Has ago it. IMO it was superb The actor playing Gareth Southgate, well I thought it was Southgate.
The play was brilliant, you could get away with the not so spot on portrayals/looks of the players there and the dramatisation...but the clips I've seen have had me VERY sceptical about watching it. Agreed Fiennes is a spot on Southgate. but the trailors and clips I've seen came across pretty cheesey to me. If people are enjoying it maybe will give it a go.
I enjoyed it.
Also noticed when Southgate met the German GK who had saved his penalty, in the last episode, the scene was shot at the Lego stadium.
There was an interview with the actor on BBC Podcast The Commentators View.
The play was one of the best I have ever seen . TV is very , very different and much harder to pull off when you are trying to pick actors that have a passing resemblance to to the people they are portraying.
Having said that I fully enjoyed the series and thought Fiennes was outstanding in both
Watch it -I don't think you will be disappointed.
He comes out of it well.
Quote from: jayffc on June 01, 2026, 11:25:22 PMThe play was brilliant, you could get away with the not so spot on portrayals/looks of the players there and the dramatisation...but the clips I've seen have had me VERY sceptical about watching it. Agreed Fiennes is a spot on Southgate. but the trailors and clips I've seen came across pretty cheesey to me. If people are enjoying it maybe will give it a go.
We had heard many positive reviews regarding the play and decided to give the TV series a go but only watched one episode as we found it very cheesy indeed. The portrayal of Southgate came over more as a caricature than anything else. Watch one, you will know after that if you want to continue with it..
I really understand the "cheesey" bit - because at times it is. However , I understand from people who have been close to Southgate that he is genuinely a man of deep thoughts and opens up to those around him . It may be - that some things that can appear cheesey may have an element based on reality. Anyway , as you say Four Four Two give it a go and decide for yourself
Quote from: Fulham 442 on June 02, 2026, 09:57:51 AMQuote from: jayffc on June 01, 2026, 11:25:22 PMThe play was brilliant, you could get away with the not so spot on portrayals/looks of the players there and the dramatisation...but the clips I've seen have had me VERY sceptical about watching it. Agreed Fiennes is a spot on Southgate. but the trailors and clips I've seen came across pretty cheesey to me. If people are enjoying it maybe will give it a go.
We had heard many positive reviews regarding the play and decided to give the TV series a go but only watched one episode as we found it very cheesy indeed. The portrayal of Southgate came over more as a caricature than anything else. Watch one, you will know after that if you want to continue with it..
You may well be right in your criticisms, and agree it is sometimes cheesy; but having only seen the first two episodes, I personally liked the portrayal of Southgate, which showed him as a vulnerable, introspective, honest man, keen to do the right thing - even this he was sometimes wrong headed: a brilliant role from Fiennes, who looked just like Southgate, and had his mannerisms down to a t. But perhaps it was verging on caricature, as you say.
Southgate is displayed as being keen to understand the mental pressures on players, which he has been through himself. And the series does show the players as human beings, under great pressure playing for England. Southgate, aided by the psychologist, does attempt to get inside the players' heads, understand them, and sometimes this does seem cheesy - perhaps because it was somewhat cheesy in real life. The scene with Marcus Rashford and the psychologist, saying how he always looked up to his nan when he runs on the pitch, is maybe a bit cheesy, perhaps because it was, though I actually found it moving - this probably says something about me!
I also found it quite powerful, when they showed the black players' response to the racism they received, after the pen misses in the Euro final.
Overall, I liked the focus on the manager and players as often vulnerable, insecure human-beings, who were often under great pressure, despite being highly paid, and having the huge honour of being picked for their country.
The series attempts to show what it means to play for England, when manager and players can often be seen as on a hiding to nothing , with media and fans turning on them when they inevitably fail to with the World Cup. Even Alf Ramsey got the sack, and he won the thing!
But Southgate , along with the psychologist, is shown as trying to unpick all this in work with the players, and also the cynicism of some in the group is also shown, reflecting the cynicism of many fans and media at 'woke' Southgate, and anger at the cautious tactics he deployed, becoming yet another England manager who failed to win the World cup.
But I'll watch the final two episodes and see how I feel about the series then.
Thanks for your honest comments -as I said, you maybe right in your criticisms.
Just finished watching it. I enjoyed it. Yes a bit cheesy at times but surprisingly engaging. Great performance by Joseph Fiennes as Southgate - I think, because it came from the stage, the mannerisms are a bit exaggerated, as they need to be on stage. But overall uncannily like Southgate. Also a reminder of how good Southgate's record is, especially given the state of things when he took over. Recommended
Utter woke 💩
Get him in. FFC Waistcoats will fly off the shelves
It was very good and gave a brilliant insight as to how he turned England into a proper team but couldn't make them world beaters.
It was interesting to see how his penalty miss haunted him.
After this series I watched a documentary about shanks, Busby and stein...there were interesting comparisons in how they all viewed things.
Dear England wasn't meant to be hard hitting but was a close up human piece.
I did meet Gareth in Turin.
He was a true gentleman and took time to talk to and listen to me. Just thought I'd mention that.
Yesterday I watched a full re-run of 66 WCup, first time I have done that, I was quite shocked at the poor play, so many missed passes, an awful lot of mistakes made by everyone.
Quote from: alfie on June 08, 2026, 02:20:46 PMYesterday I watched a full re-run of 66 WCup, first time I have done that, I was quite shocked at the poor play, so many missed passes, an awful lot of mistakes made by everyone.
It was end to end, much faster tempo and for 120 minutes on a pitch that was cutting up.
The same 11 players that started on both sides finished the game all playing the full 120 minutes. No subs in those days when men were men and women loved them for it.
The game looked quicker, no Fannying around at the back.
No time wasting, no feigning injuries, when fouled they just got up and brushed themselves down. No diving, no laying on the floor like the big babies of today.
How many players of today would last 120 minutes at that pace, or any pace, they will all be running to their agent and their union complaining they have got Mud on their wallets.
A lot of modern day players would be out on their feet.
It was a completely different planet then and I miss it, because you got value for money.
I have still got my program of that wonderful day. .