Semi Final: Croatia vs England - Wednesday 7PM (Continued)

[GTFCfish]

Reece Oxford is decent but he's no Josh Lelan.

 

[Carver]

England

You mean apart from most of the first half against Croatia where Kane and Lingard both missed sitters from open play?

Aw come on mate, obviously I saw that.

But for the majority of the tournament WE WERE FUCKING SHIT and just so lucky we did not come up against any good teams until little Croatia who were apparently supposed to be tired and we would beat comfortably according to our usual arrogant fans, pundits and journalists who get paid so much for their great knowledge of football. As soon as they started spouting all that shite about Croatia being tired I knew that they would not be and it would be us who would end up looking knackered.

I'd known all along we were not good enough but no all you morons get carried away and are so up in the clouds.

 

[Abertawe]

Reece Oxford I believe

 

[GTFCfish]

I'd known all along we were not good enough but no all you morons get carried away and are so up in the clouds.

You said the same before the Colombia and Sweden games too, what happened?

 

[Muller]

Having slept and reflected, there are mixed feelings.

At 1-0 up (lovely free kick, Trippier has been excellent) we got caught playing into Croatia's hands. From about 20 minutes onwards for the entire rest of the night we played way too much direct balls and lost all the ball retention focus that we've been working on these past several months.

Croatia were always going to have the better technical players, they were always going to have most of the midfield, but it's not like we needed to dominate midfield. We had the lead and were bound to threaten on the counter. We just needed to be able to hold on for a few passes and get Croatia running around a little bit, and ease the constant pressure we were heaping on ourselves by launching the ball forwards.

If anything we looked the tired side, because we were under constant mental and physical pressure, There was no midfield calming influence, Jordan Henderson I'm looking at you, the most experienced player in our side. Ali did a bit of a disappearing act. Although I really don't want our media to have scapegoats, so I shouldn't either.

There's plenty of players in this batch who will be with us for a long time yet. Pickford, Stones, Maguire, Ali, Rashford, Kane etc. Get this batch of players more experience with Champions League knockout games etc, they will improve at that sort of stuff. Southgate himself is fairly green also. But this batch of players wasn't supposed to be his. He knows the players about to come through.

Our youth age groups right now are winning just about all they can win, our senior side just reach a World Cup semi final. The younger players from this squad augmented with the youth that we have coming through, should make for some interesting squads over the next 4-8 years. Forgive me for not being too down or gloomy about English football right now.

And at what hopefully is only the start of a process, rather than the end, we've already hit a fair height, and have managed to repair years worth of disaffection and disillusionment with the national side. And that must translate to the players. Nobody is going to be highly motivated to play for a national side the nation doesn't particularly like. That's been repaired this summer. This as been a very enjoyable tournament to watch our side through, the most enjoyable tournament for me for years.

It would be nice to finish on a bit of a high come Saturday, although hard to know how seriously and how motivated both sides will be. Belgium if full strength would be favourites. But if we could do it, 3rd would represent our second best World Cup result ever. It's impossible for anyone to argue with credibility that that result wouldn't be a successful campaign.

Anyway ramble over.

You do realize Henderson was injured and playing through the pain right?

Captain Kane was non existent as anattacking threat or a captain if we are pointing fingers?

 

[mente captus]

as nobody gave me a hint, ive googled it.

Its reece oxford

 

[Benji]

Getting back on topic.

England have a few youngsters coming through, but they can easily drop off and never fulfil their potential. Anyone know where Reece Oxford is these days?

 

[Carver]

You said the same before the Colombia and Sweden games too, what happened?

It's the same shit every tournament, only some are worse than others and the only good thing we can take away from is that we thrashed a team 6-1 even if the opposition was terrible, we finally won a penalty shootout and we managed to not bottle it against a decentish team in Sweden.

But that is all we can take from it, all the hype about actually winning it though was just so ridiculous and laughable.

 

[Carver]

Can any neutral fans here please tell me what you thought of England last night?

Did we look weak and just lucky to be there?

 

[Benji]

Can any neutral fans here please tell me what you thought of England last night?

Did we look weak and just lucky to be there?

Yes.

 

[Carver]

Yes.

Where are you from?

 

[GTFCfish]

Getting back on topic.

England have a few youngsters coming through, but they can easily drop off and never fulfil their potential. Anyone know where Reece Oxford is these days?

Somewhere in Germany I believe.

 

[Benji]

Where are you from?

Wales.

I thought you were being sassy. Honest feeling is that England did what they usually do. They beat the poorer teams, but lose to the better ones. It just took them longer to meet a better one this time.

 

[Luke_1884]

England
But for the majority of the tournament WE WERE FUCKING SHIT

I'll bite.

