R.Bear

Great result for Emiliano and everything but I didnt find Argentina entertaining so this trophy doesnt count

When it's written down like that, it emphasizes just how insane certain posters are

Probably. A few Villa fans dont care about the England national team which is fine except when god forbid Jack is subbed, then they foam at the mouth. They seem to care a great deal about something they don't care about then.

It absolutely did happen, sadly.

You definitely sound about 20 years old which isnt a crime obviously but does explain your posts. I agree. With a competent manager England would be in the European Championship final having conceded just one goal.

Am I misreading this or are you saying you'd rather Villa play good football and not win than win whilst not being entertaining?

Maybe but I think more people put stock in a man who's been in the job 5 years, knows them left to right, is getting the best out of them and is one game away from winning a European Championship over a fan watching on TV.

Not at all, I just find it almost unbelievable. After the Iceland debacle 5 years ago, England fans would have bitten any amount of arms off to each even a semi-final of a competition in the near future. This happened just two years later. Lots of fans would have probably doubted they would ever see the team reach a major final in their lifetimes. Yet England have done that with relative ease in the very next tournament. Fans complaining about the manor in which they have done it, which has been done with actual wins, not penalties etc reeks of baffling entitlement.

Not a dig but why? Well I obviously wouldnt say no to a goal but I think a superb assist would be in character and would fit the difference maker narrative more than a goal would.

You sound like a West Ham fan. "We want to play the West Ham way!!". Well the "West Ham way" has won them **** all in 40 years. I watch movies to be entertained. I watch Villa hoping they will win. Yes I would prefer they play good football but I can look the other way if we're winning ugly as we frequently do. As for England, I find it incredible, entitled and spoilt that people can dare question the way a team who has underachieved and failed almost constantly for nearly 60 years has reached a final they may win. Just a few years ago England were being thrashed by Germany, failing to get out of groups and beaten by Iceland. But they arent playing attractive enough football now. It's unbelievable. But you're entitled to your view I guess.

You find it frustrating to watch an England team march to the final having conceded one goal and having scored 8 in the last 3 games? It's great that you're winning Gareth but you're not winning in the way fans like. Sort it out!

Yeah the options for Jack on Sunday are pretty obvious. If England are winning then he wont be used. If they are losing and he comes on and they still lose it will obviously be gutting for him and the team/nation. If they are losing/drawing and he comes on then he could be the hero or he could not be involved with a potential equalizer/winning goal. If we see him, it will be win or turnaround the game, its as simple as that. As I'm not a Jack cultist, I would much prefer England are 3-0 up after 60 minutes and not see Jack than him coming on and maybe or maybe not winning the game. If, and its a bif if, England are comfortably going to win with minutes to go then I wouldnt be that surprised if Southgate gives him a token few minutes but England would have to be completely home and dry and lets face it, its highly unlikely Italy are going to be thrashed. The perfect scenario imo would be the game being drawn, last minute, Jack makes a run, skins a couple of players and puts it on a plate for Kane to score the winner. I would rather Jack get a dazzling assist than score.

Normally I would agree but there’s been plenty of posts echoing his thoughts on this forum in the last 24 hours

No but to get that angry about him going off leads me to think that prior to that they wanted him to do well and thus the team he plays for too. Not to mention had Denmark turned it around, Jack wouldn't be playing (and potentially winning) a European Championship. So by that logic, English or otherwise, everyone's in the same boat and equally ridiculous.

I genuinely wish I hadnt just read the match thread. Cheering for Denmark after Jack was subbed. Who even wants fans like that? What a bunch of idiots

How old are you, out of interest?

In the same way people still harp on about the choices made in 1966 like Greavsie being dropped, the formation etc being successful, if Southgate pulls it off on Sunday then for decades people will be talking the same way for him too. The way he rotated the squad, the way he used Grealish as a difference maker etc etc. His decisions will go down in English football folklore. History is written by the winners as they say.

England literally did kill off the game. It doesnt matter how good a team is, if you cant get the ball then you cant score. Man City do it in the final minutes, Italy have been doing it this tournament. It's what good teams do. This England team is a good team, that's why they are in the final. People can say what they like about Southgate and the team but those final few minutes were expertly dealt with. This just proves that some people cannot be satisfied.

If looking where others don't means coming up with theories that Southgate took Jack off to **** with his head then I'm glad I don't "look where others don't".

Football like all sport, is about winning. Fans turn up when their team is good and winning games. Yes in an ideal world you want to be entertained when you watch sports but first and foremost you want to see your team win. I doubt there are many England fans out there complaining about the way they play when they've just reached a final. As I said earlier, some comments in here make it sound like England play like Stoke used too. The games have been very entertaining if only for the drama and sense of occasion. The way England were passing it around with confidence to see out the game was fantastic to watch. In the past England would have panicked, had 11 men behind the ball and hoofed it any chance they got. Instead they basically said "we're better than you and you wont get the ball off us". The crowd shouting oles seemed to be entertained.

Because Grealish is a weak defensive player and doesnt press very well. He was brought on at 1-1 when England needed a goal, Southgate did not want to gamble on penalties. When England scored he wanted to run out the clock and not gamble on being caught out going for a 3rd. England passed the ball around effortlessly to see out the game. You get one chance and cant **** it up. Jack's feelings or the fact he had come on as a sub were irrelevant. He deduced that the best 11 to see out the game were the 11 who finished it. End of story. There is nothing more too it than that other than some peoples warped minds.

It's genuinely terrifying that someone could actually think, let alone believe that theory. Someone said it best when they talked about a Jack "cult" developing. Grealishtology has its followers.

I'd say he's odds on to not make the squad with this manager. The manager who handed him his debut? The manager who picked him despite not being fully fit and coming back from injury? That manager?

I see the reaction has continued today. I understand people want Jack to do well for England, I understand that they want him to play every game and have a key role. But there are some incredibly deluded perspectives on here. England isnt the Jack Grealish show, he doesnt have a divine right to be picked. There are players in the squad who havent played a minute. Do you have your violins out for them too? Southgate's job isnt to appease Jack Grealish, its to win football matches. Something he is doing better than every England manager in history. I wonder whether the people saying England are playing dull, defensive football are even watching the games. There is nothing dull about their play at all and its also very effective. His squad management has also been first class. There's a reason every teams seems knackered late in games whereas England do not. If you couldnt see how expertly England ran out the clock last night then you don't understand the game. Let's be honest, what people are really doing is taking any shot they can at Southgate because poor Jack isnt playing every minute. He's days away from potentially the best moment of his career. You should be happy for him, not remaining bitter and talking about agendas. The bottom line is this, the only England fans whining about Jack today are Villa fans. Everyone else is celebrating, including him.