Compare the feeling of watching England so far in this world cup compared to the last three managers (excluding Sam) and I really get a feeling of great progress. We have a style of play. We have a great team spirit. Players who want to play for their country with pride and a manager who knows what he is doing. I wanted Southgate to get the job after Hodgson. I felt that with his work with the U21 team he would be a great option to bring those youngsters through and we are now starting to see the benefit. Yes we have beaten two poor teams but our progress against this type of team at a world cup could never been guaranteed in the past. While I still think getting to the quarter finals will be about right for this squad I won't be writing them off for going further than that. Its great that people are feeling good about England again. I love international football as well as following Spurs around the country. I can't wait for Thursday and the next game now and that hasn't always been the case while following England. We have every right to be excited after so many disappointments.
The progress has been a clearer strategy. There was never really a tactical plan under Hodgson, beyond shoehorning Rooney in at all costs, and the job did seem too big for him. I think Southgate has done everything right so far but ultimately every England manager is judged by the knockout stages of international tournaments. He's yet to face credible opposition in a competitive game and that's more the acid test. A feel good factor and momentum should help.
I agree with you about Rooney and Roy and it was amazing that he asked Kane to take corners. I like Hodgson in general but he has a level. He has performed very well with Switzerland, Fulham, WBA & Palace. England and Liverpool were too big for him
Very much just the wrong job for him. England have been crying out for a manager for ages who would pick a team on a metric of form and how they blend into the team rather than on reputation. within that though he's still got to pick the right team.and tactics and make the right in game calls. He did that against Tunisia with the changes. Knockouts the big test now.
Without a doubt the next round will be the true test. Be nice to beat Belgium to keep the positivity running.
Roy has a sctrict structure of playing which all his players need to learn through repetitive training routines. It works wonders at middling clubs but at Liverpool and England...no. Better players won't buy into it.
Be we? Don't forget when Hodgson's team failed to get more than a point from the group in Brazil Hodgson was rewarded with a new contract. He subsequently took England to further group failure at Euro 16.
Panama are terrible but Belgium struggled to break them down for a lot of their game. We tore them to pieces from the kick-off. That first half an hour was embarrassing. Despite him being a Palace youth product and captain I wouldn't have wanted Southgate as our manager if we were in the Championship before this tournament. I thought he was useless. Still not convinced he'd cut it with a bunch of senior pros at at club level, but he's working wonders with this young squad. His inclusion of the media has taken all sorts of pressure off, the team spirit is clearly brilliant and he's not afraid to implement his own ideas (three at the back, several 'captains' etc.). I think he's got it absolutely spot on. I just hope if/when we lose the media give him the respect he deserves.
The football in the last World Cup wasn't bad to watch, we were just exposed by sides who had better quality in the right areas. I thought we were slightly unlucky in Brazil, though it proved that Hodgson's management had serious flaws that couldn't be overcome. The football has been positive, but we haven't played anyone half-decent yet. Progress will be ultimately be marked at the end of the tournament (or at least from the QF onwards) and not before.
I think he struggled more as well because he tried to deviate from the way his teams have always played (after Euro 2012) and looked lost trying to do it. England then ended up caught between a number of stools, culminating in the ultimate nadir of Iceland. Allardyce would have unashamedly stuck to his tactics. Southgate has done well at assessing what he's got and trying to blend the best team which is what tournament football is about. Too often England just pick the big names regardless of how fits as a team.
Wonder what Wilshere is thinking after he demanded he be in this side, and now seeing how well they play without him (albeit against poor opposition in Tunisia and Panama); and not only that, leaving Arsenal for probably Bournemouth.
The acid test will come when England play someone decent - will Southgate stick to his principles and go for it or do a Mourinho and revert to two defensive mids (Henderson and Dier) and play it safe. Hopefully the former.
The left of the england team will be massively exposed if he carries on playing Young as left wing back, got a feeling the first half decent side we come up against (probably Belgium) will score a few.
It's a bit like the mentality of lets throw the Belgium game so we can avoid Brazil or Germany in the quarters (if that's how it plays out in their groups). It makes sense to finish 2nd in tbat scenario, but then they could also think let's go for it against Belgium and if we face Germany or Brazil we believe we can beat them and aren't afraid of them. Ultimately England have never won a knockout game being negative (Belgium Italia 90 maybe) so we should go for it.
It was more shoe horning Sturridge after one decent season and a god awful Gerrard at holding midfield (who's the reason we went out in 2 games) but of course you don't want to talk about that
Well was just thinking that pretournament there was a lot of stick from you lot about how there is no creativity in midfield and how Wilshere should've been in the squad - and he obviously thought so too making it publicly clear. Now that its all apparently the days of wine and roses, it seems to have been forgotten.
