He deserves credit for bringing players through but they look like Individuals in a Team - never works out well. You feel like walking in and going: you, you, you, you're off your leash - England have the ability to score 3 easily in a game but for some reason, looking like they struggle past one and that has to fall (mainly) on the manager.
I sort of agree and disagree with you at the same time mate.
The thing is, if the following had not happened....
1. Maguire's injury ruling him out of the tournament
2. Henderson chasing the money in SA, quickly followed by insincere and weak as fuck apologies to the alphabet community, before finally returning to Europe to play some real football.
...would Guehi*, Gallagher or TAA have seen any game time at all in this tournament?
Would Guehi and Gallgher have even got into the squad?
I am not at all sure tbh. Given the choice, I think Southgate goes with who he knows.
* It's a good job Maguire was ruled out, because if he had not been, England would still be totally unaware of just how well Guehi would have acquitted himself in his debut international tournament.
Maguire might never get his place back now, especially in a post-Southgate era.
Also, look what happened in the Slovakia game.
Trippier was substituted because of INJURY (a FORCED substitution), not for tactical reasons.
Shaw STILL has not seen the field in this tournament.
Southgate seems to be so averse to change that he will only do so out of sheer desperation or because (as will be the case with Guehi's suspension for the QF) he is FORCED to make changes, per tournament rules.
If you played Southgate a game of speed chess, you would probably win before one of your pawns crossed the halfway line, because he is such a dithering risk-averse pillock who takes forever to make a move.
As for your other points, I totally agree. England have the attacking talent to blow teams away.
And with the right manager, someone who understands that defenders are frightened by sheer pace, the likes of Gordon, Bowen, Watkins and co would get plenty of minutes in an England shirt.
But with Southgate in charge? They will be a bunch of frustrated (and criminally wasted) bench warmers.
For nearly 50 years, England have been guilty of falling short in tournaments.
And a very clear common theme has emerged...the inability to score twice and/or hold onto 1-0 leads against the top teams.
Even on those rare occasions when they did score twice (eg West Germany in '70, Argentina in '98, Portugal in '00), they still bloody lost.
Certain teams (like the Spanish and Italians) can get away with scoring once and only once against the top teams. To use a baseball analogy, they are BORN CLOSERS.
England can't do that. Time and time again, they have demonstrated they are not up to that task.
(OUCH!)
