Pak_Doo_Ik
Well-known member
But didn't Robson have to change his whole philosophy because of Wilkins getting sent off and Robson getting injured?
Team against Czech
- Thread starter McBrid
- Start date
allied_assault
Well-known member
He still didn’t drop Lineker
allied_assault
Well-known member
Maybe the French will drop Benzema
Nope
Nope
Konrad_the_Barbarian
Well-known member
Can't really be bothered, but I guess we'll see.
Perhaps another Mido like performance out of Kane may see the penny drop. Yes, he is class but his form in the two matches is $hit. Even you can't argue with that.
btw. Not every "expert" pundit thinks he should start. I've heard plenty on the radio who think he should be "rested" i.e.. dropped.
Pak_Doo_Ik
Well-known member
Of course he didn't, but he changed the the team to suit Lineker through circumstance, in the same way come 88 we failed again as Robson returned to type and Lineker was left isolated. Then Robson get injured again in 90 and the formation has to change again, and once again Lineker again flourishes.
BoroMart
Well-known member
did he really change philosophy or personnel? Some people would say he was a poor tactician that was forced into changes. Most people see what they wanna see with prejudice. People still wined that he wouldn't play Barnes for example. Personally, I coach a bit and try and be pragmatic, you can't always win, you can't always play flowing football and you rarely have the best squad.
This squad have come on leaps and bounds from pre-Southgate with the Iceland debacle, before that the failed Capello world cup )group draws with the mights US and Algeria!) and before that McClarens failed qualifying campaign. The old has been 30 somethings have been ditched, the direction is upwards, we play a much better technical game than we used to, and the players trust and believe in Southgate and his philosophy and vision. This competition may be too early, but I firmly believe if we stick with him we will win a competition in the next 5 years.
FAns have turned on Southgate because a) he's too middle class and too liberal for many working class fans, b) england fans have no patience and expect the unachievable, c) they hark back to his boro days, when he took over with no coaching experience, little back up, no money and was still learning his trade. That was 15 years ago, move on, he has.
Pak_Doo_Ik
Well-known member
Erm Robson continued to play Barnes despite him often failing to perform in an England shirt.
You may rarely have the best squad but you should always choose the best the team you can, Southgate rarely does this.
England under Southgate will not win anything in the next 5 years.
Fans have not turned on Southgate because he is middle class, they have turned on him because he doesn't know his **** from his elbow and 31 consecutive games without picking the same starting 11 show this.
Laughing
Well-known member
Didn't Lineker start to flourish when Beardsley got a run in the team and that change, as I recall, was forced on Robson.
As for Southgate some of the criticism is a bit silly. Some don't agree with his team selections but that would be the case with any manager.
The real truth is that some of the fans want him to fail so they can be proven right. Not sure why that would be, but it seems clear to me. Someone who doesn't have skin in the game.
Those calling for grealish, he did nothing when he came on against Scotland.
Sterling is rubbish and can just run fast. Oh dear me.
Southgate's record stands up to scrutiny as well as any manager that has gone before him. Everything else is just unsupported opinion.
As for Southgate some of the criticism is a bit silly. Some don't agree with his team selections but that would be the case with any manager.
The real truth is that some of the fans want him to fail so they can be proven right. Not sure why that would be, but it seems clear to me. Someone who doesn't have skin in the game.
Those calling for grealish, he did nothing when he came on against Scotland.
Sterling is rubbish and can just run fast. Oh dear me.
Southgate's record stands up to scrutiny as well as any manager that has gone before him. Everything else is just unsupported opinion.
The Card Cheat
Well-known member
He's done better than any England manager in 25 years, that is a fact not an opinion. Which is especially impressive because we were at probably at our lowest ebb ever when he took over. I dont agree with every decision he makes, but he has earned the right to make those decisions.
People have short memories from at least 2008 to 2016 we were literally a laughing stock in international football, not only for our results but our outdated longball style of play.
atypical_boro
Well-known member
Yes 2008-2016 was a particularly bad time, as was the entirety of the nineties except the two semi-final tournaments we reached, we were awful in all the others.
To be fair there’s only the Sven era that wasn’t a total disaster and even that didn’t bring about a semi-final.
Marvanelli
Well-known member
Sancho has to start. It is criminal how he hasn't got any minutes with the season he's just had.
His stats last season were well ahead of Steling and Rashford who for some reason seem to just get minutes regardless of form.
