Snowflake RoyalRoyal RotherSnowflake Royal I can't see i side their heads, so I'm not going to try to explain it.
It's not like Southgate is asking them to play a complicated shape that is being exploited. We're not talking a Selles problem where the shape is all wrong and the team is instructed to play in two narrow tram lines, and we're losing the ball constantly, can't keep it and getting smashed on the break down the flanks or through the middle.
They had 70 odd % possession.
A manager can emphasise ball retention over gambling on low % high reward passes. But at the end of the day the players choose how to implement that.
Walker or Saka put a wicked ball across the box second half, Kane went mid to near 6 yard box. Bellingham was stood watching far corner of the 18 yard box. The ball went to far side of the pen spot, which Bellingham should have been running to and smashing it in. He hadn't moved.
That's not a management direction. That's not his natural game. That's passive laziness.
Multiple times he had opportunities to move into space. Or close someone down, and instead just walked around not involved. That is not a management instruction.
It simply isn't.
Now maybe the set up, coaching and approachis also wrong and contributing. But anyone who thinks Southgate is the only problem and replacing him solves it all isn't in touch with reality.
I think everyone agrees Southgate is a cautious manager and sends his players out with a cautious game plan, yes?
We all know that everyone in that squad is a dedicated hard working player with a quick and instinctive footballing brain.
We all know that everyone in the squad is capable of seeing potential space and running into it to create a potential threatening situation.
We all know that everyone in the squad is capable of making a quick and accurate pass.
Those are all perfectly logical and accurate statements.
All of those attributes are absolutely essential to create a slick attacking move. And yet none of those attributes are on display. Except in the ones who have just come into the squad. Why is that?
To me the most logical reason is because they haven’t been subjected over and over to the cautious message from the manager and coaching staff.
Get that cautious message into a player’s brain enough times and it blunts them. It puts cotton wool in their otherwise sharp footballing brains and rips away the very essence of what makes them the well-trained, highly skilled players that they are for their clubs.
And yes, I’m sure there are other factors in there somewhere, but the biggest factor by far is Southgate. To me there just is no logical alternative explanation.
I may very well be different to your average football fan but what makes it so bloody annoying is that he has made us into a team that it is very hard to support with any enthusiasm or optimism. All I really want from a football team I support is to be entertained and excited. When that isn’t there game after game after game, for me it becomes hard to give much of a toss about the outcome.
This doesn't work. They've all been party of the same squad with the same build up.
Foden is pretty established with the squad and he's one of the few players actualy moving and taking people on and shooting. Walker has been around for ages, he did it a bit too.
Fcuk me, I’m not saying they are comatose! Just blunted.
They ALL still run around and will (probably!) shoot if there is an opportunity to do so, it’s the positive / creative / instinctive bit that is missing a bit. And in a game of small margins those missing bits mean a lot.
Anyway, I’m done on this now.
But I’m going to do my best to rev myself up for Sunday so Come on England!! (And then we’ll see Palmer and Gordon on the bench again...)
