england are mistaken for befriending the tabloid press.

[Wile E Coyote]

This thing england are doing where they are attempting to get all cosy with the press is fairly sickening and pathetic in my view.
To suck up to those vultures in order to keep the more rabid of their journalists quiet is cowardly and unecessary surely.
England camps have witnessed previously how vile the coverage can be, why give an inch to them?
Show's them all playing darts together, and then in turn the journalists say how nice it is to be part of it all.
If I were responsible for the media side of englands set up, i would ban ALL of them from withing five miles of the hotels and training facilities, and just arrange televised interviews with BBC.

[RalphCoatesComb]

Keep you friends close and your enemies even closer !

[RocketLawnChair]

Agree with the Wile 100% here. Lose tonight against Tunisia and the press will turn this Darts/Ten Pin Bowling malarkey into the team being on a glorified stag do.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Cant do them any harm. Look how the press have torn them apart at every previous opportunity. Sure they may do the same again but at least it might be after the event rather than before it for once.

And tbh I doubt its 'fake'. Southgate seems genuine, forward thinking and approachable.

Very similar to Dyche and he will be just trying to get any 'marginal gains' he can.

[Wile E Coyote]

why though ralph? their only job is to tell everyone what we already know surely.

[Wile E Coyote]

sorry cricketfieldclarets, there is no merit whatsoever in appeasing those people. **** em.

[NottsClaret]

Don't see the problem. Southgate will get slaughtered whatever he does the moment we lose. If he wants to behave like a civil adult rather than a paranoid celeb until that point, that's up to him.

[Lancasterclaret]

I think its refreshing to be honest.

Having an England team and manager who are cheerful, personable and totally lacking in any paranoid lunatics is great to be honest.

It does seem very like a very successful team ethic that we use for starters.

[Sutton-Claret]

It doesn't matter how well England do, the press will still find something to try and bring them down.

Agree with the OP - ban them, teach the scroungers a lesson - they thrive on putting people down

[Cirrus_Minor]

Even with lower expectations from most the tabloids will home in on Southgates decisions and follow the usual blame culture. I think the best course would be to stick with Southgate and rise above them, but doubt we will.

[Dyched]

I think it’s great.

Take the football aspect away. Southgate will be seeing the journalists every day for 5/6 weeks. To be distant from people having spent so much time with them a bit odd imo. He’s trying to make the England set up anreally good atmosphere. Something to enjoy. Our Sean does the same. That’s why were are succesful. It’s not all about the quality of the footballers. But the relaxed, no pressure, enjoyment what they have.

[boatshed bill]

Even with lower expectations from most the tabloids will home in on Southgates decisions and follow the usual blame culture. I think the best course would be to stick with Southgate and rise above them, but doubt we will.

They would do that regardless of any effort by Southgate to improve relations with them.

[clarethomer]

Agree with those who think its a positive.

One thing I have admired/liked about Southgate so far is that he seems to be doing things his way and differently to his predecessors.

We have a young team - whilst there will be hope they can do something above and beyond the general realism of where this team is currently, I think the whole feel of this world cup is far more positive than it has been for a while. We have a team with pace, we have don't seem to be having an issue with having people in the squad just because of the name on their shirt- Hart/Wilshere etc.

Typical that some burnley fans are having a pop on a 'feeling' without fact or merit.

[Wile E Coyote]

why are they trying to appease this disgusting , vindictive , and classless bunch of tabloid **** ? just in case the team lose, and the manager and team want to be shown in a better light .
These journalists are just hovering , praying for failure. The public surely dont need these cockroaches to tell them whether the team are any good or not, just watch the telly , it'll be obvious.

[jlup1980]

Let's be honest here, Southgate and his squad can't win with the tabloids no matter what they do... well, unless we win the competition obviously!!It might appear that things are rosy at the moment but we're just waiting for that to turn.

A defeat or a draw tonight and Southgate will be hung out to dry and called a turnip or something equally as pathetic. Even a 1 nil win would be met with negative press coverage I'm sure - it would just be seen as an expected yet underwhelming win. Yet if we win 5 nil we'll be built up to a level we can't sustain and the negative coverage will be held for another day. The tabloids are a ticking time bomb and do nothing to help our National side in major tournaments.

