19 Jun 2022 09:47:54
A kind of different topic to us wolves,
Anybody want to share thoughts on our chances in the world cup?
Thoughts on how the league will be different with the winter break,like how do you think it will have an effect on us.

Me personally have big doubts with how Southgate sets up the team.
I always think in any team you should have minium 2 players to be given the freedom to express their talents not to be organised into a rigid game plan.
It's the world cup so imo just go for it.

1.) 19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022 10:51:29
The thing with Southgate is that he will always play his favourites and that is fine if we played decent football. In the last World Cup we played 7 matches of which we won 3, lost 3 and won 1 penalty shootout. Our top scorer in the tournament scored 50% of his goals via penalties. However, the fact we got to the semi finals has glossed over the performances.

Fast forward to last year's Euros. Again the play was slow and laboured but we get through to the final. What does Southgate do? After getting an early goal, he opts to change his tactics for the first time in the tournament and Italy overpower us.

I remember the good out days when players were played on merit, not according to which club they played for.

There is an argument that Bowen, Guehi and Gallagher have recently played whilst playing for smaller clubs but come the actual tournament, none of these will start. We all know that Pickford, Stones, Maguire, Phillips, Rice, Sterling, Mount and Kane are guaranteed to play. He is too predictable and boring.

2.) 19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022 11:56:38
I think whatever happens Southgate will go after the world cup.

My prediction is we'll go out in the round of games after the group and the excuses will come out about it being in the middle of the season and being too hot in Qatar.

On paper England should have one of the top 4 squads at the tournament. Southgate isn't tactically good enough though. I've still not forgiven him for the WC semi where he effectively left us with no midfield against Croatia in extra time. especially when against Italy he didn't go in for the kill to get the second goal.

3.) 19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022 12:22:28
That final against Italy sums Southgate up, CLUELESS, Italy for some reason had no idea how we were playing for 20-25 minutes, 1 Zip up after 3 minutes that second goal would have almost killed it but no boring Southgate sits on 1 goal, no faith at all in him. Ex Villa, need I say more

4.) 19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022 15:12:22
I think the issue Phil is we don't have players who can be free to express their talents. As an example a Gascoigne, IMO the last truly creative player we had who could create something from nothing. Maybe Grealish is nearest now but not on that level. Some of our better players of recent years looked better at club level where they had better players around them, Rooney springs to mind and I think that still applies, Kane and Son! What the current England set up does well though is professionalism and a concentration on performing tbe basics well. Enough to win a World Cup? Not without a lot of luck based on the last 2 weeks!

5.) 19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022 15:32:11
I'll admit I've never been a Southgate fan either as a player or a Manager.
He is the classic safe pair of hands, politically speaking, which is exactly what the FA go for. Unfortunately, that does not usually translate into being a winner.

6.) 19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022 16:10:11
Interesting posts,
Arddunby I agree with that we are good professionally but think players like grealish saka sterling take more risks and play their natural games more.
To me it seems Southgate game plan he should release the shackles off our game changing forwards.
England to me always looks like players are too frightened of making mistakes.
The pressure of the nation on their shoulders I guess.
But that is Southgate job to make use of the talent at his disposal.

Southgate should learn from the euro final and make sure we kill games off when we are dominant.

I think if it goes how is 99% likely the first knockout round England will play France.
Note I am remembering what I read 2 months or so back so could be wrong.

7.) 19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022 16:44:29
If we can keep Bale fit think we can get to the quarter finals at least
Hennessy in great form
Can easily see us winning the group ???????
Cymru am byth

8.) 19 Jun 2022
19 Jun 2022 20:01:02
Think England will do very well in world cup,semis minimum,but I don't think Southgate knows when to play,three at back or a back four.
Think one comment was correct,he will definitely play his personal favs,
How on earth he persists with Maguire in the squad is baffling,

9.) 20 Jun 2022
20 Jun 2022 07:36:44
Ecuador with our Campana first match agaisnt hosts Qatar
Wolves here there everywhere.