Belgium vs England

[kritichris]

We've been firing blanks.

[scouseclaret]

Kane’s the only world class player we’ve got.

[bf2k]

You obviously don’t watch Kane often then.

Ok then.

[dpinsussex]

What has Declan,Rice actually done this evening?

[kritichris]

Waddle "I think Gareth will be quite pleased with the performance"

[bf2k]

What has Declan,Rice actually done this evening?

Forgot he was still on tbh

[scouseclaret]

When are the World Cup qualifiers?

[Buxtonclaret]

Spectacular flying leap then by Pickford, even though the ball was going 15 yards wide.
Good lad.

[Dyched]

Ok then.

Kanes not an out and out goalscoring striker. He drops deep, goes wide and provides far more chances than a conventional striker does.

[Vino blanco]

Pickford, Dier, Rice, Henderson, Walker, Winks, Mount are not international class. Grealish was our best footballer by far.

[bf2k]

Kanes not an out and out goalscoring striker. He drops deep, goes wide and provides far more chances than a conventional striker does.

I agree he drops deep and links up play, usually to play it out wide then gets in the box. However, tonight he was mainly out on the wing himself

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Diers been playing CH for a while now. I’m sure Southgate agrees more with Mourinho than what fans think.

I actually didn’t mind Dier as holding midfielder, he was better than Rice, but his last two appearances at CB ont’Turf were dire. Mourinho could also be using him differently to GS even though he is at the back. His passing was shocking, you can’t pass 30yds along the ground into midfield without it being a 50/50 ball. Modern guys are too quick at closing down.

[dpinsussex]

Forgot he was still on tbh

My .Point exactly

[Woodleyclaret]

Southgate still doesnt know his best team
Far too many off the pace and if someone gets Grealish to pass he will be a top player.
But often he runs into trouble, trying to beat one man too many ,instead of releasing the ball to a better placed teammate

[Pstotto]

Dier was his usual eponymous self.

[FactualFrank]

Pickford, Dier, Rice, Henderson, Walker, Winks, Mount are not international class. Grealish was our best footballer by far.

Henderson has shown many times that he is. Mount has too.

[boatshed bill]

There's too many sweets in the jar,
and when you've trid them all you realise it's only Pik'n'Mix

[Vino blanco]

Your opinion, not mine, Frank.

[dpinsussex]

I can't believe GS is saying the scoreline isn't a fair reflection.

I don't remember a shot on target or at least one that tested the keeper

[Rowls]

I can't believe GS is saying the scoreline isn't a fair reflection.

I don't remember a shot on target or at least one that tested the keeper

Not creating chances is a hallmark of Southgate's teams.

[Rileybobs]

The pundits, players and Southgate totally missing the point that 'controlling' the game when you're 2-0 down without creating anything resembling a goalscoring opportunity isn't controlling the game.

[SalisburyClaret]

Don’t worry - it’s those minnows of Iceland next- we always beat them

[claretblue]

I know it doesn’t matter know but why would the final 2 games of England’s group (on Wednesday) kick-off a different times?
Surely should be safe kick-off time to avoid accusations of a team not trying/fixing!

[Stacky_claret]

The problem with England and it’s perpetuated by Southgate is that whilst you try to play like other nations who have better players (3 at the back malarkey) and you don’t have the players with the skill set to do what that needs you’ll always come unstuck.

What needs to happen is the England manager (whoever it is) needs to pick the best players on form and try to shape the team to fit the most “best” players on form into the team as best they can. These players are meant to be the best of the best, they don’t need to be managed at National level, they should already know how to play the game, they need to be helped to work as a team with the other best players.

This has been happening for almost as long as I can remember and I’m in my 50’s now
I’ve said for so long that this makes no sense every team should play the best players available for their correct positions

[SalisburyClaret]

Gareth - “I thought we were excellent”

Get this man away from our national side

[expoultryboy]

Foden still out of favour , left on the bench after that midfield display !!

[matttheclaret]

We've scored three in five games in this group, two very questionable penalties and a massive deflection. Not good enough.

Southgate has had a poor few months. Some very strange decisions. From playing three right backs in the same side, not picking a single left back in the last squad, Eric Dier being anywhere near the team, baffling continued selection of the worst GK in the league, double standards over players breaking team rules. Not done himself many favours.

The biggest problem though is he clearly has no idea what his best eleven is, or his best system. If your manager doesn't know either of them details, you're got big problems.

Certainly been a big regression these last few months.

