England ‘should’ reach the final

Definitely helps to bring shaw in against Slovakia rather than Netherlands.

They were impressive against a similarly struggling Belgium side in the first half though, before sitting on their lead in the 2nd half. Shaw would be up against their top scorer in the tournament, Schranz

Even if we improve and get to the final (very possible) we will most likely have to beat France Spain or Germany to win it. Haven't seen anything so far to think we can do that.

Safegate needs to stop trying to fit all his big names into the starting team and think about balance of the team. That alone will improve us.

As long as we don't have to face Georgia, we might have a chance .

comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 2 hours, 38 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - confident for Southgate’s nearly slaaaags (U18109)
posted 8 hours, 1 minute ago
comment by Robberto Garnacho (U22716)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Darren The String Fletcher (U10026)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Robberto Garnacho (U22716)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - confident for Southgate’s nearly slaaaags (U18109)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 3 minutes ago
Can we just hire Southgate for the group stages of tournaments so we get the lucky draws and then sack him before we meet a big team?
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We beat Germany in rd16 Euro 2021
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They were a big team in name only. Possibly the worst German team I’ve seen since 2004
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They had worse teams at the last two world cups.
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They were pretty much the same team though but with home advantage for most of their games
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We beat Croatia at that tournament as well - who had been in the World Cup final the tournament before and World Cup semis the tournament afterwards

It’s all part of rubbishing England under Southgate - in the same time period only Deschamps has done better and Dalic I would say has equalled.
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Southgate has had more luck than previous managers, you can't deny it. Everything seems to keep falling into place for him to get far. Sven underachieved too with the team he had and if Southgate was managing that team back then he'd have not got past a QF either. Generous draws, home tournament, no injury problems, good squads, just other general bits of luck.

Another great chance for him to get into a semi with only Slovakia in our way. Gutted we aren't facing more of a test here.
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Nah - Bobby Robson at Italia 90 had an average Belgium and Cameroon separating England from a semi final

Euro 96 - El Tel had a group that had a poor Switzerland and even worse Scotland in it. We then stunk the park out in the Quarters but scraped through on pens.

Euro 2004 - after losing to France we had an average Switzerland again and a very average Croatia. We lost to Portugal in the Quarters - had we won it would have been the Czechs in the semi and Greece in the final

2006 - Paraguay, Trinidad, Sweden then Ecuador before losing to Portugal again in the quarters

2010 - we couldn’t top a group containing USA, Slovenia and Algeria

2016 - Wales, Russia, Slovakia - then getting knocked out by Iceland


Loads of Southgate’s predecessors have failed spectacularly with England with similar ease of route. Euro 21 was Czechs, Croatia, Scotland, then Germany to make a Quarter final that’s harder than any on the list above

"Euro 96 - El Tel had a group that had a poor Switzerland and even worse Scotland in it. We then stunk the park out in the Quarters but scraped through on pens."

Don't know his old you are but this is rubbish. Poor first game against the Swiss (1-1). Poor first half against Scotland, then Gazza woke up. We beat Holland 4-1 in the third game, Shearer putting his goal drought behind him. Think it was Spain next, 0-0 not the best game buy we won a penalty shootout, which gave misplaced optimism for the next game against Germany.

comment by FieldsofAnfieldRd (U18971)
posted 4 minutes ago
"Euro 96 - El Tel had a group that had a poor Switzerland and even worse Scotland in it. We then stunk the park out in the Quarters but scraped through on pens."

Don't know his old you are but this is rubbish. Poor first game against the Swiss (1-1). Poor first half against Scotland, then Gazza woke up. We beat Holland 4-1 in the third game, Shearer putting his goal drought behind him. Think it was Spain next, 0-0 not the best game buy we won a penalty shootout, which gave misplaced optimism for the next game against Germany.
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You said I’m talking rubbish then virtually copied what I said word for word?

The Swiss weren’t a great side in 96, Scotland as usual were shiete as well. The Dutch were a top side and we put in probably our greatest ever display in a Euros game dismantling them.

Then we were turgid against a Spanish side that had a habit at that point of schitting the bed at tournaments. We scraped past them, were marginally better than Germany in my opinion but ultimately lost on pens.

Again though, getting back to the point. Our route to the quarters in Euro 21 was harder than that - it was Germany instead of Spain in the last 16 and Croatia and the Czechs instead of Holland and Switzerland in the groups.

The real rubbish being spoken is Southgate has only achieved what he has through lucky draws - it’s bollox, 2018 he had the 3rd place side in the group, 21 we had a finalist from the previous World Cup in our group and then ran into the Germans in the last 16 (remember when Capello did that) and Qatar - yes we had a pizz easy run to the Quarters but then hit France who pound for pound have been the best side in the world for 6 years.

