Albania v England

[Spijed]

Whilst totally agreeing with that sentiment, Tim, I think Southgate is doing what all good (club) managers do:
he's not pretending that JP is not his no1 choice, Pope is currently 2nd in line.
That's how it works.

Was it a typo that you used 'Southgate' and 'Good' in the same sentence?

[boatshed bill]

Was it a typo that you used 'Southgate' and 'Good' in the same sentence?

No.
Good club managers will name their first choice. It shows that they have confidence in that particular player. It also sets the benchmark for those down the pecking order.
This is probably why Tom Heaton left BFC, he had expected to be NO1. but SD put his faith in Nick Pope.

[elwaclaret]

No, I will stand by my belief that GS already has his goalkeeping pecking order firmly in place.

Fair enough, time will tell, I have no faith in him as a manager anyway.

[boatshed bill]

Fair enough, time will tell, I have no faith in him as a manager anyway.

Neither do I.
for whatever reason our football is crap.

[Spijed]

Fair enough, time will tell, I have no faith in him as a manager anyway.

Does anyone in football regard him as a good manager?

[tiger76]

Does anyone in football regard him as a good manager?

If Southgate was such a good manager then he'd be getting linked to any PL vacancy, clearly the fact he's never mentioned when such an occasion arises tells you all you need to know about how highly he's rated within the footballing community, the FA will love him as he's a yes man, and he won't rock the boat, and as long as England keep qualifying for major tournaments then they'll be happy as the money will continue flowing into their coffers.

[Rileybobs]

If Southgate was such a good manager then he'd be getting linked to any PL vacancy, clearly the fact he's never mentioned when such an occasion arises tells you all you need to know about how highly he's rated within the footballing community, the FA will love him as he's a yes man, and he won't rock the boat, and as long as England keep qualifying for major tournaments then they'll be happy as the money will continue flowing into their coffers.

I’m not sticking up for Southgate, but I keep hearing he’s an FA yes man. But what exactly does that mean?

[Rowls]

Pickford is a goalkeeper with good ball playing skills whose weakness is his making errors and conceding poor goals.

Pope is an outstanding goalkeeper whose weaknesss is his ball playing.

The choice should be obvious.

[tiger76]

I’m not sticking up for Southgate, but I keep hearing he’s an FA yes man. But what exactly does that mean?

Everyone will have their own reading of that phrase, mine is that it means he will pick players that play for the top clubs regardless of form.

Hence why the likes of Cresswell and Tarks amongst others don't often get called up, whereas someone like Kyle Walker who's clearly past his prime continue to be selected mainly because he plays for Man City, now Southgate isn't the 1st England manager to have this blind spot, and no doubt he won't be the last either, but he explicitly stated he'd select his squad based on form and not reputation.

England's problem isn't picking the best players it's picking the best team regardless of who plays, and Hodgson and others before him had exactly this conundrum, and none of them could solve it either, so this isn't just a failing of Southgate's.

[Rileybobs]

Everyone will have their own reading of that phrase, mine is that it means he will pick players that play for the top clubs regardless of form.

Hence why the likes of Cresswell and Tarks amongst others don't often get called up, whereas someone like Kyle Walker who's clearly past his prime continue to be selected mainly because he plays for Man City, now Southgate isn't the 1st England manager to have this blind spot, and no doubt he won't be the last either, but he explicitly stated he'd select his squad based on form and not reputation.

England's problem isn't picking the best players it's picking the best team regardless of who plays, and Hodgson and others before him had exactly this conundrum, and none of them could solve it either, so this isn't just a failing of Southgate's.

When did he state that he’d select his squad based on form and not reputation?

He generally picks the best players, who generally play for the top clubs. The fact that he picked Pope ahead of Manchester United’s goalkeeper doesn’t really reflect your argument.

But even if he picked players because they played for the top clubs, how would that be in his interest and how would that make him a ‘yes man’?

[tiger76]

When did he state that he’d select his squad based on form and not reputation?

He generally picks the best players, who generally play for the top clubs. The fact that he picked Pope ahead of Manchester United’s goalkeeper doesn’t really reflect your argument.

But even if he picked players because they played for the top clubs, how would that be in his interest and how would that make him a ‘yes man’?

Shortly after being appointed permanent manager in 2017https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/footba ... 017-02-15

I will admit he's moved on some of the deadwood, but how the likes of Eric Dier and Kyle Walker are still around the England set-up baffles me.

