Off Topic WORLD CUP 2018

Croatia...2-1...England.... after extra time.......should have been out of sight at half-time...but didn't score the goals when on top.

 

Got me worried with all that back passing....just waiting for Pickford to get closed down before clearing....lack of experience and not enough street cred when it mattered

 

I am so pee'd off right now it's a bit difficult to be constructive. We had that game by the balls and we let it get away. 2 moments of going to sleep. The second one was down to Stones who should have been alive to possibilities but wasn't. You do not think you have cleared a chance until the ball has gone. Just jogging out not even looking is not defending. I also thought he was as slow as hell all game. Standing on the ball waiting to get closed down in a semi final is asking for trouble. Next complaint was the Referee was far too lenient and there were numerous fouls and more to the point yellow cards just waved away. What he booked Walker for they did several times without a card being shown. Had the Referee done his job from the outset then half the fouls would not have taken place. Very poor and an equally poor lino on the left hand side. Blind Pew would have done a better job.

In the end though we brought this on ourselves by missing all of those chances when on top. How many times have we said about Argyle that if they don't score when dominating a game then they leave themselves wide open for the sucker punch. Well it ain't just Argyle who do it is it. Bitterly bitterly disappointed at the end result even though some of the players should hold their heads up and be proud. Man of the Tournament for England was Trippier for me. He has a great future and I think he will be an England player for years to come and only get better.

 

In the light of day....better known as hindsight....I am not so upset as I thought I would be.

Why is that....well I was never on the bandwagon of those who were shouting out...."footballs coming home"...who were totally blind to the facts in front of them.

One fact is that we will never get the same chance again of reaching a World Cup Final without having to beat a team above us in the FIFA World Rankings....notice I never said more than getting to the final....never said winning it.

Facts
1.....England are 12th in FIFA World Rankings.
2.....We started by squeaking past Tunisia...2-1.....who are 21st.
3.....Beating Panama...6-0....a poor team.....who are 55th.
4.....Losing to Belgium...1-0...a 'B' team game .....who are 3rd.
5.....Last sixteen...gasping our way past Colombia in a shoot-out .....who are 16th.
6.....Last eight...playing well (our best game)...against Sweden...2-0.....who are 24th.
7.....Last four...started well (dream start) but faded to a more experienced street wise team...against Croatia...2-1....who are 20th.

I honestly don't think we will come third, having to play Belgium on Saturday.....Kieran Trippier limped off near the end leaving us down to ten...our best player, I doubt if he will be fit enough for Saturday he looked in a bad way.

Jordan Pickford... played well...but just a bit to cocky at times...nearly got closed down a few times...not necessary to do that.
Kyle Walker...struggling with injury when they got the winner....totally knackered at the end...but played well.
John Stones...came unstuck for the winner...but overall played well...maybe not street wise at times.
Harry Maguire...one of the finds for us...played well as Croatia started to dominate.
Kieran Trippier...our player of the tournament...ended injured with nothing left in the tank....caught out for the equalizer....but scored a great goal.
Deli Alli...disappointing tournament overall...injured and missed a game...scored against Sweden.
Jordan Henderson...worked hard, but up against it last night in the 2nd half....maybe at times the weak link....missed his penalty.
Jesse Lingard...never really showed us his best...although he did score a great goal against little Panama.
Ashley Young...Southgate put a lot of trust in him....but a right footer playing on the left ?
Raheem Sterling...flattered to deceive....no end result....he scores for Liverpool but not England ?
Harry Kane...started the tournament well, but personally quite poor in the last two games.

Marcus Rashford...mostly used as a sub...didn't get many breaks.
Danny Rose...never seen as first choice...missed potential ?
Eric Dier...another bit player...came good against Colombia with the 5th penalty.
Jamie Vardy...never really had a chance...too much in Kane's shadow...even when Kane didn't perform.

So call me negative if you want...but as I've said we never beat anyone above us in the rankings....ok we can only beat what's in front of us....the first Belgium game could be seen as a dead rubber....the loser became the winner...ending up in the easy half of the draw....if we had won the group I think we would have gone home sooner and Belgium would be in the final....and still lose to France in that final.

 

Maybe Euro 2020 will be our time? Forget it now and get behind our beloved Argyle as we will do well again this season!

