The Mighty Three Lions v Slovenia

[AKCJ]

10 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

Happy? No, not really. Annoyed that the country I support has won? Absolutely not, that'd be ridiculous.

I'm quite annoyed that a tap in from a goalkeeping error that has had zero effect on our chances to qualify has papered over the fact that the man in charge of it all is completely out of his depth leading into a yet another World Cup.

 

Hart and Kane's interview after the game summed it up. There is no ambition in the England set up and until that changes, I don't think I can be arsed.

 

I'll still be singing Vindaloo come June but for **** sake, how long can this go on for before we stop and say it how it is? We're ****ing dreadful and wins over poverty nations like Malta and Scotland seem to be all the FA strive for these days. So long as they've still got 50k+ fans willing to shell out 50 quid a pop they don't give a shit.

 

The FA will see it as 7 wins and two draws but the performances have been utterly gash. But for Kane's goals against Slovenia and Scotland and Lallana's goal against Slovakia (all scored with virtually the last kick of those games) we would be 5 points worse off and behind Scotland. How can that be even close to acceptable? 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

32 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

I'm quite annoyed that a tap in from a goalkeeping error that has had zero effect on our chances to qualify has papered over the fact that the man in charge of it all is completely out of his depth leading into a yet another World Cup.

 

Hart and Kane's interview after the game summed it up. There is no ambition in the England set up and until that changes, I don't think I can be arsed.

 

I'll still be singing Vindaloo come June but for **** sake, how long can this go on for before we stop and say it how it is? We're ****ing dreadful and wins over poverty nations like Malta and Scotland seem to be all the FA strive for these days. So long as they've still got 50k+ fans willing to shell out 50 quid a pop they don't give a shit.

 

The FA will see it as 7 wins and two draws but the performances have been utterly gash. But for Kane's goals against Slovenia and Scotland and Lallana's goal against Slovakia (all scored with virtually the last kick of those games) we would be 5 points worse off and behind Scotland. How can that be even close to acceptable? 

I'm not saying we're any good - and the set up definitely stinks, I just find feeling aggrieved the country you support has actually won an odd attitude, that's all.

[Super_horns]

Blimey that was hard watching!

 

So dull in the main with no-one really showing much in attack apart from Rashford and of course Kane popped up at the end.

 

A better side would have punished us on the break as well I feel.

 

Oh well we always get there so just have to see who knocks us out this time...

 

BTW I do think they try and make an effort - just they aren't good enough at the very top level in some cases.

 

When Lingard (a decent young player for the future) is your first attacking sub it does show the lack of depth and Sterling just seems to have no confidence in an England shirt.

[ScouseFox]

Kane’s goal tonight was basically Beckham vs Greece in terms of what it meant. yet tonight nobody even watched the start of the game let alone was still watching the end. whereas Beckham vs Greece is probably my generations highlight of English football. what’s the point. 

[Lestoh1]

1 hour ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

I'm not saying we're any good - and the set up definitely stinks, I just find feeling aggrieved the country you support has actually won an odd attitude, that's all.

It doesnt feel like we won to be honest. The flattest and most underwhelming way to qualify ive ever seen and the manager is an absolute tosser

[Lestoh1]

2 minutes ago, ScouseFox said:

Kane’s goal tonight was basically Beckham vs Greece in terms of what it meant. yet tonight nobody even watched the start of the game let alone was still watching the end. whereas Beckham vs Greece is probably my generations highlight of English football. what’s the point. 

Nah not really. That qualifying campaign we gave everyone a 2 game head start through keegan and through sven we turned it around and played good football. Beat greece away, beat germany 5-1 that was infamous. And had quality too and felt like we were going places.

 

This whole qualifying campaign has been misery led by tossgate who shouldnt be anywhere near the managers job. Won the toulon tournament? **** me what a cv

[ScouseFox]

Just now, Lestoh1 said:

Nah not really. That qualifying campaign we gave everyone a 2 game head start through keegan and through sven we turned it around and played good football. Beat greece away, beat germany 5-1 that was infamous. And had quality too and felt like we were going places.

 

This whole qualifying campaign has been misery led by tossgate who shouldnt be anywhere near the managers job. Won the toulon tournament? **** me what a cv

well yeah. but we just scored a last minute winner to qualify. look at the scots, they’ve scored a last minute winner and it’ll obviously eventually mean fu ck all but they’re goin nuts. nobody here gives a shit. 

