Football 18/19

[kaosmark2]

Just now, pink_triangle said:

Although in comparison many of the Croatia players are playing for lesser teams. Of course big difference was midfield, second half Croatia just ran the game.

But England don't have the stars running midfield for Barca/Real/Inter. Both teams have half a first-11 of quite-good but not top players, while I think Croatia's stars are a level above England's.

[pink_triangle]

5 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

I don't think Croatia got enough credit pre-match, inc. from you. They have astounding quality and I never thought England were favourites except at around 30 mins in. 

Mandzukic is a big game player. I would pick him above Kane every time in the important match . I hope Croatia can win it now, just can’t see it. I’m glad Croatia won in extra time because I don’t really like the idea of a team potentially winning the World Cup through 4 shootouts .

[TheGayTent]

1 hour ago, Ted Dansons Wig said:

Boys did damn good though despite what the trolls on here and elsewhere will say and have said. 

Give your head a wobble 

[mjsell]

Oh well, at least we are rewarded with another pointless England vs Belgium game.

Not enough England vs Belgium going on already these days.

[dentalplan]

I suppressed all the effing and blinding I was gonna do about the Sterling-Rashford substitution in case Rashford surprised me and made a difference. He didn't, and we never looked the same after that sub, so now I'm thinking about it again.

It became clear early on in the tournament that Rashford wasn't about to be our new Michael Owen, forcing his way into the England team mid-tournament. Many better options to break the deadlock on that bench. I honestly don't hate him or anything, but he's stolen too many minutes at this tournament.

edit: I'm also annoyed that Sterling went off. Not just anti-Rashford stuff.

Edited July 11, 2018 by dentalplan

[pink_triangle]

7 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

I suppressed all the effing and blinding I was gonna do about the Sterling-Rashford substitution in case Rashford surprised me and made a difference. He didn't, and we never looked the same after that sub, so now I'm thinking about it again.

It became clear early on in the tournament that Rashford wasn't about to be our new Michael Owen, forcing his way into the England team mid-tournament. Many better options to break the deadlock on that bench. I honestly don't hate him or anything, but he's stolen too many minutes at this tournament.

edit: I'm also annoyed that Sterling went off. Not just anti-Rashford stuff.

Southgate is undoubtedly a nice guy, i found his substitutions a bit “like for like”and uninspiring. I think  the jury is still out on him as a tactician.

[TheGayTent]

13 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

I suppressed all the effing and blinding I was gonna do about the Sterling-Rashford substitution in case Rashford surprised me and made a difference. He didn't, and we never looked the same after that sub, so now I'm thinking about it again.

It became clear early on in the tournament that Rashford wasn't about to be our new Michael Owen, forcing his way into the England team mid-tournament. Many better options to break the deadlock on that bench. I honestly don't hate him or anything, but he's stolen too many minutes at this tournament.

edit: I'm also annoyed that Sterling went off. Not just anti-Rashford stuff.

Oh the irony. 

[TheGayTent]

4 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Southgate is undoubtedly a nice guy, i found his substitutions a bit “like for like”and uninspiring. I think  the jury is still out on him as a tactician.

On the one hand, with that squad - he’s done amazingly well. On the other, with that draw, he’s done what he ought to. 

[mjsell]

45 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

I'm also annoyed that Sterling went off. Not just anti-Rashford stuff.

Sterling was our best player again for the first 20/25 minutes - same as against Sweden. 

He wasn't having any impact in the second half though so sub wasn't that crazy to me. But then again no player was having much of any effect. 

Trippier wins best English player for the tournament for me. By a bit of a distance. And that's not really taking his goal today into it either

 

[eFestivals]

On 7/9/2018 at 7:12 AM, eFestivals said:

I have a fiver for the first person to see Dele Alli run.

 

the fiver's safe.

So safe I was gonna put it on Henderson scoring the winning goal in the final.

[eFestivals]

so ... the same turgid, just in a waistcoat.

When does the Prem kick off?

 

[eFestivals]

8 hours ago, oneeye said:

England have found their level, not world beaters yet but the potential is there.

the potential to struggle past weak teams and lose to anything average or better.

Same as it ever was.

[pink_triangle]

6 hours ago, TheGayTent said:

On the one hand, with that squad - he’s done amazingly well. On the other, with that draw, he’s done what he ought to. 

