Open letter to Gareth Southgate

CottonopolisClaret · Post by **CottonopolisClaret** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:43 pm

Dear Mr Southgate,

I write to you, I believe, on behalf of the majority of England fans. We are tired of England letting us down. We are tired of hearing about the so-called Golden Generation who won nowt and we are certainly sick of the sight and sound of Gary bloody Neville and Rio f’ ing Ferdinand. We’re tired of thinking of the disaster that was England under your immediate predecessors.

Your frequent visits to Turf moor this season have created for you a unique opportunity denied to those lightweights Capello and Hodgson. You have seen when on the Turf how a real manager can get the best out of his players. You have seen how diamonds can be hewn from coal. You have taken the decisive first step by including Pope and Tarkowski in your squad. I urge you now to move to stage 2.

I urge you to cast aside the preconception that playing for the so-called big six clubs leads to success at international level. It doesn’t. History has shown that time and time again. From what you’ve seen who would rather have in your squad Lingard or Johan Berg Gudmundsson? Its time to pick the players who will die for the shirt. Brave players. Hungry players. Players who listen. Players who take instruction. Which is why Ben Mee should be at St George’s with you now.

On Friday night be courageous. Start with Pope, Tarkowski, Maguire and Vardy in your team. And if you can, find a spot for Mawson. Fill the remaining spots with others that will not let those lads down.

There is though one thing that you must do and do very quickly if we are to have any chance of anything other than ignominy in Russia. Ring the lawyers at the FA and then give Ashley Barnes a call.

Imagine that. Barnes and Vardy. Barnes and Kane. Come on Gareth. Think about it. Do you think you’ll ever hear fans singing to Barnes…”you let your country down?” I don’t think so.

A fan.

Oshkoshclaret · Post by **Oshkoshclaret** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:46 pm

Mate... he picked Joe Hart

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:51 pm

A nice thought but the reality is you pick your best players.

The England job is a poisoned chalice and whatever happens he is on a hiding to nothing. He would be better off picking his best players regardless of what we think. Clearly character and passion is important. But you arent going to pick Barnes over Kane. Maguire over Stones. etc

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:53 pm

Best players?

They've done that over the years and done nothing.

Best team is what it should be.

Darthlaw · Post by **Darthlaw** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:56 pm

For a nation that won the World Cup by picking the best team, rather than he best player (Jimmy Greaves), it’s surprising we haven’t figured out that formula again.

Anyhow, I look forward to Joe Hart throwing another one in, during the next game.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:02 pm

The biggest problem in England football over the last 30 years was Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez.
Instilling in their players a hatred of all opposition so that when they went away as teammates they never gelled.
Southgate has been OK so far for me. A tournament might be a different matter but he's certainly had a good look around and given younger players a chance. I might not agree that all of them were worth a cap but at least he's looking.
Read today that he might not be selecting Mee because he's only 5'11". So Cannavaro wouldn't have made the England side. I hope this was just paper talk, he needs to be better than that.

Rick_Muller · Post by **Rick_Muller** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:04 pm

Sidney1st wrote:Best players?

They've done that over the years and done nothing.

Best team is what it should be.

Abso-fecking-lutely Sid, without question he should pick the best Team not the best players - you can’t win anything with 11 Messi’s on the pitch (although that would be a great experiment if it was possible)

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:05 pm

Crikey, had you told me before posting it our, I could've delivered it to him by hand, to his home on the banks of Swinsty Res (lovely place too). Indeed, one of our fellow posters went running with (past) him the other weekend!

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:08 pm

I'd definitely take form into consideration when selecting an England squad. But there are players who can be bang average for club, but just seem to do it on the international stage - Danny Welbeck being a perfect example. So it's not, for me, a case of only picking your best players, or only picking your players on form, it's a mixture.

CottonopolisClaret · Post by **CottonopolisClaret** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:10 pm

Get Barnes on that plane to Russia.

CrosspoolClarets · Post by **CrosspoolClarets** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:42 pm

I'm staying in the Shankly Hotel tonight for work. Shanks quotes are everywhere. One says to the effect that Liverpool people can offer more drive and determination than anyone else so a business should set up in Liverpool.

Same with football. Burnley players have grit and will to win that the top six do not. Southgate may do well to know that. He won't of course. It will cost him in Russia.

