Dr. Gonzo

I'd expect more said about it on social media sites but it's really not a peep about it on social media other than from people who only post about Ukraine. And then some Russian troll accounts denying it ever happened. I think there's a lot of people that only really focus on one issue and as a result, just ignore all the horrible things that happen in the world because they're busy with what's taken up their attention.

Pretty much

He's been incredible, which is weird because I thought he was absolutely finished. He's definitely one of those players that turns up more for their national team than for the rest of their career though.

Genuinely scared for America tbh. The media is doing all it can to make it seem like a senile dickhead is worse than a failed former president with authoritarian ambitions. Mainstream media isn't even really bothering to cover Trump's involvement with the recently unsealed Epstein trial documents: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/epstein-documents-trump.html I think a big part of it is the media generally likes and wants Trump back in office. Which makes sense when you consider they're all owned by corporate interests that all benefit from a US government devoted to slavishly serving corporate interests. But it's sad and weird.

Russia targeting a childrens hospital in Kiev deserves the same kind of international concern and condemnation a hospital getting struck in the Middle East by a Middle Eastern western ally would get.

He's a good player, I'm sure he'll do well at Bayern Munich. I'd have loved if he joined us tbh.

Yes. No idea, tbh. Democrats are generally slow moving, so I'm not sure I'd trust them to pick a new face of the party in time to get them ready to compete with Trump. I already think he, and honestly Trump as well, won't be involved much in the decision making and people around him will just do it. I think that's the case of most US presidencies tbh - especially in cases like Reagan, Trump, and Biden... maybe even the second Bush as well because it was rumoured his VP was running the show. But those others are old and were just used as a vessel for their advisors to push the country in the way they wanted. Americans are just faced with a bad choice. Neither candidate is fit to lead the supposed leader of the free world. They're voting more for general concepts than actual ideology, for a political party, or any particular candidate imo. It's a bizarre election. I'm glad I'm not a citizen because I wouldn't want to vote for either Biden or Trump.

Shaw says he's fit to play 90 minutes. If that's true, I hope he's starting against the Netherlands - I don't think it's any surprise we look a lot more balanced with an actual left footed player playing somewhere on the left for us.

I can't imagine him as a manager in the prem again. His time at Middlesbrough was a bit meh and ended with relegation. And the league's moved on tactically by a long ways since then, while international football generally isn't the place we managers truly develop and kick on tactically. I think it'd be a pretty miserable failure. I feel for Southgate in a sense because after England, there's not much of a bright future left for him in football imo. On the other hand, he sort of deserves it because it's insane to take this England squad and make them so unpleasant to watch lol.

You've basically got to do the nearly impossible like Leicester or Leverkusen and have a truly legendary season to have a chance at keeping your side together and building up for something better. I'm not sure this is something necessarily new to football, but it does seem like the glass ceiling is getting harder and harder to break through.

I just finished season 3. Looking forward to season 4 and Gen V.

I’m pretty sure I learned one punch can kill from you. Wait were you on Home & Away?

Being cool doesn’t make you more moral. John Lennon is objectively cooler than Paul McCartney, but John Lennon was a wife beater which means McCartney probably had more morals.

Tbf I was never really convinced by him and think all our recent tournament runs have been kind of flukey, so I’m genuinely not too concerned by that. I think he’s a bad manager, but not a liar and he did seem to indicate before the tournament went on he thinks the only way he’s allowed to continue further is if he wins it. Maybe he’s wrong and the FA keep him on after this. So worst case scenario is more Southgateball. For me, yeah that’s not great but ultimately… he’s better than the worst England coaches of my lifetime despite being absolutely inept tactically. So worst case scenario, we have a disappointing underperforming England side. But it’ll do the bare minimum, probably, and qualify for tournaments it should qualify for - which is better than some managers we’ve had by a lot tbh. Aka: the England I have known my entire life lol. Here, we lose nothing & gain nothing. Second worst case scenario is we go out and he’s sacked. Then we get Potter or someone else that’s a bit meh in as England coach and see if they can do a job. Bit of an unknown but maybe we play some football that doesn’t put me to sleep. Best case scenario, we win a couple of more games looking unconvincing as ever and we do something I’m not sure I ever thought I’d see happen in my lifetime: watch England win something. Made all the more funny if it happens under a manager I do not rate in a footballing sense at all & who somehow winds up the non-English just by being very lucky. I honestly don’t rate Southgate at all, but watching the fume on here and especially social media by non-England fans, has me feeling okay with any of these 3 scenarios.

