England v Senegal - 4 December, 7pm

[MattFox]

Not really a Southgate fan but this is the first tournament where he’s actually done really well

 

Expecially given its in the middle of a tough league season.

 

Most these players have had no break since the lockdown

Edited 4 December 2022 by MattFox

[ARTY_FOX]

Just now, CosbehFox said:

No it’s not luck. That’s the nature of the beast.
 

England have had problems before with such groups. Knock him for performances past the groups but the quality of opposition isn’t an argument against Southgate. 

Yes it is. Because the first sniff of a decent side beats us every single time. The last world cup we lost 3 games. 

[chuck'em]

Just now, CosbehFox said:

No it’s not luck. That’s the nature of the beast.
 

England have had problems before with such groups. Knock him for performances past the groups but the quality of opposition isn’t an argument against Southgate. 

Are you saying getting favourable groups from a random draw isn't lucky?

[Koke]

I don't rate Southgate but he's earned our respect. Talk about beating poor sides is silly. Look who France, Argentina and Brazil have played so far.

[whoareyaaa]

2 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

Will be interesting to see what Southgate does. I think he will go back to 3 at the back, but we look good in the 4231, with the font line of any of our 5/6 forwards. France have looked very good in all of their serious games, but have looked vulnerable at the back too.

lets give them something to think about as they will likely keep the 3 forwards in as well instead of inviting pressure and going with 3 atb and less attacking threat

[CosbehFox]

Just now, ARTY_FOX said:

Yes it is. Because the first sniff of a decent side beats us every single time. The last world cup we lost 3 games. 

No it’s not luck that our groups have been easy. They are drawn on seeding for your dominance in qualification. It’s not luck that you play the second strongest team in Group A and dispatch them with an ease that the Netherlands struggled with. 
 

I see a team what is excellent at getting the stodgy parts of tournament football done but struggle to the final stages. Like I said criticise Southgate for the latter performances but ‘the luck of weaker opposition’ shouldn’t be used as a criticism. Plenty of good England teams have cocked up easy groups and ended up not using their seeding to their advantage - thinking 2010 in particular 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

21 minutes ago, lcfcdamo said:

Why because i dont like Southgate kane etc

Would you be moaning like this if Maddison played for Brighton? No you would not.

[CosbehFox]

3 minutes ago, chuck'em said:

Are you saying getting favourable groups from a random draw isn't lucky?

It’s not random. You have a seeding. You have to use that seeding to finish top of your group, so you get a weaker opponent in the round of 16. 

[oxtonfox]

20 minutes ago, David Hankey said:

Poor Senegal side. How did they get this far. It would have been a seismic upset of monumental proportions if England had lost to them.

There’s no easy games in the World Cup. So said Sir Bobby Robson

[Tielemans63]

Just now, Koke said:

I don't rate Southgate but he's earned our respect. Talk about beating poor sides is silly. Look who France, Argentina and Brazil have played so far.

Absolutely. His approach drives me mad sometimes but the comment about losing to 'the first decent side we come up against' isn't strictly true. Wins against Croatia, Germany and Denmark in the Euros, all decent sides. 

 

I think he could win a lot of people over if he sticks with this line up v France and doesn't go conservative. That's where he lets himself down imho.

[trabuch]

1 minute ago, CosbehFox said:

It’s not random. You have a seeding. You have to use that seeding to finish top of your group, so you get a weaker opponent in the round of 16. 

But we didn't finish top of our group in the last WC. 

[Wolfox]

7 minutes ago, Tielemans63 said:

3 superb goals tonight too. People would be having a wank if it was Brazil or Argentina scoring those goals.

 

I've never been a huge fan of Southgate but it seems daft not to give credit where credit is very clearly due. 

One of the first reasonable posts on this thread…. We’re doing pretty well…. And after the first 30 mins, we nailed it 

 

We have some outstanding players and have every chance against France

[Izzy]

20 minutes ago, lcfcdamo said:

Really why im a Leicester fan not England cant stand Southgate kane etc i cant be fake

Why are you bothering posting on an England thread then?

