FIFA World Cup thread. 12:02 - Nov 15 with 131775 views | Snipper | I’m trying to get excited about this World Cup, but to no avail :-((. I’ve just watched Sky Sports World Cup preview with Gary Neville, Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Carragher & Karen Carney. Utterly depressing viewing. Same old, same old. Picking players for the starting XI not playing for their clubs, or totally off form. I’m hoping this thread can get the juices flowing. Do any of you think England have a chance? | | | | |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 13:53 - Dec 15 with 1308 views | PinnerPaul |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 21:21 - Dec 14 by daveB | I hope Argentina win it for Messi but think the French will win. You can see whYySouthgate sets up as he does when you see how France go about things and get to finals. Very dull and hard to beat but with some explosive players in attack who will always win you games. Griezzmann was superb again tonight though |
Agree that was an outstanding performance by him - that WAS a box to box performance - he was tackling in own PA, heading corners away, he was on the left, on the right, setting up attacks - astonishing I thought. | | | |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 13:57 - Dec 15 with 1301 views | traininvain |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 12:26 - Dec 15 by Snipper | Southgate played exactly like that in the Euro’s. It was boring negative football. Why he didn’t go for the jugular in the final after going 1 up vs an ageing Italian defence is a bloody disgrace. I hope he resigns. |
He did and England were a few penalties away from winning the Euros. Went more attacking at this world cup and England went out at the quarter final stage. Can you point me in the direction of this mythical international team winning major tournaments playing free flowing attractive football? Even some of the French fans apparently having a moan about Deschamps and his negative tactics. | | | |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 14:28 - Dec 15 with 1256 views | PlanetHonneywood |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 13:57 - Dec 15 by traininvain | He did and England were a few penalties away from winning the Euros. Went more attacking at this world cup and England went out at the quarter final stage. Can you point me in the direction of this mythical international team winning major tournaments playing free flowing attractive football? Even some of the French fans apparently having a moan about Deschamps and his negative tactics. |
I’d say he’s gone as far as he can, which is as good as any manager in my life with the exception of SAR. He’s turned a shambles into something respectable and on occasion, as good as anything out there. For me, he’s got all the qualities to step inside the FA and run it, and he’d probably do a far better job of that too. Not sure who the next man should be, but it’s someone more capable of being proactive and able to go after a game as opposed to one who tends to be overly cautious and waiting to react. Highest compliment I think to GS, is to agree whomever next is inheriting a solid base and has bloody big shoes to fill. GS has been a class act from day 1; deserves nothing but credit and respect. Just a real shame he never got it over the line. | |
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FIFA World Cup thread. on 14:46 - Dec 15 with 1214 views | CLAREMAN1995 |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 10:43 - Dec 15 by TheChef | Oh I dunno - they were great to watch last night, had a really good go, but they could have played all night and not scored. Final ball was consistently awful, and that number 9 who came on was sub-Championship standard. France are a good side, rather than being brilliant they have just been consistently effective and made the key moments count in each match. Quite annoying really. Will be an interesting final. |
Morocco blew it in the French penalty area basically all game.Their reluctance to shoot was bizzare and the guy from Chelsea was the biggest culprit.Trying to walk the ball into the net was hopeless ,just let fly and attack the rebounds AS much as I dislike France watching them advance with 5 or 6 World class players out injured is very impressive. Most of the World is hoping Messi can complete the dream and walk away on top Sunday but its not going to be that easy | | | |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 14:49 - Dec 15 with 1210 views | traininvain |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 14:28 - Dec 15 by PlanetHonneywood | I’d say he’s gone as far as he can, which is as good as any manager in my life with the exception of SAR. He’s turned a shambles into something respectable and on occasion, as good as anything out there. For me, he’s got all the qualities to step inside the FA and run it, and he’d probably do a far better job of that too. Not sure who the next man should be, but it’s someone more capable of being proactive and able to go after a game as opposed to one who tends to be overly cautious and waiting to react. Highest compliment I think to GS, is to agree whomever next is inheriting a solid base and has bloody big shoes to fill. GS has been a class act from day 1; deserves nothing but credit and respect. Just a real shame he never got it over the line. |
I still think Southgate has unfinished business and with the Euros only 18 months away, he should be given one last chance at a major tournament. The problem with the England job is you need someone uniquely capable of understanding our football culture who is able to unite the players and bring it all together on the pitch. Southgate ticks most of the boxes and I’d argue that he sets us up well on the pitch but his in game management needs to improve. We might find someone tactically better in Tuchel or Poch but I doubt they’ll be able to bring the players together or understand our culture which has historically been a major problem for England. My final point and I’ll leave it here, Joachim Low took eight years as Germany manager before winning a major tournament. Southgate’s had six years as England manager with a not dissimilar record to Low at his stage in the process. Now is the time to stick not twist. | | | |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 15:31 - Dec 15 with 1175 views | TheChef |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 14:49 - Dec 15 by traininvain | I still think Southgate has unfinished business and with the Euros only 18 months away, he should be given one last chance at a major tournament. The problem with the England job is you need someone uniquely capable of understanding our football culture who is able to unite the players and bring it all together on the pitch. Southgate ticks most of the boxes and I’d argue that he sets us up well on the pitch but his in game management needs to improve. We might find someone tactically better in Tuchel or Poch but I doubt they’ll be able to bring the players together or understand our culture which has historically been a major problem for England. My final point and I’ll leave it here, Joachim Low took eight years as Germany manager before winning a major tournament. Southgate’s had six years as England manager with a not dissimilar record to Low at his stage in the process. Now is the time to stick not twist. |
