Andy Goldstein & Andy Townsend CLASH Over Whether Gareth Southgate Is A LUCKY Manager For England 😱 

Of course he is lucky. The draws he has had in every single tournament haven’t been challenging, he’s won all games expected of him. And lost every single one that posed a challenge. He is a very lucky man and that’s a fact.

Gareth Southgate: - Lucky to get the job - Lucky draw in 2018 - Lucky draw/home tournament in 2021 - Found out in 2022 - Lucky in 2024 He loses every time England faces tough opposition.

Let's be real England are VERY lucky to still be in the competition. They are still there fair enough but you cannot be happy with Southgate this tournament

Townsend speaking about that one off game with Argentina and Saudi. Yeah they disappointed in that game but that was the ONLY one. For the rest of the tournament the Argentina team was brilliant. England haven’t been like that, we deserved and probably should’ve gone out against Slovakia. We’re here now because of luck and nothing else.

So the narrative has changed compared to this time last week? The stark realisation that England might actually sleepwalk into a trophy by the media has got them clutching at straws to try and defend Southgate. It’s not like Man Utd fans were sat there in every game screaming at Fergie to make changes. Their performances were excellent! Poor comparison.

They say fortune favours the brave. If that’s true, we’ve got no chance.

He has achieved absolutely nothing. Shaw is one of his favourites.

What always gets lost in the narrative is the quality of teams England has played. If this was against top class opposition and they were scrambling to win it would be a different narrative..but not against the teams we have met so far. We will see what the team has against netherlands and whomever they meet in the final if successful against Holland

You don’t understand the critics , give over ! Shaw

Anyone who honestly thinks Southgate isn't a lucky manager either doesn't watch the games or I'm doesn't understand football. He was 90 seconds from going out against Slovakia and pens/ a late equaliser against the Swiss Moments of individual brilliance made up for his terrible tactics. He can only win against inferior opposition

One thing to notice about England is yes we can play bang average go 1 down look lethargic etc but if you notice we are very good at immediately reacting raising the tempo and taking control of the game. Slovakia barely had the ball in the second half. This team can strangle an opposition. Let's see what happens....

Comparing Southgate and Ferguson is the height of comedy. Well done Andy 😂

Statistically vs other managers England have had, Southgate is the luckiest manager England ever!! The draws in 3 tournaments out of 4 have been some of the easiest pathways in my lifetime! Yes he has a great win rate, yes he has won more knockout games than others etc etc. However he has played more and again against much easier opposition than others. Tactically he has always been inept!!! What is the one thing that sets England and English moreover apart from the rest of the world? The style of football played in all of its leagues! The Premier league for 2 decades has been like no other and leagues like Germany have followed suit. So why oh why have we had countless managers who think its a brilliant idea to get these boys together and change the way they play day in day out for their clubs and say right....this is how we are going to play....You keep the ball at all times, you wear the opposition down but you keep it tight. It is more like the Italian style football than English....This is why the Golden Generation didn't work....this is why this generation is failing because we are asking them all to play a style they aren't used to playing!!!! Until we get an FA that is forward thinking and get a likewise manager, England won't win a thing!

CLASH????? They literally agreed on the topic ffs

Outstanding record, still hasn't won anything, made terrible decisions in all of the games we could have and should have won, has been very lucky to get to this semi and lastly, plays quite possibly the most boring, defensive, slow unentertaining football the world has seen.

Even if he wins the euros I want him gone, then I can watch England again, my heart wants us to win it, but my head is screaming you have got to be joking 😮😂

It’s crazy how easily pundits and media have been made to change their tune! We’ve forgotten that we’ve played Serbia, Denmark, Slovinia, Slovakia and Switzerland, and we’ve only won one game in 90mins, and needed a wonder 95th minute goal! Yes, if we win the tournament then of course we don’t care. But we’ve won nothing under Southgate, and this feels exactly the same as previous - lucky draw, bad football, lose when we come up against a decent side. I hope we win, I hope Southgate gets to leave on victory, but let’s stop pretending that Southgate is a top manager - he’s about the luckiest guy alive, and I hope that luck lasts another 2 games!

