England v Croatia semi final

[The RDBD]

Look on the bright side, we don't have to watch France putting three or four past us in the final.

I could have lived with that.

But the reality is that the draw was kind to us, and we
knew in advance what kind of opposition team would
eventually be our undoing.

Will be a laugh if Belgium and England field the same sides
at the weekend that effectively decided their KO path fates
in that group game showdown.

 

[BobbyD]

It was an opportunity missed to at least make a final ...

If Kane and Lindgard had taken the chances in the first half we would have likely been home and hosed.

I think GS could have reacted a bit quicker to making the midfield changes - Henderson has had a really good tournament for me, but was out on his feet and possibly carrying a knock - I don't think Dier was what was needed at that point - Loftus Cheek would have been a better option in my opinion because we needed to start taking the game back to them more and Dier is not really the best equipped to facilitate that - I also think Alli was struggling for fitness.

I'd have swapped Loftus- Cheek for Henderson - Rashford for Alli and also brought Vardy on for Sterling .... hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course.

There are positives to be taken

Not having this bashing, Henderson was the DM and the middle of the midfield 3. It was the Wingbacks and the 2 support strikers/2 centre backs jobs to go out to the flanks to stop their full backs and wingers putting cross after cross in.

Obviously Southgate wanting to go compact with 3 in defence meant we were out numbered and Alli/Lingard were both out on their feet making runs forward and having to track their full backs.

The only thing you can blame Hendo for was maybe not running the midfield but how much of that is the midfield not showing for the ball/defenders just hoofing it forward without thinking.

This one is on GS for me

 

[Chief]

We get to watch Belgium do it instead

Not the final though so no one really cares!

 

[Star of David Bardsley]

We’ll agree to disagree then. He was needed last night to help Henderson, IMO.

The no doubt intentional pop at Spurs I’ll ignore.


[HASHTAG]#standard[/HASHTAG]

He is **** though. Not sure what help he offered. He’s not the level you or England need.

 

[Skylarker]

The reality of this world cup....

Beat Tunisia
Beat Panama
Beat Columbia (in pens)
Beat Sweden

Lost to Belgium
Lost to Croatia

Basically we didn't beat a team that was any good the whole tournament.

12 goals scored, 8 of those goals scored from Set-Pieces (**** defending from other teams).

But lets look on the bright side 'Football's Coming Home'

 

[BobbyD]

We’ll agree to disagree then. He was needed last night to help Henderson, IMO.

The no doubt intentional pop at Spurs I’ll ignore.


[HASHTAG]#standard[/HASHTAG]

I think Dier is a very good all rounder (DM and CB) but he hasn't been very good at this world cup mate (he hasnt had many opportunities though).

Not sure we need both of them when we are playing 3 at the back. It wasn't through the middle that croatia was pushing us, it was down the wings

 

[Skylarker]

I think Dier is a very good all rounder (DM and CB) but he hasn't been very good at this world cup mate (he hasnt had many opportunities though).

Not sure we need both of them when we are playing 3 at the back. It wasn't through the middle that croatia was pushing us, it was down the wings

Dier is the only one of the Spurs players that isn't the required level. Alli has dropped form from a couple of season back but I'm sure he'll get better. Dier just isn't good enough, he needs replacing before the the Euro's.

You'll get the odd Spurs fan rubbishing that comment but every other fan from every other team can see this as clear as daylight.

It's no coincidence that every time he came on as a sub we struggled, lost all composure and backed off from the other team.

 

[DerekTheMole]

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[NSIS]

I think Dier is a very good all rounder (DM and CB) but he hasn't been very good at this world cup mate (he hasnt had many opportunities though).

Not sure we need both of them when we are playing 3 at the back. It wasn't through the middle that croatia was pushing us, it was down the wings

Yes, to an extent. But it was all orchestrated by the two in the middle. They took complete control of the centre of the park from the second half onwards. Which is why we were on the back foot from then on.

 

[NSIS]

Dier is the only one of the Spurs players that isn't the required level. Alli has dropped form from a couple of season back but I'm sure he'll get better. Dier just isn't good enough, he needs replacing before the the Euro's.

You'll get the odd Spurs fan rubbishing that comment but every other fan from every other team can see this as clear as daylight.

It's no coincidence that every time he came on as a sub we struggled, lost all composure and backed off from the other team.

Again, England managers disagree with you about both players.

Alli played as well as anybody, although I doubt he was 100% fit or recovered from injury.

 

[Star of David Bardsley]

Again, England managers disagree with you about both players.

Alli played as well as anybody, although I doubt he was 100% fit or recovered from injury.

Eh?

 

[BobbyD]

Yes, to an extent. But it was all orchestrated by the two in the middle. They took complete control of the centre of the park from the second half onwards. Which is why we were on the back foot from then on.

tbh that's because the team dropped off and stopped pressing them. The first half those 2 were marked and in the 2nd half we just dropped off deep.