He didn't have much option but to select Pope, he's the guy who's been playing regularly in the PL, and Dean Henderson has only forced his way into Man Utd's 1st team in recent weeks, he's done well thus far, and might well usurp both Pickford and Pope to the keeper's jersey in the long-term, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if that was the case, however Gareth has to have the Euro's in his mind, and Henderson has only played 45 minutes for the senior England team, so it would be a huge risk to throw him into the firing line just yet.

Look I don't care who GS selects, or who they play for, but whoever he picks his to gel as a cohesive XI, and that might not necessarily be the best players who play at the best clubs, how often did England try and shoehorn Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes into midfield for instance, and the most famous example of all is of course Alf Ramsay omitting Jimmy Greaves in the 1996 WC.

Now if GS can get England deep into the Euro's then I'll happily eat some humble pie, but on the evidence I've seen I wouldn't hold your breath.

The reality is whatever I and others think about Southgate he'll rightly be judged on results, in 2018 he probably overachieved in reaching the semi-finals, but since then England don't appear to have progressed as many might have hoped, the acid test will be this summer, and if England's don't at least make the last 4 again, and beat a couple of top ranked teams in the process, then GS will be under severe pressure to go.

[Dyched]

When did he state that he’d select his squad based on form and not reputation?

He generally picks the best players, who generally play for the top clubs. The fact that he picked Pope ahead of Manchester United’s goalkeeper doesn’t really reflect your argument.

But even if he picked players because they played for the top clubs, how would that be in his interest and how would that make him a ‘yes man’?

Nor to the fact that Cresswell is a 31 year old full back who’s won....nothing. Whilst 30 year old past it Walker plays a crucial part in Manchester City's squad challenging on all fronts. Not for the first time.

[Rileybobs]

Shortly after being appointed permanent manager in 2017https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/footba ... 017-02-15

I will admit he's moved on some of the deadwood, but how the likes of Eric Dier and Kyle Walker are still around the England set-up baffles me.

He didn't have much option but to select Pope, he's the guy who's been playing regularly in the PL, and Dean Henderson has only forced his way into Man Utd's 1st team in recent weeks, he's done well thus far, and might well usurp both Pickford and Pope to the keeper's jersey in the long-term, it certainly wouldn't surprise me if that was the case, however Gareth has to have the Euro's in his mind, and Henderson has only played 45 minutes for the senior England team, so it would be a huge risk to throw him into the firing line just yet.

Look I don't care who GS selects, or who they play for, but whoever he picks his to gel as a cohesive XI, and that might not necessarily be the best players who play at the best clubs, how often did England try and shoehorn Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes into midfield for instance, and the most famous example of all is of course Alf Ramsay omitting Jimmy Greaves in the 1996 WC.

Now if GS can get England deep into the Euro's then I'll happily eat some humble pie, but on the evidence I've seen I wouldn't hold your breath.

The reality is whatever I and others think about Southgate he'll rightly be judged on results, in 2018 he probably overachieved in reaching the semi-finals, but since then England don't appear to have progressed as many might have hoped, the acid test will be this summer, and if England's don't at least make the last 4 again, and beat a couple of top ranked teams in the process, then GS will be under severe pressure to go.

Apologies, I’d read it the wrong way and thought you said he would pick players on reputation but not form.

In that case there are loads of examples of Southgate being true to his word and picking players based on form. But it isn’t practical to pick a totally new 20 odd players every month based on who is on form. There has to be a level of consistency. Of the players you mention I expect that Walker is still in the frame predominantly for his pace. Dier I’m not so sure about but as a versatile squad option I don’t have a huge issue with him being a squad member.

So he didn’t have much choice to select Pope? That doesn’t make sense. Pope has been consistently selected for Southgates squads for a while now, and that is based on his form, not his reputation or who he plays for. Otherwise Henderson would be playing.

I just think ‘FA yes man’ is a very lazy way to criticise him, and I also don’t think you’ve been able to back up your assertion that he selects players based on reputation. He’s given out absolutely loads of debuts to players from all sizes of clubs in the top divisions.

Am I a big fan of Southgate? No. But he’s taken England further in a tournament than any other manager that I’ve seen since I was a kid and to be honest he’s on a complete hiding to nothing against the likes of Sam Marino. So like you say, this summer will be the acid test.

[Volvoclaret]

Big Sam Marino giving GS a hiding, well I never, he's just a bully