[Lestoh1]

1 minute ago, ScouseFox said:

well yeah. but we just scored a last minute winner to qualify. look at the scots, they’ve scored a last minute winner and it’ll obviously eventually mean fu ck all but they’re goin nuts. nobody here gives a shit. 

Dont see how the two situations are comparable. Scotland got a last minute winner in a must win game. Thatll get you excited.

 

England qualifying for a tournament should be an absolute formality. Irrelevant in fact. Its what happens in russia.

[Guest Col city fan]

7 hours ago, ScouseFox said:

Kane’s goal tonight was basically Beckham vs Greece in terms of what it meant. yet tonight nobody even watched the start of the game let alone was still watching the end. whereas Beckham vs Greece is probably my generations highlight of English football. what’s the point. 

It was nothing like Beckham v Greece. We had to win that game to qualify. It was last ditched..

We were always gonna qualify from this group anyway.

I do agree with you over the Scotland game though. That was a cracker tonight.

[Nick]

'We had to be patient'

 

'In the last ten minutes we could see the opposition were tiring'

 

 The England blueprint.

 

Spain, France, Germany, Belgium will tear us a new hole if we play that turgid no mark football in a tournament. Southgate may as well quit England and replace Shakespeare - nobody would notice.

 

What happened to looking like an exciting English team that can pass forward, break quickly, hold the ball and move off it?

 

Dogshit. 

 

Absolute dogshit.

[Guest]

We are not going to get out of the World Cup qualifying group are we?

[Guest Col city fan]

33 minutes ago, FIF said:

We are not going to get out of the World Cup qualifying group are we?

Gareth will hope we do.

Another 250k will be coming his way.

[fazzyfox]

At least we have some consistency, the team has inherited the personality of their manager, dour, supposedly technical and orthodox, methodical and matter of fact, not that they weren't awful before his arrival. The one thing this generation could have is a game based on extreme pace with Rashford, Stirling, Vardy, Walcott if we're playing that way. Instead it's turgid sideway balls, Dier and Henderson like a pair of Frankenstein monsters "processing" the ball with zero creativity. 

 

We've gone with Kane up front and with his league form it's hard to argue with that but he"s still guilty of being the breakdown of many a move with a greedy early shot..but as the saying goes you can't win the raffle if you don"t buy a ticket. 

 

Great save and all that but Hart still has awful distribution and is likely to throw one in or concede a pen every now and then.

 

Alli, missing last night, has made considerable impact for his age but is a walking timebomb, an attitudus problemos, a Beckham vs Argentina waiting to happen. It's a shame Barkley is AWOL and that Wilshere hasn't gone on to have any kind of long run of availability, it looks like we're building a hard to beat unit reliant on Kane goals but not worth a penny of ticket price to watch.

 

The fact that I'm hoping that Welbeck gets fit in time to offer something off the bench sums up the limited expectations for the future, I suggest planning a summer of decorating so you can literally compare the merits of watching paint dry to Dier striking the ball back to Cahill with the urgency of a pub team warm up.

[surrifox]

8 hours ago, Lestoh1 said:

Nah not really. That qualifying campaign we gave everyone a 2 game head start through keegan and through sven we turned it around and played good football. Beat greece away, beat germany 5-1 that was infamous. And had quality too and felt like we were going places.

 

This whole qualifying campaign has been misery led by tossgate who shouldnt be anywhere near the managers job. Won the toulon tournament? **** me what a cv

Even if Southgate gets the boot the FA will just turn to their team of experts to find the successor - Trevor Brooking , Howard Wilkinson etc  FFS - the whole mindset is grounded in mediocrity and a desire not to rock the boat 

[urban.spaceman]

Match highlights:

 

 

[Lovejoy]

I see no difference with Southgate as manager to Hodgson. Panders to prima donna players and has the team set up to play turgid football. I hear so much about adopting the Spanish and German blueprints yet there is absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever. Shit captain and a group of loathsome players who seem to be all about themselves as opposed to the Three Lions. We should be creating an identity and style and picking players for the system, not vice versa.

