Southgate resigns

[wpdavid]

I'm not sure results will necessarily decline. There's a strong nucleus of players under 24 - Foden, Bellingham, Saka, Gueye, Palmer, Wharton etc, not to mention the U21 team that recently won the Euros.

I agree actually. Most of Southgate's predecessors would have killed to be able to choose a midfield 3 from Rice, Bellingham, Foden and Palmer, and they should only get better over the next few years. And as you say, there are decent alternatives/back-up in Mainoo and Wharton, who are also very young. The three wide players in this squad should be around for ages, and hopefully some of the others will refind their form in the future. If Walker goes, which he probably will, then there are still alternatives in TAA and, if he's ever fit, James. Stones doesn't need to go anywhere yet, Guehi's been fine, as was Konsa in the one game he played. The left side of defence may continue to be a problem, but there are a couple of younger players who could step up. The biggest problem is probably deciding what to do about Kane; were his performances due to not recovering from his back injury or are we seeing signs of terminal decline now?

If we take the view that the poor performances before and during this tournament were due to the manager rather than the players, then we should be fine. And that's without repeating my facetious line that the next couple of tournaments must be in the bag now that Southgate's gone.

 

[Uppercut]

I'm not sure results will necessarily decline. There's a strong nucleus of players under 24 - Foden, Bellingham, Saka, Gueye, Palmer, Wharton etc, not to mention the U21 team that recently won the Euros.

Yeah I think the squad will be pretty good. It’s just that anything short of getting to the World Cup final will technically be a decline in results, so it’s a high bar. Something like a tough draw and a QF exit to a good team might be seen as a disaster.

 

[wpdavid]

Anyway, without wishing to regurgitate all the familiar arguments, I can honestly say that watching the England side for most of the last 8 years has been far more enjoyable than at any other time since I started following the game in 1970. Given how low expectations were when Southgate took over, I'll take that.

 

[shortpitched713]

As an England sporting teams "hater", I'm so glad you all ran Southgate out.

Whoever's decision that was is very smart, and definitely they shouldn't have done whatever it took to keep him around. Definitely not.

 

[Brook's side]

Can go further back than that too.

2006 with a very strong squad we limped through a rubbish group and Ecuador before barely putting up a shot at goal against Portugal and losing on penalties. That was a really strong squad too that hugely under-performed.

2002 - beat the Argies but couldn't beat Sweden or Nigeria. Winning one of those and we'd have had Senegal then Turkey in the next 2 rounds and faced Brazil in the SF not the QF and in the evening humidity rather than the baking day time heat.

1998 - lost to a good but beatable Romania. In fact a draw would've seen us avoid Argentina in R2. Still, we'd have faced Croatia, who were ace, but a game we'd have fancied and after that a rubbish German side, so who knows?

Furball was definitely better at that than you were Ali TT.

He genuinely made England sound ****.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

As good a manager they will ever get

 

[Ali TT]

Furball was definitely better at that than you were Ali TT.

He genuinely made England sound ****.

k

 

[GIMH]

Yep it’s been the most enjoyable sustained period of watching England in my life. He leaves a legend for me.

 

[Furball]

Yep it’s been the most enjoyable sustained period of watching England in my life. He leaves a legend for me.

It's got to be the best sustained period any England fan has ever had, doesn't it?

Obviously 1966 would top it all for those who were alive to see it, but that was one tournament. There's been one-off decent tournaments in 1990 and 1996, but never a sustained period where England have been generally very good at tournament football.

 

[grecian]

As an England sporting teams "hater", I'm so glad you all ran Southgate out.

Whoever's decision that was is very smart, and definitely they shouldn't have done whatever it took to keep him around. Definitely not.

It's clearly Southgates decision to go, I mean he would have had a job for life if the FA had their way.

We should be okay though, depends who they get in. Think Howe may only do it if he think's he precariously placed at Newcastle.

Yeah there were good times with Gareth, but as with most things in my footballing life, a certain feeling " of what could have been".

A little worried about a forward that can lead the line who isn't a crocked Kane, hard to think of anyone coming through, lots of midfield talents, but we've rather a surfeit of them.

Obviously a left-back would be nice too, but one great thing of this Tournament has been Guehls performance. Hopefully in the two years to come we should be looking at Branthwaite.

 

[shortpitched713]

It's clearly Southgates decision to go, I mean he would have had a job for life if the FA had their way.

FA should have thrown in some "ladies of reputable character" + a house + some crypto in to sweeten the next contract offer. That **** would have worked. It always works.

 

[Hungry Llama]

Southgate took over a team that played awful, and he took that team to 2 euro finals and a WC SF
even though they still played awful. Hes a bloody magician!

 

[Redbacks]

As a media performer he’s been a class act.

 

[Molehill]

Yeah I think the squad will be pretty good. It’s just that anything short of getting to the World Cup final will technically be a decline in results, so it’s a high bar. Something like a tough draw and a QF exit to a good team might be seen as a disaster.

You mean like the last World Cup?