Rick_Muller · Post by **Rick_Muller** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:49 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Barnes ha ha ha ha. I wouldn't let that clogger anywhere near the Leicester reserve team never mind the national squad. You guys are priceless

I’ll look forward to the bump after he’s ripped your defence a new one...

UpTheClaretsFCBK · Post by **UpTheClaretsFCBK** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:42 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Barnes ha ha ha ha. I wouldn't let that clogger anywhere near the Leicester reserve team never mind the national squad. You guys are priceless

Goals for the season.

Ashley Barnes - 7
Shinji Okazaki - 7
Kelechi Iheanacho - 6
Islam Slimani - 5

Just saying...

You’ve only got 1 striker that’s outscored him.

Oh.. and mind the gap

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:48 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Barnes ha ha ha ha. I wouldn't let that clogger anywhere near the Leicester reserve team never mind the national squad. You guys are priceless

Strange chap. Look at the goals he's scored. He's a pain in the backside for defences.

RingoMcCartney · Post by **RingoMcCartney** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:50 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Barnes ha ha ha ha. I wouldn't let that clogger anywhere near the Leicester reserve team never mind the national squad. You guys are priceless

We guys may be priceless.

But we guys, currently sit above you.

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:05 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Jesus Christ talk about clutching at straws. Our main striker has scored double the amount of goals and our midfielder who spent half the season sulking has scored more than Barnes. Just face it he might be good for a tinpot team like yours but he isn't fit to lace Vardys boots and I wouldn't even have him as bib collector at a big club like ours

And after all that - we're ahead of you in the table. So what are you doing wrong?

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:23 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:We've done nothing wrong. It's what you've done right as you've had a heck of a season but truth is you guys on here are so full of it and really think you're something special.

No chance you'll stay ahead of us and next year you'll be back in a relegation dogfight whilst we are playing in Europe and in the top half playing decent footy rather than your hoofball rubbish

I think you've taken a lot of what you've read on here as gospel. I think man for man you have a better squad - and rightly so - you have a chairman worth £5 billion who can ejaculate money like it's going out of fashion. Ours, well... can't.

So no bloody wonder you have a better team! The fact that we're above you is because we're a better run club, have the better manager, the better chairman, the better board, everything that makes a football club. That's why.

Next season, you may well finish above us. You SHOULD do. But we'll just tick along and get stronger and improve our squad and carry on getting better. You'll no doubt sack the manager, and have your best player want to leave and go to Man City. That in itself will severely weaken your squad.

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:36 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:For a second I thought you were gonna show some humility but you were soon back to your superior better this and better that attitude.

Let's face it we have a better ground, better players, more fans and more top class honours. We are a bigger and better club so enjoy your day in the sun whilst it lasts

I love a bit of irony.

Here's something to mull over: If you lose Vardy and Mahrez - you're no better than us in terms of quality.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:37 pm

Sidney1st wrote:Best players?

They've done that over the years and done nothing.

Best team is what it should be.

Only one team can win a world cup. And they are once every four years. Same with The Euros.

We should have won Euro 96, Euro 2004 and maybe World Cup 2002 and 2006.

We could have won Italia 90 and France 98. But in the main we have been roughly where we should.

Spain under performed for years, Holland have underperformed forever (yet done well when you wouldn't expect - 2010 and 2014), Germany underpeformed massively with the exception of 90, 96 and 2014. Italy blow hot and cold.

If the World cup was every year we would have won a few. But the fact that they are so rare and reliant so much on form and fitness means that they arent a true reflection on quality. International football is like The Grand National.

bobinho · Post by **bobinho** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:37 pm

So. Humility time is it? Top class honours ya say?

How many times you won the league? You know, the BIG one?

How many did you say?

longside72 · Post by **longside72** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:40 pm

If the World cup was every year we would have won a few. But the fact that they are so rare and reliant so much on form and fitness means that they arent a true reflection on quality. International football is like The Grand National.

Held every year in liverpool

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:41 pm

CrosspoolClarets wrote: Burnley players have grit and will to win that the top six do not. Southgate may do well to know that. He won't of course. It will cost him in Russia.

As much as I understand where you are coming from, this post doesnt really make sense. While we make the most of what we have, to say players of top clubs dont have a grit and will to win is ludicrous.

There isnt the same passion for the national shirt as there was and the reason is obvious. Motivation is different these days. They get paid £100k a week to play for their club so why would they risk injury for their country?

