Southgate steps down as England manager

[BenTheFox]

43 minutes ago, ramboacdc said:

It did include however a last minute smash and grab against Tunisia, us panning a country that is basically just a canal and a tactical but they claimed it wasn't attempt to draw against Belgium and we lost it to get an earlier route. 

 

Columbia was good to shake the penalty voodoo, but we were minutes away from not needing ET and shipped in a late goal. Sweden was a good game and the first half of the Croatia game were great. Whatever was said at half time in that semi messed us up. Probably being told to sit on the 1-0.  

It certainly wasn't a smash and grab against Tunisia. Not in the sense that it was undeserved, anyway. We were miles the better side. Lingard missed four golden chances and their goalkeeper had an excellent game. They only scored because of a stupid and unnecessary foul by Walker for their penalty. 

Edited 16 July by BenTheFox

[RowlattsFox]

Overall, a good job by Southgate but unfortunately didn't have the ability to grasp the opportunities he forged. 

He can be proud of his efforts but time is right to move on. 

[Vacamion]

 

Given that the nation spent years lionising the achievements of Bobby Robson in 1990 and Terry Venables in 1996, Southgate deserves great credit.

 

It was often fairly dull defensive stuff, and we didn't take important games by the scruff of the neck when we could have, but in time he'll be remembered in the same bracket.

 

Regrettably, I doubt we will do any better in tournaments to come.

 

It really is the impossible job.

 

 

 

 

 

[Tielemans63]

He did a good job bringing a divided squad together, however someone new is needed to take England to the next level and that's been the case for a while imho

 

He has got a comparatively strong record compared to other England managers but being the least underachieving among a long list of major underachievers isn't going to win trophies.

 

I'm glad he's moved on, but I wish him the best as he clearly did a lot of things really well off the pitch and changed the culture of the national team. It's just a shame he was so naturally cautious with his tactics.

[MattFox]

2022 was probably our best tournament performance wise but 2021 was the one we should have won

 

 

[AKCJ]

Eddie Howe I think for me.

 

Think he continues with the same sort of team spirit/togetherness that Southgate has carefully cultivated. 

 

I hope it isn't Potter.

[cityfanlee23]

Fantastic diplomat and he’s a great person, left us in a far better position than he inherited, Southgate is the sort of person you’d want representing your country, but ultimately I don’t think the team suited his style and he wasn’t able to adapt his style to play attacking, aggressive football that many of our players are used to. 
 

If it’s got to be English, then Howe is the only name we should be going for. Potter would be a sideways step to a manager who simply wouldn’t suit the players at his disposal. 
 

If they are open to foreign managers then throw the wallet at Klopp, and if he turns it down Poch would be the next logical step. 
Tuchel is still a top manager but again not sure he’s attacking enough for my liking on the international stage. I want to be excited by England again. 

Edited 16 July by cityfanlee23

[Ian Nacho]

He's done a good job considering where we were after Iceland but things have gotten stale. Arguably he should've left after Italy but definitely after Qatar. Getting to the final of this tournament definitely papers over the cracks with fortunate draw luck. Stank the place out for the majority of the tournament with there only being one okay performance I can think of (Netherlands). Time for someone to take us to the next level. 

Edited 16 July by Ian Nacho

[Stadt]

He did what he was supposed to do but stayed on far too long. 2018-21 we genuinely had enough belief that we could win a tournament, I really don't rate him but he's done a good enough enabling job. He's been an upmarket Puel and that's what we needed although I wish he'd gone after the Italy final.

[Dan LCFC]

Personally think Euro 2024 was a tournament too many anyway so I'm glad it's happening. He's been the best England manager of my lifetime for sure and I'll say that despite any criticism I have of him. I cannot help but think we ought to have cashed in one trophy in that period though.

[Foxdiamond]

I hope the next England manager has the sense not to include players well below fitness even before the tournament. Southgate was guilty  of this and previous managers made the same mistake with Keegan and Beckham. Big names should be left at home if not fit

[jayfox26]

Good night, sweet prince. 

[filbertway]

Often poor against teams equipped to do more than sit deep against us. Not really a flat track bully, incredible the amount of times it's required a slice of luck or moment of genius to win some games.

