Keeper is the number one priority for me. If we keep Pears as number 1, we basically start the season on -10 points.

Unfortunately there are no English managers at the level of some of the foreign candidates mentioned - if there were then of course that would be ideal and they might be preferred - but there just aren't. To deliberately choose an inferior candidate just because he's English would be daft - the FA needs to at least be reaching out to the best managers around irrespective of where they're from, and if they're keen but the timing doesn't work, waiting for them to become available. Or are you seriously telling me that if Pep or Klopp said 'come and get me' to the FA, you'd still prefer to go for a Potter or a Lampard?

So based on your logic no English club that wants to win the Prem should ever appoint an English manager because not one has ever won it. Gotcha.

Howe - I'd be OK with, but will the FA want to spend 5m to prise him away from Newcastle? Potter - Harry or Brian would probably do a better job - no thanks. Carsley - we've been down the promoting U21 manager route and still haven't won anything so no thanks. Would leave him in charge as interim if needed though. O'Neil - way too early. Lampard - fuck no. Same for Gerrard or Rooney. Fact remains, by FAR the best candidates in terms of experience and achievement are foreign (Klopp, Poch, Tuchel, Ange, Pep). If the Pep thing is true and we have to wait a year, let's do it. Same with Klopp - if he's willing to entertain the idea but in a few months - wait. Put Carsley in charge until they're ready. Don't appoint a second rate option just because they're 1. English, and 2. available now.

This. No pace, no movement, no energy. A dogged determination to stick with underperforming players, or trying to shoehorn players into the team based on name not form for way too long. Not taking a fit, recognised LB. Not playing with any real attacking intent until we went behind. Sitting back at the wrong times. Shearer had it right - we played 'well' for 30 minutes against Serbia, and the first half against the Netherlands - so basically 75 minutes out of 690. The rest of which was turgid. I think Southgate reached his ceiling the moment Luke Shaw scored in the 2021 final. In terms of progression it's been at best static since then.

We were on top when we scored and a more progressive manager would've looked to push home this advantage - but under GS we reverted to sitting back and desperately clinging on. Also not long after that and prior to Spain's winner 2 subs were warming up - Gallagher and Trippier. Says it all really.

Hasn't Klopp just spent 8 years totally immersed in English football? Didn't he win the Prem, FA Cup, League Cup and Champion's League? His credentials vastly outweigh any English candidate - and it's not even close.

No English manager has ever won the Prem so should clubs who want to be a success stop appointing them? Howe won’t leave Newcastle. Potter was a failure as soon as he had to deal with a big job and big egos. We should go all out for Klopp. Or even Pep - if we can convince him to ditch City early (unlikely I know). If we win something I don’t give a shite where the manager comes from tbh.

So far …..

Doesn’t need to be an Englishman. How about we get the best man for the job irrespective of where he comes from?

If he wins things I do not give a flying fuck where he’s from.

We had the player of the year in both Spain and Germany - as well the the Prem - and Southgate managed to make them completely ineffective. Granted Kane wasn’t fit - but then why persist with him when he’s done fuck all really but take up a slot in the 11? Piss poor management.

As I’ve said before, I’d be on the phone to Klopp immediately. Be telling Southgate to make his own way home. We’ve been gash 90% of this tournament - with the best squad of players (relative to everyone else) in living memory. Absolute failure.

Southgate has to go. He’s done ok but in no way has he got the best from a talented bunch of players. We’ve done well despite him rather than because. Time for change.

Wrong thread.

I'd thank him for what he's done, but we need a change - even if we win it. I'd be on the phone to Klopp with a big contract on Monday morning :)

If the exact same happens down the touchline (where it happens a lot, usually when a fullback is trying to clear, and the oppo trying to block) it's a freekick every time, and often a yellow. It's 100% a penalty.

Someone explain to me how the actual fuck a player as dogshit as Trippier keeps getting picked. Has he got some compromising pictures of Southgate? Foden is so anonymous he may as well have been sat next to me. Ditto Kane. Yet somehow we’re in the semis again. It doesn’t add up ….

I remember both those tournaments and England performances well - we were poor in '86 up to we played Poland and beat them 3-0 (I think?), and then in '90 we drew the first 2 and scraped through by beating Egypt 1-0 - it was the Belgium game that kickstarted that WC for us. Praying that last night was 2024's 'Belgium' game but it's the hope that kills you :)

If anyone thinks there will be any changes to the starting 11 other than replacing Guehi (and maybe Trippier if he's not fit - we can only hope as he's been utter wank) then you're deluded. That was as poor an England performance as I can remember - and I witnessed the Graham Taylor years. But somehow - despite and not because of Southgate - we're through. Are we actually going to win it being comfortably the poorest (but luckiest) team, or are we going to be found out by anyone half-decent?

Agreed. But we all know the world's dullest man will make one change - Gallagher for TAA - then bring TAA on after 60 mins when it's not working. 1-1 - England take the lead, sit back and invite pressure, concede an inevitable equaliser. So predictable it's almost scripted.

No.

That's the difference between club and international football - at club level you can have a 'system' and buy players specifically to fit into it; at international level you have to be able to adapt the system to fit the best available players, or pick/play players that best fit your system and if that means leaving out a brilliant player because there's a better one for the role (eg Bellingham vs Foden) then you have to have the bollocks to do it. What you must NOT do (and Southgate is falling into the oft-repeated trap) is shoehorn what's considered to be the best players into unfamiliar roles.

Exactly - should have brought Tyrick Mitchell, and told Trippier to retire. Was a pathetic display last night - no movement, no width, no fight. How on earth Palmer doesn't get on is incredible. Persisting with the same team as against Serbia - when it was blatantly clear that TAA isn't a midfielder as long as he's got a hole in his arse, the opposition can read what Trippier is going to do EVERY time he has the ball (cut inside), and Foden keeps on drifting inside and frankly getting in the way was madness. Bringing on Gallagher (a headless chicken if I've ever seen one), and Bowen when there are far better options on the bench - madness. The only thing he got right was subbing Kane who looks a shadow of his former self. Makes no runs, keeps dropping too far back. Feels like we have the best squad (at least going forward) but a League One manager right now - let's see what he does to change it but honestly I wouldn't be massively surprised if it's the same starting 11 against Slovenia. Oh and the post match comments about Kalvin Phillips - REALLY Gareth? What a load of absolute bollocks.

Do we need Trippier to offer RB cover when we've got Gomez and Trent who could cover Walker - arguably more proficiently? I still maintain that Mitchell would've been a better option as he's an actual LB, and being the most likely option to succeed Shaw it would have been good experience against lesser opponents in the group stages, rather than someone who's very much a stop-gap who shouldn't be starting at international level anymore. I agree defensively he did OK but offered absolutely nothing going forward. Agree about Gordon or Eze though - one of them has to play next game out left.