By inky Go To Post"the best side" is a strawman.
By Xpike Go To Postas we all know only the best sides win knockout round tourneys, that's why Portugal won euro 2016 and that's why Switzerland kicked France out
THIS is a strawman lol
Is Southgate being judged because he hasn’t won an international tournament, despite the fact you have quite rightly pointed out that tournaments aren’t always won by the best side anyway? Is losing on penalties to Roberto ‘a proper coach who couldn’t beat Macedonia to a World Cup’ Mancini in a final an indication of failure because France DID happen to win a WC a few years prior and therefore sometimes good sides do win? Is beating Germany last year good and getting a draw here bad? Is Southgate a good international manager because he’s done well in tournament football and clearly has a squad that likes him, performs for him and he does a wonderful job of being an ambassador for one of the toughest jobs in the country (I mean, relatively; he isn’t a nurse or an eSports gamer or anything), or is he a shit coach because he’s not very capable of coaching attacking football and instead relies on a solid defensive base and has been found wanting in a semi and a final? Does any of this matter? What even is the Nations League?
The answer is of course, more complicated than simple yeses and nos. Because the quality of international football is so inconsistent and variable, and there’s about five good managers and three good sides, and ultimately it’s all about having a fucking laugh pretending you like players from Liverpool and City and you have to cheer for them because you were born on the same shitty island as them, David Bowie, Judi Dench, Marcus Mumford and Boris fucking Johnson.
nate but the point is that england play like absolute shit, even costa rica has played more smooth football at the international stage in my lifetime and we have exactly 1 good player, the goalkeeper
By FortuneFaded Go To PostSaka today had one of the worst performances I've ever seen in an England shirt.it's what happens when you play a 20 year old for every single match of the season, he needs a break
By n8 dogg Go To Postyou have to cheer for them because you were born on the same shitty island as them, David Bowie, Judi Dench, Marcus Mumford and Boris fucking Johnson.Marcus and Boris were both born in the US.
By Xpike Go To Postnate but the point is that england play like absolute shit, even costa rica has played more smooth football at the international stage in my lifetime and we have exactly 1 good player, the goalkeeper
it's what happens when you play a 20 year old for every single match of the season, he needs a break
I mean… have you? Have Costa Rica actually played better football or have they just been equally as shit but with less expectations?
France won a world cup playing mostly shit football. Spain won two or three tournaments in a row playing mostly shit football.
Are there any really good national sides? Are there any sides that are going out there and playing with the quality of Liverpool or City or Bayern or Real? And are they doing it against an opponent of similar quality?
I saw Costa Rica at the World Cup play organised team football against some of the most godawful England and Italy sides I have ever seen, a true collection of individuals with coaches ill equipped for national tournament football. I don’t remember them actually being any good. You might think differently because you have good memories of them playing well, just like I look back to the halcyon days of beating Germany and Denmark last year when you all probably thought it was pretty rancid.
Southgate has done an amazing job and he's responsible for some of the most fun I've ever had watching football. But he's also blown two fucking HUGE opportunities.
By FortuneFaded Go To PostMarcus and Boris were both born in the US.
Whatever, both British cunts. Mumford and Sons arguably as big a stain as the Conservative Party
By Willkiller Go To PostSouthgate has done an amazing job and he's responsible for some of the most fun I've ever had watching football. But he's also blown two fucking HUGE opportunities.
Yeah, this is fair enough. It’s also fine margins though. Penalty shootout against an Italy team who everyone agreed were favourites, had a better manager, a better keeper, better centre backs, a better midfield…
Even accounting for the fact that yes, sometimes a Greece happens or a Croatia or a Turkey or South Korea have golden runs, it’s all fine margins at this level because the pressure is high and the quality is low.
Massive missed opportunity, but only in terms of it being a 50/50 given most circumstances rather than ‘England SHOULD have won that and blew it’.
I only count the Euros as a missed opportunity. Don’t think we would have stood a chance against France if we had beaten Croatia.
By FortuneFaded Go To PostI only count the Euros as a missed opportunity. Don’t think we would have stood a chance against France if we had beaten Croatia.
International football is always such a crapshoot that anyone has a decent chance in a final, I think. The big tournaments usually have teams so scared of losing that the quality is low. I think France would have been more wary of us than Croatia (however wrong that might be) and the expectations would have been higher for us than Croatia, who were on a dream run. The final would probably have been far less open and far more like last year’s final.
played some pretty well organized football with attacking intent, not only at the world cup especially vs. uruguay but also on the whole qualifying campaign, and again that was a team with about 3 players even playing in Europe, I think our only player in the CL that season was Campbell playing for Olympiakos at 21 year old, while in England every single player called up plays in a top 3 league in the world as a starter
england has been pretty rancid for what they have especially in attack, and that is mostly to how southgate sets them up. even in the euro final once italy scored they never looked like attempting to come back despite having around 30 minutes left of normal time
england has been pretty rancid for what they have especially in attack, and that is mostly to how southgate sets them up. even in the euro final once italy scored they never looked like attempting to come back despite having around 30 minutes left of normal time
By n8 dogg Go To PostYeah, this is fair enough. It’s also fine margins though. Penalty shootout against an Italy team who everyone agreed were favourites, had a better manager, a better keeper, better centre backs, a better midfield…
Even accounting for the fact that yes, sometimes a Greece happens or a Croatia or a Turkey or South Korea have golden runs, it’s all fine margins at this level because the pressure is high and the quality is low.
