I was in two minds about if I should start this one, but there’s hardly anything else to talk about and we know it’s going to dominate.
I have some very strong political views, but this is not the place and it’s a football site, simple. I’d like to think we can keep it Villa related, but that’s hardly going to happen, given our poor showing.
Let’s lay down a couple of rules, as much as it grieves me to dictate how anyone comments on here;
There can be no racism, as much as anyone might think the locals have called this wrong.
Likewise, there can be no talk of sex.
I’m massively annoyed about this WC, as it seems it’s been taken over by politics.
The fool who is in charge of that corrupt outfit that is FIFA has only made things worse, to my mind.
But I’d discourage any mention of him.
You can mention him if you want, but I’d be more interested to know what you think of Southgate’s squad.
FWIW, I think we’ll be knocked out at the quarters.
I just don’t think our players have the bottle to win anything.
And Argentina will win the cup.
Mainly because they just don’t do politically correct.
Shoot, I’m venturing into what’s not allowed, already.
I appreciate it’s tricky.
UTV.
Did the French bring that ref with them , he’s the worst ref I’ve seen in years refereeing a world cup.
I actually thought he was pretty good Bill.
The question is was he biased?
It’s hard to argue that he wasn’t, for me.
He certainly gave us very little and seemed reluctant when he did.
Let’s face it we’re just not good enough.
As always with England it comes down to a failure to score penalties!
I totally disagree Hitch.
France were not better than us, imo.
I’m convinced it’s a mental thing.
Southgate the Perpetual Loser 😞
Could have gone either way, but France were always favourites to my mind.
Horseface is not and never will be, a winner.
Tactically Inept
Look at us under SG we looked woeful.
Unai comes in within 3 games these here players that couldn’t buy a win look like a half decent team.
It’s all down to the manager mate.
Square pegs, square holes.
Referee was terrible but as usual when we play any decent team we go out.
But mate we can’t keep blaming outside influences ☹️
England always find a way to lose against a top side in the world cup all the way back to 1970.
its not the manager or the players, we have had so many managers and good players and teams since then, it has to be fate or a curse.
i even thought we were better overall, but we just find a way to lose!!
Maybe but the fact remains we failed to score from open play and France scored two and created the best chances. Lloris made a couple of good saves but so did Pickford.
There were occasions when I thought the ref should have given us a free kick mostly for fouls against Saka but overall I thought he was OK.
I don’t really believe that us continually going out at a crucial stage is down to bad luck or being cursed, biased referees or whatever so I stand by what I said – we’re just not good enough for whatever reason and our record since 1966 bears that out.
Mbappé played down the right.
Giroud played up front.
Griezmann played in midfield.
Whereas
Kane keeps going deep leaving you without a target.
Bellingham as good as he is is all over the pitch.
Good bunch of players, shite taticly clueless manager imo.
(Tactically)
No excuses for missing the goal from a penalty kick.
Tactically inept. Once it became obvious that only Maguire could win a header in their box, and he was only up there for set pieces, the alternative was to dribble in with the ball on the ground. Saka did really well at this so his ‘treatment’ by the Frogs was deliberate. Unfortunately he was the only England player to attempt it. Instead we tossed high balls in which Lloris claimed or his centre backs headed away.
O LL that was our down fall , I’ve said it before bring back football that yesterday was why we lost in my mind , Kane was used just to run onto balls and did nothing else, we dont have ball players just fit players thats told to not drift out of drawing board plans. Southgate talks the talk and just picks his best pals. I hope he goes and that ref was rubbish as a ref a very poor official in my mind.
Frankly it’s down to the FA, the manager and the captain.
If I may be permitted an analogy.
England cricket team under Silverwood and Root with Ashley Giles as (essentially) CEO win one in seventeen test matches most of which we lost. Root is undoubtedly a world class batsman but the whole ethos of the set up was safety first and fear of losing – ring any bells?
Giles is sacked and a progressive, young Rob Keys comes in as CEO – sacks Silverwood and Root resigns as captain. Keys brings in one of cricket’s young, progressive and brightest coaches in Brendan McCullum and appoints Stokes as captain, They win seven of their first eight matches in a style never before seen in English cricket which is also rewriting how test cricket is played and making other teams rethink how they play. The players are empowered to go out and express themselves with no fear. Their performance in the series in Pakistan so far in being able to secure wins where no one thought it possible is unparalleled. Essentially they have ‘grown a massive pair’
So what?
We have a lot of young talented players in England being held back by Southgate and his masters negative approach – we’ll never win anything under Southgate. We need a new progressive coach backed by a restructured and progressive thinking FA that can release the potential that we have.
Will it ever happen?
Two hopes of that Hitch the first on being Bob.
One
I totally agree Hitch , it’s got to stop and talented players must be used to their ability, people like Southgate revel in power over players , he’s not a planning coach just a power freak in the game . Sorry but that game was lost because of him .
Completely irrelevant I know but Villa beat Chelsea 1-0 in the inaugural something or other cup in Dubai!
Another lump of wood for the trophy cabinet. I wonder how the word cup got lost in translation?
Will the Notts Forest manager leave to take the England job ?
Yea only 3 weeks until proper football 😁
After Michael Beale enter Neal Chritchley ……… as manager of QPR. Bit of a Villa gravy chain 🙂
Could you read into this Mr Beale was happy at Rangers (Glasgow) and maybe never wanted to leave?
Or played the long game to get rid of Stevie G. Glorious intrigue 🙂
I get the feeling that Beale simply left QPR because his bubble was about to burst there, and in 6 months time nobody would be interested in him.
He started off very well, but from what I could see recent results had begun to fade.
The book depository or the grassy knoll???
(-:
Headline in The Guardian
“The real question is: does English football deserve Gareth Southgate?”
