Post Match - England 1 - Croatia 2 (AET)

[Sunbury Fox]

40 minutes ago, Kitchandro said:

In my defence I always maintained we were an average side, with a poor midfield and a manager making poor big-club based selections, and as usual i’ve been proved right.

I agree about the poor midfield but not sure you can accuse Southgate of favouring big clubs when he picked Maguire over Cahill. 

[Dukla Leicester]

In 1990 we didn't lose to germany, it took penalties to separate us from them.

 

tonight we lost to Croatia in normal play.

 

28 years, that is not an improvement or even a reason for looking to the future. (Waistcoats or not)

 

The fact that vardy didn't play any significant amount of time just adds to the frustration and the despair that things ain't gonna get much better. Ever.

 

I feel sick

Edited 11 July 2018 by Dukla Leicester
Funnier

[Heathrow fox]

Well done Pickford our player of the tournament.

[Chocolate Teapot]

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.

[Mike Oxlong]

48 minutes ago, Kitchandro said:

In my defence I always maintained we were an average side, with a poor midfield and a manager making poor big-club based selections, and as usual i’ve been proved right.

Have you been attending Mrs Oxlong’s School of Communication ? 

[BoyJones]

Cahill is too slow these days. 

 

Felt sorry for Loftus-Cheek, could have done with his skill and pace, but he brings on Dier, a sure sign playing for pens. 

 

We were mentally weak and didn't have faith in our own ability. Southgate has missed a great opportunity by not trying to win the game. Obviously we missed three gilt edged chances, but we had let the momentum go.

 

Game management was non existent. Surprising for premier league players. 

 

 

[Leicesterpool]

4 minutes ago, 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.

I don't know what it was but tonight we needed a sort of a Steve Gerrard type player someone who can make something happen out of nothing. Just can't found anybody like that at the moment.

Edited 11 July 2018 by Leicesterpool

[Heathrow fox]

Kane though will be the luckiest golden boot winner ever ?

[iamafox]

Not here to pick out negatives or make excuses, Croatia were simply better on the night.

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

32 minutes ago, Max Wall said:

You want France to beat them?

I want France to destroy them

 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

Just now, Heathrow fox said:

Kane though will be the luckiest golden boot winner ever ?

Would be hilarious if Griezmann or Mbappe banged in 4 in the final. Or if Belgium play Lukaku in the 3rd/4th playoff and he nets a hat trick. 

[BlueSi13]

Firstly over the course of 120 minutes the better team won.

 

Secondly we should have blown them away in the first half. 

 

Before and during this tournament I felt that our complete and utter lack of a central midfield would get us eventually.  What we'd have given for a Gerrard, Lampard or Scholes to marshal that centre of the pitch.  Without that midfield general (a la Modric) we were never truly in control of the football match.  The defence had no one to feed the ball too and the attack had nobody to relieve some of the defensive pressure and create space.  

 

Thirdly, our play in the final third (throughout the entire tournament) was a disgrace.  The Alli, Lingard, Sterling and Kane front four was a disaster IMO.  Looking back I find it incredible we've actually made it this far.  Our inability to make the final pass or put the ball in the back of the net in open play was an embarrassment.  

 

I have a lot of time for Southgate but that front four experiment must be abandoned immediately.  It simply didn't work.  I'm personally a fan of Kane, but he is about to win the golden boot despite being pretty shit the whole tournament.

 

But overall we have the beginnings of something, our youth teams have delivered two world cups and other championships and our senior team is showing better technical ability than I can ever remember. But we need to develop a world class central midfielder as an absolute priority.  

 

 

[SecretPro]

Some good signs at least, Pickford, Maguire, Walker had a really good tournament. Lingard surprised me, though he worked harder than anyone and played really well. Definitely need to find some creative aspect in Midfield because given the relative easy run, without that bit extra we are not going to progress to the stage again for a while I reckon. 

Edited 11 July 2018 by SecretPro

[Jattdogg]

Blah. Hope those qatari stadiums have air con or we wont win in 4 years lol.

 

Gotta say if england cant find  way to properly use Vardy then why bother taking him.  He clearly is no5 part of plan A in his prime and plan B is tight from what i see. Might as well give another youngin a chance.

 

Vardy might want to concentrate on club football long to prolong his career

[Sunbury Fox]

6 minutes ago, BoyJones said:

Cahill is too slow these days. 

 

Felt sorry for Loftus-Cheek, could have done with his skill and pace, but he brings on Dier, a sure sign playing for pens. 

 

We were mentally weak and didn't have faith in our own ability. Southgate has missed a great opportunity by not trying to win the game. Obviously we missed three gilt edged chances, but we had let the momentum go.

 

Game management was non existent. Surprising for premier league players. 

 

 

 Not surprising for a team finishing with so many Spuds' players. 

