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Southgate: Episode IV - A New Hope


Rob1981
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4 minutes ago, Baptista_8 said:

All becomes a pointless discussion though don't it cos we all know Southgate won't change it.

I mean, it’s a message board. Pretty sure wasting one’s time is just about the only point really.

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2 minutes ago, XuluBak said:

I mean, it’s a message board. Pretty sure wasting one’s time is just about the only point really.

 

Just now, Smallen said:

let me tell you something about posting anything on a niche subforum in a deep corner of the internet…

Carry on, don't mind me :D

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3 hours ago, XuluBak said:

I mean, it’s a message board. Pretty sure wasting one’s time is just about the only point really.

 

3 hours ago, Smallen said:

let me tell you something about posting anything on a niche subforum in a deep corner of the internet…

That’s not true at all. Rob’s assured me that Southgate only dropped Phillips, Henderson and Maguire and is starting Foden because we made him. 

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Nobody's going to completely change the formation in the knockout stages of a major tournament.

Even in club football where you have more time managers usually just choose their favored formation and largely stick with it with a few tweaks here and there.

So the best we can hope for is Southgate moving/dropping Foden but he's not even going to do that. Expect Konsa for Guehi and that's probably it.

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8 hours ago, Vynal Seven said:

Rob’s assured me that Southgate only dropped Phillips, Henderson and Maguire and is starting Foden because we made him. 

:D 

I think he MIGHT have reacted to some of the outside noise around the squad selection. I’m not holding OTF solely responsible.

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Agreed with the above posts about not expecting changes to things now. He will start the exact same team except for suspensions (Guehi) and possible injuries (Trippier). Anything else he does change is a bonus.

I do think yesterdays games were notable though. The only favourite team that has truly impressed so far is Spain. They look fluid and well organised. Germany look decent too, and of course Austria seem to be punching above their weight. But the rest of the teams touted for success are also having similar struggles. 

Italy - terrible, now out. 

Portugal - also couldn't score against Slovenia, didn't look great.

France - still not scored in open play apart from an OG, struggling to get things working.

Belgium - bad, now out.

Netherland - not looking great either.

I still think we have looked pretty bad, but I'm more optimistic that we could actually get somewhere in this tournament, as other teams have similar struggles and the competition isn't exactly thrilling. It is still depressing to watch, and I'm convinced Southgate has had his time and we need change for the future.

If anything this has just sharpened the focus on how much worse international football is compared to club, the majority of games really are pretty dull affairs.

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8 minutes ago, Heartwork said:

Guéhi did his shoulder during the game apparently and needed painkiller injections at HT to get through the game. So could be a doubt for Saturday.

Yeah he's suspended but this was also why he was unable to get back quickly for the Slovakia goal, though no one seemed to notice that and just criticised him...

Edited by VP.
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12 minutes ago, VP. said:

Yeah he's suspended but this was also why he was unable to get back quickly for the Slovakia goal, though no one seemed to notice that and just criticised him...

Criticism was neither him nor Stones took control. Only they both know who was at fault.

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7 minutes ago, TalkSport said:

Criticism was neither him nor Stones took control. Only they both know who was at fault.

Guehi got pleny of criticism in here for not tracking the runner, when he was struggling to run himself. Stones goes to challenge for the ball, then decides not to and then allows the player all the time in the world to play the pass through.

Edited by VP.
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He's done what's he's had to do, but hardly been challenged much. Been one of our better players, but that doesn't mean anything.

Positioning and defensively hes obviously very good, but im not impressed with him on the ball. He never looks confident, takes far too long to pick a pass, too hesitant and too slow.  

Makes me long for Harry Maguire's ability to pass through the lines and progress with the ball. 

Not all his fault, the shape is obviously all over the place, but when you touch the ball over 50-70 times in every game so far and all you've got to show for it are passes backwards and sideways, I wouldn't say that was that particularly good.

