SF2: Croatia v England

[S.Kennedy]

Momentum is so important in football though. From memory Lampard's 'goal' wasn't long after England pulled one back, going to 2-2 in a short space of time after being 2-0 down could potentially have changed the game massively.

Yes, Scaly made the same point at the time and you're both right. You'd still fancy Germany to go on and win the match given the difference in quality between the sides, but there's more to it than 'it would have been 4-2'

I'm not convinced haha.

 

[Furball]

Germany under Löw have always had a soft underbelly. You never know.

 

[Uppercut]

England have... kind of gotten away with last night? Not seeing any criticism at all.

 

[OverratedSanity]

England have... kind of gotten away with last night? Not seeing any criticism at all.

Yeah, people seem to be focussing more on the positives which is understandable when you look at the tournament as whole but I thought they were rubbish yesterday. Two really bad goals to give away too, especially the second one. Definitely lucky that they've not got much stick for it tbh.

 

[vcs]

Lost to a better team in a fairly tight match.

Yes, they did not face very tough competition in this tournament, and struggled against the two teams they faced who were at their level, but considering that Southgate barely had a competent midfielder at his disposal, he adjusted well.

Compared to what Hodgson, McLaren, and Capello served up, this was pretty damn good from England.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I think England have done remarkable really considering where they were beginning from.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Lost to a better team in a fairly tight match.

Yes, they did not face very tough competition in this tournament, and struggled against the two teams they faced who were at their level, but considering that Southgate barely had a competent midfielder at his disposal, he adjusted well.

Compared to what Hodgson, McLaren, and Capello served up, this was pretty damn good from England.

I think England have done remarkable really considering where they were beginning from.

I was only talking about the semifinal performance.

They obviously had a good tournament.

 

[S.Kennedy]

They completely outplayed Croatia in the first half but didn't put the ball in the back of the net. Kane missed two sitters in about two seconds! Then they collapsed in the second half. Might be fitness levels and stamina or lack of game management or experience - or a combination?

 

[GIMH]

Lost to a better team in a fairly tight match.

Yes, they did not face very tough competition in this tournament, and struggled against the two teams they faced who were at their level, but considering that Southgate barely had a competent midfielder at his disposal, he adjusted well.

Compared to what Hodgson, McLaren, and Capello served up, this was pretty damn good from England.

Stupid comment. We lack creativity, to say the midfield is barely competent is ignorant. Henderson had a good tournament and would really thrive with a Scholes or Gerrard next to him

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I was only talking about the semifinal performance.

They obviously had a good tournament.

People are so shocked at how far we got with an average squad that they can accept a poor display after half time onwards in a semi final.

 

[GIMH]

I feel quite flat and deflated today. For me it’s always been club over country and always will be but England doing well gives us a lift in such a different way. We all have our views on the things that divide society like Brexit, Theresa bloody May and Corbyn and all that ****, but the majority of the country joins together when England get on a run. The flags, the horns, everyone singing Three Lions, it’s just great.

There’s nothing else in this country that can do that and that’s why there’s no major criticism today because though it’s a missed opportunity Southgate and the players have achieved something that hasn’t happened on such a scale IMO since maybe Euro 96, 04 at a stretch (we made the quarters in 06 but the performances were so average that the belief wasn’t really there) and with the age of the squad and the latter stages being here there’s real hope that it could happen again in two years.

I expect a greater interest in the national side in the coming years, in the friendlies and qualifiers that people were ambivalent to and with the success we’ve had in the age groups then hopefully they can kick on.

Great tournament and I hope they get a good reception when they get home.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah I mean I don’t disapprove, it’s far healthier than the usual brutal scapegoating and abuse.

I guess I just don’t think the reality on the pitch has changed anywhere near as much as the emotional response has. Croatia are on a similar level to Iceland, they finished below Iceland in qualifying, but that loss was received as an epochal humiliation whereas this one is going down as a brave bowing to providence.

It was a disappointing performance, closer to Iceland 2016 than Germany 1990/1996. It’s not a game where the players will come off thinking ‘hard fought game and it’s a shame it didn’t fall our way’. They’ll be thinking they didn’t do themselves justice.

 

[MW1304]

Think that says more about the absurdly condescending, disproportionate reception of the Iceland defeat. Croatia are a better team than Iceland though, any midfield with Modric and Rakitic is going to be.

They probably didn't do themselves justice but ultimately I don't really mind. They certainly had done up until then and for a young team to freeze up a bit on such a huge occasion is understandable.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah I mean I don’t disapprove, it’s far healthier than the usual brutal scapegoating and abuse.

I guess I just don’t think the reality on the pitch has changed anywhere near as much as the emotional response has. Croatia are on a similar level to Iceland, they finished below Iceland in qualifying, but that loss was received as an epochal humiliation whereas this one is going down as a brave bowing to providence.

It was a disappointing performance, closer to Iceland 2016 than Germany 1990/1996. It’s not a game where the players will come off thinking ‘hard fought game and it’s a shame it didn’t fall our way’. They’ll be thinking they didn’t do themselves justice.

Yeah, the fact that both Croatia goals were eminently preventable will especially hurt. Having said that, I thought England's back 3 looked shaky pretty much every game I watched them - even against Panama. Pickford bailed them out on more than a few occasions.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Kane will be running those misses through his head for the rest of his life. You have to take them.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah, the fact that both Croatia goals were eminently preventable will especially hurt. Having said that, I thought England's back 3 looked shaky pretty much every game I watched them - even against Panama. Pickford bailed them out on more than a few occasions.

Yeah Pickford has a genuinely top tourney. Looked really assured for the most part. He could be a truly top keeper once his balls drop.

 

[GIMH]

What was most frustrating was Stones was having an immense game until their second

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah I wouldn’t be blaming Stones or Walker for the goals really, although they were bad mistakes. But both goals resulted from England losing control of the game by playing too direct, not pressing high enough, and not making the right subs. When they played on the front foot Walker’s pace made him impossible to get behind and Stones’s passing came into its own. When they sat back Walker’s inability to defend the back post was exposed and Stones’s casualness became a weakness instead of a strength. Like the systemic failure forced them into situations that don’t suit them, and that’s where they made mistakes.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Pickford's Durham. So is Jordan Henderson.

 

[cpr]

Durham makes it sound so much classier than dirty mackem b*ds