Whoever steps into G Southgates shoes after 2024, better have tye skin of a Rhino wearing armour
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England v Netherlands
- Thread starter daront
- Start date
Despite the Exeter connection I felt quite proud that it was Watkins that hit the winner. We’re not known as a football region and to show in one of the country’s biggest games ever that we can produce world class players made it even sweeter. Would love to see him do it again on Sunday!
Exeter connection yes, but born in Torquay and educated in Newton Abbot. If we had had a better academy back then...
You can bring that slightly closer - schooled in Ashburton.
- Apr 25, 2016
- 9,576
- 7,016
Then you'll remember the reason - them stripes of arse from up the road.But I do remember you saying Watkins should have been dropped from the squad.
I did, of course, say he was underrated and his goals / assists stats last year said it all. Not that I am prone to smugness or self-praise of course.
Nevertheless, I'm very happy to concede I was wrong.
On that note, I want him dropped for the final.
Europe and the world in general will be absolutely desperate for Spain to win.
Let’s spoil their party.
Let’s spoil their party.
Yes, failure after failure, disappointment after disappointment, coming home as brave losers in the R16 or quarters, some disastrous tournaments, under Gareth we’ve gone deeper into tournaments then we have ever done under anyone else. He deserves so much credit but gets slated. I find it strange, but then I’m an England fan. So happy tonight and can’t wait until Sunday.
100% he will be, he actually was playing well first half, dropping off and linking play, once the 30 minute sub happened and they packed midfield, then England were a bit stifled , and reverted to type.
Took his (lucky) penalty well, no chance Southgate drops the captain.
Well yeah partly because England have been so boring to watch and have played average opponents, come on Cobi. I hope you weren't one of those who ridiculed Greece winning it. I remember Ian Wright having a go at Greece... pathetic. Greece had to play all the big boys to win it! Adapted and implemented a tactic that the likes of Henry, Zidane, Nedved, Ronaldo, Raul struggled with. These were top top players pal. Not rubbish like Wieghorst. Ha. Laughable.
It's not just you to be fair but all your lot need to get with the times... deary deary me.
I literally don't understand your message ...
You start bad, then get random, then get confusing, and then get bitter with an unsavoury twist at the end ...
Why eat a slice of humble pie because you say what you feel?
And yet again the euphoria of a fantastic result clouds the reality of what we are actually witnessing.
Mentally, England under Southgate have been climbing barriers. Whether it's winning penalty shoot out in tournaments or just building player relationships in a England camp where club alliances in the past have caused issues. Southgate has helped break these barriers.
And tonight, we witnessed a wonderful goal from a young England forward who actually got more than a minute from the bench, to impact a game.
And England overall deserved to win. I feel the first half justifies this. I don't agree with the penalty decision & feel VAR interferes too much. Slowing down a replay to the n'th degree is going to see football become almost a contactless sport. Yet despite the penalty, we were better going forward although the Dutch strike was a stunner.
In the second half, with the extra midfielder Koeman brought on for the injured Depay, Holland wrestled back some control. And we ended up watching a very slow ball moving England go sideways and backwards. Thankfully the Dutch were equally as bad and our only really issue was the threat at set pieces, with Dumfries in partcular looking a handful.
The Dutch for me were a pale shadow of Dutch teams from decades before. Gone is the swagger and the individual talent replaced by team efficency.
Yet for me nothing has really changed. England looked a little better today because the Dutch gave them space to exploit but when it was shut down they revert to moving the ball so slowly with a lack of imagination to break down the oppostion.
England have clawed and scraped their way to the final. And if we win it nobody will care. Yet the odds of England overcoming a Spainish team with much more flair & teçhinque to move the ball quicker is going to be minimal. There are areas of that Spanish team to exploit, Çucurella at left back for example, but are we going to see enough of the ball in possesion?
Look at how we played so far. Then look at the Spanish and who they played. Before people say it's a one off game that is true, but which side looks like the team most likely to create chances? Which side has already demonstrated against good oppostion they pose a real threat? England have played very average teams and they got results by the skin of their teeth.
The evidence doesn't stack up for an England win. We know hand on heart if England are struggling that Southgate would still persist with the same particular players when you want to see our fresh, young talent come off the bench from around the 60th min. He is likely to wait 20 mins more. Its that approach which has cost us.
