Or small sample size, variance and knockout football?

Guardiola hasn’t won the Champions League in his last 11 attempts, not many finals even, he’s only won 1 FA cup since being at City….. yet I don’t hear people calling for his head (despite his team being superior and favourites every single year) It’s knockout football, it’s cup football, one off games, reading nonsense about ‘a much needed inquest’ from clowns like Henry Winter makes me want to pull my hair out. Low % 30 yard screamer through our legs and a deflected header, the dinosaur journalists need to get in the bin. People have short memories….I was in France 6 years ago under Hodgson, or what about McClaren, or the failed foreign lads! There’s no shame in last night. Build the team around James, Rice, Foden, Bellingham, Saka going forward - maybe even our fan favourite Harvey Elliott have a role to play next time as he develops at Liverpool. It’s only 18 months until the Euros.

Norwich and Sunderland away will see us outside of the Playoffs, and likely that Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland overtake us in the process as he enjoys his Christmas lemon drizzle

Not sure if you’re agreeing or disagreeing with my comment on that as I suggested it’s an unrelated decision and both Dack and Gally should start in our best 11? But surely you can see Dack > Szmodics in compete unrelation to Sam Gallagher? Also the ‘fit’ comment is an bit odd. Looked the leanest I’ve seen him, his injury was yonks ago, he’s clearly as fit as he was 4 years ago, if not fitter. People (not yourself / related to your post) have this mythical fantasy that Szmodics or Travis or Morton are these really good ‘high press’ players as it’s JDTs style and that Dack wouldn’t fit his ‘system’ - whatever the hell that system is. From my eyes watching us, none of those have an outstanding burst of pace, or strength, or pressure….so I’ve no idea where this Dack is unfit, doesn’t suit the style, can’t play high press twaddle comes from, other than the fact certain posters hang on JDTs word as if he can’t be wrong or criticised.

Yes because he’s the best FOOTBALLER we have. I like seeing players who can control and pass a ball, not lads who can just run a cross-country and pull on opponents shirts (Szmodics and Travis predominately) Just because he hasn’t started for months doesn’t mean it’s not the right decision, those things are unrelated. Likewise Gallagher not starting isn’t related to it as they both should have been in the starting 11 if fit. EDIT: I agree with the general premise of the post that he tinkers all the time and it’s to no benefit to us.

Limited over Cricket team seem to be the only ones with the bollocks out of our international teams. Footy lads should pay their psychologist or whatever shite they employee these days 😂

Maybe that’s why I feel like England put in a good performance 😂 ignoring the shite Rovers pain!

Agree with that. France didn’t look much tonight. But they’re clear of the other 3 left in it. Italy not qualifying, Germany and Belgian out in groups. Portugal to Morocco, Brazil to Croatia…..it’s tournament footy, it’s what it is.

It’s not though, nobody fancied us to win this, but on the basis of play in the tournament if it started again England go off favourites or 2nd favourites. We’ve not gone into one saying we’re capable of winning since the Rooney metatarsal I’d say. Maybe, maybe the home euros 2 years ago you could say we fancied ourselves, but not this one. We were behind Brazil, Argies, French and Spanish in the betting

I don’t get the Southgate hate. Any of us clowns could manage an international team, there is nothing really in it. Players like him, the team has done what it could but knockout football is what it is. It’s a young squad and they like him and we play good stuff in proper matches (no serious players give a shit about friendliest and nations league) The only gripe I’d have is the Mason Mount weirdness - he wasn’t the sub we needed. We’ve tried the expensive foreign muck and they were the pits. I remember Argentina, Romania, Brazil, Portugal, Portugal, Iceland etc etc.

Was the best player on the pitch for the first 60 or so until Saka starting dominating 😂

We are good enough and we were good enough. It’s just football and it’s why we love it and hate it at times. Or knockout football maybe. Better side, we played brilliant I thought. Pen not given, Kane one on one, Maguire off the post, Kane missed pen. Ref horrendous (I feel like a broken record last days saying that) Feels different to previous tournaments where we’ve been pretty embarrassing with the big games

Not dropping Dacky? He’s not been in your starting line up all season and he’s past it / lost it / no legs remember.

