Gareth Southgate oversees glorious progression despite what Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer had to say | OneFootball

It was very apt that progress for Gareth Southgate and England was achieved via drama and excitement… in a match that had absolutely no input from themselves.

The very very late goal for Italy that grabbed a draw against Croatia on Monday night, means that no matter what happens in tonight’s England game v Slovenia, the Three Lions will progress.

That goal for Italy means that even if England end up third in the group, their four points are more than the three that Hungary managed in Group A as the third placed team, Croatia only two points in Group B as they ended up third and almost certainly out now. Instead of going through automatically as group runners-up, as would have been the case for Croatia if not conceding that goal, they also failed with a Modric penalty…

As for England, no doubt Gareth Southgate giving himself a massive pat on the back for this glorious progression.

Although, as we all know, it was/is anything but.

Just the normal, England handed the easiest of groups and stumbling through, not exactly difficult with such an easy draw and the fact that 16 of 24 go through to the knockout stages.

Drama and excitement isn’t exactly how you would describe England at these finals, instead, Gareth Southgate insisting so far on the most boring ultra-defensive set-up and tactics, along with laughable team selections. As always with him, you are left feeling that surely with the group of players available to him, Gareth Southgate and England should be doing far better. Instead, they have looked woeful compared to the likes of Spain, Portugal and most others, Southgate making England one of the near unwatchables, ranked alongside the likes of Scotland in how limited and tedious they have been to watch.

Will anything change?

We live in hope and fear the worst.

The embarrassing reaction of Gareth Southgate and players such as Harry Kane and Jarrod Bowen, to the absolutely spot on criticism of Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, doesn’t exactly bode well. Their crying on isn’t what we want to hear, not their claims of actually they have done well, look at our four points and so on. We can all see with our own eyes how rubbish England have been, apart from the very early stages of the Serbia match, if they and Denmark had taken their chances, Gareth Southgate could be sitting on zero points. Just because you get lucky yet again shouldn’t make you think you and your team are on the right track.

Tonight it is Slovenia who are ranked 57th in the world, below Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

There are claims that at last Gareth Southgate has accepted the need for change, to end the embarrassing and ridiculous Trent Alexander-Arnold cunning plan in midfield.

The exciting new look England we can look forward to? Well, the media seem very well-informed and the consensus is that Gareth Southgate will play Conor Gallagher instead of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

That. Is. It.

The Southgate (who confirmed yesterday that only Luke Shaw was unavailable for this Slovenia match) response to the shambles we have seen so far, is to play the very very average and uninspiring Conor Gallagher, who has done absolutely nothing in his two sub appearances in these last two games where England have been rubbish.

Wow, I can’t wait.

So no plan to add an attacking player on the left (such as Gordon), no plan on getting more midfielders to attack, rather than just acting as extra defenders. No doubt England will play just as deep and defensive and end up inviting on the usual unnecessary pressure and problems.

For those of you who are Blackadder fans, I am just not sure whether Gareth Southgate is more of a Baldrick or a Melchett, when it comes to his cunning plans and strategies. Maybe a ‘perfect’ blend of the two.

I am in no way looking forward to this tonight, whereas if say Gormless was playing a high press with Watkins, Gordon and Palmer brought into the team, it could/would be a totally different scenario.

Against a team as poor as Slovenia, England may well stumble to a win regardless, but all that does is put in Southgate’s head how brilliant his plan was and that he has been proved right, even if it is a 1-0 win and England carry massive luck and play rubbish.

The knock-on from this would be that he then just keeps it the same for the knockout matches and as soon as playing a decent team, England will lose. We have seen it all before, Southgate’s luck with qualifying group draws and then those in tournaments can only work for so long.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to anybody if Gareth Southgate and his England set-up somehow fail to beat Slovenia tonight and then if paired with a good win for Denmark over Serbia, that would see England very likely be runners-up in the group and have to play hosts Germany on Saturday night.

Newcastle United players on international duty:

Saturday 15 June

Switzerland 3 Hungary 1 (Euros Group match)

The Newcastle United defender with a very good personal performance, playing the full 90 minutes as the Swiss deservedly beat Hungary.

Sunday 16 June

England 1 Serbia 0 (Euros Group match)

England got the job done, eventually.

Anthony Gordon an unused substitute but Kieran Trippier playing the full 90 minutes and doing ok at left-back. His job was to stretch things in attack up England’s left-hand side, with the likes of Foden not willing/able to stay out wide and instead continually drifting inside. With the plan clearly for all of England’s main attacking to be through the middle and especially out wide on the right.

That is where the excellent winning goal came from, a great ball from Walker putting Saka in behind and his deflected cross perfectly then flighted for Bellingham’s pinpoint run into the box and the header giving Serbia’s keeper no chance.

At the other end was Trippier’s main task though and with the rest of the defence he did well, especially after the break when England suddenly went all defensive and invited Serbia to go for the equaliser. The Three Lions offered zero threat in the second half apart from sub Bowen’s cross where the keeper made a great save but in reality, Kane should have given him zero chance with the header.