Tunisia - Dominated, should have been 3/4 up by half time. Comfortable second.
Panama - Smashed 'em.
Belgium - Underwhelming B side performance, still created a game changing chance to tie the game.
Colombia - Top first half performance, didn't kill the game off and Colombia snatch an equaliser in added time. Came back playing well in extra time, boss at penalties.
Sweden - Through with ease, most comfortable performance I've seen from an England side in a knockout game.
Croatia - top first half, missed chances. Croatia better team afterwards and win in extra time.

Where in the majority of that are we fucking shit?

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Getting back on topic.

England have a few youngsters coming through, but they can easily drop off and never fulfil their potential. Anyone know where Reece Oxford is these days?

Some hell hole near Poland I think.

 

[mente captus]

Some hell hole near Poland I think.

the best fucking hell hole my dear

 

[Carver]

I'll bite.

Tunisia - Dominated, should have been 3/4 up by half time. Comfortable second.
Panama - Smashed 'em.
Belgium - Underwhelming B side performance, still created a game changing chance to tie the game.
Colombia - Top first half performance, didn't kill the game off and Colombia snatch an equaliser in added time. Came back playing well in extra time, boss at penalties.
Sweden - Through with ease, most comfortable performance I've seen from an England side in a knockout game.
Croatia - top first half, missed chances. Croatia better team afterwards and win in extra time.

Where in the majority of that are we fucking shit?

Well you just said it yourself, there were so many games we did not kill off and we ultimately got punished for it against a good team finally.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

the best fucking hell hole my dear View attachment 9108

Good too see you have at least 3 attractive women.

 

[mase]

Croatia go through and deservedly so on the night. No idea how they've still got so much energy after 3 extra times.

England failing at the last hurdle, but probably the first tournament performance since Euro 96 that the nation isn't upset about and vilifying someone for - so fair play to them for that

 

[Carver]

Wales.

I thought you were being sassy. Honest feeling is that England did what they usually do. They beat the poorer teams, but lose to the better ones. It just took them longer to meet a better one this time.

Thank you!

 

[mente captus]

Good too see you have at least 3 attractive women.

these three are our ugly ones

 

[Carver]

Croatia go through and deservedly so on the night. No idea how they've still got so much energy after 3 extra times.

England failing at the last hurdle, but probably the first tournament performance since Euro 96 that the nation isn't upset about and vilifying someone for - so fair play to them for that

Ha!

Our media is to blame for why Croatia were not 'tired'. See below..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44804874

Oh by the way I'm upset and vilifying for Gareth Southgate for being a bottle job and playing such a weak system with players in positions they don't usually play and picking names ahead of performances.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

these three are our ugly ones

I've seen enough Germans to know different.

 

[Luke_1884]

Well you just said it yourself, there were so many games we did not kill off and we ultimately got punished for it against a good team finally.

Big difference between being shit for the majority of the tournament and not finishing a few games off though, no?

With the team we put out, not finishing games off is a negative I'm quite happy with. Normally we're nailing every other player to the cross. This isn't a team full of superstars anymore, it's not even a team full of players who are at the top of their game at their clubs.
A RM at LWB. A RB at CB. Debut keeper. Stones and Maguire's first outing in a tournament in a back 3. Jordan fucking Henderson running the show in midfield. I could go on. Kane's about the only player you expect big things from, the rest have stepped up though and made it a pretty seamless tournament for a change.

 

[mase]

Ha!

Our media is to blame for why Croatia were not 'tired'. See below..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44804874

Oh by the way I'm upset and vilifying for Gareth Southgate for being a bottle job and playing such a weak system with players in positions they don't usually play and picking names ahead of performances.

1) So because pundits underestimated Croatia, their players were not tired by their efforts in the tournament so far?

2) You're very much in the minority for the vilifying - every bit of press today is full of support for the team and the manager - it says a lot when shitcunts like The Sun are praising the team.

 

[spireite]

the best fucking hell hole my dear View attachment 9108

The left one totally looks like Roxanne McKee

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Ha!

Our media is to blame for why Croatia were not 'tired'. See below..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44804874

Oh by the way I'm upset and vilifying for Gareth Southgate for being a bottle job and playing such a weak system with players in positions they don't usually play and picking names ahead of performances.

Quote from Lovren "I think people should recognise that I am also one of the best defenders in the world and not just talk nonsense,"

And we are the arrogant ones, Vida had to cover him a number of times last night.

 

[Carver]

Whatever, I'm done with this shit team.

 

[Gassy]

It's funny - people were calling Colombia a top team. Then we beat them and they're now not considered a top team.

Croatia were considered not a top team, we lost to them and now we've failed to the first top team.

 

[Abertawe]

It's funny - people were calling Colombia a top team. Then we beat them and they're now not considered a top team.

Croatia were considered not a top team, we lost to them and now we've failed to the first top team.

Just isn't the case even if it does serve your foruming spars.