Other Games - 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Edition (+ warm-up matches): Villa-watch

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

For a relatively small country Belgium has produced some great players and it’s no disgrace that they’ve not won anything even when they all come through at the same time. That they’ve got such players in the first place is commendable, see also Netherlands and Uruguay. I’m aware that they have won something relatively recently.

[Dogtanian]

Livramento being replaced by Chalobah due to injury;

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7365471/2026/06/16/tino-livramento-england-world-cup-injury/

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/13554613/world-cup-2026-tino-livramento-suffers-hamstring-injury-and-replaced-by-trevoh-chalobah-in-england-squad

[Stu]

2022 would definitely be complete failure, though. They went out in the groups. So overall, he did well, okay, badly in his three tournaments. So his average was much worse than Southgate, who is apparently the Worst Thing Ever according to all the weirdos on here.

I think the only fair criticism of Southgate’s time in charge was not winning the Euros against an Italy team England really should have blown away in the final. England’s overall performances in tournaments was the best in my lifetime though, the clear bond he was able to form within the team was something I’d never seen before and the stats bear it out that it was a very good time to be an England supporter.

[Dogtanian]

To be honest, being selfish, I think England losing the Euros was the right thing. My brain couldn't accept the prospect of England winning and my faith was restored in the sturdiness of reality when they fucked it up.

I went through the same thing a few weeks ago, where my brain couldn't accept we might win a trophy... only our boys got the fucking job done! 

I'm glad I saw Villa finally win first and had all the associated emotions over that. If England won something now it would be awesome and the right way round I think.

[cdbearsfan]

Italy were very good in that tournament, just because they have been shit since doesn't alter that fact. They won all their group games and knocked Belgium and Spain out in the knockout stage. I don't think anyone expected England to blow them away. Getting to within a penalty shoot-out of beating them in a final was comfortably England's best performance in our lifetime.

[Dave]

Italy were very good in that tournament, just because they have been shit since doesn't alter that fact. They won all their group games and knocked Belgium and Spain out in the knockout stage. I don't think anyone expected England to blow them away. Getting to within a penalty shoot-out of beating them in a final was comfortably England's best performance in our lifetime.

All true, but I think that for the way the final played out it's fair criticism. There was plenty of opportunity to take the game to Italy rather than sitting back. And that's even before the unnecessary penalty faffing.

It doesn't negate the near flawless job he'd done for the three - four years up to that point, and there was no reason for Italy to have been "blown away", but not doing more to capitalise on an early lead is definitely grounds for complaint.

[Stu]

I didn’t expect England to smash Italy at the time but in retrospect it was definitely an opportunity missed to put the game to bed when deservedly in the lead. Blow away possibly hyperbole, but then I reflect on the occasion and the venue and really the ingredients were there for England to put on a show. Ah well.

[Nev]

Grealish and Palmer, that's what did for Souhtgate. Had he started regularly with both during the tournaments when they were comfortably the best midfielders in the country, he may have got England over the line.

[Dogtanian]

Grealish and Palmer, that's what did for Souhtgate. Had he started regularly with both during the tournaments when they were comfortably the best midfielders in the country, he may have got England over the line.

The Greasy Palm?

[Stu]

He did say some weird stuff about Grealish at the time which we all complained about on here. Looking back I think Southgate just didn’t like the cut of his jib and if that was the case then he wasn’t far wrong. That said, he did bring Jack on at the right time against Germany.

[Dave]

He did say some weird stuff about Grealish at the time which we all complained about on here. Looking back I think Southgate just didn’t like the cut of his jib and if that was the case then he wasn’t far wrong. That said, he did bring Jack on at the right time against Germany.

Yeah, I think the "he's not picking Grealish #angryface" stuff was massively overblown.

[Proposition Joe]

Fuck me. Only in America. White power sign VAR official says it was an involuntary twitch. Cleared by FIFA.

I haven't seen the footage and I had no idea about that signal, but to be fair, my first thought upon seeing the image was 'shit, I've probably accidentally done that loads of times during job interviews'.

Same, I had no idea at all about that symbol, but as someone who often plays air guitar to songs in my I head, I bet I do it a lot. So, benefit of the doubt for me. I bet you could freeze frame anyone at a some point and someone on the internet will find some kind of gesture that means something.

[itbrvilla]

Fuck me. Only in America. White power sign VAR official says it was an involuntary twitch. Cleared by FIFA.

He's clearly playing the circle game with his mates back home.

[cdbearsfan]

He did say some weird stuff about Grealish at the time which we all complained about on here. Looking back I think Southgate just didn’t like the cut of his jib and if that was the case then he wasn’t far wrong. That said, he did bring Jack on at the right time against Germany.

Yeah, I think the "he's not picking Grealish #angryface" stuff was massively overblown.

As I recall, everyone went crazy when he didn't pick him against Ukraine in the quarter-finals. England won 4-0 but people decided they were still right and Southgate was wrong anyway.

[olaftab]

Yes I agree. I often accidentally use that to praise my white friends because I like to pay back for all they have done for me. They don’t know I have a twitch. Nothing to be bothered about here. Shaun is a really decent guy.