[boatshed bill]

We've scored three in five games in this group, two very questionable penalties and a massive deflection. Not good enough.

Southgate has had a poor few months. Some very strange decisions. From playing three right backs in the same side, not picking a single left back in the last squad, Eric Dier being anywhere near the team, baffling continued selection of the worst GK in the league, double standards over players breaking team rules. Not done himself many favours.

The biggest problem though is he clearly has no idea what his best eleven is, or his best system. If your manager doesn't know either of them details, you're got big problems.

Certainly been a big regression these last few months.

Good points.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Foden still out of favour , left on the bench after that midfield display !!

Problem being Foden could only replace Grealish and he was our best player.

[bfcjg]

Southgate was always the safe pair of hands, classic yes man, you reap what you sow and his lack of high level management experience has been cruelly exposed.

[Stayingup]

Pickford's last game for England?

Maybe should be Southgate's last. Dyche in.

[timshorts]

Problem being Foden could only replace Grealish and he was our best player.

I don't understand this. Surely foden would be played at left wing back or maybe as false number 9 with kane in midfield.

The best way for tarks to get into the team would be to sign for Tottenham and then sit on the bench a lot.

[Rileybobs]

Southgate was always the safe pair of hands, classic yes man, you reap what you sow and his lack of high level management experience has been cruelly exposed.

I defended Southgate until fairly recently, the way we played against Spain last year for example showed real signs of progression. He got the feel good factor back into the national side, both amongst the squad and the fans. But as another poster has said we’ve regressed massively. Covid really hasn’t helped but Southgate is the culprit.

Having said that, I see a lot of people saying that Southgate is an ‘FA yes man’. What does that actually mean?

[Spiral]

Who does Southgate actually say 'yes' to, and what is he answering 'yes' to?

edit-beaten to it.

[IanMcL]

Not yet a fan of Saka from what I've seen of him.

Potentially very good but as yet, like so many, a novice, who may or may not learn from his experience, over the years.

[IanMcL]

**** with his hands tho.

I thought that was the most important bit of being a gk otherwise you would be an outfield player

To quote Southgate...you are so old fashioned, Sussex!

(Although I think Southgate is deranged)

[IanMcL]

Harry Winks????

I suspect someone shouted, "Southgate you're a w anker!".
Southgate, thinks hmmm. He's on the bench. I'll put im on!

[thelaughingclaret]

Southgate is a yes man. The FA won’t get rid of him because who else is going to be the head coach? The England job is a head coach role, not a manger role, the FA pick the team and the head coach has to agree to everything. Southgate probably has to ask someone to go to the toilet. It will never matter exactly who the ‘manager’ is as that is not where the problems lie. I do not believe for a second that side is actually picked by Southgate.

[tiger76]

Grealish was the only England player to emerge with credit from that show, how Kane & Southgate can spout claptrap about England playing well is baffling, if that's England being fantastic as Harry Kane stated, then heaven help us when they have an off day, Belgium were in cruise control in the 2nd half, England huffed and puffed, but created very little, and in fact if Lukaku had had his shooting boots on it could have been 3 or 4, thankfully for England he didn't.

Roy Keane just said on the highlights that Pickford's form is a worry, and he doesn't trust him, sadly the wally in the waistcoat does, so we're stuck with him for a while yet.

England are going backwards at a rate of knots under GS.

2018-reached the last 4 of the WC, and with a bit more luck and composure they might have even made the final.

2019-reached the last 4 of the NL, and took a talented Dutch team to ET, before securing 3rd place with a penalty shootout win over Switzerland.

2020-can't finish higher than 3rd in a NL group involving Belgium, Denmark & Iceland, and the goals have completely dried up, even the supposedly prolific Harry Kane hasn't scored an international goal for a year.

Southgate is lucky the Euro's got delayed by a year, but come next summer he'll be shown up for the charlatan he is, I can't see England making it past the last 16 on current form, and surely that would be classed as failure by the FA chiefs, I'm fed up hearing about how these young players are learning, we've heard the same old tripe for years, it's about time this apparently talented bunch started delivering silverware for the nation, instead of the constant hype and glorious failure, hard luck stories don't interest me this squad should be doing far better than it is.

And the run to the last 4 in Russia papered over the cracks, who of any real standing did England actually beat in that tournament, had an easy couple of group games, then lost in a battle of the 2nd strings to Belgium, ensuring the easier route to the latter stages, even then they had to squeeze past Colombia on pens, yes they played fairly well against a limited Swedish side in the qf, but when the acid test came against Croatia they couldn't hack it.

