Gareth Southgate - England Managerial Job

Not Rovers related

Agree, we are miles away at the moment to be honest. This sounds arrogant but beating the likes of Russia and Iceland should be a given for us, well it used to be anyway. But yeah, just competing against the big teams would be a start.

If you think back a few years ago we had so many potential captains/leaders:
Beckham
Gerrard
Terry
Ferdinand

Then chuck in the experience of your Lampards/Ashley Cole's/Rooney etc.

I think we have some potentially decent players but that means nothing with no leadership.

I always used to wonder why English players don't get signed by big teams abroad anymore, then one day I realise that none of our players are world class, not one.

Players get played who are not in form (Ross Barkley, Jordan Henderson, Reheem Sterling, Adam Lallana) unfit (Jack Wiltshire, Jordan Henderson) or just not good enough (Kyle Walker, Ross Barkley, Danny Rose, Ryan Bertrand)

I have a gripe with playing players recovering from injury, and using a competitive European competition to do that. I'm sorry but if they are not match fit when the squad is to be named then they do not go.

Then big Sam comes in and picks the same sh** and plays the same way, so thank * he is gone.

As has been said, it may not be a manager with a great club track record to set us straight, but then have we even got the players to compete with the best in the world (?) as many are sat on the bench whilst foreign players who are good enough are in their spots.

This of course coming from a Liverpool fan Brislington...

I'm a big fan of Lallana though. Good on the ball and works hard off it.

Henderson is not good enough IMO.

Successful league managers and successful tournament managers are not necessarily the same animal; the most extreme example being Martinez when he was with Wigan winning the FA Cup but being relegated from the Prem in the same season. There are obviously a select few who have managed the double, like Ferguson, Mourinho and Wenger of old, but a different skill set is required when virtually every game is a must win scenario. The pressure that brings must be immense, so the England job that comes with the baggage of 66, a vitriolic press and the cynicism of the armchair football fan is certainly not for the feint hearted. In theory, someone who can organise a disparate group of moderately talented individuals, engenders a never say die attitude and sets a team up to win every game, first by neutralising the opposition before going for the jugular ought to be successful. Sounds familiar? Thank the Lord that DC has focused on the league!

Thought exactly the same. Why do players think they will do it differently now? Have they not taken responsibility in the past? Are they not capable of independent thoughts? They really are stupid or just pig ignorant. After watching this Summer I think we all know the answers to these! Hodgson had his limitations as we knew but what players have come out with in the last week is unbelievable. So they will take responsibility in future, honestly if you made it up into a story no one would believe it.
On the OP I feel Southgate might have been the only real choice. In pure football terms I still like Glenn Hoddle but not having managed a team anywhere for over 10 years and non footballing reasons have worked against him though other people have been forgiven for saying stupid things.
I wonder if Southgate is a bit like Trollope, a really decent guy who has a fairly good coaching record but who may be too nice to be a manager. I guess as England manager it is better to be a better coach than manager though. He will need to man-manage but it must be a very different role than that he carried out at Middlesbrough. I think having played at the highest level as an England player will give him credibility and he is going to be more involved with the coaching than others might have been. I think it's a pretty good appointment given the lack of alternative English-born candidates and I have far better feelings than I did when Allardice was appointed.
The positives I think are:
- he is intelligent and articulate and will not get carried away or show off in front of the press as Allardice was doing. The story will always be what England are doing not himself. He will not make the Rooney comments that Allardice did which became the story rather than the football.
- he seems to have a good attitude, players like him and whilst that is not vital it will make it easier to manage difficult situations.
- he comes across as a thinker, a reflective decision maker who will be do things for the right reasons. He is a man without too many skeletons which can be used against him. He will not be caught in a newspaper-sting. His feet appear to be firmly on the ground.
- I wonder if, having slipped under the radar and not one who courts the press, he is similar to Joachim Low, the German manager. If so that would be a good thing.
- finally, if he remains in charge and we ever have the need for a penalty shoot-out, he of all people, will know what to do!

I've liked what I've heard so far but then talk is cheap and it's actions that speak the loudest. We will know a lot more after his first game, but given that it's against Malta, probably not too much more!

Darrell Clarke.

We missed our chance to win anything 6-8 years ago during our 'golden era' the players we have now simply aren't good enough.

No real characters in the squad (gaza)
No leaders
Don't know our best team! All we have is some exciting prospects who none to date have full filled there potential.

The lads don't enjoy being away at competitions

Rubbish and I mean scrapping the barrel managerial appointments! Cappello was the last manager who had a good CV but was well past his best years.


I've given up watching after our shower of sh**e showing at the euros.. rant over