 

Edited by Bliss Seeker
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1 hour ago, Bliss Seeker said:

He's done what's he's had to do, but hardly been challenged much. Been one of our better players, but that doesn't mean anything.

Positioning and defensively hes obviously very good, but im not impressed with him on the ball. He never looks confident, takes far too long to pick a pass, too hesitant and too slow.  

Makes me long for Harry Maguire's ability to pass through the lines and progress with the ball. 

Not all his fault, the shape is obviously all over the place, but when you touch the ball over 50-70 times in every game so far and all you've got to show for it are passes backwards and sideways, I wouldn't say that was that particularly good.

I miss Maguire's passing through the lines as well. We've not seen anywhere near enough of that from anyone!

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4 hours ago, Rob1981 said:

OPTA have it slightly differently. Giving us more of a chance.

 

England has the highest chances to reach the final but will be outsiders against any of the other 4. 

 

The other side is plain crazy, but I don't see how Spain are favorites against hosts Germany. It should be a 50-50 affair. And neither that side is going to be favorites against France. Portugal are the outsiders but apart from the CR7-has-to-score fetish, they look like the most composed team of the tournament. Whoever gets to the final from that path will probably have muscle injuries to worry about, fatigue and potential injuries.

England's job is quite easy, the Slovakia game should be a boost based on how it ended rather than a warning bell based on how it went till the equalizer. Momentum for England and I think England beats Switzerland easily, something like 3-0, then Turkey might sneak into the semis who won't pose as much of a threat.

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1 hour ago, arenaross said:

Imagine if a time traveller went back to the last Euros or even the last World Cup and explained that Southgate has responded to calls to use alternatives to out of form Rashford, Sterling, Phillips and Maguire with terrible consequences for ball progression and attacking options, everyone's furious with the possession-oriented 4-2-3-1 that gives Foden and Bellingham freedom to drift around creating stuff, but now Gareth is considering a back three with Saka at left wingback against Switzerland, many fans are relieved :D 

Edited by enigmatic
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Sounds like a ploy to get Rice and Mainoo and Gallagher all into the same midfield.

Wingbacks won’t seem so exciting when we are camped on the edge of our box defending a 1-0 lead and Kane and Bellingham are seventy yards upfield with nobody else anywhere near them.

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22 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

Sounds like a ploy to get Rice and Mainoo and Gallagher all into the same midfield.

Wingbacks won’t seem so exciting when we are camped on the edge of our box defending a 1-0 lead and Kane and Bellingham are seventy yards upfield with nobody else anywhere near them.

You weren't moaning when our 7-0-3 saw off Germany ;)

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4 minutes ago, Baptista_8 said:

He can pass through the lines

Although not without a couple of qualities he's not really a miss; not particularly special at passing; and should honestly be considered as highly doubtful in his ability to have made England look better at this tournament. 

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7 hours ago, Robson 07 said:

Although not without a couple of qualities he's not really a miss; not particularly special at passing; and should honestly be considered as highly doubtful in his ability to have made England look better at this tournament. 

Can't say I disagree, but I would like to see just one or two passes through the lines from us from someone.

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9 hours ago, Rob1981 said:

Sounds like a ploy to get Rice and Mainoo and Gallagher all into the same midfield.

Wingbacks won’t seem so exciting when we are camped on the edge of our box defending a 1-0 lead and Kane and Bellingham are seventy yards upfield with nobody else anywhere near them.

Kane being 70 yards up field would be a start though I suppose - take what you can.

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3 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

Trippier has been doing the normal training with everyone else I think.

But ITV think we are changing it up completely:

Mainoo in the middle as the sixpence.

I quite like that. Very  brave of him though if so

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I like the idea of a switch up, but it's never happening to that sort of extent, surely?! It's Southgate - he'll be stressing over the possibility of making a single change, let alone a system overhaul.

I'd love the Saka / TAA wingbacks system tbf, but don't really like the idea of yet another sacrifice (Saka) because the squad selection was wrong.

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