England National Team - Three Lions On The Shirt

Around the world, there is a popular impression of England fans as boozed up replica shirt/shorts/sunglasses/tattooed boorish loudmouths. This of course reflecting back as a general impression of the English over all.

After the fighting between Chelsea and City fans last week (did you see the vid of them smashing up some Portuguese bar and assaulting the owner?), that impression of the English as boorish, insular nitwits will have been thoroughly backed up by the impressive show to the world of our venomous objection to a very short symbolic demonstration in favour of racial equality.

Marvellous.

 

Back when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, I lurved England. I believed every word of 'Back Home and our noble boys out to show the world that our team is the best on the planet. I was gutted when they lost.

Now I genuinely and honestly hope they not only lose, but get humiliated. I mean fack 'em.

I saw them play once at the old Wembley in a friendly against Mexico. I sat with the 2 or 300 Mexican (ex-pats, tourists etc) fans who were there, with comedy giant sombreros and a cheerful attitude. They didn't sing much or anything, especially since England cantered to an easy, if typically unimpressive, 2-0 win.

That however, did not stop a sizeable group of said England fan stereotypicals spending the whole game (and HT and a bit after the final whistle) hurling themselves at the railings dividing us while spitting hatred and venom, all twisted faces and the "come on then" gestures and such at the bemused Mexicans. We also had to dodge more than a few missiles.

As I say, the game was a friendly. Like last night's. And like I also said, fack England.

 

It was your typical Southgate England performance. Boring, negative, pointless football.

We have a wealth of attacking players but will he go for it, will he my ********. It's as frustrating as it always be. Did we really test DB ? No. Did Austria get better second half? Yes and in all honesty should of atleast equalised. This is down to Southgate, tactics and a formation that didn't work but should do. Pick the right players you ****.

 

Bet there were a few manthumbs involved

 

I've only been to Wembley once to watch England play. Went with an Irish friend to watch NI gain a point that helped them qualify for the (presumably 1982) WC. Great craic with the NI fans. Would never waste my time to go and support England given I'd no doubt end up sitting with one of the idiots you describe watching the usual turgic, slow, dull football.

 

A plus is that very few of our starting 11 played yesterday.

Another plus is we have a huge number of quality attackers and full backs.

A minus is that we miss the one box to box midfielder that is required to tie the entire formation together and transition from defence to attack.

Another minus is we have two good CBs, but if one is injured (as they currently are), our options are extremely limited.

 

Doesn't it make you proud to be Engerlish/British! I think the same when I look at the state of the Middle-East, Asian Subcontinent and ridiculous sectarianism in Ireland and Scotland too.

 

I never stand during the National Anthem at Wembley. I'll do so when England fans stop booing the opposition's anthem.

 

Lots of self loathing on this thread .
As a kid I remember the dogs abuse England received at Hampden Park .
I am also aware of cauldrons of hate whenever a football match is played
in Greece , Turkey etc etc .
Unfortunately football attracts knuckleheads . Always has . Always will.

 

Southgate seems to be trying to start another trend aka the waistcoat, two games in a row he's worn grey suit with that funny blue shirt with a tiny little collar.

 

Grealish, the new Zaha. Dodgy pen.

 

Hello everyone! I've been very busy as I had lot to do at work but now I finally have some free time.

I actually really like your national team but I think it has a similar problem as my national team(Serbian nt) but on a higher level obviously.

Serbian nt has players that are easily good enough to at least qualify for every tournament yet we haven't played at euros for more than 20 years.
England nt has players that are probably good enough to go to semis of every big tournament yet, apart from last wc, always flop at both euro and wc.
In that way I think we are similar as both of our teams usually underperform.

As for this tournament, I believe you can do really well, especially as your group is ok(croatia is weaker than 3 years ago, czechs are average and scotland is pretty bad). Only problem imo could be that I don't particularly rate Southgate and I think he is holding you back.
Good luck at the tournament, you will be one of the teams I'm supporting this year.

 

Do you think we could fob this lot off with Troy if we dress him up in Liverpool kit? Would he suit their playstyle?

Do you think that Gino did something similar to our old friend Mazzari? Would explain a lot...

 

So 2 pre tournament friendlies “to fine tune selection decisions” and we use them to play B/C teams. What was the point ? Was it just a contractual obligation to play 2 matches for the TV companies ?

 

Ben White selected as the TAA replacement. Suggests three at the back to me. Yawn.

 

3 English teams being in UEFA finals did the biggest damage to Southgate's selection options I think.

 

Seems bonkers to me his obsession with defenders, TAA getting injured still left us with three right backs, yet he insists on playing Lingard, JWP and Watkins who aren’t even in the 26, only to then pick another defender anyway who has had one premier league season at a lower level team. All the while we’ve only got two strikers in the squad.

 

I think Southgate has lost the plot, not that he ever really had the plot to lose IMO

Unfortunately I cannot get excited about the coming Euros, as Southgate and his offbeat selections are not inspiring me at all. I just hope I have got it all wrong and somehow we go on and win the whole show, but I'm not holding my breath

 

I really like Southgate as a man. He was the right person to bring some dignity back to the national team after the Allardyce debacle.

A generation of attacking talent including Sancho, Grealish, Mount and Foden should, however, be setting the pulses racing. We should be excited about the tournament instead of bracing ourselves for the inevitable three at the back, double midfield defensive pivot and Sterling in a front two. I hope he proves me wrong and takes the shackles off a bit.

 

I honestly didn't know we were playing last night until I got in the car at 630 last night. Much like club friendlies and just really can't be bothered with them but am looking forward to the Euro's. Looking at the layout of the tournament, if we finish top of the group we get Portugal, France or Germany! That's us out then

 

Posted this in another thread on 31st May, but will put it here now.

Who cares. Southgate won’t pick the right team anyway.

Should be 433/4231

GK: Henderson or Johnstone
RB: TAA or James
CB: Stones and Maguire
LB: Shaw or Chilwell

CM: Bellingham/Henderson/Phillips, Mount, Foden

RW: Sancho
LW: Grealish
ST: Kane

That gets England to the final.

What Southgate will do;

Pickford

Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw

Henderson, Rice, Mount

Rashford, Kane, Sterling

If he plays 3 at the back;

Pickford

Walker, Stones, Maguire

Trippier, Henderson, Rice, Chilwell

Rashford, Kane, Sterling

So depressing.

No excuses for England to not reach the semi-finals at the very least. We won’t, because of Southgate though. We will not make it out of the group stages.

The generation of players we have right now, could arguably be seen as another golden generation. Yet we will waste all their talent and ability because of one man.

 

Yet this 'golden generation' seems to have less 'world class' players than the last one. And the one before that. They don't mention that whilst hyping them up.

 

We have three world class players, 4 at a push. Kane, Sancho, Foden, Grealish. Those 4 should be starting every game.

 

I think you can make a case for Mount as well, that was a world class pass to set up the winner in the CL final.

 

Mount should be on team sheet every game aswell. England’s biggest chance of winning is to play attacking football. That’s our greatest strength. We have Southgate.

 

This, from 2020, still isn't bitter nor vitriolic enough for me. And it sums us up to a 'T'.

 

Yesterday I went to the social club in the village where I grew up for a couple of drinks. They are officially open 13:00 to 15:00 on a Sunday afternoon, but normally closes around 15:45. I asked the bar keep if they were going to officially stay open until 16:00 next Sunday so that we could watch the England game. He looked at me like I just dropped an eggy. No Spirit of 66 in evidence.

 

A ‘world class’ footballer is one that gets into the best eleven of all the players in the world. If Grealish falls into that category, then I’m the Queen of Sheba.