Argentina were excellent when they lost to Saudi. I saw that game and Argentina were my favourites. They had about 3 goals disallowed. Was just unlucky to have them all disallowed.

The fact Luke Shaw says things like 'what hes done for this country' and 'no manager has been as successful as him' after not winning a single thing tells you the loser mentality that hes instilled into this group

He’s never been a luxury manager. He hasn’t achieved enough to be considered luxury. Although, I respect his record. Nobody can take that away from him, and he deserves a shot at club management if he decides to leave the England position after this tournament.

We have Palmer, Watkins Gordon, Toney, Konsa, Trent to name a few all sitting on the bench. That tells you the depth of squad and quality we have, so why are we playing utter dross football. That's got to be the managers fault. Andy says if we win then that's all that matters. As of now we've won nothing and for years now have been playing with similar panache to The Royal Oak.

Southgate was lucky that Belgium beat him in the 2018 world cup, which gave him an easier bracket to the final while the Belgians had to defeat Brazil. Lucky that Portugal didn’t defeat Germany or France, and Germany didn’t defeat Hungary in Euro 2020, when either result would’ve meant that England would’ve gotten France in the round of 16 instead of the declining Germans. Also lucky that Spain couldn’t score past Sweden and Sweden could defeat Poland, when Sweden losing either result would’ve meant that Spain topped the group and would be England’s quarterfinal opponents. Lucky that pathetic Denmark couldn’t beat Serbia and couldn’t score two goals past Slovenia, when either result would’ve meant that Denmark topped the group and England finish second in Group C getting the Germans in the round of 16. Also lucky that Slovakia missed that long range shot that would’ve made them go 2-0 up, and time wasted too much to allow England 6 minutes added time for Bellingham to score the equalizer and get Southgate out of jail. Lucky that Saka scored the equalizer vs Switzerland when Southgate had no plan on how to equalize after going behind

Not 1 game so far has England played good. Been bang average at best yet no one calls him out for not knowing what hes doing

Where was the CLASH? 😂😂 classic talk sport click bait

Comparing Southgate to Ferguson 🤣 Ferguson spotted the problem and made changes, Southgate panicked and gambled with his changes and got lucky.

France got found out and we will too. Whether we get past Holland or not. Spain look capable of beating anyone at the moment.

I care about how they play. Its the diff between being regarded as a Greece (04) or a Spain (08). The Spain team of 2008 -2012 was widely regarded as one of the best international teams ever. Greece are regarded as a statistical anomoly.

It seems like every person on the media talking about southgate thinks it’s impressive for England to get to the semi finals being the favorites going in to the tournament playing nobody good along the way. How things would be on the other side of the coin if we had a hard draw 🤣 he’s the luckiest man on the planet.

Luck and lucky and element of luck don't exist it's a human myth.

Why not ask people from countries that have won a trophy🤷‍♂️, who says we got weaker sides yet has never won anything 😢

Of course he is. Got to a semi final and played teams you'd get in a qualifier group for a major comp. Not played a top team.

No doubt GS will be very appreciative of your comments, AG.

We are not beating Holland, and then spain, no chance, dull tactics.

i think Southgate has done his job perfectly... by imitating italy tactics, actually conte tactics and formation 3-5-2... implementing italian spirit.. and playing style... hopefully southgate can win euro, lift the trophy ... bravo

Clash? They literally agree on around 95% of this discussion. Talksport give it a rest.

The Cult of Southgate

So the games get somewhat luckily turned around in the late phase of the game by the subs, because the usual lineup isn't working. An opponent who knows how to see a game out will be the end of that. So why not start a team with in form players from the outset? Only Southgate knows the answer to that question.

I think we would benefit from playing top 10 teams more consistently. No benefit in us slapping around countries that have a population of 12 and 11 of em are playing.

How have things completely switched from the Slovakia game to now just because of 2 moments of brilliance? We have played awfully this whole tournament and we rely on the players to come up with moments to scrape past these average teams and now southgate should get all the credit? For what? For not making a sub until AFTER the Swiss score and then miraculously scoring a wonder goal from saka which had nothing to do with the manager. We managed 1 shot on target before that goal went in, I really hope things improve for the last 2 games because at the moment we don’t look like winning.