 

Will not miss the guy in the slightest. Not sure he won a game against a top 10 team in the world in a meaningful fixture.

 

Below par overall.

 

Hopefully the minnow mindset is done away with when the next gaffer comes in.

[James_lcfc]

A lot of his success has been down to extremely fortuitous draws in tournaments.

 

Yes, I know you make your own luck and can only beat who's in front of you etc etc, but it's still been a big factor.

 

I'd say he's done well in getting the nation behind the national team again, but in terms of individual games, he's probably just done what would have been expected of him as England manger. Especially with such a talented group of players.

 

 

[RumbleFox]

Seemed a thoroughly decent guy and wish him all the best but not quite an elite manager sadly. It does surprise me that someone of his intelligence and who also seems to have not too much of an ego didn’t employ some absolute word class tacticians to work alongside. Like he must be aware that was his downfall? 

Edited 16 July by RumbleFox

[kyleolly]

Get Klopp in

[BenTheFox]

People always mention favourable draws as a stick to beat Southgate with. Have we forgotten how many times in the past that England have failed to beat teams that we 'should' be beating? We failed to qualify for Euro 2008 when we had the likes of Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole etc. In those qualifiers we drew against Macedonia and Israel, lost to Russia and lost both games against Croatia. 2010 World Cup we failed to beat USA or Algeria. Euro 2016 we failed to beat Russia or Slovakia and were knocked out by Iceland. Beating teams that we 'should' beat should never be taken for granted. 

[melvinmmelvin]

I hope the knockers are satisfied. I frankly think that the team have got further in three of the last four competitions than they would have without the waistcoated gent.  

[Dan LCFC]

40 minutes ago, James_lcfc said:

A lot of his success has been down to extremely fortuitous draws in tournaments.

 

Yes, I know you make your own luck and can only beat who's in front of you etc etc, but it's still been a big factor.

 

I'd say he's done well in getting the nation behind the national team again, but in terms of individual games, he's probably just done what would have been expected of him as England manger. Especially with such a talented group of players.

This tournament just gone was something else. I think it was quite comfortably his worst tournament and yet we made the final.

[MattFox]

3 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

This tournament just gone was something else. I think it was quite comfortably his worst tournament and yet we made the final.

I’d argue we played our best football under him in 2022 when we only got to the quarters 

 

This tournament was clearly some kind of black magic act to get to the final

[sm1]

Comes across as a good guy, but the football in this tournament was atrocious. We played most matches with 10 men because he refused to drop Kane. Ultimately I think the players didn't really react to him anymore, there's reports that Jude was lambasting him on the touchline, during a break in the 2nd half. 

[Dan LCFC]

10 minutes ago, MattFox said:

I’d argue we played our best football under him in 2022 when we only got to the quarters 

 

This tournament was clearly some kind of black magic act to get to the final

Same here. Strange how it can work out.

[AjcW]

Gary O'Neil at 33/1 looks very very tempting

[Pliskin]

Underachieved. Had access to possibly the best pool of players England have had, and failed to achieve anything with it. 
 

Tactically he’s extremely limited, might be nice, but nice wins you nothing. I just hope he never gets anywhere near our club! 

[when_you're_smiling]

3 hours ago, KFS said:

Have you seen the combined goal contributions of the squad he was given?

 

Foden, Kane, Palmer, Bellingham are all leading talent in world class leagues. The fact we didn’t see three of them perform is down to the manager. 

But this is part of the problem. Three of them play the same position.

 

It’s not club football where you go out and buy for a position you’re weaker in. You can try and shoehorn them all in and expect them to perform exactly the same in different roles but think that was part of his problem this time around. 

 

There’s a massive difference between managing at club and international level. Some top club managers have been poor international managers (Capello). By the same virtue, some that have been poor at club level (looking at you Southgate) are better at international level.

 

The ability to change the culture around the England men’s team has to be applauded, and he started that by taking a team with Lingaard. Alli, Young and Henderson to the World Cup semi finals.

 

Whoever comes in will almost certainly be better tactically, however if they don’t build on the work he did behind the scenes, they won’t get as far anyway.