Certainly, both Croatia in 2018 and France last year were there for the taking. More astute and timely substitutions would have won us both games. Southgate’s in-game management leaves a lot to be desired!
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Southgate should have been sacked after the four nil defeat to Hungary last June. We might have won the World Cup with a manager such as Eddie Howe.
When he leaves the England job, which Premier League team will want Southgate? None of the top half, that’s for sure.
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Genuinely I could never imagine Adebayo making it to the Premier League. I imagine Luton might even have laughed when LP requested a clause relating to this in the transfer.
‘What about if he gets you promoted to the Premier League’
‘Yeah right … OK how’s £5mill sound’
I felt were robbed at the time but as LP says this will be the best deal we have ever done if it comes off. However this is Walsall, when do things ever come off for us (I’m looking at you Deeney!!!)
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Maybe he’s just not good enough.
Songo’o has been released by Bradford. If all those offered a new contract, including Cook, accept, they will have about 28 players already in the bag without new signings. Osadebe is still under cointract.
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Agree with that.
Especially our number 1 fan having a claw back arrangement on any future income for Rico.
I am as cynical as you!
At least he can’t have a claw back arrangement for Adebayo, think it was after he had sold the club to Pomlett.
Pomlett could though…
I did say I was cynical.
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Literally could win the next two games with 10 men and he picks that squad. Southgate exciting as ever. Especially the Malta game, i bet he goes 532 as well 
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My lad, who wouldn’t profess to be an expert on the game by any means, was convinced that he would play at a higher level, whereas I wasn’t that impressed early on.
I jokingly used to say that he was lethal from a yard out, but I suppose there is an argument to be had that a player that can get into a position a yard out to score has a good reading of he game.
Good luck to him.
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Here’s what the England 11 should be purely on form, Rico’s in it. But apparently Gareth might need to get some Championship lads in or play a right back instead.
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Southgate is definitely blinkered when it comes to Rico Henry.
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Convinced that if Rico played for Crystal Palace then he would’ve had a call-up by now.
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For him not to even get into a squad does seem strange especially when you see some of the average players he’s picked previously
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CBA to read the article on the app - can someone post the full XI please?
That team is actually not so different from the one Southgate likes. Where there are differences, they are usually marginal. Saka, Stones, Kane, Rice, Bellingham are all in. The main differences are at centre back and left back, with players not even in the frame for Southgate.
Don’t have many issues with most of the team, international managers always have their favourites and leave out some obvious players, Le Tissier anyone, I think Rico is unfortunately one of those Southgate has a blind spot for.
I think with Southgate it’s the way he uses what he’s got, which does seem to be the way of modern coaching/coach training. That is very defensive minded and primarily not to lose.
Yes, I agree. And I can see there is value in having a regular squad.
In fact, he is blessed by having some excellent attacking players, in Saka, Kane, Grealish and Bellingham. He should play more to his strengths, which is currently not the defence.
I’m on the fence with Southgate. He’s managed to get a real togetherness with the squad and got the feelgood factor back, which is something that shouldn’t be sniffed at. That’s probably why he’s reluctant to go too against the grain with new players coming into the squad. It took Ivan Tony to be in the form of his life before he was included, and that’s in a position that there’s more focus on than any other. James Maddison was exactly the same before the World Cup. Maybe some kind of role behind the scenes would suit him as some of the decision making (or lack of) in games has cost us dearly.
The reluctance to use Grealish at the Euro’s, refusing to take the game to Italy in the final, not starting an in form Rashford against France. At the sharp end of a tournament our manager has come out blunt
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How Rico can’t get in that squad is mind boggling.
Saying that he didn’t Fancy Grealish either, Southgate seems to struggle with genuine talent. Instead he prefers to call up the likes of Maguire and Phillips.
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Definitely struggles with flair type players. He can set a team up to be pragmatic and will then always get you so far in tournaments.
The second we play a quality team, one we need to actually take on and try and put them under pressure, he is lost. Has no idea what to do with the likes of Grealish, Maddison or Foden.
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Not sure I totally agree with that, I think pragmatism gets you further than you may think.
Brazil are the peoples champions because we play the best, most exciting, attacking football at these tournaments but we haven’t won a WC for some years now because there is a more pragmatic team who nullify, time waste and bog us down. Greece won a Euros on pragmatism.