Dan

I thought this would be far more of a contest. Total battering to be honest.

It's an absurd deal. I'm trying to say it without being disrespectful because I actually do believe him when he says he didn't want to leave, and he's ultimately the latest pawn in the PSR scandal (lets start calling it what it is), but he isn't good enough for a side with Chelsea's aspirations. I am disappointed to see him go, but fully expected it due to these rules. The entire move, including the Golding deal, is a symptom of the state of football and the state of two very badly run clubs in the midst of the storm.

He's also not their best player like people in this country like to tell themselves either. I mean he shouldn't be really - he's a 21 year old who has been there a year. This is a vastly successful side. I think he can get to that level (and staying away from England is the best way he'll achieve this) but they have bigger players than him currently. His pretty bad performances aren't a big surprise to me. He dropped off in the second half of the season. He deserves enormous credit for that goal yesterday. But without a serious change in course it's going to be in vein. People comparing us to Portugal 2016 or Greece 2004 - frankly disrespectful to those two teams.

Gomez and Konsa don't prevent the bottleneck that we currently have either as neither have that natural inclination to attack wide spaces, unless I'm totally misreading Joe Gomez - a player you know a lot better than I do. We had a similar issue at Leicester for years, we had Ricardo Pereira, fantastic right back, James Justin, promising young right back, we sold Ben Chilwell and our solution was.... Tim Castagne, a right wing back, right footed, and we'd play him or Justin on the left. They could do a job, but I think you need more than "do a job" to win serious honours. Round pegs in round holes. I called it pre-tournament, take Tyrick Mitchell who while not at the top level, is a perfectly adequate full back used to making the lateral runs that a left back makes. Even for the fact I'd say Gomez doesn't fix this issue, I'm still playing him there before Trippier. I don't blame Trippier massively but he was bad in his own position, let alone another. The only player I've seen properly pull this off was Spinazzola in the last Euros for Italy. Saka is very much the sacrificial lamb here and I do think it's bad for him, and I get him being unhappy with it, but I think Saka left back and Palmer right wing is a better bet than having to bottleneck our build up play with having Trippier there. I rate Saka but I don't think he's pulled up any trees since Serbia either. It's an entirely self-inflicted problem by the manager but it's probably the least bad solution. I do agree with this as well - Palace Fan was saying this earlier in the tournament that there is an element of wanting a scapegoat and Southgate, while he carries most of the can, I don't think we're that straight forward a fix. That being said, I can't believe another manager would have us playing this badly. It's almost funny at this point, we seem to be failing upwards in this tournament. It's like the worse we are, the better the situation gets for us. It definitely looks like he's said that. I'm quite torn on Bellingham. I think he's very good, our best prospect in a long time but England being England we always manage to notch that hype up to the point it's insufferable. Real Madrid have got blood on their hands giving him the number 5. The Zidane comparisons are genuinely laughable, nobody with working eyes can genuinely make that comparison. But that being said I think what he did yesterday does give him a pass for the largely bad performance. It's not as simple as "he scored what else do you expect", if he'd scored a tap in in the 15th minute in a game we went on to draw 1-1, I'd agree with the general rhetoric that it shouldn't be overlooked just because he scored. But he has yesterday in a moment of genuine magic saved England's tournament potentially. That isn't something England players do. When has Kane ever done that? When has Foden for England? Saka? You name them. He stepped up and saved us frankly a humiliation. However this is where the positives stop on him. I'm disappointed because I thought yes, we've been infected with that Real Madrid killer instinct, this might genuinely be the difference. Then I see him peddling that rubbish. He'd be reigned in at Real Madrid for saying that sort of thing. You think Kroos and Modric are letting him gob off after they've needed extra time to knock Alaves out of the Copa Del Rey? The culture at England has clearly gone a bit rotten again. Back on the defensive after cheating death, after a genuinely disgraceful performance in what would've been probably Slovakia's most famous ever win. I don't take back a word of my criticism on England. I'll shut up when you win a trophy. Not fluke a win against fucking Slovakia. Find some shame.

England haven't played at any decent tempo since I can remember. I think English football traditionally plays this way but our team has been frankly dull since probably the Sven days. Even in the 2018 and 2020 runs I don't think we were particularly entertaining. On occasion maybe but a bit of an efficient machine rather than anything swashbuckling.

Saka left back btw I think is the correct move in this tournament and I thought it beforehand. I agreed with Ian Wright. It's shit for him and entirely self inflicted, but we can't persist with Trippier.

Southgate's luck is just beyond my comprehension.

