The Team We All Support [Vol 3]

[48k]

type-r said:

48k said:

England facing Slovakia in the round of 16 as things currently stand.

The Gods just keep on smiling down on Southgate.

I think I'd rather we played the Dutch TBH - we need a team to come at us. If Slovakia take a leaf out of Serbia's book and realise the way to stymie England is to play a low block then it's going to be another bore fest that we will struggle to overcome. If a team comes out and plays attacking football we'll have space to exploit.

[type-r]

48k said:

type-r said:

48k said:

England facing Slovakia in the round of 16 as things currently stand.

The Gods just keep on smiling down on Southgate.

I think I'd rather we played the Dutch TBH - we need a team to come at us. If Slovakia take a leaf out of Serbia's book and realise the way to stymie England is to play a low block then it's going to be another bore fest that we will struggle to overcome. If a team comes out and plays attacking football we'll have space to exploit.

It's a double edged sword. Any team that finally does come at us will expose our weak defence, which up until this point has been under zero pressure. I know it's not what no one wants but despite all the crticism and negativity, I do believe people want England to go all the way. Of course the style with which we progress is an important but any team setting up for the low block unfortunately will create for a boring game. Southgate being flexible enough to change things to create more space and opportunities in behind is another matter entirely. From the small cameos we saw when the subs came on, should point to changes but we all know Southgate won't.

[Shappers24]

Pitre said:

Much as I'd hate it, we need to go a goal down in the early part of the game. It might actually kick them into life and generate some threat and adventure.

I remember saying exactly this about England during the Sven days. They always seemed to play better when there was some jeopardy involved. Take an early lead and would coast the games.

Not sure avoiding the Netherlands is going to do any favours. If Slovakia are well drilled and sit deep, we’ll struggle to break them down. I can see a dull 0-0 with a penalty shoot out on the cards….

[Murph7355]

Shappers24 said:

I remember saying exactly this about England during the Sven days. They always seemed to play better when there was some jeopardy involved. Take an early lead and would coast the games.

Not sure avoiding the Netherlands is going to do any favours. If Slovakia are well drilled and sit deep, we’ll struggle to break them down. I can see a dull 0-0 with a penalty shoot out on the cards….

Ditto.

[aeropilot]

Shappers24 said:

Not sure avoiding the Netherlands is going to do any favours. If Slovakia are well drilled and sit deep, we’ll struggle to break them down. I can see a dull 0-0 with a penalty shoot out on the cards….

Yep.

Southgate will have a 0-0, ET and pens plan in place already.

I'm glad I have something better to do on Sunday.

[Legacywr]

I predeict that, England will step up in the knock out games, they always seem to do this.

[GloverMart]

As someone that was brought up in England with Scottish grandparents and feeling more Scot than Anglo, I'm obviously sad Scotland have gone home, deservedly so of course as their performances warranted it.

Sunday night, I might just end up going out for a walk or something as I find the England games so dreadfully boring these days. Went to bed at half time of the Slovenia game; while I was tired after a 5.30am start, nowadays I don't fight the tiredness even if England are on. Feel like I'd won at life when I saw the score the following morning.

And thats from someone that absolutely loves their football and goes to 100 matches a season at least at all levels.

[S600BSB]

Legacywr said:

I predeict that, England will step up in the knock out games, they always seem to do this.

Of course they will! Bring it home boys.

[acer12]

Couldnt have asked for a better set of games. Hopefully the next few games will allow players to find form and push on. Its coming home

[Speed 3]

Well Gareth if you don't get us to the Final as minimum with that pathway consider yourself a failure. No excuses.

[Muzzer79]

Legacywr said:

I predeict that, England will step up in the knock out games, they always seem to do this.

What normally happens is that, faced with superior opposition, England will wake up and start playing a bit better in the knock out phases.

However, Slovakia aren't a top side so there's just as much chance that we'll continue sleeping and it'll be laboured.

Scary version?

2016 Euros - England play Iceland. England take the lead after 4 minutes but Iceland equalise after England can't capitalise on their lead.

Sound familiar?

Iceland, a nation of less than 500,000 people, eventually win 2-1.

