Post Match - England 1 - Croatia 2 (AET)

[RowlattsFox]

4 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

Where has this crap myth that you're allowed to score from the kick-off whilst the other team are celebrating come from? Swear three or four teams have tried to do it this tournament, including us last night. So dumb.

No idea why teams have started trying this but something needs to be done about the time teams take celebrating a goal. Its been ridiculous this world cup. Time to stop the clock I reckon when a goal is scored and a substitution is taking place.

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, Beliall said:

the dier for henderson swap always baffles me. dier isnt anywhere near as good as henderson, but they were to play together in holding roles we could have perhaps shored up the midfield a little better, alli and lingard were offering nothing all game anyway. play kane in a number 10 role with vardy ahead since he drops deep all the time anyway and sterling was doing the running

Surprised that the so called ‘pundits’ didn’t spot what was bleeding obvious

 

they presses us high and having only one holding midfielder meant we couldn’t pass it out from the back as we wanted to - Southgate may have been unwilling to change things at half time because we were in control despite this but by the hour mark once it was clear how the game was going, we should have brought on another midfielder alongside Henderson. 

 

I hope he is able to learn from this - a manager who cannot react during matches will always come unstuck in the end 

 

 

[Joefox]

It’s disappointing. We are never going to have a better chance to win a World Cup than that. The style we played throughout the tournament seemed to go out the window last night. Especially in the second half. But that’s what happens when you come up against a very good side they press you and they showed up our limits in technical ability. I don’t care what anyone says England are still poor retaining possession when hurried versus the top sides. We kept lazily passing it round the back 3 passing it back to Pickford who then hoofed it up. England players seem to need 3-4 touches of the ball to control it before they make a pass. It’s just a technical thing we are not very good at. Croatian players take one touch and move it on. It was just creating panic at he back. He should have changed the formation in the second half.

 

Positives we’re finally winning a penalty shoot out and winning knock out games I think we would have lost in the past.

 

We did well but it’s a massive opportunity missed.

Edited 12 July 2018 by Joefox

[The Guvnor]

We reached the semi finals and when you've been watching England for 40+ years that is an achievement which is rarely achieved, but, and there is a but  we had a gilt edged chance to reach the final and we didn't take it. Harry Kane missed a fantastic chance last night as did Lingard. The first half we played really good football, although Sterling didn't score he is lightning quick and contnuously caused problems for Croatia. The second half we looked like the side that had played two consecutive games of extra time , our energy seemed to have been sucked away, Croatia started to boss the midfield and were totally controlling the game. I know we all know better than the Manager but I would have left Hendo on ,broughf on Dier for Alli to shore up the midfield , taken Kane off as he wasn't really on it for either of the last two games, and brought on Vardy or even  Wellbeck, but I would not have subbed Sterling  as he continuously caused them problems.

As much as I like Rashford he was not the right choice last night , bringing on such a young player that can't  yet get a regular start for his club to change a game was too much pressure on the lad. I do wonder sometimes that the press can influence Managers decisions. Kane is the Captain I appreciate that but he's put on a pedestal by the press as this wonder striker that can do no wrong , well even players like him have off days so great Managers big decisions. The same incidentally can be said of Rashford bigged up by the press so It's  not surprising to me anyway why Southgate made those  decisions last night.

[CosbehFox]

Henderson wasn't 100% for this game. So I imagine Dier was a straight swap. 

 

For me, we were simply not positive enough second half. Sat deep and invited the pressure. I don't think its fair to analyse into detail as there's plenty if's and but's. 

[foxinmyhouse]

I watched some of the highlights again this morning, why the hell did southgate tell pickford not to go up for the free kick in the last few seconds. The commentators said pickford was on half way asking but southgate was telling him to stay back. We were losing anyway and had already lost a player through injury so had less people in the box.