Feels a bit similar to England, albeit at a much much much lower standard. With 4 at the back instead of the 5 our midfield looks more compact and we control the game better. 5 at the back and shipping 4 goals, says it all. I was lucky to have a good JW seat today and at times the middle of the park was deserted, Brereton on one touchline, Hedges pushing onto the other, Dack dropping deep as the only player who wanted the ball and absolutely nothing central. We need more midfield presence.

Cowboys win it this year mate don’t worry. Beat the eagles at Christmas and get #1 seed then a QB-less 49ers the only other team to fear in that conference. Just don’t upset the apple cart with Odell …Yes I am deflecting as much as I can away from that horror performance!

Did you watch the other 45? It’s a bit of a joke that’s been ongoing because Sparks rightly called Whiteman is far superior to any ‘battling’ midfielder we have, or have had in the last 10 years. But, we can blame Mowbray for that one anyway!

He was sat watching that in the comfys so hopefully it’s opened his eyes for January!

Because he made him captain and starts him every week?

Well I’ve not read past page 6 since being at the ground but a few thoughts on what was one of the most pathetic 90 minutes I’ve seen from us. First, the referee, worst performance I’ve seen since last night. All joking aside he was awful, the standard is so bad at this level and we say it every week. 3 minutes added on in each half just baffling. 2nd half we had 3 goals, multiple subs, a minute where PNE fans had the ball etc. I’m really disappointed the league isn’t taking the approach of the World Cup in terms of added time, it’s so detrimental to the sport. That said, it was cold and we were shit so maybe it’s was a blessing. Onto the match/team…I was going to make a Whiteman v Travis joke before the game (I can only assume Sparks has had a few since and rightly so)….no signal so couldn’t, but wow, I’ve said it for a long time now he just isn’t at this level, let alone our captain, if his telling attribute is passion / aggression etc then I’m baffled as he is so weak and slow. He summed up the whole team today - 2nd to every ball and out muscled on every occasion. Jason Lowe ended up at Salford after racking up an insane amount of appearances…we’re not far off that. Hedges shocking, Morton the worst I’ve ever seen him, Mola not at this level at all, Szmodics didn’t even touch the ball in the first half. Is Adam Wharton injured? How is he not even making the bench? The defence were absolutely owned by Ched Evans, he embarrassed them. Johnson - looks like Messi every time we play them. Bossed it for them. Dack is the only one to come out and hold his head high, to think JDT was about to sub him too. Some of you lot wrote him off after about 100 cumulative minutes across 15 or so games, also shows you just would agree with the manager blindly as you had no evidence at all to suggest ‘he’d lost it’ I’ve said for weeks we’re in a false position, xG and every stat suggests we’re a bottom half team and we’ll start the drop to 14th soon. We’ve regressed as a team since last season and play far far far worse football on top of that. We’re about 6 months into JDTs reign and I’m still yet to see this ‘style’ or ‘high press’. Preston high pressed us and we do as we do and fail to pass it through them from the back. We did not high press them at all. We have no style, no passion and no identity. 7-1 back to back Burnley and Preston. Embarrassing. Let’s hope England cheer up the mood tonight.

Completely fine all around the stadium. Roads all clear too. Not snowing here either. Pitch looks perfect too so I’d be amazed if the game isn’t on.

Look at the little shithouses. They can’t even embrace elation without being little sad acts.

Worst refereeing performance I can remember……and I watch the Championship each week. Amazed it took 75 minutes for them to realise the Argies just have a load of midgets at the back.

Brazil playing an interesting 4-1-5 formation. Casemiro left completely on his own. Surely Bruno is a better option than Paqueto in the centre.

Same team for me I think. Hopefully we don't switch to a back 3 with 2 holding midfielders. I think we have the better squad and starting 11 but France have the odd player that do more damage and have done more damage on this stage. Overall I'd say there is very little in it, and it has the potential to be a cracker. For some reason it feels bigger than any of the Russian WC matches, including the Croatia semi-final, it just feels massive. I'm predicting similar to the Germany match at the Euros, a little nervy, a big atmosphere and build up, playing against a big name and England to win 2-0. Cracking day tomorrow, bit of England test in the morning, Rovers back in action midday then nice build up to 7pm for England.

A fine club the orange and black 🙂