Pickford only had one shot on target to save all game and whilst the commentator and pundits raved about it, in reality, it was from outside the box and straight at him, the England keeper tipping the ball over the bar.

The highlight of Trippier’s performance was when Serbia got into the box on the left and an equaliser beckoned for Serbia with Mitrovic waiting for the ball to be squared for a tap-in. However, the Newcastle defender covering his central defenders had got across and was too strong for Mitro who was sent sprawling and claiming for a forlorn penalty.

Monday 17 June

Slovakia 1 Belgium 0 (Euros Group match)

Martin Dubravka and his Slovakia teammates pulled off a massive shock, third-ranked in the world Belgium beaten by a team ranked 48th.

Schranz scored after only seven minutes and the Newcastle keeper and his international teammates more than matching Belgium. What a victory.

Wednesday 19 June

Switzerland 1 Scotland 1 (Euros Group match)

Fabian Schar and Switzerland with a nightmare start after 13 minutes, the Newcastle defender deflecting a McTominay shot past his keeper, a shot which would almost for sure have been saved without Schar’s intervention.

The NUFC defender recovering to have another decent game. Helping Switzerland stand up to a very physical but limited Scotland team, Shaqiri with a brilliant 26th minute long range curled into the top corner effort to equalise. The Swiss should have went on to win but wasted a fair few chances and Scotland got lucky with two goals denied by VAR fine margins.

Thursday 20 June 2024

England 1 Denmark 1 (Euros Group match)

Yet another Gareth Southgate masterclass of cluelessness and negativity.

The team playing so deep and defensive, clearly the plan to try and stop Denmark scoring and not a plan of how England would score.

On 18 minutes some individual opportunism and ambition by Kyle Walker as he ignored Southgate’s orders and pressed high, won the ball in a dangerous position and Kane scoring from close in, he couldn’t miss.

Southgate’s reaction was to have England even more negative and defensive, invited Denmark on and they equalised 16 minutes later. The whole game a shambles with the negative tactics and no apparent plan as to how England were trying to win the game. Very lucky to get a draw.

Kieran Trippier played well on the left and didn’t put a foot wrong.

Friday 21 June 2024

Slovakia 1 Ukraine 2 (Euros Group match)

Martin Dubravka and Slovakia looking to be cruising through to the last 16 when dominating the first half and leading 1-0. However, Ukraine came out for the second half all fired up and turned it around, equalising on 54 minutes and then a shocker with 10 minutes to go from Martin Dubravka, when a ball was played over the top that he should have dealt with, allowing the striker to score from a narrow angle and he should have stopped it for sure.

Sunday 23 June 2024

Switzerland 1 Germany 1 (Euros Group match)

A man of the match performance from Fabian Schar helped Switzerland get the point they needed to guarantee progress to the last 16.

However, a brave and dangerous Swiss side deserved the win, as Germany created next to no clear chances. Switzerland scoring a great team goal on 28 minutes and then defending brilliantly but at the same time looking more dangerous on the break than the hosts.

The win they deserved was denied in the second minute of added time due to a quality header from sub Fullkrug. A moral victory for Fabian Schar and his teammates and a performance that will give them massive confidence and momentum for their last 16 tie on Saturday.

Monday 24 June 2024

Colombia 2 Paraguay 1 (Copa America Group match)

Miguel Almiron and Paraguay very unlucky against one of the favourites to win the tournament.

Paraguay going two down by the break due to poorly defended headed goals, then pulling one back in the second half but unable to get the equaliser they deserved.

The final stats showed that Paraguay had more overall shots (12 v 11), the same number on target (3 v 3) and the same number of corners (3-3). Only when it came to putting the ball in the net, did Colombia edge it.

Tuesday 25 June 2024

Brazil 0 Costa Rica 0 (Copa America Group match)

Chance after chance went by for those playing in front of Bruno Guimaraes, who has a generally more disciplined deeper role to play for his national side. The Newcastle midfielder having a very good personal performance.

Marquinhos saw a goal ruled out via one of those very marginal VAR offside calls, whilst Paqueta saw a rocket of a shot come back off the post.

Costa Rica struggled to even get out of their half and the final stats showed Brazil with 19 v 2 in terms of overall shots and 9 v 1 on corners.

Bruno Guimaraes almost won it himself late on, his effort from just inside the box, clearing the angle of the goal by a very small margin.

England v Slovenia (Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier) Euros Group match 8pm ITV1

Wednesday 26 June 2024

Slovakia v Romania (Martin Dubravka) Euros Group match 5pm BBC TBC

Friday 28 June 2024

Paraguay v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match

Tuesday 2 July 2024

Colombia v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match

(There will of course be more matches for Newcastle United players if their nations get through the group stages of the Copa America and/or the European Championships.)