It ended England 3 Italy 1 but woeful from Gareth Southgate yet again – Victory despite him | OneFootball

I watched England 3 Italy 1 on Tuesday night.

At the end of the match I turned to my wife and said exactly how this was going to be reported.

Sure enough, England 3 Italy 1 widely reported as some great marker, in terms of Gareth Southgate doing a great job.

Dear me.

The reality is that Southgate’s doing about as well as Dion Dublin did as Channel 4 co-commentator and Joe Cole as the expert in the studio! Honestly, they pay a fortune to secure the rights to show the matches and then have clowns like these working on the game, I know there are some other equally woeful pundits but there are countless others who would do a better job than this desperate duo.

Anyway, back to Gareth Southgate.

You look at England and the likes of Kane, Bellingham, Rashford, Rice, Foden playing last night, all of them top £100m+ level players. Then you also have the likes of other £100m+ attacking / creative players such as Saka, Grealish (who came off the bench last night)…

Who did Italy have? None of their midfield / attacking players would get close to playing ahead of any of those England ones. Especially with the likes of Tonali missing.

Gareth Southgate has so much attacking talent, an embarrassment of riches, yet what does he do with them?

Southgate plays so negatively and brings pressure on the weakest part of the England team, the defence! Inviting opposition on to the likes of T Rex, Maguire and Kyle Walker (great athlete but terrible defender). Have to say though Kieran Trippier was his usual excellent self, despite playing on the left not the right, what a player!

All the media talking about England 3 Italy 1 but totally failing to recognise / accept / talk about what we all actually watched.

Italy are a great name in international football BUT they have a really poor to at best average team these days. Italy were already in decline back then and England should never have lost that Euros final back in summer 2021, then since then Italy have now failed to win 15 of their 26 matches. Yet the media make out like this is some magnificent triumph against the odds.

Southgate has been gifted the best player in the world (Bellingham), England’s record goalscorer (Kane), plus all these other attacking / creative / midfield talents, yet what do we watch?

Southgate had England playing so deep, so defensive, so many players back behind the ball. England have scored their goals on the break, getting lucky due to Italy not having been great and gifting possession instead of making England pay for the manager’s negativity and clueless tactics.

With the players England have in midfield and attacking positions, Eddie Howe would have had them doing the high press and absolutely dominating this poor Italy side.

Instead we saw Italy with more shots (9 v 15), England having only two corners and just edging possession (51% v 49%) at home to a really weak side.

All three England goals relied on flashes of inspiration and natural skill from the likes of Bellingham, Kane and Rashford to rescue the situation. These weren’t tactics / planning that brought the win, it was individuals doing their own thing and creating goals out of nothing to overcome the woeful Gareth Southgate set-up.

Italy failed to qualify for the Qatar World Cup due to not getting out of a group that consisted of Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Switzerland. Only winning four of their eight group matches.

This time Italy are struggling to qualify for the Euros, despite the top two automatically qualifying in a five team group, Italy winning only three of six games so far.

If / when Gareth Southgate bottles it yet again in Germany next summer, afterwards everybody will be… yet again, wondering how a team containing the like of Bellingham, Kane, Saka, Rice etc didn’t lift the trophy.

We all know the answer.

Southgate having dug himself a massive hole as well, with this crazy determination now to keep playing Maguire, Phillips and Henderson no matter what, having reacted publicly to the criticism of selecting time after time two players who play pretty much zero club football and another who has chased money over prestige and is playing in the feeble Saudi league and will turn 34 before next summer’s Euros.

Schedule of Newcastle United players heading around the globe to play for their countries:

Thursday 12 October

Israel v Switzerland (Fabian Schar) Euros Qualifier ***Now postponed to 15 November, venue TBC

Brazil 1 Venezuela 1

Bruno Guimaraes starting his third game in a row for Brazil and after dominating the game, all looked to be going to plan, Gabriel heading them into the lead on 50 minutes from a Neymar corner. However, after the Newcastle midfielder was subbed off with 11 minutes to go, Bello scoring a brilliant overhead kick to gain Venezuela a shock point in this World Cup group qualifier.

