marginal favourites, they were top 10 sides and so they DO meet the criteria of beating a 'decent team in the knockout stage', these were far from gimmes
So you DO accept that socio-political culture impacts fans, therefore it is right and proper to examine that as one of the reasons why some fans have turned on our most successful manager in 56 years, by some margin.
Senegal, it's no gimme, and we have a poor record outside of europe in knockout matches. It will be a tough game.
It's about roles as well.
It's true that the media have, I don't agree that southgate has had it easy though, his 'wokeness' has been constantly attacked, GBeebies, Talksport, LBC, BBC have all attacked him personally. Those other managers were largely vilified for their results. If he had the results of some of those other managers he would have had it even worse, and yes Ramsey got it in the neck because he failed to qualify for the world cup, imagine if Southgate had that.
absolute codswallop.
I'd argue that Brazil didn't win with attacking football for 20 odd years, then a Dunga inspired defensive style won them the WC All out attack is anti-tactics, vindaloo football, we'll score more than you, that is that antithesis of tactical thinking, creating a defensive style requires strong tactics, yet Southgate apparently isn't a tactical manager. Another logical loophole from the haters.
and if that isn't what happens then you are going to give credit, or will you still look for something to complain about?
and the British media and fans complained that we just were not as technically good as the Spanish side, and we need to have technical players that dominate the ball.......here we are, with those players, playing that style, but now it's labelled as defensive and wasting our talent...you just can't win against that kind of thinking.
Of course he will look for something else! This is Southgate we're talking about. Certain 'fans' will only ever look for fault with him. If we win this and the next Euros, they'll grumble throughout, wait for the next poor game afterwards and then brand him a failure.
Indeed they will but thats just they way football fans behave, your only as good as your last result. Fans think they know best regardless of past glories. Its absolute nonsense to suggest Southgate has been treated any differently to any other manager. I think some boro fans are a bit sensitive to criticism of Southgate, unfortunately it goes with the territory, it would be exactly the same if Fat Sam was still in charge and winning matches.
no it isn't most England managers didn't live in the age of social media that we have today, the ones that did got grief for persistent on field failure. Southgate is different in that he gets grief for persistent on field success. Fat Sam wouldn't be getting this success.
So what if we dont like the spanish Tiki-taka style of football, there's more than one way to win football matches. Most fans would love us to play the strong running game Germany played in 2014 or the high tempo way liverpool play in europe.
if fat sam was still in charge and getting success they would be saying its dull and longball, so he would be definitely getting criticised regardless of results.
Because we play completely differently against good teams. We are not overly defensive against rubbish teams. He allows the players to just go and do what they want and we score for fun. As I have said, he should be commended for that because our record against minnows is exceptional. However, he changes our approach against better teams and so far it has failed every time. We have a good group of attacking players and we should be playing our game against every team, not shutting up shop and playing for 0-0s. International knockout tournaments are not leagues where beating the minnows and not getting beat by your rivals would be successful. In a cup competition you have to beat teams. I think we can do it by playing the way that suits our players best. I don't think playing for penalties is a good strategy, that's what minnows would do but we are not minnows. Our squad is good enough to beat anyone. Our players aren't used to playing that defensive way because we don't do it very often. It's not a coincidence that when we do play like that we don't win.