[Lancasterclaret]

I think everyone is expecting us to get out of the group and then thats it.

Anything else is a bonus. And I think the press agree with that as well.

[NottsClaret]

why are they trying to appease this disgusting , vindictive , and classless bunch of tabloid **** ?

Has it crossed your mind that he's not trying to 'appease' them and he just chooses to conduct himself properly rather than getting embroiled in paranoid tit for tat squabbles?

His managerial record suggests this job will be too much for him and he'll rightly be up for the chop if that proves to be the case. But behaving like a grown up and encouraging others to do the same isn't a reason to have a pop at him.

[South West Claret.]

What ever you say or do the tabloids are bound to have something to say and usually negative knowing them.

[Billy Balfour]

We all know that the tabloid press is a nest of vipers, but this just might be a masterstroke and make the players relax a bit more. Maybe even stop them from worrying too much when they make a couple of misplaced passes.

Anyway, even if we don't do well, it's been a refreshing change seeing an England manager who doesn't seem to be a paranoid nutter.

Come on England!

[Wile E Coyote]

We all know that the tabloid press is a nest of vipers, but this just might be a masterstroke and make the players relax a bit more. Maybe even stop them from worrying too much when they make a couple of misplaced passes.

Anyway, even if we don't do well, it's been a refreshing change seeing an England manager who doesn't seem to be a paranoid nutter.

Come on England!

but i ts like saying the whole nation can see the match for themselves, make up their own minds about how well they played, but then collectively as a nation, be subjected to a tidal wave of **** from the press and only that will confirm what we've just watched. there must be millions of thick , really thick people in this country if that's the case.

[TVC15]

It`s not that all people who read the press are thick or can't make their own mind up it`s more a case of what the press have done in the past in slaughtering England players and managers...not only for their performance on the pitch but also making their lives off the pitch public etc.

Southgate seems like an intelligent man so nothing really against him trying to improve relationships with the tabloid press. Maybe he has thought that by doing this he and his team will get some positive coverage for their treatment of the press and this is better than getting the negative type coverage they got with the likes of Capello before a ball has even been kicked. There's something to be said for this being better for the mindset of the players going into the games.

At the end of the day though Southgate does not believe for one second that this will change how the tabloids will react if England flop at the World Cup. It does seem though that there is genuinely less expectations from everybody as to how far England can go which probably means that unless they do not get out of the group the press for a change could leave the manager alone (for now) and might just have a go for a few days at individual players like Sterling.

[Billy Balfour]

but i ts like saying the whole nation can see the match for themselves, make up their own minds about how well they played, but then collectively as a nation, be subjected to a tidal wave of **** from the press and only that will confirm what we've just watched. there must be millions of thick , really thick people in this country if that's the case.

I think there are a lot of gullible people in every country. Just look how easy it is for some of the tabloids to whip up a frenzy about any given subject. Their latest flavour of the month is a video game - apparently its now the root of all evil, until next month.

[JTClaret]

I don't think it is trying to be clever or with any anterior motive.

I like Southgate, it's been hard not to over the last few months.
And if the press turn, he can simply say it's part of their job.
He appears to know to enjoy the moment and the press whilst things are good, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him shrug it off when it's bad.

[FactualFrank]

It says something when England fans complain that we're being too nice with the press. It certainly shows there's nothing else to currently whinge about. If they were ignoring the press, that too, would have people complaining, saying we should treat them better. Lose-lose.

[cricketfieldclarets]

All the papersand talksport very complimentary of southgate and theteam. Only been critical of the ref and techbology.

[sleeperclaret]

Re-read this thread and swap "England" for "Burnley" and "journalist"/"press" for "some posters on this board". At least the journalists get paid....

[Bfcboyo]

Re-read this thread and swap "England" for "Burnley" and "journalist"/"press" for "some posters on this board". At least the journalists get paid....

It sounds like too much hard work.

Reading the thread that is.