[Wycombe Fox]

I have now decided to retire for good from international football.

 

It is a really tough decision and one I have discussed with my family, my manager at work and those closest to me.

 

Watching England has always been special to me. Every time I watched was a real privilege and I thank everyone who helped me. But I believe now is the time to bow out. Leaving the pub was a tough call but I know I made the right decision in coming home. Now I want to focus all my energies on absolutely anything other than watching that useless pile of crap that is our national team. I will always remain a passionate football fan. One of my very few regrets is not to have witnessed a successful England tournament side. 

[Jattdogg]

1 hour ago, urban.spaceman said:

Match highlights:

 

 

Made my day lol.

 

Southgash and the england players are dreadful. 

 

Bring in the one and only ranieri. Hire him before the world cup, we will be motivated pull a lesta and then fire him after we bring the cup home. Sorted.

 

In a serious note we need either a british manager thats not got a big name or a foreigner who has the balls to challenge the FA..

We will prbably usually find a way to qualify but thats not good enough when we go out in the first round

[purpleronnie]

I'm just amazed that fans still think bringing in another Manager will make any difference to England.

[purpleronnie]

2 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

Match highlights:

 

 

Made me laugh when Hoddle mentioned that 'the crowd have got going, it sounds like they've let in another 10,000 fans'  But it was actually the noise of fans cheering paper planes.  Everyone seemed to realise this apart from Hoddle.

[fuchsntf]

11 hours ago, Lestoh1 said:

It doesnt feel like we won to be honest. The flattest and most underwhelming way to qualify ive ever seen and the manager is an absolute tosser

Dont blame the manager, due to lack of talent, and highly hyped players, who cant deliver.......

Southgate, admits even without injuries, the cupboard is bare with untried real raw talent.

Club management is not finding , developing , coaching  high class English youth, dont expect

then the English manager to work miracles.

 

 

 

Wilshere, continously Injured, but has shown he has that quality.

D.Ali  , work in progress, need to find that personal and game discipline.

D.Drinkwater, just been injured at the wrong time, still an unknown.

Ox-Chamberlain...needs goodtime at Liverpool to see if that potential can be realised.Sofar disappointing.

Henderson....good club player, belongs in squad, but not for me 1st choice.

Deir , yes but not with Henderson.not Wclass but International class.

Others....Southgate needs to find a couple more, who can lift the quality.They aint banging on the door!!!

Sterling, no10 experiment against an avg side, couldnt control the ball, or the space, wrong fit.Worth the try, but no more.

Forwards...we have a good choice, Rashford Kane, Vardy, etc, etc, but they like our city team need a working quality midfield.

Defence..CBs enough quality to work with, none yet Wclass, but Stones 4th choice. Keane, Maguire I want to see more...

FBs...  Not short on reasonable talent, Walker, Rose, proven Internationals, 4-5 other names adequate cover.

 

Shame we decided for Both Brazil and Germany, in the November Internationals.One very avg side with a kick

would allow Southgate to push 5 maybe 6 newbies into the side, and see how they do.Eg.Maguire Keane together,

Re-introduction of Wilshere, with a new young buck, with Diers playing DM.

Then try 2 of the choice Gks.Hart should stay on the Bench, until March Internationals.

Some of you would have seen other midfield potential, because I truelly have no idea, on that front...

 

[Vacamion]

20 minutes ago, purpleronnie said:

I'm just amazed that fans still think bringing in another Manager will make any difference to England.

 

Imagine that we had a new manager who said:

 

“For too long the so called big clubs have exerted a hold over the national team.  From now on, if you are not appearing for your club and playing well, you have no chance of being selected.  The days of big club bias are over.

 

We won’t beat the big boys trying to play second rate, side to side, tiki taka, so I’m going to select wingers with end product and make the team practice crosses and headed goals.  We will train and train again for counter attacks.  Every opposition corner, we’ll have three on the half way line, waiting to counter.

 

We are going to have a go. We are going to come off after every game exhausted and proud that we left nothing out there.

 

Any one slacking, sulking or thinking they are above hard work for the team, is out. Regardless of who they are.

 

There are no automatic selections.  Every single position is up for grabs.

 

I will select the best team, not the best players, so don’t expect the same names as usual.