 

Its a joke too that we have had roy  hodgson,  sam  allydoyce  for one game and now southgate, And all 3 of them have had Vardy and kane yet none of them have even tried them in the same team for any meaningful time. Out of all the friendly matches we have played and all the qualifiers, surely  they should have been given some full game time together, 3 or 4 matches where they both play 90 minutes together and the formation is set up for them.

 

The problem now is because we got to the semi final this will mask some of the obvious problems, the whole 11 that started will probably live of the back of this now for the next group of games and will  be guaranteed to start.

[The Quick Brown Fox]

2 hours ago, ealingfox said:

Where has this crap myth that you're allowed to score from the kick-off whilst the other team are celebrating come from? Swear three or four teams have tried to do it this tournament, including us last night. So dumb.

You can score direct from a kick off, but only if all of the opposition are in there own half. 

The rules changed last season to allow it I believe. There was a league game last season where a team celebrated by running into their own half to celebrate and the ref stopped the last player from going into his own half or the other team could kick off (on the whistle). 

[lcfcsnow]

2 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

No idea why teams have started trying this but something needs to be done about the time teams take celebrating a goal. Its been ridiculous this world cup. Time to stop the clock I reckon when a goal is scored and a substitution is taking place.

Whats with every single substitute running down the other end onto the field to celebrate as well, then casually walking off.

[Samilktray]

23 minutes ago, foxinmyhouse said:

I watched some of the highlights again this morning, why the hell did southgate tell pickford not to go up for the free kick in the last few seconds. The commentators said pickford was on half way asking but southgate was telling him to stay back. We were losing anyway and had already lost a player through injury so had less people in the box.

 

Its a joke too that we have had roy  hodgson,  sam  allydoyce  for one game and now southgate, And all 3 of them have had Vardy and kane yet none of them have even tried them in the same team for any meaningful time. Out of all the friendly matches we have played and all the qualifiers, surely  they should have been given some full game time together, 3 or 4 matches where they both play 90 minutes together and the formation is set up for them.

 

The problem now is because we got to the semi final this will mask some of the obvious problems, the whole 11 that started will probably live of the back of this now for the next group of games and will  be guaranteed to start.

Not sure who exactly you'd want to change for qualifying anyway. Young maybe and Oxlade Chamberlain could possibly come in but otherwise I'm not sure who needs to be dropped/replaced 

[Stadt]

Trying to score whilst the other team are celebrating is because if all of the opposition outfield players are off the pitch you're allowed to score. If you keep one outfielder on the pitch then it prevents it from happening.

[urban.spaceman]

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

 

[Fox1norfolk]

5 hours ago, reynard said:

Another sad day for English football. We've done ok but really not much more than that. Let's face it we beat Tunisia (just), Panama, Colombia and Sweden. None are powerhouses of world football and really I would have been  disappointed had we not beaten any of those teams.

Croatia were the first decent side we played in a meaningful match and we came up short. For me the midfield is the issue, there's just not enough creativity in there. With players as limited as Henederson and Dier it is hard to see us win the world cup or any other major tournament for that matter. I'm not blaming them as they appear to be the best we have but we need to unearth some better midfielders for the future.

Still at least an improvement on the last time and they can come home with their heads held high. Hope they can beat Belgium now.

I agree midfield is the issue. The team is well organised, but with the players at their disposal a bit one dimensional, too reliant on well rehearsed set pieces for goals. We don't have any 'flair creative' players like Modric etc who can 'put their foot on the ball' and control a game, a bit like Cambiasso. Unfortunately the premier league is full of 'flair' players, but all are foreign and the chance of developing young English with the same talent is extremely difficult, there are virtually no opportunities. So this English team might be as good as it gets !

[ARM1968]

Hopefully Maddison will force his way into contention.

[ealingfox]

3 hours ago, Stadt said:

Trying to score whilst the other team are celebrating is because if all of the opposition outfield players are off the pitch you're allowed to score. If you keep one outfielder on the pitch then it prevents it from happening.

 

Is this actually true though? Show me where it says this. I can't think of any reason why this would be written into the laws.

