12 Jul 2021 03:25:37
We already lost the final when Southgate described Sterling penalty in the semi "soft". Wrong thing to say, sent out wrong message completely all round. Wrong remark, wrong tactics, wrong team. Lacks leadership. Vile villain.
12 Jul 2021 04:17:54
Wrong George. Just stupid wrong.
12 Jul 2021 08:25:55
Total nonsense George! I assume judgement made amid deep disappointment!
12 Jul 2021 09:09:45
George - you’re right that Southgate shouldn’t have said the penalty was soft, but that didn’t loose the final for us, though the players†evident respect for Southgate may have been a little diminished by that comment.
Southgate actually got a lot right throughout most of the tournament. Several of his decisions were widely doubted - including the decision to pick, and play KP - but most pundits were agreed that he had been proved right in almost all cases. However his tactics for the final do seem to have been questionable, specifically going with 3 at the back. It seemed to work spectacularly well at the beginning, enabling one wing back to pick out the other for the goal, and it took a while after that for Mancini and Italy to figure out how to adjust, but once they had, we had virtually no out ball and we were penned back until Southgate finally reverted to 4 at the back.
Going with 3 at the back also cocked up things for penalties later. It would have been much better to have insisted someone other than Saka take a penalty and put him on as a winger from the start. Sancho or Rashford could then have been put on far earlier as a straight swap with him and given a chance to get their head into the game, and maybe affect the outcome before getting to a penalty shootout.
12 Jul 2021 10:13:31
DSW No, it was conceived during moments of elation in the penalty shootout. How's Australia?
12 Jul 2021 10:15:38
Clueless Good post. I just feel Southgate is a poor leader and naive in big moments.