People seem to think that other nations are beating 5 elite sides on their way to titles - news flash, that ain’t happening

comment by Striketeam7 - confident for Southgate’s nearly slaaaags (U18109)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 2 hours, 38 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - confident for Southgate’s nearly slaaaags (U18109)
posted 8 hours, 1 minute ago
comment by Robberto Garnacho (U22716)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Darren The String Fletcher (U10026)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Robberto Garnacho (U22716)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - confident for Southgate’s nearly slaaaags (U18109)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Spurtle (U1608)
posted 3 minutes ago
Can we just hire Southgate for the group stages of tournaments so we get the lucky draws and then sack him before we meet a big team?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We beat Germany in rd16 Euro 2021
----------------------------------------------------------------------

They were a big team in name only. Possibly the worst German team I’ve seen since 2004
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They had worse teams at the last two world cups.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

They were pretty much the same team though but with home advantage for most of their games
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We beat Croatia at that tournament as well - who had been in the World Cup final the tournament before and World Cup semis the tournament afterwards

It’s all part of rubbishing England under Southgate - in the same time period only Deschamps has done better and Dalic I would say has equalled.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Southgate has had more luck than previous managers, you can't deny it. Everything seems to keep falling into place for him to get far. Sven underachieved too with the team he had and if Southgate was managing that team back then he'd have not got past a QF either. Generous draws, home tournament, no injury problems, good squads, just other general bits of luck.

Another great chance for him to get into a semi with only Slovakia in our way. Gutted we aren't facing more of a test here.
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Nah - Bobby Robson at Italia 90 had an average Belgium and Cameroon separating England from a semi final

Euro 96 - El Tel had a group that had a poor Switzerland and even worse Scotland in it. We then stunk the park out in the Quarters but scraped through on pens.

Euro 2004 - after losing to France we had an average Switzerland again and a very average Croatia. We lost to Portugal in the Quarters - had we won it would have been the Czechs in the semi and Greece in the final

2006 - Paraguay, Trinidad, Swedenthen Ecuador before losing to Portugal again in the quarters

2010 - we couldn’t top a group containing USA, Slovenia and Algeria

2016 - Wales, Russia, Slovakia - then getting knocked out by Iceland


Loads of Southgate’s predecessors have failed spectacularly with England with similar ease of route. Euro 21 was Czechs, Croatia, Scotland, then Germany to make a Quarter final that’s harder than any on the list above
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Southgate is doing nothing special compared to previous managers. Just having more luck.

I think he came in at a good time, when there was a transition from the old GG to a new generation of rising stars and finally a decent keeper after a long spell of failing ones who were riddled with mistakes and couldn't save pens to save their lives. I mean we were a pen shootout away from going out of the last 16 of 2018 remember? But it went for him the way other shootouts didn't go for previous managers and Pickford actually saving one.

2021 was practically a home tournament and a pisss poor German side. If Muller had taken that easy chance then it may have turned out different.

2022 he finally gets a tough team earlier in the KO stage and we get knocked out.

If he can navigate us through to the final in this one, assuming we play some traditional big teams, fair enough I'll give him more credit. Slovakia so far looks like an easy fixture and should go through after being lucky to top our group with the most uninspiring drab performances with one of our best ever squads, arguably even better than the GG.

If we didn't have what I and many others consider to be the best crop of talented players in over 50 years, Palmer, Foden, Bellingham, Rice, Saka, Stones, Gordon, Walker, Mainoo, Eze and even Kane if he was just ordered not to drop deep and just stay up top and wait for the service from his team mates if again they are played in their best and correct positions then I'd probably not be that bothered if England stumble over the line in games and win ugly but as De Canio on Italian TV said after witnessing England's laboured performances he thinks Southgate should be arrested for crimes against football for the way he sets up the side in such a cautious, negative and boring manner.

But hey we're in with a great chance in spite of Southgate stinking the tournament out of progressing to the quarters at least and maybe Strike is right that we'll actually start to see an improvement, I hope so and I actually think just the inclusion of Palmer would be good enough to get to the final but we'll see on Sunday if Southgate can actually see the bleeding obvious and select Palmer to start and listen and take heed to what even neutrals have commented on from just his 20 minutes as a substitute against Slovenia as being England's most dangerous, skilful and creative outlet.

Austria would spank us based on the tournament so far, you can never count Italy out and I'd say we're on par with Holland.

comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 1 hour, 46 minutes ago
Austria would spank us based on the tournament so far, you can never count Italy out and I'd say we're on par with Holland.
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This is true, Austria would give anyone a game at the minute - they are riding on the crest of a wave. I’m just hoping they run out of steam before we potentially have to play them - press themselves into oblivion