In a nutshell

[westcoastcanary 173]

"We are still finding our feet in playing out from the back. We can go back to an old style but we will never be a top team. Or we can stick with it and accept it won''t always work." (Gareth Southgate, after England''s loss to Spain last night).

England, a team good enough to steamroller lesser sides but for ever losing to top ones; same problem, same solution. We hear you Gareth (some of us).

[JF 694]

I wasn’t aware that we’ve been steamrolling lesser sides??

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

6-1 against Panama JF.

[JF 694]

Thirsty Lizard wrote the following post at 09/09/2018 9:56 AM:

6-1 against Panama JF.

He’s making a direct comparison between England and Norwich. We (Norwich) have not been steamrolling lesser sides.

[Ray 111]

JF,

Nor, imo, have we been playing out from the back, playing at the back possibly, playing out - not sure.

[westcoastcanary 173]

Just a suggestion: if you read a post in a way which makes it manifestly false, how about asking yourself what the poster actually meant?

[JF 694]

England, a team good enough to steamroller lesser sides but for ever losing to top ones; same problem, same solution. We hear you Gareth (some of us).

We’re struggling against the lesser teams and other teams in this league se us as a lesser team. Therefore it isn’t the same problem and same solution

[king canary 8,751]

"asking yourself what the poster actually meant?"

Did it mean you''re not as clever as you think you are?

[Ray 111]

Westcoast,

I think some of us did ask ourselves what you actually meant, came up with the wrong meaning possibly, but that can only mean there was some ambiguity as far as we were concerned.

[westcoastcanary 173]

[quote user="king canary"]"asking yourself what the poster actually meant?"

Did it mean you''re not as clever as you think you are?[/quote] No, just that some posters deliberately select a meaning on which they can pour ridicule. And by the way, how clever I think I am is not necessarily the same as how clever you think I think I am. 

[JF 694]

When you say it’s the same it’s hard to not take the meaning that way.....

[westcoastcanary 173]

[quote user="Ray"]Westcoast,

I think some of us did ask ourselves what you actually meant, came up with the wrong meaning possibly, but that can only mean there was some ambiguity as far as we were concerned.[/quote] Ray, show me any post which is completely unambiguous! Hence what is sometimes called The Principle of Charity, namely that most people, most of the time, aim to say something true, so interpreting what they say in a way which renders it manifestly false is likely to involve misinterpretion of it. 

[king canary 8,751]

So the two potential interpretations are...

1- you said something that was clearly false but it actually had some much deeper meaning nobody else can see and you yourself won''t explain

2- you said something clearly false, now realise it makes you look stupid and are trying to walk it back by claiming some other meaning.

[westcoastcanary 173]

[quote user="JF"]When you say it’s the same it’s hard to not take the meaning that way.....[/quote] Does "same" mean "identical in every respect"? A dog is the same as a cat, both are animals even though one barks and the other doesn''t.

[Fuzzar 1,861]

Why don''t you just say exactly what you do mean in posting this, Westcoast?

My assumption was you were making a direct comparison between what England are trying to do and what Farke is trying to do. But do correct me if I''m wrong.

[westcoastcanary 173]

[quote user="king canary"]So the two potential interpretations are...

1- you said something that was clearly false but it actually had some much deeper meaning nobody else can see and you yourself won''t explain

2- you said something clearly false, now realise it makes you look stupid and are trying to walk it back by claiming some other meaning.[/quote] I''ll leave you to decide which king; if it helps, what I was saying isn''t at all "deep", it''s actually pretty obvious. Hence my exasperation at the replies.

[westcoastcanary 173]

[quote user="Fuzzar"]Why don''t you just say exactly what you do mean in posting this, Westcoast?

My assumption was you were making a direct comparison between what England are trying to do and what Farke is trying to do. But do correct me if I''m wrong.[/quote]Thank you Fuzzar, no correction needed (except, for "Farke", substitute the club). As to your opening comment, I simply thought the Southgate quote was sufficiently specific.

[hogesar 10,762]

If it helps some of you, the steamrolling lesser teams probably wasnt the focal point in that quote for what Westcoast is referring too.

Where I kind of have a problem is that Farke has abandoned some of his playing ethics because our fans dont understand the concept of not smashing it up the channels ala Lambert.

[Highland Canary 78]

We finished below 1p5wich last season H. We’re performing st relegation level this season. Hardly a ringing endorsement of the coach’s tactics thus far. Indeed, if he really is that easily swayed by the incredibly gentle FCR crowd he’s probably not in the right place!

[hogesar 10,762]

I dont totally disagree Highland.

[......and Smith must score. 1,596]

[quote user="JF"]Thirsty Lizard wrote the following post at 09/09/2018 9:56 AM:

6-1 against Panama JF.

He’s making a direct comparison between England and Norwich. We (Norwich) have not been steamrolling lesser sides.[/quote]

There''s lesser sides and then there''s Panama.

Ipswich would find it hard not to beat them...

[king canary 8,751]

As far as I can see the op added the part about steamrollering smaller teams, Southgate didn''t say it.

If you''d just left it at the quote, the post may have made some sense.

[westcoastcanary 173]

[quote user="king canary"]As far as I can see the op added the part about steamrollering smaller teams, Southgate didn''t say it.

If you''d just left it at the quote, the post may have made some sense.[/quote] It is quite common to hear England referred to as "flat track bullies" (steamroller/flat track, right?), on account of their record of qualifying relatively easily for international tournaments, only to be found out and exit ignominiously in the early rounds. Compare our recent record of reaching the EPL only to end up chastened back in the Championship. I''m sure those with any interest in doing so can follow the line of thought from there.