GRcade

Not living in England I've not really seen or heard what's been said by pundits etc. Had they really dismissed Croatia completely? Or was it more they just felt England would win? As if it's the latter I don't see that as arrogance. Or was it just Ian Wright getting overly excited as usual?

SandyCoin wrote:Not living in England I've not really seen or heard what's been said by pundits etc. Had they really dismissed Croatia completely? Or was it more they just felt England would win? As if it's the latter I don't see that as arrogance. Or was it just Ian Wright getting overly excited as usual?

Wrighty was just showing the pashun, which is to be expected as he's a "character", but I felt on the whole the punditry (on TV at least) seemed to think that whilst Croatia were a good side, England had enough to hurt them, which I think is a fair analysis. I don't think anyone said "this team is shite, we should be smashing them". It's obvious that when a team has a Madrid/Barca midfield, it's going to be half-decent.

Vermilion wrote:In the spirit of brexit, i think the match should be played again as we didn't get the result we wanted first time around.

We are, it’s on 12 October.

No-one rational was getting carried away with themselves. Most agreed that it would be the first stern test England had faced and probably the first team where you could say on paper they were better than England. Quite a few places heaped praise on Modric and said he was a world class player and there was no equivalent in the England midfield. Most said that the midfield three of Croatia were as strong as any in the tournament but our pace and energy could cause them problems.

Some hoped they would be tired as the game progressed due to them having to go through two penalty shootouts. There was a sense too that they hadn't really performed that well in their knockout games so far, though that had been tipped as dark horses when they bear Argentina.

As I said earlier I think some misunderstand the naive optimism of the English and the fact we get carried away as something malicious or unfounded. We often don't honestly think we will win it, just dream that we could. Even when expectations are tempered we find signs to think that we might break with convention and do something. We came very close to actually doing it that year. Likewise as I said before about the "coming home" memes. No-one sensible was actually saying with certainty "it's coming home", it was just a way of showing your faith in the side and of supporting them, as well as having a bit of a laugh with fellow supporters.

I don't think the media have been disrespectful to Croatia at all and it's ironic that now they've progressed, some of their players are lambasting us and telling us to be "humble", all the while their press call us "unbelievably inferior" and laugh at our crying fans.

If going to a tournament, enjoying yourself and hoping you can win it makes you lack humility, then what are they going to think of the French? Who actually should probably win it and have been the best team throughout?

Like I said earlier, what's the point in playing sport if you don't think there's a chance, however small, that you could win? What's the point in going there and not having any faith in your team or in your abilities? What's the point in going there and not all enjoying it?

This was probably the most carefree and humble England team we've had for a while, so I don't know why the Croatians have felt so prickly about it. Would it have pleased them more if we had been shouting from the stands: "Well you're a young team but we'll all come and buy tickets in four years".

Fairest thing to do is let whoever wins the match out of Belgium and England have another crack at whoever wins out of Croatia and France. That seems the fairest thing to do and a much better way to decide who should win the world cup.

Mixed feelings now the dust has settled

- Going into the tournament I expected nothing, other than Kane we really didn't have any world class players now that the last few of "the golden generation" have retired (the lack of "England expects" was refreshing)
- After the Panama game people really got carried away, I knew we'd get found out as soon as we played a world class teams (as has happened against Belgium and Croatia)
- Performances haven't been too impressive, 9/11 goals scored from set pieces, inability to break teams down in open play, constant back-passes (mainly Henderson) to the keeper putting ourselves into dangerous positions when other options were clearly available
- Avoided two banana skins in the form of Colombia and Sweden, so better than Euro 2016 at least
- Unearthed gems in Pickford and Trippier
- Despite getting to the semi final, this group of players would have gone out against 2014's Italy and Uruguay
- Mixed feelings about Southgate, never really rated him as a player or manager, but he's so damn likeable I'd like to see him given a chance to take the team forward
- For all the hype, we could easily have a repeat of 1990 where we followed it up with a poor Euros campaign and a disastrous World Cup qualifying.

I wonder what kind of team we will put out on Saturday. In some ways I think we should put our best team out but we a full 120 mins only played yesterday should we really risk injury to certain players who are expected to start their premiership season in 28 days time. If Kane doesn't play I hope it doesn't cost him the golden boot. I will watch the match and hope we win but I still think it's pointless and a waste of time.

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:I wonder what kind of team we will put out on Saturday. In some ways I think we should put our best team out but we a full 120 mins only played yesterday should we really risk injury to certain players who are expected to start their premiership season in 28 days time. If Kane doesn't play I hope it doesn't cost him the golden boot. I will watch the match and hope we win but I still think it's pointless and a waste of time.

