well that will cancel some trips to Qatar

[Working Class Hero]

All of them represent the team they wear the kit for, like Sheffield United.

They actually represent the team they wear the kit for, far more than the vast majority of Sheffield United players will ever do.

That's the great thing about international football for me. Every player (with a fair few exceptions in countries not too far away), are citizens of that country and have earned their right to play for that country. Technically they are in exactly the same pecking order as me and you, they just happen to be in the top 25, whereas I might be lucky to make the top million.

 

[SwissBlade]

Well we got to the final stages of the first one. Serves multiple purposes - reduces pointless friendlies, gives lower ranked teams more competitive games against each other, and allows for backdoor routes into the Euros. Scotland made the last Euros primarily based on what they'd done in the Nations League.

Wouldn’t they just be better off sorting the euro qualifiers out rather than having a JPT for internationals?

We need fewer international games not more

 

[Rudders]

The most successful English manager for half a century

And what about Southgate?!

 

[Tarqs]

There is some good fortune involved, perhaps we could get Roberto di Mateo to explain?

I mean, how many people seriously think that Southgate is actually a better manager than Mercer, Revie, Greenwood, Robson, Taylor, Venables, Hoddle, Keegan, Ericsson or Capello?

This was a manager that had heaps of cash to spend and took Boro down.

 

[mattbianco1]

So who realistically would replace Southgate? Doesn't seem a great deal of choice

Many are pushing for Potter

 

[Bell4]

I live in Spain and have done for a while, yet I still feel British - specifically, English - and all my familial ties are there. I do my best to assimilate into the culture of the place where I now live, but I remain British and I'm thankful that I have British citizenship.

At the risk of self-indulgent navel-gazing I've wondered why I have had zero feeling for the England football team for over a decade? There was a time I was as emotionally invested in it as most people but that's withered away to nothingness. I still like to see the England cricket team win, so what's different about football? I genuinely don't know.

I can't stand international football anyway. It's generally lacking in meaningful competition (something I imagine the Nations League was supposed to address) and interrupts domestic calendars unnecessarily for routine kick-ins against Andorra or San Marino, both of the Imperial Sunday League. Not one international side would win any of the major European leagues if it was an actual club side, so it's no longer the pinnacle of football achievement it might have been in the 1970s. I saw that Wales are in the top set of Nations League sides yet their team looks like something from the Championship being captained by an ex-pro.

We've even got twice as many European nations now just to water it down further thanks to the USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Albania. But even that's not it, because people still get excited by it all, it's just that I don't, even though I used to when the football was pretty much equally dull and it was Emlyn Hughes fannying around at the back.

Although the success of any national sports team can give a nation something to get behind, something that unites everyone despite the many other things that divide us, why can't I care less about Team England? In fact, why on some occasions, like seeing last night's result, do I allow myself a wry smile from their abject failure? Something happened, but buggered if I know what it is. All answers, droll or abusive, will be considered, it's cheaper than therapy.

Can I have a holiday at your Spanish gaff and we can discuss all this - may take a couple of months though and I don’t charge much ?

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

This was a manager that had heaps of cash to spend and took Boro down.

And took England to a World Cup semi Final, and a Euro Final.

 

[mattbianco1]

I'm lucky in being old enough to remember us having players in the England side

We all are.

Ramsdale and Henderson were both called up when at United

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

There is some good fortune involved, perhaps we could get Roberto di Mateo to explain?

I mean, how many people seriously think that Southgate is actually a better manager than Mercer, Revie, Greenwood, Robson, Taylor, Venables, Hoddle, Keegan, Ericsson or Capello?

Kevin Keegan literally has the worst England win record of any non caretaker manager.

 

[biggiesablade]

I'm a Blade before im a England fan given the choice I'd have the blades steady in the prem maybe win a cup and play a few games in Europe than England win World Cup.

 

[Tarqs]

And took England to a World Cup semi Final, and a Euro Final.

Took England to a world cup semi final, in extremely fortunate circumstances considering we lost as many games as we won. And when you take into account that 2 wins were againast a completely uninspiring come from behind win against Tunisia and Panama... it paints a different picture.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

This was a manager that had heaps of cash to spend and took Boro down.

Boro had another one of those that was also an Alky - Mcabe employed him

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

Your friendly reminder that Southgate has not wasted one penny on transfer fees. Nor does he pay players different wages depending on their agents demands. If any player falls out of favour, he will not be a financial noose around the team for years to come. No England player is running their contract down for one last pay day. And, crucially, Southgate did not sign anyone in the last window, nor will he sign anyone in the next.

His team are unlikely to fall into administration any time soon.

I'm a Sheffield United fan. But, international football has a purer, it's about the kicking of the ball, ring to it. Without all the surrounding shit.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

Took England to a world cup semi final, in extremely fortunate circumstances considering we lost as many games as we won. And when you take into account that 2 wins were againast a completely uninspiring come from behind win against Tunisia and Panama... it paints a different picture.

We lost one game, against Belgium to get to the semi final.

 

[gordoncharles]

Kevin Keegan literally has the worst England win record of any non caretaker manager.

Your circular argument is getting a bit annyoying, especially when you reply twice to the same post.

The argument is not whether Southgate was part of an England side which reached a final and a semi final, the argument is whether he is a better manager than any of the previous incumbents.

Compare the actual career records of Keegan (or Taylor, or even Hodgson) with Southgate and then try and convince me otherwise.

As I pointed out, Roberto di Mateo was the manager or a team that won the Champions League. Do I need to batter that point home with a mallet?

