Joey Barton is the latest to share his verdict on the ‘Southgate In vs Southgate Out’ debate and it won’t surprise you to hear that he has some strong opinions on the matter.
The ex-pro turned coach, currently managing Bristol Rovers in League One, is never one to shy away from sharing his thoughts and has been regularly tweeting throughout this year’s World Cup.
That being said, while Gareth Southgate is now widely reported to be considering his future after this latest tournament exit, the former Manchester City man is unhappy that a decision is yet to be made.
Writing in multiple posts on Twitter, Barton thinks it’s time to pull the trigger and move on from Southgate, adding that he is surprised a resignation hasn’t already been announced.
Can’t believe Southgate hasn’t resigned yet. That’s two World Cups and a home European Championship we could/should have won.
Stop rewarding failure. Got to go. Time to hire somebody who can win.
As you can see, Barton says that does he not understand how Southgate hasn’t quit already following “two World Cups and a home European Championship we could/should have won”, but that he believes England need to “stop rewarding failure” by offering him new contracts.
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He goes on to insist that the FA need “to hire somebody who can win”. Worth noting that Southgate has actually won the most games at major tournaments (11) and is fourth in terms of all-time win percentage (60.5%) — admittedly with three competitions under his belt.
Nevertheless, Barton also goes on to take aim at Southgate for appearing in a Pizza Hut advert more than 25 years ago after his infamous penalty miss at Euro 96.
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It is a strange watch, we’ll admit.
Clearly a bag and not a pizza box.
While it’s safe to say this seemed like an odd choice at the time, let alone how surreal it looks now, the gag itself is referring to a moment in Southgate had the courage to step up and take a penalty in a historic moment.
Just for context, Barton only ever made one appearance for the Three Lions.
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Either way, the 40-year-old went on to write: “Time for him to move on… He’s a nice guy but he isn’t a winner. When he put Pizza Box on his head after missing the pen, he was done with. No self-respecting man would ever do that.”
And it’s not like you’ve appeared in any questionable adverts, right Joey?
Now, this is not to rubbish Barton’s stance on whether Southgate should stay or go — his opinion is like that of many others over recent years — but it is always worth reminding that despite the painful endings we’re so used to, he has taken the squad further than anyone since Sir Alf Ramsey in 1966.
Moreover, he’s also managed to overcome the club rivalries that so often drew wedges between previous generations and has created a genuine sense of unity and national pride not only in his teams but across the country, after so many had become disillusioned with international football.
We wrote this before the start of Qatar 2022 and it seems more pertinent than ever that although his departure seems most likely, the gratitude this man is owed goes far beyond what he’s received from the likes of Barton and others who would have sacked him before he’d even made it to the Euro 2020 final.
Regardless of whether he stays or goes, he’s created some of the best England memories most will have ever been alive to witness. He’s done a great job.
Featured Image — Bristol Rovers/England (via Twitter)
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Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Featured Images — Manchester United (screenshot via YouTube)/Edward Kuruvilla (via X)
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Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Danny Jones -
13th December 2022 