As far as I can tell the decision lies with Southgate? I doubt the FA would sack him. | |
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FIFA World Cup thread. on 16:23 - Dec 15 with 1141 views | daveB |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 12:58 - Dec 15 by hubble | I hope Southgate resigns too. He's obviously a personable guy who the players can relate to, which is all well and good, but when it comes to tactics and decisions in the heat of battle, he always seems to get it wrong and his tenure is now littered with missed opportunities, some of them golden, i.e. the Euros final and arguably the semi-final in 2018. France in the quarters this time round was always a tough ask, so I don't specifically blame him for losing that, but I think he's already peaked with this squad. It's no coincidence that managing Middlesbrough and relegating them in his third season was his former main managerial achievement. As manager of the England under-21s they finished bottom of their group in Euros. I've heard it rumoured that both Poch and Tuchel are interested. Now those are proper managers. |
Poch has never won anything apart from in France when he had Neymar, Messi and Mbapee up front. Tuchel is good but very pragmatic in his style of play, even more defensive than Southgate Club and international football is so different now, I'm wary of him going, I don't see an obvious replacement. Howe and Potter seem the stand out English ones but neither won anything or managed the kind of knockout games where we need someone to make a difference. | | | |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 16:24 - Dec 15 with 1139 views | daveB |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 13:23 - Dec 15 by ManinBlack | This is why England missed a great opportunity in that you would not expect to meet Morocco in a semi final. They lacked quality up front so I believe England would have won last night to reach the final with the better quality. We have to remember France are without five first teamers so a more cautious approach is understandable. Despite this they have still reached the final. As good as Giroud is I believe Benzema is better. His goals won the Champions League for a not great Real Madrid so France losing his goalscoring ability for Qatar was a big blow. There is no doubt Deschamps is a good manager for tournament football. I recall France beat Argentina 4-3 in the last World Cup but I can't imagine the final will be anywhere near as good. |
I think that injury did them a favour, they are a far better side with Giroud up front | | | | Login to get fewer ads
FIFA World Cup thread. on 20:44 - Dec 15 with 1009 views | hubble |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 16:23 - Dec 15 by daveB | Poch has never won anything apart from in France when he had Neymar, Messi and Mbapee up front. Tuchel is good but very pragmatic in his style of play, even more defensive than Southgate Club and international football is so different now, I'm wary of him going, I don't see an obvious replacement. Howe and Potter seem the stand out English ones but neither won anything or managed the kind of knockout games where we need someone to make a difference. |
Poch may not have won anything Dave, but he's achieved a hell of a lot more in his club management career than Southgate ever did! And pragmatic is what seems to win World Cups, so Tuchel ticks that box, plus what he's won and done. Surely you don't think Southgate is better than either of those two? Of course, in a competition like the Euros and WC, even the greatest managers and teams can fail - look at Brazil this time round (not saying they're the greatest, but with that squad, to lose to Croatia was unforgiveable...) And on a purely irrational basis, Southgate looks and speaks like a frightened rabbit. He's never going to win anything. Let's agree he's done a decent job, now it's time to get a professional in. | |
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FIFA World Cup thread. on 21:25 - Dec 15 with 972 views | daveB |
FIFA World Cup thread. on 20:44 - Dec 15 by hubble | Poch may not have won anything Dave, but he's achieved a hell of a lot more in his club management career than Southgate ever did! And pragmatic is what seems to win World Cups, so Tuchel ticks that box, plus what he's won and done. Surely you don't think Southgate is better than either of those two? Of course, in a competition like the Euros and WC, even the greatest managers and teams can fail - look at Brazil this time round (not saying they're the greatest, but with that squad, to lose to Croatia was unforgiveable...) And on a purely irrational basis, Southgate looks and speaks like a frightened rabbit. He's never going to win anything. Let's agree he's done a decent job, now it's time to get a professional in. |
Not knocking Poch but what you do at club level is largley irrelevant at international level, None of the managers bar the Dutch, German and Spanish ones have ever done much at club level and those 3 top managers were all out by the end of the quarters. Tuchel is of course a better manager at club level (although wonder how well he'd do with a Middlesbrough type job) but it's a real unkown how he'd do at international level, Capello looked ideal as well as did Sven. I'm old fashioned and believe the national team should be managed by someone from that country, I know it doesn't work like that but just feels wrong when it's supposed to be the best of this country vs the best of another. When you have a set up like St Georges Park aimed at improving the players and coaches to hire a German or an Argentintian as the figurehead would go against what they are supposed to be doing. I do get though that there are so few English options at the moment that those 2 names are obviously very appealing. | | | |
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