Roy Hodgson was manager at the time and was criticised for England having a muddled system in the run up to the tournament with constant changes of personnel and lack of influence on the game. He was then criticised for waiting too long to make changes in the game in a bid to influence the result.

Sound familiar?

Slovakia, lest we forget, beat Belgium in their first game.

[TEKNOPUG]

"we all know how it ends, we just want to feel something in the meantime....."

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/...

[epom]

Shadow boxing out of the way.. time for England to go all Tyson Fury.

[Flip Martian]

The England manager has been criticised and pilloried almost without exception for as long as I can remember, which is as far back as the last couple of years of Ramsey's reign. Nothing is ever good enough. Ever. Even if they win this tournament the manager will barely get any praise in most circles - it will be the players who win it, "despite the crap manager" and not because of.

No doubt the people who take on the job have thick skins and ignore most public opinion but it really is a good thing it pays well.

[redrabbit29]

England fans are often described as arrogant. The last week or two nicely demonstrates why this is completely true.

Social media is full of endless mocking of Gareth Southgate and the England team. I'm talking about memes, jokes, gifs, mocked up videos, etc. (Some are funny tbf).

We have many, including some "official accounts" talking about what may be our route to the final, and who they'd prefer in the Semi-Final.

The England team haven't performed well, it's been pretty poor and boring. But they've still topped the group, they've still got through, they're still finding their feet.

Year-after-year this kind of thing has happened. It goes right back to my childhood when the media would just pounce on players, and now it's social media.

Then we have boo'ing and things being thrown at Gareth Southgate on the pitch after their last game.

England fans deserve nothing but another quick exit from a competition, a new manager, and then another decade of moaning about them being incompetent.

[TEKNOPUG]

Flip Martian said:

The England manager has been criticised and pilloried almost without exception for as long as I can remember, which is as far back as the last couple of years of Ramsey's reign. Nothing is ever good enough. Ever. Even if they win this tournament the manager will barely get any praise in most circles - it will be the players who win it, "despite the crap manager" and not because of.

No doubt the people who take on the job have thick skins and ignore most public opinion but it really is a good thing it pays well.

I hear that the Spanish, Brazilian and Argentinian media are like a warm cuddle to the national manager, through thick & thin. Must be why they win tournaments so often....

[coldel]

I would disagree

There has always been good support for the England manager, of course there are moments when fans turn, but thats pretty much what you expect in football at national or club level. Southgate waistcoats were all the rage for a while we gave him all the backing he needed. The open attacking play that got us to a semi final in his first tournament he was lauded even though we got knocked out.

There is of course a difference in level of expectation, I dont expect my club team to win anything, but England, we would like to think they are in with a shout given the riches in players at their disposal.

What we are seeing here though is not some marginal players not getting games and only that players club support being partisan in their favour, there is widespread observations by the fan base that Southgates limitations are being exposed, the lack of cohesion in the team, the lack of proper build up to the tournament, players repeatedly played out of position, the condemnation is universal we ALL see the same issues.

And before saying we won the group, we won it, the easiest group, on 5 points, Ukraine finished bottom of theirs on 4.

[Xenoous]

I love all of the optimism. I wish I could be. We've been here tournament after tournament. It's slow, sideways football that lacks any creativity. We haven't produced anything of note in 3 games, aside from Foden with a couple of half decent shots. He's even managed to turn Bellingham into a potato.

Bring on Sunday!

[aeropilot]

TEKNOPUG said:

Flip Martian said:

The England manager has been criticised and pilloried almost without exception for as long as I can remember, which is as far back as the last couple of years of Ramsey's reign. Nothing is ever good enough. Ever. Even if they win this tournament the manager will barely get any praise in most circles - it will be the players who win it, "despite the crap manager" and not because of.

No doubt the people who take on the job have thick skins and ignore most public opinion but it really is a good thing it pays well.

I hear that the Spanish, Brazilian and Argentinian media are like a warm cuddle to the national manager, through thick & thin. Must be why they win tournaments so often....

Yeah, there's a recent interview on BBC website with Cesc Fabrigas about this, and he said, the England players and manager gets a much easier ride in the press (even the recent stuff) than the national team players/coach does in Spain, where they are far more critical and vociforous.

[coldel]

Yep I see the Spanish and Italian press are relentless with their criticisms!
England get it easy in comparison.