And to be honest - what does it mean to be English. Was listening to a podcast in the car earlier and Frank Skinner was talking about Euro 96 and how gutted he was when they lost against Germany. Now he doesnt give a ****. And as an England fan it pains me to feel the same. I don't feel the same pride about my country or about the national team as I once did.

If Burnley lose it hurts until we win again. If England lose I just turn the tele off.

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:43 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Absolutely delusional if you really believe that. That's enough educating for one night so I suggest you take some time out to reflect on my wise words. I think you've surrounded yourself by idiots on here for too long now

So we're agreed then. Lose Vardy and Mahrez and you're no better than us. We have a better manager, a better chairman, a better board, and we're doing this without a £5 billion chairman.

Not bad eh.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:46 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:For a second I thought you were gonna show some humility but you were soon back to your superior better this and better that attitude.

Let's face it we have a better ground, better players, more fans and more top class honours. We are a bigger and better club so enjoy your day in the sun whilst it lasts

While I don't want to get into a debate with a Leicester fan. I mean, really - who? Just thought I would set the record straight.

You have won less titles than us.
Less FA Cups than us.
The Same European titles as us - none.
You have won more second tier titles than us but that is probably because you spent more time there while we were in the top flight for 54 years (more than Leicester).

Goodnight.

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:49 pm

Don’t feed the troll; he/she/it is just another t0sser from yet another tosspot club who has nothing better to do so just ignore him/her/it and he/she/it will go and annoy someone else to fill their empty, joyless life. Go and have a w4nk, you sound like someone who does it a lot.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:51 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:more top class honours.

Not according to wiki.
1 Champions of England to our 2
Zero FA Cup wins to our 1
A lot of div 2 titles but that is because you are in it so often.
You stole our title by fiddling financial fair play and should have had it handed over.

And why are you on here so often you fecking knob?

What a mess you'll be next year when Mahrez, Vardy and Schmeichel trot on.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... cs#Honours" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CrosspoolClarets · Post by **CrosspoolClarets** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:17 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:As much as I understand where you are coming from, this post doesnt really make sense. While we make the most of what we have, to say players of top clubs dont have a grit and will to win is ludicrous.

There isnt the same passion for the national shirt as there was and the reason is obvious. Motivation is different these days. They get paid £100k a week to play for their club so why would they risk injury for their country?

And to be honest - what does it mean to be English. Was listening to a podcast in the car earlier and Frank Skinner was talking about Euro 96 and how gutted he was when they lost against Germany. Now he doesnt give a ****. And as an England fan it pains me to feel the same. I don't feel the same pride about my country or about the national team as I once did.

If Burnley lose it hurts until we win again. If England lose I just turn the tele off.

I get that, but I would predict that Burnley players, due to the Dyche recruitment ethos and the gritty nature of the town rubbing off on players, can go that extra 10% for England that big club players do not. A young player on £100k a week and cocooned away since he was 12 will have a very different mentality, and when exposed it comes up short. I don’t like the cheat, but Dele Alli is an example of one who may buck that trend - because he has been in the proving grounds of the lower divisions.

But, as I say, I don’t see Southgate making that brave decision. I doubt our lads will go.

basil6345789 · Post by **basil6345789** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:27 pm

Bertrand just injured/withdrawn. Wonder if Southgate knows Ben Mee can play full-back?

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:31 pm

basil6345789 wrote:Wonder if Southgate knows Ben Mee can play full-back?

If he does, he'll know something we don't.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:15 am

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Did you miss the bit in your own link about us winning the League Cup 3 times dumbo???

You said top honours, arsewipe. Nobody entered when you won in 64. Rochdale were in the final only two years earlier, ffs.
And the top 6 weren't arsed with it in the 90s as your wins over Boro and Tranmere prove.
Leicester is an egg chasing city and always will be.

Guich · Post by **Guich** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:38 am

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Jesus Christ talk about clutching at straws. Our main striker has scored double the amount of goals and our midfielder who spent half the season sulking has scored more than Barnes. Just face it he might be good for a tinpot team like yours but he isn't fit to lace Vardys boots and I wouldn't even have him as bib collector at a big club like ours

Your main striker is a rat-faced money-grabbing cheat, who was distinctly average for seven seasons, relying on a decent eye for goal and the ability to dive for penalties; before somehow finding an extra five yards of pace as he got older. Weird that don't you think?

I like Leicester fans on the whole, and you deserve better than a group of mid table mercenaries who had an amazing season and then spoiled it all by coming on all 'billy big boots' and getting your great manager sacked.