Massive missed opportunity, but only in terms of it being a 50/50 given most circumstances rather than ‘England SHOULD have won that and blew it’.
Pre match I had it 51%-49% in England's favour, it was very even but the home support gave us a tiny...TINY edge I felt. But once we went 1-0 it was 70-30, that game completely exposed Southgate's tactical shortcomings and I'm honestly surprised he escaped the level of criticism he should have got for blowing it. Italy were completely there for the taking but we clearly never planned to be leading that early and he bottled taking advantage, the second half was weird...Italy did very little but it was so obvious they were going to score regardless. That game wasn't lost on pens, it was lost in the 90.
By FortuneFaded Go To PostI only count the Euros as a missed opportunity. Don’t think we would have stood a chance against France if we had beaten Croatia.
Well I was counting missing out on the final as the missed opportunity....which we were also winning.
Two huge missed opportunities, two games lost from winning positions at the critical moment.
going to international football after ending one of the best seasons ever in Champions and EPL is a dissapointment
this world cup in slave emirate will SUCK
this world cup in slave emirate will SUCK
england also had some of the easiest runs to finals there have ever been
and yet denmark was very close to knocking them in semis too
and yet denmark was very close to knocking them in semis too
The market had England as favourites in that finale, even with one day less rest. Although not huge ones. I always believed in Italy, but that is due to my superior knowledge and the fact me am soccer expert.
By Xpike Go To Postengland also had some of the easiest runs to finals there have ever beenPortugal 2016?
By Laboured Go To PostSame news every day….. the longest foreplay in history are football transfer rumors.
By Lunatic Go To PostSome of y'all really dislike the English NT for some reason.Self hatred
By pulga Go To Postdamn n8 bullying people in here again, can no one stop this man?United has destroyed any joy he gets from the sport. 😔
By pulga Go To Postdamn n8 bullying people in here again, can no one stop this man?this is a strawman
Feel like you guys took like a first year debating class.
You guys need to learn from me.
The master debater.
You guys need to learn from me.
The master debater.
By Perfect Blue Go To PostMore people have you on ignore than debates you’ve won m8Sheessshhhh ⚰️💀
By Perfect Blue Go To PostMore people have you on ignore than debates you’ve won m8Fucking hell. Punished Disso right yah
By Perfect Blue Go To PostMore people have you on ignore than debates you’ve won m8Quoted for FF
By Perfect Blue Go To PostMore people have you on ignore than debates you’ve won m8That's what happens, you win debates and people don't want to hear from you again.
It's a double edged sword.
Either I let people win the debate, or I win and make them leave the thread
By Perfect Blue Go To PostUnited has destroyed any joy he gets from the sport. 😔Says the man who threats to leave for baseball every other second ;).
Our new goalkeeper that we bought in January was recommended to us by the same bloke that told us to sign Runarsson ...
By FootbalIFan Go To PostFeel like you guys took like a first year debating class.
You guys need to learn from me.
The master bater.
Fixed
If they get 40m for Mane and they spend 70/80m on Nunez, it offsets cost a bit I guess
Are you sure we can’t interest you in 1 (one) Cristiano Ronaldo?
Are you sure we can’t interest you in 1 (one) Cristiano Ronaldo?
By Killer7 Go To PostSounds like we are prioritising midfield…
Bring me Frenkie
Makes sense. You won’t be able to do everything that needs doing to that squad in one window, but your midfield in particular is an absolute dog, and you can’t just play Fred on his own there for 3600 minutes next season.
By Willkiller Go To PostLooks like we're going to sign Targett after all. Good. Ashworth doing work.
Saw you linked with Lodi too
By n8 dogg Go To PostSaw you linked with Lodi too
Yeah that seemed to be picking up steam but don't see that happening if Targett is coming in. Absolutely fine with Targett he was fantastic for us.
See no reason to splash on a highly speculated price for a striker with two knee surgeries and one good season in Portugal. Midfield and CB absolute priorities.
I appreciate how important the midfield thing is, and maybe it's more of a budget consideration, but I have an uncomforatble feeling we're doing the "we can only work on one signing at a time" thing again.
By Feorax Go To Posthttps://twitter.com/_pauljoyce/status/1534445698057371649?s=21&t=jPmF4GPl2NJMfXMr2sIgugI'm sticking to my Pepe theory, unless Liverpool do sign him in which case it was a jinx on other clubs all along
https://twitter.com/dominicking_dm/status/1534445379625926656?s=21&t=jPmF4GPl2NJMfXMr2sIgug