 

Disappointing way to end it. We were better than them in the first half but ended up looking the more tired of the two even though they've played more extra time in earlier rounds.

That's one of the big problems: we have few substitutes if any that can be brought on without changing the shape of the team, partly a result of the small number of British players in the PL.

I wish too we were more decisive in the final third. Sterling is a classic case in point. At one stage, he got to the goal line, 10 yards from the near post and had a great chance to whip it across the box first time with his right foot.... but no, he checked back and the moment was gone.

Still best tournament for years and the junior teams behind this lot look promising too.

 

It should have been done and dusted by half time...3-0,.....Croatia were all at sea and they were there for the taking...they were really rattled and their defence was so poor.....but give them credit they started well in the second half and controlled the game....and our attacking edge had gone....Kane I felt was really disappointing and was not much of a threat.

 

Strikers are only as good as the service they get....

Sensible is right too. The ref was abysmal. Rebic should have been sent off. Two bad fouls, one in each half. And the usual failure to stop players crowding around, diving and time wasting.

Sent from my mobile phone - E&OE

 

Well i enjoyed the way the team played and yes it was a disappointing last night. But we can be proud as at least they went further than any would of thought.

A great world cup all round, well done Mr Putin.

 

Christ plym don't get carried away with England will you. You spell out facts all virtually saying England are less than average and then go on to say it should have been done and dusted by half time. Either we never stood a chance or we were actually not doing badly at all. I was never on the its coming home bandwagon either but I can still give credit for the way we played even if we didn't rip up trees. We didn't scrape past Tunisia we scored more than they did. Nobody else beat Panama by six goals so if they were just a poor side then the others were even poorer than us. I think we were quite unlucky last night in some respects. If some of those fouls had taken place in the Prem league there would have been cards out all game. VAR is only of use if it's used and then used properly. It wasn't in that game because the card offences were quite blatant. It's very disappointing but somebody has to lose a game when it's knockout. I think France will be glad to meet Croatia rather than us no matter where teams stand in the rankings. The rankings which have little meaning in any event..

 

By the way plym Raheem Sterling does not score for Liverpool..................anymore.

 

Your definitely right about that sensible.....I try to forget that Man C exist...I certainly succeeded there didn't I.

 

I'm trying to decide if it's worth the bother of watching England again tomorrow. It's not really one to get excited about is it. 1st place was the one we wanted not 3rd or 4th. I think if I've something else to do tomorrow I might just give it a swerve. Unless her who must be says she wants to go shopping in which case I'll kick off like a spoiled kid and claim I can't miss it.

 

He has not scored for liverpool for the last two seasons, that must be the problem he is not scoring.....

He has scored a few for Man City tho

3rd place hopefuly, they deserve that . but not a great deal if not. still happy as i predicted last 8 and france to win...

 

Belgium..2-0...England....F/T.....played well in the second half....but just no end product.....Harry Cane not in game at all.

 

She went shopping so I watched it. Wish I hadn't they were poor. Kane not there, Stones only useful as a wall to block shots otherwise crap. Sterling did nothing much. Rashford anonymous. MOM once again was Trippier. As for the rest of them they all took after the No.4.....................Dier.

 

Some of these England players perform better for their clubs....because they have quality players to help them.

 

I'm not having a go at players for the whole of the competition but just for today. Half of them looked like they'd rather be anywhere than on that pitch. Kane in particular was the worst for me. He is not Captain material if he is not prepared to put himself about a bit in the teams cause. He just never turned up. I know he wasn't the only one but he was supposed to be the leader. The trouble with these so called superstars is they are too soft and comfortable lifestyle wise. They just don't bleed England. Modric is a genuine superstar yet he always gives everything for his Country. We might do better with a bunch from the Championship who would die for the cause if asked to.

 

Had nothing to lose but should have gone all out attack but now makes their overall performance a mockery.

 

Disappointed with the final. I'm not surprised that France won it but am disappointed that they had to cheat to start with to get there. Griezmann. not for the first time in this tournament, threw himself to the ground for their first goal. He dived and it was so blatant because he never got remotely close to being touched before he went down. It marred the whole of the game for me. Where was VAR that time?