Agreed, it’s a different judgement depending on whether you judge from expectations at the start, or how things played out. However I would argue that even pre tournament the draw meant quarter finals was a par performance. 

It’s still a case of England being eliminated by the first decent side they play. There are still questions about the quality of the team (particularly midfield), Kane on the big stage and Southgate as a manager. The Euros will give a better idea where things really are.

[eFestivals]

that explains the subs, then. Gareth was watching a different game.

Cos in the match he watched England had as many chances as Croatia. He must be on drugs.

[philipsteak]

I watched the match in a bar in Nuremberg, below a hostel so a pretty mixed international (but majority English) crowd and everyone apart from a table of Croatians were supporting England. 

Means nothing in footballing terms obviously, but was a strange and pleasing experience. People like us. In my years of holidaying, traveling and living abroad this hasn't happened before (even less so in the last two years). 

[LJS]

41 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

the potential to struggle past weak teams and lose to anything average or better.

Same as it ever was.

You have a young and relatively inexperienced squad with a young & inexperienced manager who could be together for the next 3 or 4 tournaments. Plenty of good young players waiting in the wings.

I'd be optimistic if I were English.

[TheGayTent]

7 minutes ago, LJS said:

You have a young and relatively inexperienced squad with a young & inexperienced manager who could be together for the next 3 or 4 tournaments. Plenty of good young players waiting in the wings.

I'd be optimistic if I were English.

I’ve heard this a lot in the last 12 hours - not a view I subscribe too. We’ve just got knocked out of a World Cup Semi Final - it’s almost a certainty the only way from here is down. 

[eFestivals]

6 minutes ago, LJS said:

I'd be optimistic if I were English.

mebbe.

But meanwhile, all the shit talked in the last few weeks was just that, shit. 

I saw players not fit to play* who the manager wouldn't drop, so we might as well have picked Rooney after all.
I saw a team that prefered to play it backwards or sideways when the forward pass was on.
I saw a team that created the very minimum of chances.
And I saw Maguire as the best creative 'midfielder' we've got.

(* here's betting there's a story in the next week from Alli's gob about how he wasn't really fit).

[lost]

There is a core of 5 or 6 players there to build on though chances created from open play is clearly our problem.

I do think we shouldn't have messed around with Wilfred Zaha, only giving him friendly appearances and tied him down with a full international. On the plus side, we do have the U17 and U20 world cup winners though so maybe there are a few players in there who can make the step up.

Edited July 12, 2018 by lost

[eFestivals]

3 minutes ago, lost said:

On the plus side, we do have the U17 and U20 world cup winners though so maybe there are a few players in there who can make the step up.

nah. It'll be trained out of them.

 

[lost]

2 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

nah. It'll be trained out of them.

 

Big Sam's treatment of Lookman suggests your probably right.

[zahidf]

Just now, lost said:

There is a core of 5 or 6 players there to build on though chances created from open play is clearing our problem.

I do think we shouldn't have messed around with Wilfred Zaha, only giving him friendly appearances and tied him down with a full international.We do have the U17 and U20 world cup winners though so maybe there are a few players in there who can make the step up.

Ryan Sessegnon is a name which comes to mind as a future England star. And Oxelaide was a big miss. 

I thought we did well overall and have no massive complaints. Taking sterling and not Ali off was a mistake but mistakes happen.

 

Maybe the real world cup final was in our hearts all along?

With all the friends we made along the way and all the fun we had, maybe football really did come home this year?

[eFestivals]

1 minute ago, zahidf said:

and not Ali off was a mistake but mistakes happen.

a constant mistake over 6 games.

Some of us noticed.

I hope for Spurs fans sake that Alli fesses up to taking the piss, else Pooch should cash in immediately cos he'll be worth about 50p in a year.

[pink_triangle]

Inter and Bayern have had a player in every World Cup final since 1982.

[zahidf]

Just now, eFestivals said:

a constant mistake over 6 games.

Some of us noticed.

I hope for Spurs fans sake that Alli fesses up to taking the piss, else Pooch should cash in immediately cos he'll be worth about 50p in a year.

He did get a goal and a couple of assists...

Im sure Poch knows how to manage his players. As shown by what happened to Rose and Alderweild, he doesnt let players take the piss