Qatar 2022 & The Forest Involvement

[zicorice]

Apart from 20 minutes against South Korea they have been average at best. They deserve to go home.

Croatia are incredible really for a country with a population I think of about 10 million.

Not even that. Around 5 million they said on the coverage yesterday.

This got me intrigued, so I googled it. 3.89 million apparently- that's 750k bigger than Wales (fair play on qualifying) and 1.5 million LESS than Scotland.

 Of course population isn't always directly related (China, USA  Russia India etc) but I think Wales and especially Croatia are achieving  impressively for their size.  Hopefully our 56million population will be the ones celebrating next Sunday......

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I feel for Harry this morning.

Great player and a great striker and I won't remember him for his penalty miss yesterday but I will remember him for his wonderful goals and performances over the years.

[Paplane]

I feel for Harry this morning.

Great player and a great striker and I won't remember him for his penalty miss yesterday but I will remember him for his wonderful goals and performances over the years.

So do I. If the press go for him it'll be so wrong. He tried his best and these things happen. He's a loyal servant to England and I wish him well.

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Not blaming anybody in the team at all but getting very fed up with the “the lads gave their all and we came close” line.
I do like Southgate but there remains the theory that whilst he is the reason England win most games he is also the reason we fall just short in the really crucial ones.
Maybe its too early yet but reckon the FA should be grooming Eddie Howe or Graham Potter.

[Paplane]

Not blaming anybody in the team at all but getting very fed up with the “the lads gave their all and we came close” line.
I do like Southgate but there remains the theory that whilst he is the reason England win most games he is also the reason we fall just short in the really crucial ones.
Maybe its too early yet but reckon the FA should be grooming Eddie Howe or Graham Potter.

Sorry Salv, you're wrong. Southgate is perfect for England. We just lost a tight game by an odd goal. It happens. Quarter final is below par for this side but we lost by an odd goal to a really good side. It happens. I honestly believe we would have won the tournament had we been able to get past France.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I had a little dig at Southgate after the 0-0 with USA but I want him to continue in the job. Overall I think he has done brilliantly and we are very very close to landing a major trophy. There is no obvious replacement and most of our team/squad have time on their side.

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Not blaming anybody in the team at all but getting very fed up with the “the lads gave their all and we came close” line.
I do like Southgate but there remains the theory that whilst he is the reason England win most games he is also the reason we fall just short in the really crucial ones.
Maybe its too early yet but reckon the FA should be grooming Eddie Howe or Graham Potter.

Sorry Salv, you're wrong. Southgate is perfect for England. We just lost a tight game by an odd goal. It happens. Quarter final is below par for this side but we lost by an odd goal to a really good side. It happens. I honestly believe we would have won the tournament had we been able to get past France.

Totally get your viewpoint Pap and I dont want to sound like some of the morons on twitter.
Yeah we lost a tight game to a very good side but when have we ever won such a game? Hearing Sothgate going on about fine margins, he is of course correct but it all just sounded a bit….Mark Warburton.

[Georgecloney]

I feel for Harry this morning.

Great player and a great striker and I won't remember him for his penalty miss yesterday but I will remember him for his wonderful goals and performances over the years.

I am nearly 60 years of age and I can’t remember many better forward players for England than Harry Kane. He is Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham rolled into one. However, over time I think that penalty could define his career. He has not won a trophy either for his club side or country. England had a great chance of winning this World Cup and when the big moment arose he wasn’t able to take it. Unfortunately that is what get remembered not the numerous great games and goals. It is only winners who truly become legends. Very harsh but true.

[Salvatore Matrecano]

List of countries that England have WON against in the knockout stages of the world cup since 1966.
Just 8 wins across the 14 tournaments that have been played since then.
We have never beaten a country that you would describe as a major footballing power.

Paraguay 86
Belgium Cameroon 90
Denmark 02
Ecuador 06
Columbia Sweden 18
Senegal 22

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

I think all this is a bit harsh and most of it has got nothing to do with Southgate.

I prefer to remember Gareth taking us to the World Cup Semi Final in 2018, the final of Euro 2000 and being a whisker away from another World Cup semi final in 2022.

That is a fantastic record.

As for Kane are we beating him up for his loyalty to Tottenham?
He could have left and signed for Man City and won everything but he stayed loyal to Spurs that is the sort of man that he is.

I will remember him for all his goals and performances and not for anything else.

[Sausage Roll]

I feel for Harry this morning.

Great player and a great striker and I won't remember him for his penalty miss yesterday but I will remember him for his wonderful goals and performances over the years.

Hopefully he won't get the awful abuse that Rashford, Saka and Sancho did after missing penalties. None of them let their country down.

[Paplane]

Not blaming anybody in the team at all but getting very fed up with the “the lads gave their all and we came close” line.
I do like Southgate but there remains the theory that whilst he is the reason England win most games he is also the reason we fall just short in the really crucial ones.
Maybe its too early yet but reckon the FA should be grooming Eddie Howe or Graham Potter.

Sorry Salv, you're wrong. Southgate is perfect for England. We just lost a tight game by an odd goal. It happens. Quarter final is below par for this side but we lost by an odd goal to a really good side. It happens. I honestly believe we would have won the tournament had we been able to get past France.

Totally get your viewpoint Pap and I dont want to sound like some of the morons on twitter.
Yeah we lost a tight game to a very good side but when have we ever won such a game? Hearing Sothgate going on about fine margins, he is of course correct but it all just sounded a bit….Mark Warburton.

I agree with what you're saying about fine margins but my view is that Southgate has improved the side to the extent that the expectation is that we reach semi finals and finals. Many England managers have had talent but failed to achieve the level that Southgate has. I cant see any better candidate on the horizon so I say stuck with Southgate for another two years at least.