This Leicester - Chelsea supply line might've actually surpassed the old Southampton - Liverpool one. Looks pretty obvious to me it will happen. Calling this now - he'll be back here by 2026 if we're still a Premier League club. Chelsea are finished at a serious level. They have the resources to go for titles but absolute shit for brains at the club. They won't get even close to a league or Champions League under their current ownership.

I had draw and under 2.5 goals in that Slovakia Romania game. A bet I keep having joy with in this tournament is backing 2nd half to have the most goals in crunch games - games that will be tight for a while but then circumstance pretty much dictates that it needs to open up. See Scotland Hungary, Turkey Czech Republic etc I quite fancy Morata golden boot at 12/1. Spain looking very handy and they've got probably the best round of 16 tie. Spain are usually good to absolutely belt someone as well.

Win via a penalty in extra time. The Southgate special against a vastly inferior side. I'm not sure Slovakia have two upsets in them in this tournament.

It's just funny at this point. You almost have to admire it. Cannot help but think what an absolute waste though. Particularly this time around. This might be the kindest set of fixtures yet but it's the worst we've looked. I don't even think beating Slovakia is a given - which is pathetic.

Southgate's luck is just utterly astounding. You could run this tournament a thousand times and not get a better set of fixtures. I'm still not fooled though. I think we go out to Italy or the Netherlands, after an extra time win over Slovakia.

We have a great route to the final but I've no faith in us to take it, or win the final if we get there. Would be an utter, utter travesty if we kept going through playing like this. I've never known a manager get such reward for such poor performance as Southgate. Luckiest manager in football.

Right on cue. That game couldn't have been more reminiscent of the 0-0 draw with Slovakia in 2016. Even the kit colours were the same. Fuck me even Slovenia's name is only two letters different. We are abysmal. We've got such a nicely fallen draw and there is genuinely no buzz. Nobody believes. It's like death row. I really think we could crash out to someone like Slovakia if it ends up being them. Would be good riddance for the tournament as well. Fuck England and France out of this tournament and let the entertainers take over.

I am firmly of the belief at this point that we would be no worse if we went full Ivory Coast, got rid of him tomorrow and let things play out without his influence. This draw has fallen as well as it possibly could've done (again!!!!). We cannot waste this on this bloke. He's done. Mentally clocked out of it.

I said it myself. We don't value a balanced team at international level at all. Too obsessed with individuals and who does or doesn't miss out. If England's strongest and most balanced XI omits Foden or Alexander-Arnold (for arguments sake) then so be it. Tough shit.

He won't ditch 2 DMs. His comments on Phillips revealed everything. I called it pre-tournament but he fucked up with the left back situation. Not having a proper left back totally nullifies our game plan regardless of who the front four are. Shaw is now apparently doubtful for the whole tournament. It feels more 2016 by the day.

He's starting Gallagher. Very predictable as well.

We'll go through for almost certain as Hungary finishing 3rd with 3 points only means England can only finish as low as 5th should we finish 3rd. If neither Albania or Croatia win tonight then England are through already. 4 points is easily enough this year - unless both games on the final day of group E end in draws in which case hard luck Ukraine Going much further though. Fat chance. Wouldn't be surprised if we blew tomorrow. We've looked abysmal and all the talk from the camp is ridiculously defensive. You can tell how easy they've had it for years when entirely valid criticism of their dreadful performance is treated like that. The relationship between the squad and media seems to have been severed. Everything pointing towards an embarrassing exit for me.

Good on the likes of Chelsea, Villa and Everton who are taking the piss out of these utterly ludicrous rules. Us and Southampton should get involved.

That was absolutely glorious

Completely forgot, fuck sake.

I think that's something that will win him friends with our fanbase. Rightly or wrongly I simply don't think our fans take to dogmatism like Maresca. It is hard to be excited but despite the entire appointment and situation being a symptom of much wider problems at the club, I actually think he's the appointment our fans in time will resonate with most in quite a long time. He had a real rapport with Forest fans and I think if people look past the fact it's Forest themselves, this is a green flag for me. He simply has to perform better than in 2022/23 though. I know he kept a team up largely touted to go down but I think they were remarkably lucky. Looking at numbers it's a minor miracle they stayed up. I don't think that performance level is going to be enough again. 11 points from 14 games is appalling as well. That takes you down more often than not, and certainly in our position where that's probably going to be 5-7 points. Despite the fact it's Forest I've never actually minded Cooper. They were properly horrible under Billy Davies. I couldn't stomach him. I always thought Cooper came across quite well though.