[The Doctor]

 

Unlucky lads, but you should have learnt how important it was to kill games while in the ascendancy after Tunisia nearly nicked a point and Colombia took you to penalties

[Jaspa]

We need actual quality midfielders, there's only really Henderson who is capable. Lingard & Dele cannot hold possession, dominate opposition, control the game, relentlessly win the ball back like most of the other sides have at this stage - France have N'Golo, Pogba, Matiudi. Croatia have Modric, Rakitic(ran the show after the first 45) & Kovacic - we're basically trying with attacking midfielders and they just can't, and thats what lost the game for us tonight, we lost the midfield, it was going high and long and they were exposing us time and time again, pinning us back and we looked terrified towards the end of the second half, panic in the ranks because the ball kept coming back again and again.

 

I like the mentality, I like the youth, I like the perseverance in a certain style of play, I think the vision for the future is a great thing and there is something to believe in. I guess we tried to make what we could with the 'best' players that we had, Sterling, Dele, Lingard, Stones in their current state really shouldn't be starters if we're looking to make it further in future, I know and understand in Sterling's case he stretches the opposition, creates space for other team mates but he must've had a chance in every game and relentlessly gave the ball away when he did have it, there was no point marking him because he'd always fudge it. Stones again with a lapse in concentration at a vital time and he's the main defender of three, he should be no nonsense and methodical but just isn't. Most of the others show huge promise - including Kane in that but giving him the captaincy shows another glaring hole in the squad and that's natural leaders - Kane doesn't fit that bill tbh, he's too greedy and quite dense tactically; he knows exactly which part of his foot to use when hitting a ball, where to find space in the box and how to dominate the odd centreback but he doesnt pull his men about and doesnt even look for them, he''s in his own headspace when he's supposed to have a vital role pushing the lads.

 

We're producing some very good players with complementary attributes so you can see the dynamic developing, the sport science and analysis is pushing the English game forwards leaps and bounds, the FA seem to have a method which is working in all of the important youth levels and we've taken huge leaps forward in this Tournament with a coach the fans can get behind and one who knows the system he works in perfectly. We need better thinkers primarily in midfield and a selfless leader on the pitch.

[Webbo]

3 minutes ago, The Doctor said:

 

Unlucky lads, but you should have learnt how important it was to kill games while in the ascendancy after Tunisia nearly nicked a point and Colombia took you to penalties

Thankyou for giving us the benefit of your experience at world cups.

[Leicesterpool]

1 minute ago, Jattdogg said:

Blah. Hope those qatari stadiums have air con or we wont win in 4 years lol.

 

Gotta say if england cant find  way to properly use Vardy then why bother taking him.  He clearly is no5 part of plan A in his prime and plan B is tight from what i see. Might as well give another youngin a chance.

 

Vardy might want to concentrate on club football long to prolong his career

Vardy's England career pretty much over now I'm afraid, I just can't see him being involved in the next tournament if we qualify or not. Not his fault of course just not the service or enough playing time. Came onto the England scene quiet late on his career and done very well and I can say he's done lot more for England than some that spring to mind who've had more caps. 

[whoareyaaa]

Just now, Leicesterpool said:

Vardy's England career pretty much over now I'm afraid, I just can't see him being involved in the next tournament if we qualify or not. Not his fault of course just not the service or enough playing time. Came onto the England scene quiet late on his career and done very well and I can say he's done lot more for England than some that spring to mind who've had more caps. 

if he had played him from the start then we may be in the final, persisting with Sterling was always going to come back to haunt us.

 

Bad management. 

[The Doctor]

2 minutes ago, Webbo said:

Thankyou for giving us the benefit of your experience at world cups.

Failure is as good a teacher as any.

[Davos]

England needed the dynamic duo on the pitch to win it(Vardy and a naturalised Mahrez).

[Webbo]

ITV are interviewing Martin at the Fox and Hounds in Syston. I always thought he was a Serb.

[StriderHiryu]

A missed opportunity, they were there for the taking in the first half when they looked nervous and ragged. Fair play to Croatia though, they were the better team over 120 minutes.

 

Sad we couldn't do it, I doubt as good an opportunity will come round again unless we develop a genuinely world class team. Leicester City winning the title was one of the best days in my life, I wish everyone in the country could experience a moment like that together as a country.

 

Overall though fantastic to make the semi finals and have the country proud of their team for once. This generation is far more likable than the previous one also, and makes you happy to support the lads.

[Ian Nacho]

I just don't think we were good enough, a good team spirit can only take you so far, you need a bit of quality. Don't think we were capable of creating much from open play throughout the tournament. I think maybe if we had a real experienced playmaker, like a Modric, we could have won the thing, however, tonight was our limit. Well done Croatia and well-done lads, the nation is proud of you.