Sterling fair play scored the winner against Croatia, but against Scotland he was genuinely a joke. How he was vice-captain and stayed on the pitch for 90 minutes was ridiculous.
Southgate got the whole lineup and tactics completely wrong against Scotland.
Against Croatia I understood going with 2 midfielders that are more defensive than offensive (even though Phillips got forward a lot), whereas Scotland are absolutely bang average and we still went with 2 more defensive players in the centre of midfield.
Czech's aren't a great team neither and we need to win, to top the group. Phillips has to be dropped for Jude, Sterling dropped for Sancho and I'd like to see Grealish get a start.
Same back 5, with Rice holding.
His stats last season were well ahead of Steling and Rashford who for some reason seem to just get minutes regardless of form.
Sterling fair play scored the winner against Croatia, but against Scotland he was genuinely a joke. How he was vice-captain and stayed on the pitch for 90 minutes was ridiculous.
Southgate got the whole lineup and tactics completely wrong against Scotland.
Against Croatia I understood going with 2 midfielders that are more defensive than offensive (even though Phillips got forward a lot), whereas Scotland are absolutely bang average and we still went with 2 more defensive players in the centre of midfield.
Czech's aren't a great team neither and we need to win, to top the group. Phillips has to be dropped for Jude, Sterling dropped for Sancho and I'd like to see Grealish get a start.
Same back 5, with Rice holding.
BoroMart
Well-known member
No he didn't, he barely played him in that world cup, and he had been on great form. He came off the bench in the quarters at 2-0 down and changed the game, I think that was his first appeareance at those finals. Robson got massive pelters for it.
The best TEAM, isn't the best XI players, they have to compliment each other and have tactical awareness to wotk in a team. If it was just a case of picking the best XI we could all do this.
We will see, but failing to win isn't a failure. We weren't that far off in the last two competitions and that is while going through a transition
You do realise he has won more competitive games than any manager ever, lots of managers chop and change sides, doesn't mean a thing, results do and he has an excellent record of results. Of course they don't like his middle classness. We live in an age of anti-experts, he is seen as 'too clever' by many. He got us to our first semi in 28 years and he was called lucky. He got to another semi and he was called a failure, he has almost got us out of the group with a game to spare and he's called tactically inept. If he gets us to the final and loses our first in 55 years, he will still get pelters because some people just don't like intelligent and articulate people.
allied_assault
Well-known member
Sancho really hasn't pulled up any trees for England though has he - in the recent friendly against Romania he could not get get past their fullback.
Sterling is a definite starter for me with Bellingham instead of Phillips and Grealish instead of Foden (bring on as a sub) - Chilwell at LB Trippier at RB.
Marvanelli
Well-known member
Neither has Sterling in tournaments. That goal against Croatia was his first in 3 tournaments if I'm not mistaken?
Plus Sancho has just had a cracking season at Dortmund, so I'm not going to judge him solely on one friendly appearance.
After Sterling's performance against Scotland, I'll be very disappointed if I see him start over Sancho.
Agree with Grealish and Jude coming in.
As for FB's, I'm not entirely fussed, I think all of our FB's are good enough.
atypical_boro
Well-known member
Yeah but what if we win? That's not really the objective....
Thornaby90
Well-known member
We should take a leaf out of the Dutch book, i know they’re playing inferior opposition in the group stage however they have played the way i expected we would.
Fast pace attacking, crisp passing, excellent movement and clinical. We have the players to play the exact same way its just down to the manager to instill this mentality and select the correct players!
Fast pace attacking, crisp passing, excellent movement and clinical. We have the players to play the exact same way its just down to the manager to instill this mentality and select the correct players!
BoroMart
Well-known member
They're poor at the back, could easily have been 2-0 before they scored then MKD could have shut up shop and looking previous games they are very vulnerable on the break. They won't make the final.......very lucky again to catch that one off side, with some defenders stepping up and others following runners back. Could have let 3 in today.
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Expat Smoggie
Well-known member
The competition doesn't really get started until the knockout phase-- you could argue this and that about certain players but really it's all about qualifying for the next rounds and while winning adds to momentum etc, the fact is that the group stage is mostly about avoiding injuries, yellows and losses. England have 4 points-- most fans were thinking that we'd probably lose to Croatia or at best draw, while the Scotland game should have been a walkover. Funny old game.