jacko wrote:
Did we beat one team in the tournament who was ranked above us?
Sorry to pick just one thing out of a post but does this really matter? It's only two years ago since Iceland dumped us out. Switzerland were ranked 7th(?) for this tournament. Sweden got past them and we beat Sweden.
All of the teams that are there are there on merit, not on the basis of their nonsensical ranking.
Clacton-ammer wrote:For sure Warp, the team needs improvements, its a work in progress, we all know this and more importantly Southgate does.
But from where we were 5 weeks ago, to where we are now, he deserves a 10/10 for giving us an England team we like and admire, and a team that made the semi final of the WC, which I thought was best knockout stages, maybe if we get lucky a 1/4 final. They overachieved, so nice to be over, as usually we under...
His problem now is that we expect now, and we will be looking for the improvements that we all know is needed.
fair enough Clacton, i think he could have done even better, but he did very well. no point debating on the 10/10
`we did an excellent job despatching the poor teams and our best performance was against Sweden. We were poor against Colombia and last night the second half was dissapointing. I think he's done a good job but people seem to have lost some perspective on him.
jacko wrote:`we did an excellent job despatching the poor teams and our best performance was against Sweden. We were poor against Colombia and last night the second half was dissapointing. I think he's done a good job but people seem to have lost some perspective on him.
I see this WC as a massive learning experience for everything and everyone England, easy to forget Southgate is actually as green in his role as many of his players were in theirs.
A good job is indeed what he did, one to learn much from going forward, well above most peoples expectations and even better, probably leading to a much much greater impact on any kid coming through...
He’s a smart and admirable chap, and seems the type who would probably accept some of the criticisms and try to build on them.
That’s refreshing & makes those shortcomings forgivable in a world of ear cupping
jacko wrote:
We had two shots on target in the whole match.
Dier was awful when he came on. I don't think we looked like winning the game after they equalised.
Did we beat one team in the tournament who was ranked above us?
I think he did a brilliant job of creating a team spirit. I think that is something to admire. But did we get the best out of Kane in the last three games? I don't think so.
I am not saying he didn't do a good job but he has certainly been given an easy ride..
I think you have to take into context those things against the players he had at his disposal.
Before the start to a man this nation would have said that was our weakest squad ever.
We have no world class player in the squad yet made the last 4.
Croatia have Modric who showed his class last night. Belgium have Hazard and De Bruyne.
I think Lallana would have made a big difference. With the tools at his disposal, he did very well.
Fair play for picking a squad based on youth and attitude, with an eye on the next Euros and WC.
Fair play for keeping them humble, and keeping out the egos but also building a togetherness that's been lacking from so many England squads down the years.
Fair play for getting this squad to overachieve in getting to the semi final - one which we led for over an hour - and coming close to reaching the final.
Th only criticism is Southgate's tactical naivety second half vs Croatia and poor subs - hopefully something he will learn from.
I still don't rate him, we conceded in every game including Panama and Tunisa, we were only threatening from set pieces and his subs and tactics at times were questionably. Against Croatia he got out managed, it was obvious we either needed to pack that midfield second half and not let Modric, Raktiic and Brozvic breath or fully setup for the counter/long ball, we did neither and keep playing the same as the first 45. The big problem is we have no real proper games till 2020 so we have to wait two years to make a verdict, let's hope he learns in the next two years and we go into 2020 stronger.
fmgod wrote:I still don't rate him, we conceded in every game including Panama and Tunisa, we were only threatening from set pieces and his subs and tactics at times were questionably.
Except we kept a clean sheet against Sweden.
Southgate has lessons to learn tactically, but we were still a threat in open play, but our final balls were found wanting. 12 goals scored in the tournament is not to be sniffed at.
sendô wrote:
Southgate has lessons to learn tactically, but we were still a threat in open play, but our final balls were found wanting. 12 goals scored in the tournament is not to be sniffed at.
8-10 goals from set-pieces? No way we replicate that again
WorcesterWHU wrote:
Sorry to pick just one thing out of a post but does this really matter? It's only two years ago since Iceland dumped us out. Switzerland were ranked 7th(?) for this tournament. Sweden got past them and we beat Sweden.
All of the teams that are there are there on merit, not on the basis of their nonsensical ranking.
Yep Sweden finished above or beat Holland, Italy, Germany and Mexico on their way to us yet those on here who think we have crap players think that beating them is easy and worthless, they seem to want it both ways both that we are crap and that we should beat these teams. The fact is that we are far from the best team in the world and considering that we achieved at least as well as could be expected, better in fact because it is an achievement to keep beating teams who are (a little bit) below us and is something we have failed to do in the past and better teams than us failed to do this time.
Put things in perspective and look at some of the better teams that never made the semi finals. Some like Brazil had to play the likes of Belgium so it's understandable but most went out to "weaker" teams, they did underachieve.
sendô wrote:
Bugger me you're relentlessly negative.
Check the other thread I was quite balanced, I'm just a realist, I totally agreed with Keane's comments the other night, feet on the ground, take every game as it comes.
Also without drawing away from the point, I'd happily have a bet we don't score more set-pieces at the next world cup than we have this one, don't see how that's negative, it's just logically and realistic.
Southgate's whole ethos was about keeping the squad grounded and taking it one game at at time, I'm amazed that more than one person on here is now taking Roy Keane's words as gospel