To your last point, haven’t I already admitted that several times though?

Who knows if that will be decisive though. Koeman keeps persisting with Memphis Depay too & he’s mainly just spent this tournament giving the ball to Holland’s opposition & they keep grinding out result once they put Weghorst on to suddenly make them look a lot more dangerous. Holland’s obviously going to be our toughest test so far (it’s the semi final after all) because they’re a side that’s genuinely got a decent attacking threat and has consistently been able to up their game in this tournament by making substitutions. Hopefully we keep getting lucky though and make it through.

Oh I was honestly just trying to get a reaction because I think this argument is silly and I’m being a twat

What gripe? I’ve basically said the same thing the whole time, the only time I really tried to be antagonistic was when I said you were Brian with more swear words and you didn’t even bite (lol). At this point, England can’t lose. We either get some mild heartbreak at getting expectedly knocked out and are gifted a chance to get a proper manager in. Or we keep getting lucky. There’s nothing more to do than watch Southgate strangle all creativity and goals from this side of creative players and goalscorers and hope for the best. Or the worst if you hate England.

Mate it’s international football, barely anyone is any decent quality, third tier club sides can routinely play better football than most international sides, and we’re perennial underperformers. Barely anyone in the world except the window lickers in the FA rates Southgate as a football manager. You can only beat what’s in front of you, so it’s not really our fault Southgate has us limping against “shite teams” like Sweden, Senegal, Germany, Denmark, and Colombia. I guess those teams should feel especially bad they lost to Southgate. Maybe those countries should fold their football associations and just pack it all up forever. But telling fans of a side in a semi-final of a tournament they’ve never won they’ve got no reason to be excited is stupid. We know Southgate is shit, we don’t care at this point. It’s not like underserved winners have never won a cup in football before. This shit’s not a meritocracy, otherwise just give it to Spain and stop wasting time with the other matches.

Are you offering valid criticism or are you just pulling a Brian with swear words?

I like how Southgate’s most impressive knockout win is sort of ignored because it implies that the side knocked out isn’t a serious football nation.

The way I see it is we either inevitably fall apart at the first time we actually play someone decent, as has happened before under Southgate. And then worst case scenario is we’re knocked out and get a new manager. Or he keeps getting lucky as fuck. Either way we can’t really lose

That’s why this has dragged on for 9 pages with some shit like “how can England fans be happy with going to the semis like this” while the other thread’s 3 pages where a couple have mentioned France is shite. France have a player who seems pretty pleased they’ve gotten to the semis with no goals scored in open play, I think he thinks it means they’ve had an incredible defense. I don’t think any football fans in the world like Southgateball, especially not England fans. But it’s not hard to imagine why England fans are pleased to be in the semis despite being shit.

Yeah probably but I’m not the one who appointed Southgate so I’ll enjoy the football terrorism while I can. It’s honestly made funnier by people who don’t really give a shit if other countries play dogshit football and progress but get super wound up about England doing the same thing. I hope whoever wins out of us vs the Netherlands wins the whole thing. Fuck France and Spain.

If international teams should strive to play at a high level, I don’t think it’s shown that often. It’s pretty rare to see a truly world class international side that plays football that just wows the world and those sides are basically generational. So they’re always remembered. But the vast majority of it is big standard and you end up just remembering the winners and the best matches if they’re a truly world class match.