[Grebfromgrebland]

44 minutes ago, Tuna said:

Maddison and any other player in need of minutes should have been given a chance because they need to be ready if called upon later in the tournament.

They're not getting called on unless there's 3-4 injuries, even then they just move further along the subs bench

 

 

[Arriba Los Zorros]

Not a fan of Southgate at all and the way we started that match so defensively was embarrassing but results speak for themselves. Beat France and I'll start believing. 

[CosbehFox]

4 minutes ago, trabuch said:

But we didn't finish top of our group in the last WC. 

Which given we were the last group left to play, knew our opponents and selected a complete reserve XI in our final game suggested there was bit of a plan there. 

Edited 4 December 2022 by CosbehFox

[Parafox]

26 minutes ago, lcfcdamo said:

Really why im a Leicester fan not England cant stand Southgate kane etc i cant be fake

So why are you on here expressing an opinion on a side/players you don't like or support?

 

If he'd played Maddison, would your view be different?

[RowlattsFox]

Southgate has done well, can't deny that no matter how much you dislike the guy. 

 

Great record at tournaments however Germany is the only time he's beat someone in a knockout game who we shouldn't expect to beat. But then given Germany have gone out in the group stage either side of that euros im not sure it's that big of a result. 

 

2018 - Colombia and Sweden 

2021 - Germany, Ukraine and Denmark 

2022 - Senegal 

 

You've still got to beat them of course, But we haven't had to beat a top side. Potentially a run of France, Spain and Brazil to win this world cup. He does that he deserves everything he gets. 

 

[Chester Dontlie]

Some on here seem to forget the Hodgson era, Iceland at Euros 2016 etc... The players were of the same premier league quality, it's the manager that's changed. Southgate's England are among the favourites at every tournament these days, the only weak spot is the slow defence imho. He may not be the ultimate genius of football but who is? The likes of Guardiola and Klopp fail too. He's certainly good enough. France is there for the taking, it can go both ways (the books may favour France but I see it as a 50/50 game). It wouldn't even be a thing under Hodgson.

[trabuch]

3 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Which given we were the last group left to play, knew our opponents and selected a complete reserve XI in our final game suggested there was bit of a plan there. 

Well yes. We didn't want to play Brazil or France in that half. But it was very odd how that knockout stage panned out. This one seems more "normal"

[MattFox]

5 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

Southgate has done well, can't deny that no matter how much you dislike the guy. 

 

Great record at tournaments however Germany is the only time he's beat someone in a knockout game who we shouldn't expect to beat. But then given Germany have gone out in the group stage either side of that euros im not sure it's that big of a result. 

 

2018 - Colombia and Sweden 

2021 - Germany, Ukraine and Denmark 

2022 - Senegal 

 

You've still got to beat them of course, But we haven't had to beat a top side. Potentially a run of France, Spain and Brazil to win this world cup. He does that he deserves everything he gets. 

 

Germany was 50/50 but we took our chances and got the result, home advantage played a massive part.

 

Denmark were a decent side too and we needed a dodgy penalty to get past them

[Fox in the North]

Hope they are all ok, it must have been extremely scary.

[SemperEadem]

Terrible that

[ARTY_FOX]

29 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

No it’s not luck that our groups have been easy. They are drawn on seeding for your dominance in qualification. It’s not luck that you play the second strongest team in Group A and dispatch them with an ease that the Netherlands struggled with. 
 

I see a team what is excellent at getting the stodgy parts of tournament football done but struggle to the final stages. Like I said criticise Southgate for the latter performances but ‘the luck of weaker opposition’ shouldn’t be used as a criticism. Plenty of good England teams have cocked up easy groups and ended up not using their seeding to their advantage - thinking 2010 in particular 

No it's Southgate fault we lose to anyone who is actually alright not luck.  Saying the Dutch struggled is hardly a glowing endorsement is it. That's also a team that's a shadow of what's been currently. 

Edited 4 December 2022 by ARTY_FOX

[Parafox]

10 minutes ago, Fox in the North said:

Hope they are all ok, it must have been extremely scary.

He's flying home asap.

 

***** that knew he was in Quatar. Hateful.

Edited 4 December 2022 by Parafox