Well personally I’d say no (no one does).
But me thinks is Big Nose playing a canny game for a much improved contract or is that just the cynic in me?
If he goes, I can imagine the FA replacing him with a clone – Graham Potter, or someone very similar.
Anyone else think Messi’s irreparably damaged his near saintly reputation with antics this world cup?
Maybe the mask has slipped?
Only the Guardian could question the relationship with that dollop of bias! Your response is perfect.
Southgate has had a fair crack – in charge for one Euros and one World Cup. He didn’t do badly by any standards, especially those of the managers preceding him. However he did not win – and left the impression he was not prepared to put the maverick players on early enough to make a difference. Therefore he should go because he won’t change that attitude, and what he has offered so far has come up short. The abiding impression is the same squad – deployed more adventurously – would have performed better.
Oh the Guardian…
Impartiality personified, bless them.
😁
OLL – couldn’t agree more.
England cricket team – the perfect example of what you are saying.
We don’t need or want a ‘safe pair of hands’ – we want someone prepared to take risks, to push the boundaries and showcase the talent that exists in Englands football.
In his time that’s exactly what Sir Alf did.
OLL / Hitch, I think you’re both quite right, but I don’t believe that the problem is only down to Southgate and his risk-averse personality; I think it goes all the way through the powers-that-be at the FA.
I can’t for the life of me see the desk-jockeys taking any kind of risk and appointing a coach who might take a more outgoing approach.
They probably still shudder at the memory of Kevin Keegan and his more ’emotional’, death-or-glory style…
Ardent Villain – you are totally correct. The attitude goes right through like the lettering on a stick of rock. I am the chairman of a Sunday League with around 60 teams. We are spoon-fed a rule-book which is common to all Adult Leagues at grass roots. The FA are terrified of minorities claiming discrimination. It goes too far the other way, if you are mainstream – you are now discriminated against. There are sections of Wokeness – anti-discrimination of any kind.
But of course we must discriminate. We are an adult, male, 11 v 11 non-disability league so we cannot admit women, boys under 16, and most classes of disabled.
As for religious discrimination – we may not practice it but the FA allows and encourages Faith leagues, which confine participation to adherents of a particular religion. That is completely at odds with the FA rule-book.
So yes. What will count for most in Southgate’s replacement is that he can be relied on to spout the usual platitudes when a non-football event impacts the England team. Especially at next WC in USA where the England camp will be picketed by some US screwballs.
I have a quote printed on top of our League brochure:
“The last thing the FA wants you to do is kick a football.” It is there because of all the affiliations and insurances teams need to buy first, but it is a fair summary of the FA attitude to the game in general.
Bloody hell everyone seeing the light on Southgate, we might one day see football players with skills and able to read a game . Yes this pass and one touch passing looks good but you still need ball player’s with creative moves. That how we got beat by players that know how we play , Southgate as no tactical no how on who plays where and played safe in all our games by old has been top club footballers, he has to go .. I’m loosing the love of the game with him ..
Congratulations to Emi Martinez. Probably will be the first Villa player to appear in a World Cup final. I dare say we will have all the talk of him moving to a club involved with European football next month. Roll on Boxing Day when proper football returns. I have found it a struggle to enjoy this World Cup in the same way as previous ones. Maybe it’s the corruption that originated with the brown envelopes in back pockets when Qatar were awarded the competition. Maybe it’s the terrible human rights they are associated with. Maybe it’s the fact it interrupts our league format to be played at Christmas with kick off times that meant a lot of us were unable to watch. Or was it Southgate who helped with the Villa to Citeh move to enable him to improve so he would be more likely to be a starter (that worked out well 😏) plus the inevitable get past the group stage until we meet a decent side before bowing out.
Will Southgate stay or go? I would like to say yes but part of me couldn’t care less because like already mentioned, the real issue originates with the FA and the image that must be represented by the man in charge. So another handpicked clone then!
Edit: Villa to Citeh Grealish move!
Can’t find any links to that mate but who knows?
Loan deal perhaps?
Oh well time and Financial Fair Play will tell.
In relation to transfers our next transfer spend so far this season and last year is £26.5m.
I hate to admit I do get excited about potential new recruits. Currently there is talk of Felix for a significant amount (it won’t happen). I really think NSWE turned the tap off in Gerrard and will now turn it on for Emri over the next 2/3 transfer windows.
The biggest shift I see is that we now have players who have resell values. The first two seasons back in the premiership we had no assets to sell but spent a couple of hundred million. For example, Targett costs £15.5m and was sold for £17m, allowing us to recoup our money. Future sales
Could include the likes of McGinn and Mings, which will add to the transfer pot.
My bet is there will be two new additions who will go into the first team. Who they are and where they play – I haven’t got a clue. And this is why I love the transfer window.
I can’t excited by the transfer gossip.
Reality is that to attract any star player offered ‘similar’ personal terms at one of the current teams already playing in a Euro competition, or who look as if they’re going to be there next season (thinking of the Barcodes…) is always going to be extremely difficult.
It’s a vicious circle: players won’t come to a team not in Europe, so teams like us struggle to make the final push into the top-4 or top-6.
It means that the people trying to arrange transfers at Villa really need to be canny and try to spot a player with potential that hasn’t already appeared on the radar at places like Liverpool, Arsenal, etc.
Home Friday after two months enjoying Caribbean sun (and rain!) and rum.
Looking forward to watching the third Test with Pakistan and the re-start of the the season on Boxing Day and seeing what Emery can do with our squad. Maybe a couple of World Class signings in January to add to the expectation and excitement?
Not looking forward to being frozen to the core 🙂
It’s a balmy -7 tonight ❄️
Something to look forward to. 😁
Can’t wait 🙂