[KJT]

We were missing experience yesterday, looking at Croatian team,

Mandzukic 32

Perisic 29

Modric 32

Rakitic 30

Strimic 30

Vide 29

Lovren 29

Subasic 33

Kramaric 27

Vrsalijko 26

 

And Southgate thought are most creative attacking midfielder Wayne Rooney at 32 with bags of experience was to old to play for England.

What hope is their Vardy then?

[Samilktray]

1 minute ago, KJT said:

We were missing experience yesterday, looking at Croatian team,

Mandzukic 32

Perisic 29

Modric 32

Rakitic 30

Strimic 30

Vide 29

Lovren 29

Subasic 33

Kramaric 27

Vrsalijko 26

 

And Southgate thought are most creative attacking midfielder Wayne Rooney at 32 with bags of experience was to old to play for England.

What hope is their Vardy then?

Is this a serious post Rooney wasn't there because he isn't good enough anymore 

[Stadt]

4 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

 

Is this actually true though? Show me where it says this. I can't think of any reason why this would be written into the laws.

I've just looked into it and it seems players have started doing this but nowhere in IFAB's rules does it suggest this is true.

[KJT]

4 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

Is this a serious post Rooney wasn't there because he isn't good enough anymore 

Who says he's not good enough last time he for England he provided a great assist for Cahill to score I think!

[Dr The Singh]

Puel out!!!

[Super_horns]

England in trouble from FIFA for signing No Surrender it seems.

 

Not that FIFA are big on giving out massive fines for offensive chanting.

 

More interested in fining nations for wearing the wrong type of sock!

 

 

[Dan LCFC]

Proper mixed feelings for me. It's our best tournament in a long time and regardless of if we've been lucky, we've still had to win those games - Sweden for example was a very assured performance.

 

I feel like we're heading in the right direction, and I think it's great how much it's brought people together, but I can't help but feel we will never see the stars align like that again. Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland, Brazil and Argentina aren't going to be that collectively useless again.

 

Croatia are just better sadly. They've got loads of experienced winners in their side. Midfield is absolutely class and we didn't do enough to stop them controlling the game. If there's one thing we need to learn from it it's that we need to seriously start trying to produce midfielders who can control a game in this country. We got shown up big time in that regard.

 

It's a step in the right direction overall but we're a mile off yet. 

[Dan LCFC]

On 11/07/2018 at 22:50, Abrasive fox said:

Theres going to remain question marks on Kane until he produces on the big stage.

 

6 goals. 3 penalties is a good return but i dont think he played that well all tournament.

 

Trippier, Pickford and Maguire classy again tonight. 

 

In desperate need of a centre midfield who can control the game.

People are far too quick to laugh at others when they demand more than goals in a striker. Who had the better tournament out of Kane and Mandzukic? I'd have to go with the latter.

 

I do think Kane is very good, he's got an incredible shot on him, but there's something missing with him. He's a bit of a flat-track bully - not that I put it all on him as we quite simply don't create enough from open play. One shot on target in 120 minutes is dire.

[Dan LCFC]

On 11/07/2018 at 23:30, KingKoala said:

Thought England had huge advantage in fatigue going into extra time and I was so wroing

Likewise. I couldn't believe how much fitter than us Croatia looked. Astounding for a side with that average age and that had played more minutes than any other team.

[Pentatonic]

22 hours ago, The Doctor said:

While I agree with the premise of your argument, they've scored 12 goals in 6 games, isn't that their best return at a world cup ever?

 

Granted half were against Panama and 9 came from set pieces/penalties so they've not used their strikers properly in open play, they've not exactly struggled for goals

Eventually, reliance on set pieces will backfire -- always. When it was so crucial to get that second goal in the first half, and the opportunities actually materialized, England simply didn't know how put it past the goalkeeper in open play (Kane bottling it when 1 v. 1 with Subasic; Sterling passing the ball to an offsides Kane because he has no idea what to do with the ball after dribbling past an entire defense, etc.)