Imagine supporting a team which plays as a team, all the time, with pride for the shirt. It's ace.

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:48 am

CrosspoolClarets wrote:I get that, but I would predict that Burnley players, due to the Dyche recruitment ethos and the gritty nature of the town rubbing off on players, can go that extra 10% for England that big club players do not. A young player on £100k a week and cocooned away since he was 12 will have a very different mentality, and when exposed it comes up short. I don’t like the cheat, but Dele Alli is an example of one who may buck that trend - because he has been in the proving grounds of the lower divisions.

But, as I say, I don’t see Southgate making that brave decision. I doubt our lads will go.

Bamford.

jlup1980 · Post by **jlup1980** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:31 am

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Absolutely delusional if you really believe that. That's enough educating for one night so I suggest you take some time out to reflect on my wise words. I think you've surrounded yourself by idiots on here for too long now

I'd suggest you're the delusional one if you think you're anything special with Mahrez and Vardy. Those two guys are class, absolute class. The rest of your squad is solid, dependable and very decent... very much like the Burnley squad. A combined 11 would be interesting for starters.

For this I've just gone for a straight 442 and used the player stats for this season according to squawka (see link below). Absolutely no bias from me whatsoever. I've literally gone in and created the 11 from the highest scoring player in each position this season.

Pope
Lowton Tarkowski Maguire Ward
Mahrez Iborra Defour Gudmundsson
Vardy Wood

http://www.squawka.com/football-player- ... ance-score" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;#player-stats#english-premier-league|season-2017/2018#all-teams#defender#16#39#0#0#90#11/08/2017#21/03/2018#season#1#all-matches#total#desc#total

boyyanno · Post by **boyyanno** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:01 pm

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Jesus Christ talk about clutching at straws. Our main striker has scored double the amount of goals and our midfielder who spent half the season sulking has scored more than Barnes. Just face it he might be good for a tinpot team like yours but he isn't fit to lace Vardys boots and I wouldn't even have him as bib collector at a big club like ours

Thank God I discovered this golden thread.

I wonder how many teams in the premier league thought they were bigger and better than you the other year, and yet you won the title. I wonder how many teams had a bigger fan Base, a better stadium and better players. And yet you won the title. This year you're saying you're a bigger and better club than us, you say you have better players and a richer history (not that it's true), and yet we're still above you.

You speak utter tosh, toddle off back down the table and don't hurt your neck looking up. Clogger Barnes can't be that bad if he's starting for 7th in the premier league, but I'm glad you think if we got a replacement we'd be even better. Must be a scary thought for you.

Braindead · Post by **Braindead** » Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:13 pm

Got to laugh at the tin-pot Leicester clown on here.

Clearly rattled that, despite spending upwards of £160 million in the last two seasons, and being significantly richer in terms of owners, they sit BELOW Burnley in the Premier League table.

Horrible titchy classless club with stupid drummers trying in vain to create an atmosphere at their soulless bowl of a stadium.

Now run along back to your hovel, we'll just carry on being above you and will think of you when we are on our European tour next year you dick.

vancouverclaret · Post by **vancouverclaret** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 4:09 am

I never used to mind Leicester until reading this idiot on here saying they're a big club. Ha! I also didn't mind them winning the Prem. To break the cycle of the Real big clubs. I hope all their fans are not are not like him?her. I would much prefer sitting at Turf Moor with the history it has rather than the King power which looks like all the other sh*t stadiums.

boiledclaret · Post by **boiledclaret** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 6:53 am

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:For a second I thought you were gonna show some humility but you were soon back to your superior better this and better that attitude.

Let's face it we have a better ground, better players, more fans and more top class honours. We are a bigger and better club so enjoy your day in the sun whilst it lasts

Well, you seem to have caught a few lately with that renowned great Leicester wit.

Everyone do yourself a huge favour and just 'foe' this massive C***.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:08 am

Foxy_Tom99 wrote:Did you miss the bit in your own link about us winning the League Cup 3 times dumbo???

Is this Lestah lad seriously claiming the League cup as something special?

It’s always been a second rate trophy. The top sides barely chose the enter it at all for most of the 1960’s. Late 70’s and early 80’s it got a little bit of credibility, but since the start of the Premier League the top sides haven’t bothered with it. During the time they did take it mildly seriously Lestah only got past round 3 twice.

It’s a slightly better version of the Checkatrade Trophy.

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