Argentina 1 Paraguay 0

Miguel Almiron lined up as usual for Paraguay in this toughest of World Cup group qualifiers but Lionel Messi on the bench for the opposition.

The Newcastle star and his international teammates showing great workrate and defensive discipline to restrict Argentina to only four efforts on target all night. Unfortunately, the first of those was an excellent Otamendi volley from a corner that gave the home side the winning goal after only three minutes. Paraguay not having the quality at the other end to really bother the World champions, only one shot on target all night. Miguel Almiron eventually subbed on 86 minutes after having given everything for his team, as usual.

England U21s 9 Serbia U21s 1

Serbia going a goal up but England equalising on 38 minutes, then going on to lead 3-1, which was the scoreline when Tino Livramento was introduced from the bench in this Under-21 European Championship qualifier on 52 minutes. England then going on the rampage and scoring six more, as the NUFC star and his international teammates tore Serbia apart.

Romania U20s 2 England U20s 0

Lewis Hall starting for England in this Euro Elite League match.

The visitors dominating the game but failing to take countless chances, paying the price when losing to a couple of suck punches. Romania Under 20s running out 2-0 winners.

Friday 13 October

England 1 Australia 0

Kieran Trippier came on in the 62nd minute and helped England see out this win, Watkins having scored what proved the winner only five minutes earlier.

The crowd only waking up to boo Jordan Henderson as Trippier replaced him though to me quite clearly it was booing of Southgate for continuing to pick Henderson, as he is now playing at a very low level in Saudi Arabia and will be 34 when the Euros kick off in Germany next summer.

Yet another terrible watch as Southgate stumbled to a win over low level opposition, England very lucky as Australia had great chances, hit the post, had an effort cleared off the line and had more shots, more corners and more efforts on target.

Portugal 3 Slovakia 2

Martin Dubravka and his teammates put in a great effort and were unlucky to lose this Euros Group Qualifier.

The deciding strike was a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo, his second goal of the night.

However, Slovakia and Martin Dubravka still very much in charge of their own destiny with three games left to play. A win away at Luxembourg on Monday would all but guarantee them automatically qualifying for the Euros in Germany next summer, along with Portugal.

Sunday 15 October

Switzerland 3 Belarus 3

Fabian Schar playing the full game in a night of drama in this Euros Group Qualifier.

Switzerland 1-0 up and dominating, then out of the blue a Belarus equaliser. The visitors then scoring two more to go 3-1 up.

Only for then two goals in the last minute to somehow rescue what could prove a precious point for Switzerland.

Monday 16 October

Luxembourg 0 Slovakia 1

Yet another clean sheet for Martin Dubravka, his ninth in the last 13 internationals

However, the latest clean sheet absolutely massive in this Euros Group Qualifier against the only team that can prevent them making the finals in Germany next summer alongside Portugal.

Slovakia now five points clear of Luxembourg with only two games left to play.

Tuesday 17 October

Uruguay 2 Brazil 0

A nightmare night for Bruno Guimaraes and his teammates in this latest World Cup qualifier.

The Newcastle star didn’t play too badly himself but those around him, especially in attacking positions, were really poor. Brazil losing their first World Cup Group qualifier in eight years and not having a single effort on target. Darwin Nunez the star of the match, scoring the first and an assist for the second.

Paraguay 1 Bolivia 0

A must win game for Miguel Almiron and his teammates and they eventually got there. Totally dominating and Miggy starring but everything going against them.

Almiron scoring but seeing it disallowed for a marginal offside on another player in the build up and then the NUFC star denied an assist when after a great bit of skill setting Avalos away to score, this time an accidental handball by the goalscorer enough to disallow it. However, on 69 minutes Almiron, playing in a central position, starting the move that eventually saw Sanabria score the all important goal.

England 3 Italy 1

Kieran Trippier putting in his usual accomplished performance, this time out of position on the left.

Woeful Gareth Southgate tactics and negative set-up and some shocking team selections, overcome by moments of natural brilliance from the likes of Bellingham in particular, to get the goals. England qualifying for next summer’s Euros in Germany.