Original Dub wrote:blues-clues wrote:Aren't we in the middle ground now - we got to the semi - clearly we are not shit. Anyone who thought we were top of the world was delusional. We did better than expected - we did better than Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Germany... but would we have beaten any of them?
I'd say most people expected you to beat Columbia and Sweden mate?
In answer to the above post, where it's questioned whether Deschamps is a great manager... you don't have to be a great manager to win the world cup. If you have a very good group of players who play top flight football, you just need to make sure there is harmony, shape, players playing in their best position and the right subs at the right time.
Southgate created harmony by all accounts.
And that's all.
His substitutions were cowardly and predictable. He played the whole team around Trippier, which meant pushing Sterling and Walker out of position. He changed tactics at the first sign of a setback.
I don't even know why I'm debating this tbh, it's Gareth fucking Southgate.
You've a great young team and you need a fearless manager who will keep the harmony and also do the football manager stuff. Get Eddie Howe in ASAP and you will be contenders for both the Euros and the next World Cup IMO.
Absolutely spot on. Southgate dropped a massive bollock last night, because he's tactically inept really.
Sterling should not have come off, the only player on the pitch who worried the defenders. Rashford was so fucking shit it was untrue, constantly running down the blindest of alleys, losing the ball possibly every time? Vardy didn't touch the ball (as per in an England shirt), Rose was ok but an obvious decision, and Dier just isn't a good footballer.
Alli has been unfit/shit all WC, and last night it was obvious, even before Croatia scored, that he was out on his feet. They were dominating the Alli/Young flank, and a change was needed. RLC, or especially Delph, would've added the energy needed to get out to the overlapping full back, glaringly obvious to anyone watching, instead Alli plays 120 minutes, bringing fuck all to the game.
Henderson is utter garbage, the amount of aimless 30 yard punts up field when we needed to just conserve energy with a bit of possession was unreal.
The team we have is a solid one, but we'll get nowhere without a player who wants the ball and is comfortable on it, ala Modric. They don't come around everyday, Foden could be one, but who knows.