You cannot compare Fergie to Southgate.

Southgate is the luckiest manager in England's history..... Relegated a then decent Middlesborough team... Smarmed his way into the FA U21 setup by being a woke politically correct yes man.... Took over the England job in lucky circumstances and inherited a great squad.... Had the luckiest draws in history and despite his idiotic tactics and because of weak opposition has reached 3 SFs. CONCLUSION- the worst manager in English history.

He has to love him bse no manager would take an lnjured player like shaw

Surely the first reason why people watch football is to be entertained? Whats the point if you win but play boring football? If thats the way footballs going i'll find something else to be interested in.

Southgate needs to learn from france and Portugal when there main striker don’t show up . Kane needs to be dropped Watkins and give Gordon a run . His been LUCKY so far let’s see wat happens today

He isn't lucky, because at some point he'll play a good team and we're out again. Spain will tear us up, if we somehow get past Netherlands

I think FA has paid UEFA to fix England Draws

its an entertainment industry... it matters

Watching another tournament with Southgate in charge no thanks

I’ll never agree that he’s the most successful coach we’ve had; he’s literally won nothing. We’ve hardly beaten any good teams at all. He’s had significant riches to play with and we very rarely make it count. Getting to semi finals/finals and losing is not a success, especially when you continue to repeat the same mistakes in the next tournament, which of course also end in defeat.

The most successful manager to never win anything 😂

That's because you can't take on the wiewers point of wiew. We have a good camp. We reach semi finals. What's the problem?

All I can say is that if England don’t PLAY attacking football that they could… they will lose tomorrow… France lost due to playing shot football!

Clash?

First shot on goal at end of games? Losing to Italy in London when up 1-0 at 2 minutes ? Give me a break , you cannot support this guy

He doesnt change the wrongs though. He's got lucky

Oh no he does't (Deserve more respecr)

The easy side of the draw yet again, and luckily scraped through against Slovakia and Switzerland- despite him, not because of him

No

He is that lucky....that despite the easiest ever routes in knockout rounds....he has won nothing. If they manage to squeak past the Dutch....which i dont think they will...but if they do, they aint beating Spain. And im English. Cant wait for them to lose😂

he is just lucky quite simple how we have won nothing amazes me always had the easy group teams and we cant easily beat them and the excuse its hard to beat teams as the opposition sit deep that is rubbish you practice this in training and the players practice this at club level so there are no excuses its his boring tactics and playing players out of position and not dropping players that are not producing like harry kane what has he done all tournamount but just had a thought because you southgate are telling him to help out the defence so you dont drop him as this is your tactics and what you want him to do , how gordan has had no mins so stop using players and insulting them and play them cole palmer changes the game toney and watkins change the game play them you stubborn fool but you will never learn getting to semi final and a final is not success you have not won a tournamount so you are no better than previous managers but our football was never boring your way of coaching is horrible to watch dont forget your only job was the sack at middlesborough lets hope we loose tonight and your sacked from this job you are ruining these players spirit

I wish these talksport people would stop clashing all the time. It's not good for their mental health.

It's not like the ball took three weird deflections off Solvakinan defenders and ended up in the back of the net to keep us in the competition. That would have been 'luck'. Jude scored that goal with intent and purpose. Then we scored at the beginning of ET because of the purposeful changes Gareth made. I don't know where 'luck' comes into this. It just a conveinient word haters use to avoid giving the man the respect he deserves. He has all the data, all the analysis, all the reedback from professional coaching staff and physio, knows the players personally and watches them in real time, has a wealth of experience and information that no one else is privy to, a record that speaks for itself, and yet they all think they can do a better job? Just armchair managers half drunk and shouting at a screen as usual. To think this country would want to sack him even IF he actually brings that trophy home is utterly insane.

Free Watkins…..

His not a lucky manager his been our best manager we won't ever get a better British manager than Southgate

Not even on board a tiny bit, been pathetic all tournament