[Spiral]

Who selects the squad? Greg Clarke? Gareth Southgate's No.2, or 3, or 4? A sort of Darth Sidious of English football? Is it Man Utd's owner? Or is it Ole? Or Lampard? Is it Lampard? Or is it Sky? Is it Neville? Does Gary Neville pick the squad? Or Jim White? Or Talksport...or maybe...maybe it's me? Perhaps it's me? Do I pick the squad?

This is all utterly nonsensical.

[Colburn_Claret]

So many problems with this England team, they all fall at Southgates door.
From a refreshing start, picking young players and ditching the old, he's regressed to a manager that has his favourites who get picked no matter they are out of form, no matter that they are out of position, no matter that there are better players available.
His time was up a while ago but the stupid FA won't call his boat in.

[Stalbansclaret]

Grealish was the only England player to emerge with credit from that show, how Kane & Southgate can spout claptrap about England playing well is baffling, if that's England being fantastic as Harry Kane stated, then heaven help us when they have an off day, Belgium were in cruise control in the 2nd half, England huffed and puffed, but created very little, and in fact if Lukaku had had his shooting boots on it could have been 3 or 4, thankfully for England he didn't.

Roy Keane just said on the highlights that Pickford's form is a worry, and he doesn't trust him, sadly the wally in the waistcoat does, so we're stuck with him for a while yet.

England are going backwards at a rate of knots under GS.

2018-reached the last 4 of the WC, and with a bit more luck and composure they might have even made the final.

2019-reached the last 4 of the NL, and took a talented Dutch team to ET, before securing 3rd place with a penalty shootout win over Switzerland.

2020-can't finish higher than 3rd in a NL group involving Belgium, Denmark & Iceland, and the goals have completely dried up, even the supposedly prolific Harry Kane hasn't scored an international goal for a year.

Southgate is lucky the Euro's got delayed by a year, but come next summer he'll be shown up for the charlatan he is, I can't see England making it past the last 16 on current form, and surely that would be classed as failure by the FA chiefs, I'm fed up hearing about how these young players are learning, we've heard the same old tripe for years, it's about time this apparently talented bunch started delivering silverware for the nation, instead of the constant hype and glorious failure, hard luck stories don't interest me this squad should be doing far better than it is.

And the run to the last 4 in Russia papered over the cracks, who of any real standing did England actually beat in that tournament, had an easy couple of group games, then lost in a battle of the 2nd strings to Belgium, ensuring the easier route to the latter stages, even then they had to squeeze past Colombia on pens, yes they played fairly well against a limited Swedish side in the qf, but when the acid test came against Croatia they couldn't hack it.

A good summary ! The World Cup run was fun but underneath the giddy euphoria we really didn't beat anyone of note. (My personal favourite was seeing some buffoon on TV shouting "it feels like we've won the World Cup already" after we thrashed the might of Panama in the Group)

[HB Claret]

As someone mentioned Southgate is living on the 2018 World Cup where our passage gave us a relatively straightforward run. Since then he has been blessed with lots of friendlies and the Nations Cup - far more games than previous managers. What has he done - thrown caps around like confetti, changed systems, players out of their natural position and IMO devalued the meaning of playing for your country. He can mention injuries but is he any closer to knowing his best team and have we made any progress ? How someone like Walker can still be selected after his numerous misdemeanours is beyond me.

[Quickenthetempo]

#southgateout

[BOYSIE31]

I can't believe GS is saying the scoreline isn't a fair reflection.

I don't remember a shot on target or at least one that tested the keeper

Sees it like Dyche

[Spijed]

Sees it like Dyche

You can't resist having a dig at SD.

[FactualFrank]

Mourn, mourn, bloody mourn.

[Devils_Advocate]

You can't resist having a dig at SD.

True though. Had that been Burnley getting beat in that fashion then most on here would have been going on about the clearance off the line at 1-0, how we were cheated with the free kick for the second goal and generally how we'd been the better team for most of the game and deserved at least a draw

In fact if it was Burnley we would only have needed to have been half as good as England were and we would be singing our onw praises and bemoaning our luck

[Sproggy]

Against the better teams we concede at least one a game through this brainless insistence on playing out from the back.

[Rowls]

Sees it like Dyche

Try and compare Dyche's club record with Southgate's.

It success vs failure.

The two are chalk and cheese when it comes to managerial ability.