England fans want Gareth Southgate for a chat by the firepit after Nations League humiliation – The Warm-Up

Updated 15/06/2022 at 08:05 GMT

Southgate Out vs Credit in the Bank FC. A humiliating loss for England will leave a sour taste now the season is actually over, and Gareth Southgate knows he’s in for a bumpy ride after a chastening night. Perhaps a break is best for all involved, for a few weeks, that is – until the new season starts and we go again. Elsewhere, it’s pura vida for Costa Rica…

Record home defeat 'not mentally damaging' says England boss Southgate

WEDNESDAY’S BIG STORIES

Credit in the Bank vs Southgate Out

What do you mean you picked Love Island over witnessing England suffer their biggest home defeat for 94 years? Oh, you switched over, did you? When you heard about the boos? And the chants of “sacked in the morning”? Okay, yeah, fair enough.

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That was some way for the campaign to close, and while every single England player who endured this Nations League hike at the end of a marathon fully deserve their break, it’s safe to say Southgate might not enjoy his.

“I'm not going to say it doesn't hurt,” said Southgate, after the 4-0 defeat to Hungary and cries of “You don’t know what you’re doing” from the Molineux crowd.

At Wolves it was pretty clear cut, but it would appear the nation is utterly divided on Southgate, so let’s gather round the firepit to discuss his future and see if we can reach some middle ground between Credit in the Bank FC and the Southgate Out army:

Look, he took us to a World Cup semi-final and the European Championship final. He’s given us some of the best memories we’ve had in recent years. He knows what it takes at tournaments. He’s got credit in the bank.

Yeah, but we lost that semi-final. We lost that final. And the 4-0 loss to Hungary? That is England’s worst home defeat since 1928! Southgate out.

Well, he made nine changes, the players are tired and it’s mid-June. What did you expect?

Not that. It also capped off a four-game winless run in the Nations League. That has killed off all the momentum in a World Cup year.

What momentum?

Er.

Are we getting confused who's who here?

Yes.

Where were we? Oh yes, Southgate is still the man to lead this team forward, and the team trust him.

Yes but I’ve got the ick with Gareth, he’s tactically inept, picks Harry Maguire, and I think we should cool things off to be honest.

But we were a shootout away from Euros glory! And he talks proper well too!

Yeah, but, that was rubbish last night, and he's not using this generation to its full potential, and shall we just stop this bang-average charade now?

Anyway. As you can see, it’s all a tad divisive, but instead of judging this experimental fortnight after a tiresome campaign, save the pitchforks for the Nations League double header in September. He’ll go full strength, and he’ll need the nation behind him because he ain’t going anywhere for now - and won't be until after the World Cup.

The season is over!

So… What now? Expect Bleacher Report’s social accounts to run some Narcos-inspired memes of Kevin De Bruyne sitting on a garden swing, Karim Benzema standing in an empty swimming pool and Mohamed Salah dining alone today, for that is basically a wrap on the latest season of men’s football.

The best episodes arguably came in the Champions League, while the Premier League and Serie A delivered drama to the very end, but boy did it drag on when they decided to add four rounds of internationals. Don’t get us started, Rio.

Anyway. That’s done and dusted. Those lucky to be called internationals can finally get a break, and we go again next month with some friendlies and Europa League qualifying.

Next. Month.

But on the bright side, the utterly impossible to call Women’s Euros is just three weeks away!

Liverpool’s big-money statement

Seven years ago, Liverpool forked out £22m for Roberto Firmino, a transfer fee that would rise to £29m based on various add-ons.

"That is brutal," former Liverpool defender Markus Babbel said of the signing, which at the time was the club’s second-highest behind £35m top-of-the-flops Andy Carroll.

"When I heard that I flinched because even for Liverpool that is not chicken feed,” Babbel added. "He is under a certain pressure with this weight on his shoulders."

Of course, hindsight tells us Firmino was a bargain. As was the £34m spent on Sadio Mane and £36.9m on Mohamed Salah. Even £40m on Diogo Jota seems reasonable, while the £37m on Luis Diaz turned out to be the signing of the season that is now, finally, over. Did we say we’re happy it’s over yet.

Anyway, that of course leads us to the initial £64m and could-end-up £85m signing of Darwin Nunez, who arrives at Liverpool with a price tag his star-studded attacking team-mates never had to deal with.

That, is proper pressure, although he will, of course, have some assistance…

IN OTHER NEWS

And that makes it 32!

Of course, the new season feels as though it has already begun, and we can at least kick-start the five-month long debate about who will be making it out of the World Cup groups now we finally, officially, have the 32-team line-up.

Kudos to Costa Rica, and once-upon-a-time Arsenal man Joel Campbell, for sealing the last spot at New Zealand’s expense. No dancing goalkeepers this time around, just a very early winner to crush Kiwi hearts.

IN THE CHANNELS

PSG owner Kylian Mbappe doesn’t get it all his own way, it seems! In a win for old money over new, Aurelien Tchouameni joined the club Mbappe turned down yesterday, and the now Real Madrid midfielder admitted he turned down a chance to play in Paris…

And it wouldn’t be a major La Liga transfer without some keepie-uppies.