 

I will be paid on an entirely performance related basis. I will stand every year for reselection or termination of contract, to be decided by a mixed panel of ex players, supporters and journalists.

 

I will not allow any non football related, especially FA corporate and political issues to influence the running and functioning of the team. ”

 

 

If there was any prospect of a new England manager who said and meant all that, we’d drop Southgate in a minute, because it would definitely make a difference.

 

 

[m4DD0gg]

Sitting on the bench at a top club makes you an england starter.

[chris_lcfc_85]

35 minutes ago, fuchsntf said:

Dont blame the manager, due to lack of talent, and highly hyped players, who cant deliver.......

Southgate, admits even without injuries, the cupboard is bare with untried real raw talent.

Club management is not finding , developing , coaching  high class English youth, dont expect

then the English manager to work miracles.

 

 

 

Wilshere, continously Injured, but has shown he has that quality.

D.Ali  , work in progress, need to find that personal and game discipline.

D.Drinkwater, just been injured at the wrong time, still an unknown.

Ox-Chamberlain...needs goodtime at Liverpool to see if that potential can be realised.Sofar disappointing.

Henderson....good club player, belongs in squad, but not for me 1st choice.

Deir , yes but not with Henderson.not Wclass but International class.

Others....Southgate needs to find a couple more, who can lift the quality.They aint banging on the door!!!

Sterling, no10 experiment against an avg side, couldnt control the ball, or the space, wrong fit.Worth the try, but no more.

Forwards...we have a good choice, Rashford Kane, Vardy, etc, etc, but they like our city team need a working quality midfield.

Defence..CBs enough quality to work with, none yet Wclass, but Stones 4th choice. Keane, Maguire I want to see more...

FBs...  Not short on reasonable talent, Walker, Rose, proven Internationals, 4-5 other names adequate cover.

 

Shame we decided for Both Brazil and Germany, in the November Internationals.One very avg side with a kick

would allow Southgate to push 5 maybe 6 newbies into the side, and see how they do.Eg.Maguire Keane together,

Re-introduction of Wilshere, with a new young buck, with Diers playing DM.

Then try 2 of the choice Gks.Hart should stay on the Bench, until March Internationals.

Some of you would have seen other midfield potential, because I truelly have no idea, on that front...

 

I've always said I think we have the nucleus of a good team but unfortunately a bang average squad so when we get injuries it really shows.

Players like Kane, Dier, Sterling, Stones, Alli, Walker, Cahill, Rashford etc are all playing regularly for top 5/6 clubs so we do have talent there but I don't think Southgate knows the best way of getting more out of them.... He's persisted with 2 sitting midfielders throughout this group against teams that sit back all game, pointless!!!

 

Our overall depth of players though is poor....

I saw the France squad and its class, that good they've left out Bakayoko from Chelsea as well as Benzema and Martial and that's with Pogba injured!

[purpleronnie]

24 minutes ago, Vacamion said:

 

Imagine that we had a new manager who said:

 

“For too long the so called big clubs have exerted a hold over the national team.  From now on, if you are not appearing for your club and playing well, you have no chance of being selected.  The days of big club bias are over.

 

We won’t beat the big boys trying to play second rate, side to side, tiki taka, so I’m going to select wingers with end product and make the team practice crosses and headed goals.  We will train and train again for counter attacks.  Every opposition corner, we’ll have three on the half way line, waiting to counter.

 

We are going to have a go. We are going to come off after every game exhausted and proud that we left nothing out there.

 

Any one slacking, sulking or thinking they are above hard work for the team, is out. Regardless of who they are.

 

There are no automatic selections.  Every single position is up for grabs.

 

I will select the best team, not the best players, so don’t expect the same names as usual.

 

I will be paid on an entirely performance related basis. I will stand every year for reselection or termination of contract, to be decided by a mixed panel of ex players, supporters and journalists.

 

I will not allow any non football related, especially FA corporate and political issues to influence the running and functioning of the team. ”

 

 

If there was any prospect of a new England manager who said and meant all that, we’d drop Southgate in a minute, because it would definitely make a difference.

 

 

You're right. but that won't happen because we would never hire a manager who thinks that way, that's why after all these different managers and continued failures I'm surprised that people want to immediately get rid of the manager when they see us play poorly during qualifiers in a group we won.