Now that it doesn't matter I'm all for keeping Kane, Alli and Trippier out there for another 90 minutes.

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:I wonder what kind of team we will put out on Saturday. In some ways I think we should put our best team out but we a full 120 mins only played yesterday should we really risk injury to certain players who are expected to start their premiership season in 28 days time. If Kane doesn't play I hope it doesn't cost him the golden boot. I will watch the match and hope we win but I still think it's pointless and a waste of time.

Be good to win, then it would be clear we let Belgium win. Don't want them thinking they are better...

Corazon de Leon wrote:

Moggy wrote:And in contention for worst predictions:

mcjihge2 wrote:My England Predictions;

Stones, .... will make bad mistakes leading to goals conceded.

Got that one right.

Kanes 6 goals though, 4 penalties, and 2 set pieces. The header in the Tunisia match was good, but come on, 4 penalties is pretty soft. He missed a few chances last night. He didnt really play to his potential. Always dropping too deep. Held the ball well and won played for alot of fouls. But interms of open play goalscoring chances, he didnt deliver. Yes they all count.

Unless England beat Belgium in the 3rd place match, it say the general performances this world cup has been to expectation. Beat two undisciplined, rough sides, beat one good team in Sweden, one hard draw with Columbia and lost 3 matches to decent opposition (if Belgium win on saturday). It all just happened to coincide with a soft route. Previous England performances have been disapointing.

I really hope England go after Belgium on Saturday, field the strongest team and play to win.

mcjihge2 wrote:

Corazon de Leon wrote:

Moggy wrote:And in contention for worst predictions:

mcjihge2 wrote:My England Predictions;

Stones, .... will make bad mistakes leading to goals conceded.

Got that one right.

Kanes 6 goals though, 4 penalties, and 2 set pieces. The header in the Tunisia match was good, but come on, 4 penalties is pretty soft. He missed a few chances last night. He didnt really play to his potential. Always dropping too deep. Held the ball well and won played for alot of fouls. But interms of open play goalscoring chances, he didnt deliver. Yes they all count.

Unless England beat Belgium in the 3rd place match, it say the general performances this world cup has been to expectation. Beat two undisciplined, rough sides, beat one good team in Sweden, one hard draw with Columbia and lost 3 matches to decent opposition (if Belgium win on saturday). It all just happened to coincide with a soft route. Previous England performances have been disapointing.

I really hope England go after Belgium on Saturday, field the strongest team and play to win.

Just want to point out it was 3 penalties. I don't really see why it matters if goals come from set pieces. We clearly put a lot of practice into them as a team and it was one of our strengths. Also genuine question for everyone at what point does the goal stop being from a set piece? For example a corner is crossed in and the ball bobbles around for a bit, a shot it parried out, the ball is put back in and we score, does that count as a goal from a set piece? Another example is why is a goal from free kick that is crossed into the box and headed in seen as being a lesser goal than a cross from open play that is headed in? a goal is a goal surely.

twitter.com/CalumShepherd_6/status/1017180783767949312

Pathetic people

Mafro wrote:

twitter.com/CalumShepherd_6/status/1017180783767949312

Was that the special needs plane?

Death's Head wrote:

Mafro wrote:

twitter.com/CalumShepherd_6/status/1017180783767949312

Was that the special needs plane?

Glad that once again they rely on us to bring some joy to their otherwise bleak lives.

Death's Head wrote:

Mafro wrote:

twitter.com/CalumShepherd_6/status/1017180783767949312

Was that the special needs plane?

Don't think so. Takes one to know one I guess.

Mafro wrote:

twitter.com/CalumShepherd_6/status/1017180783767949312

I'll say it again, you would never see this from the English about the other home nations.

Mafro wrote:

Death's Head wrote:

Mafro wrote:

twitter.com/CalumShepherd_6/status/1017180783767949312

Was that the special needs plane?

Don't think so. Takes one to know one I guess.

Is that why you don't think so?

Mafro wrote:

Death's Head wrote:

Mafro wrote:

twitter.com/CalumShepherd_6/status/1017180783767949312

Was that the special needs plane?

Don't think so. Takes one to know one I guess.

I suppose if you think that is the norm you would fit right in with your friends on the plane.

I pity you all, the jealousy must be crushing.

Hime wrote:

Mafro wrote:https://twitter.com/CalumShepherd_6/status/1017180783767949312

I'll say it again, you would never see this from the English about the other home nations.

If anything, we'd be cheering them on as much as our own team.