Then you have to ask yourself who has Southgate actually beaten? Germany is about the best you will come up with, when let's face it they were in decline to past great German sides. He hasn't beaten a top nation in a tournament who been playing well.
We can gloss over things. Let the europhia drum our passion into our heads and dismiss all logic. The performances for me don't suggest England can win this tournament. But this is a one off final. Anything can happen? Yet l feel like by Sunday evening we be asking the same questions regarding Southgate & his tactics that we asked after when Italy beat us on penalties and France knocked us out in the World Cup.
Today was a fabulous result. But that's all it was. Nothing today suggested this team is ready to go toe to toe with the current Spanish national team & win. Are we really going to achieve something more than a glorious defeat where we still be proud of the team.
I hope l am wrong. I hope this England team make me eat my words. As a passionate Englishman l will be hoping to see something lve wanted all my life. Our national men's football team holding aloft a Euro's or World Cup trophy. But unfortunately l feel like lve been here with England & Southgate too many times not to understand the script and how it probably unfolds. Maybe that makes me too sceptical in some people's eyes but when you experience the reality of what we have as England fans over the past years maybe that finishing line just seems such a distance away.
And yet again the euphoria of a fantastic result clouds the reality of what we are actually witnessing.
Mentally, England under Southgate have been climbing barriers. Whether it's winning penalty shoot out in tournaments or just building player relationships in a England camp where club alliances in the past have caused issues. Southgate has helped break these barriers.
And tonight, we witnessed a wonderful goal from a young England forward who actually got more than a minute from the bench, to impact a game.
And England overall deserved to win. I feel the first half justifies this. I don't agree with the penalty decision & feel VAR interferes too much. Slowing down a replay to the n'th degree is going to see football become almost a contactless sport. Yet despite the penalty, we were better going forward although the Dutch strike was a stunner.
In the second half, with the extra midfielder Koeman brought on for the injured Depay, Holland wrestled back some control. And we ended up watching a very slow ball moving England go sideways and backwards. Thankfully the Dutch were equally as bad and our only really issue was the threat at set pieces, with Dumfries in partcular looking a handful.
The Dutch for me were a pale shadow of Dutch teams from decades before. Gone is the swagger and the individual talent replaced by team efficency.
Yet for me nothing has really changed. England looked a little better today because the Dutch gave them space to exploit but when it was shut down they revert to moving the ball so slowly with a lack of imagination to break down the oppostion.
England have clawed and scraped their way to the final. And if we win it nobody will care. Yet the odds of England overcoming a Spainish team with much more flair & teçhinque to move the ball quicker is going to be minimal. There are areas of that Spanish team to exploit, Çucurella at left back for example, but are we going to see enough of the ball in possesion?
Look at how we played so far. Then look at the Spanish and who they played. Before people say it's a one off game that is true, but which side looks like the team most likely to create chances? Which side has already demonstrated against good oppostion they pose a real threat? England have played very average teams and they got results by the skin of their teeth.
The evidence doesn't stack up for an England win. We know hand on heart if England are struggling that Southgate would still persist with the same particular players when you want to see our fresh, young talent come off the bench from around the 60th min. He is likely to wait 20 mins more. Its that approach which has cost us.
Then you have to ask yourself who has Southgate actually beaten? Germany is about the best you will come up with, when let's face it they were in decline to past great German sides. He hasn't beaten a top nation in a tournament who been playing well.
We can gloss over things. Let the europhia drum our passion into our heads and dismiss all logic. The performances for me don't suggest England can win this tournament. But this is a one off final. Anything can happen? Yet l feel like by Sunday evening we be asking the same questions regarding Southgate & his tactics that we asked after when Italy beat us on penalties and France knocked us out in the World Cup.
Today was a fabulous result. But that's all it was. Nothing today suggested this team is ready to go toe to toe with the current Spanish national team & win. Are we really going to achieve something more than a glorious defeat where we still be proud of the team.
I hope l am wrong. I hope this England team make me eat my words. As a passionate Englishman l will be hoping to see something lve wanted all my life. Our national men's football team holding aloft a Euro's or World Cup trophy. But unfortunately l feel like lve been here with England & Southgate too many times not to understand the script and how it probably unfolds. Maybe that makes me too sceptical in some people's eyes but when you experience the reality of what we have as England fans over the past years maybe that finishing line just seems such a distance away.