I don't know why we just didn't have Harry/Alli sitting on top of those 2 mids and just let vida and lovren bring it forward and ineivitably losing the ball

 

[BobbyD]

personally think Alli's been ****e this tournament. It's not been his fault that he's not been fit at all and i partly blame the position he's been playing. Southgate should have put him next to hendo as he's one of the few players who has that awareness and technical ability

 

[Archers Road]

Maybe but we'll never get a Sweden QF and Croatia SF again.

Holland and Italy will be there next time, Africas sides will challenge better on their own continent, as will the South American sides ...

Sometimes you need to seize the moment and despite the feel good positives of which there are many, when the pressure was on we couldn't handle it once more

You live and learn. This squad of players and this set up is still a world away from England's past failures.

Panicking, giving the ball away, hoofing it long, that didn't happen because we are England. It happened because a naive young squad was up against a very experienced, streetwise team. Even then, we lost by fine margins really.

 

[Big Ern]

Look on the bright side, we don't have to watch France putting three or four past us in the final.

We overachieved in this tournament, semi final is an excellent return. No point repeating what's already been said many times but it's clear where our deficiencies were, midfield.

And, for all his pace, which allegedly 'scares' the opposition although I never actually saw that, Sterling is no international footballer. If someone who could control, think and pass or shoot was on the end of some of last night's balls we could have four up by half time.

If running fast is what we want we may as well just pick a sprinter who can run at opponents and do absolutely nothing at the end of it,.

It does scarre thre opposition, they were ****ting themselves evcerytime he ran, and almost every England attack went through him, if Kane hadn't been so selfish we would've been 2 or 3 up at half time, but he wanted that golden boot. Our problem was the manager, he's been great at getting them to work together and believe in themselves but he's tactically inept, just as he was when he got 'boro relegated.

 

[FosseFilberto]

Not having this bashing, Henderson was the DM and the middle of the midfield 3. It was the Wingbacks and the 2 support strikers/2 centre backs jobs to go out to the flanks to stop their full backs and wingers putting cross after cross in.

Obviously Southgate wanting to go compact with 3 in defence meant we were out numbered and Alli/Lingard were both out on their feet making runs forward and having to track their full backs.

The only thing you can blame Hendo for was maybe not running the midfield but how much of that is the midfield not showing for the ball/defenders just hoofing it forward without thinking.

This one is on GS for me

.... not quite sure why you're responding to my particular post with the points you are making Bobby? - I've actually praised Henderson ... but made the point that by the time he came off he looked completely drained

 

[BobbyD]

.... not quite sure why you're responding to my particular post with the points you are making Bobby? - I've actually praised Henderson ... but made the point that by the time he came off he looked completely drained

cause you are my HIAG.

might have misinterpreted your post but it was the general hendo bashing going on in this thread.

 

[Archers Road]

Look on the bright side, we don't have to watch France putting three or four past us in the final.

We overachieved in this tournament, semi final is an excellent return. No point repeating what's already been said many times but it's clear where our deficiencies were, midfield.

And, for all his pace, which allegedly 'scares' the opposition although I never actually saw that, Sterling is no international footballer. If someone who could control, think and pass or shoot was on the end of some of last night's balls we could have four up by half time.

If running fast is what we want we may as well just pick a sprinter who can run at opponents and do absolutely nothing at the end of it,.

I think you're wrong about Sterling, but gave you a like for the rest of this post. He was stifled by some brilliant defending, didn't get the breaks.

We defended our lead surprisingly well for most of the game, but had to do way too much of that because they bossed the midfield - unsurprising given they have a world class midfield, and we really don't.

With a bit more luck, we could have buried them in the first half hour, but after that we just got deeper and deeper until the inevitable happened.

We wouldn't have beaten France with all the luck in the world.

 

[BobbyD]

I think you're wrong about Sterling, but gave you a like for the rest of this post. He was stifled by some brilliant defending, didn't get the breaks.

We defended our lead surprisingly well for most of the game, but had to do way too much of that because they bossed the midfield - unsurprising given they have a world class midfield, and we really don't.

With a bit more luck, we could have buried them in the first half hour, but after that we just got deeper and deeper until the inevitable happened.

We wouldn't have beaten France with all the luck in the world.

Sterling is useless end product wise (he mainly got a bunch of tap ins for city) but what he does do is frighten the defenders to death (lovren and vida couldn't handle him properly) and forces teams to drop deeper to defend giving the midfield more space

 

[Archers Road]

cause you are my HIAG.

might have misinterpreted your post but it was the general hendo bashing going on in this thread.

Henderson did well, much better than I thought he would.

But if he's our midfield general we'll continue to struggle against the best sides.