 

[Bell4]

Many are pushing for Potter

Chris ?

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

Watched it, but don't care much about football in the summer. Summer is for cricket. And quite often the England and Yorkshire cricket teams are shite. But at least it's in the right season.
But I'll comment on the Southgate stuff. Someone may correct me, but I've only seen one really good England performance in a tournament in his tenure, despite the Euro and World Cup semi and final. That was against against Germany. In the World Cup we beat shite (Panama etc), and other teams who would struggle to get into our Premier League (Sweden, Columbia). But lost 3 times against anyone who was actually any good (Belgium twice and Croatia). And a similar story in the Euros. Apart from the Germany victory, we lost against the first top side we met - Italy. And we were really second best by a long way in that, in the same way we were second best by a mile against Croatia. You can only beat what's in front of you I suppose, but as soon as we come up against Italy, Spain, France, Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Portugal (and even tiny Croatia), the wheels come off with a crash. This is not just down to Southgate, 'cos we've been pretty crap for years. The 'Golden generation' of 15 years ago couldn't shoot a fish in a barrel when put up against anybody any good. We do have ourselves on a bit about how good we are. e.g. Maguire must be England's worst centre back since Russell Osman.
But the thing about Southgate's reign is the unending dreariness of the way England play. It really is deathly, deathly dull........

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

Your circular argument is getting a bit annyoying, especially when you reply twice to the same post.

The argument is not whether Southgate was part of an England side which reached a final and a semi final, the argument is whether he is a better manager than any of the previous incumbents.

Compare the actual career records of Keegan (or Taylor, or even Hodgson) with Southgate and then try and convince me otherwise.

As I pointed out, Roberto di Mateo was the manager or a team that won the Champions League. Do I need to batter that point home with a mallet?

What you're missing, or ignoring, is the fact that I haven't claimed Southgate is a better overall manager than any of those, he is however unequivocally a better England Manager than any of those people you've mentioned.

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

Chris ?

Brian

 

[Bell4]

Brian

Christ on a bike

 

[pommpey]

They actually represent the team they wear the kit for, far more than the vast majority of Sheffield United players will ever do.

That's the great thing about international football for me. Every player (with a fair few exceptions in countries not too far away), are citizens of that country and have earned their right to play for that country. Technically they are in exactly the same pecking order as me and you, they just happen to be in the top 25, whereas I might be lucky to make the top million.

So why this sniffy 'they don't represent me' stance?

Also the 'I never watch England games' one. Admittedly, I can't get all upwards-at-forty-five-degrees about the Nations League (which is like the fucking Watney Cup to me) but in the Euros and WC I am interested and want them - us - to win.

pommpey

 

[Karaoke Blade]

Poor performance and result but too much lack of context everywhere tonight.

See what the Italy and Germany games bring in September before teddies get thrown.

People weren't going to be happy tonight, losing 4-0 at home for the first time in nearly a century, let alone to the ghoulash guzzlers, but imho the chants of 'you don't know what you're doing' were not only OTT but a bit pathetic.

England fans are a bit weird though.

 

[Stu_Blade]

The thing is for England football it's not like there is a salary cap it actually is used as a bargaining tool in the Premier League see the Grelish transfer fees etc for proof of that. England football is an inconvenience if they do well the whole nation is behind them but everyone knows the Premier League is where players around the world want to be at. In England Rugby Union players are paid approx £23,000 per game and there is a salary cap in Rugby so the international game their is an incentive to get into the side and stay there.

 

[Panini]

Winning our Nations League group would mean being drawn in a 5-team group for Euro 2024 qualifying rather than a 6-team group, so that would mean two fewer matches to play.

I really like the Nations League, some matches outside the top level have been fantastic. I've quickly loved the Europa Conference League too, for similar reasons.

The timing of these games is nobody's fault but FIFA's. They awarded the World Cup to a country who couldn't host in the summer slot and that has thrown the 2022 calendar out of sync.

A sidenote - isn't it really strange that two matches were played in Qatar in June (the last 48 hours in fact) to decide the last 2 qualifiers for a tournament which will take place in Qatar in November because it's too hot to play it in June.

 

[baulko]

So who realistically would replace Southgate? Doesn't seem a great deal of choice

Colin is a free agent I believe.

 

[RammyBlade]

View attachment 137470

Hmmm -thats interesting !

 

[RammyBlade]

Kalvin Phillips touted at 60 million to City. On that performance alone you'd not pay 60K he was worse than useless.

I don't think the criticism is an over reaction- to lose like that to Hungary was appalling regardless of pointless competition/ end of season/ tired.

It was like watching us under Slav- total lack of ideas and boring.

I really dont get what Phillips adds to the England side apart from being a lump ? He gave away the foul for the 1st goal and then pulled his face away from the shot for the goal.
Then gave the ball away in a safe area for the 2nd goal . He constantly gives fouls away and doesnt even run - a poor mans Vinnie Jones !!

 

[Stu_Blade]

Colin is a free agent I believe.

Do you remember the newspaper headlines in 2005 when we beat Leeds 4-0 at Elland Road the Sun went with Warnock for England

 

[adiosmiamigo]

Fully agree

Too right,Squire.

 

[Davalon]

England fans are a bit weird though.

Mix of all sorts from clubs across the country.

In general though, they're not usually as fickle as other countries. Just the idiots who let club allegiance take over.

As for those English fans who love to say they don't follow England but have strong opinions on them, they are weird.