World Cup Discussion Thread - Day 28 (11 July)

[jurgen]

It's funny how England get

its a little shameful that a country of the size of england and also the money they have that they cant produce 2 or 3 midfielders that can pass a ball around and Croatia the size of birmingham can.

True. But Modric is a once in a lifetime player, hard to compete with that. Rakitic also an elite midfielder. Hopefully we might have some players come through but even so chances are...

 

[thinktank]

Would be interested in your thoughts as to why? And is this hindsight or did you think that before the game?

Looked wrong from the start.

Southgate should have changed it at some point.

He would have offered that direct pressure on the CBs, who are not very good.

That back four don't like pace or direct threat. Lovren, especially, hates it and is prone to giving away a pen under pressure.

 

[VegasII]

Can we have our players back now please?

 

[ShaunL84]

Why has Kane not been given media training? Keeps saying uuugh on television.

He's our most marketable star.

 

[fortworthspur]

67% of Englands goals for the tournament came from Spurs. Not bad at all.

 

[John48]

Paid for not taking our chances in the 1st half & Kane was having to play to deep & Walker showed how he has a mistake in him, something he hasn't done for MCity.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

I really want to know why Kane was played as an AMC rather then a striker.

Aside from that, we have scored 1 goal from open play. Or maybe 2? Ether way we didn't deserve to win the world cup. Tacticaly we were useless tonight, no midfield and no ideas.

 

[lukadownthelane]

Can't complain really, we got a lot further than I expected. A lot further.

But I'm going to complain a little bit

We need a proper playmaker. I didn't like the way Kane was used. He ended up being neither one thing or the other and we went backwards far too much. It seemed like we got less threatening and less positive the more the tournament wore on with perhaps an over reliance on set pieces, that's just how it seemed to me, I'm probably wrong.

Frustrating going out to a team with Lovren (****) and that rat lipped right back (bigger ****) but they are a decent side, shame we couldn't get that second goal.

Somehow we didn’t test those shitty CBS at all in the second half. We should have changed the system to 541 but didn’t react and lost possession in MF and defensive shape. Croatia’s experiences saw them change the way they played and won as a result

 

[amathews3416]

Ref let the Croatia bitching at the end of second half lead to Croatian thuggery and than waiving off any England foul claims. Seemed to be a bias against England from the second half on.

I try to root for former Spurs player but rat boy, despite his brilliance, is just an unlikable figure for me. Really can't stand him.

 

[nattydredd]

At the beginning of this World Cup I thought England would be pitiful..I was wrong. I didn't think we could play coehsive football on a world stage, in front of a world audience, under real pressure..I was wrong again. I thought if we did manage to get throught the group, we'd get knocked out on penalites at the last 16 stage..I was wrong. I had literally got fed up with the national game, as I'd suffered, as have many others, England's abject displays over the last 25+ years. This group of players and manager have restored a lot of faith for me...and we're going to be much better for this experience.

I am proud of my national team for the first time since 1990..

Bad luck team, a lot of you enhanced your reputations enormously..

 

[dk-yid]

We came into this tournament with no one really giving us much of a chance, myself included. Worn down by years of boring, failing England teams. All of which were also rather unlikeable - Lampard, Cole, Terry. Players who it was hard to really enjoy watching. Years of being told we were a golden generation. Managers like McLaren and Allardyce (briefly) getting Rooney and co to play a bit of kick and run.
Struggling to get out of groups and going out on penalties. Same old story every time.

Perhaps this time it’s because of a heavy number of Spurs players, but I LIKE this team. I like this manager, I think he’s handled the team and the media along with the pressure well. It’s a young team that’s fun to watch. They’ve navigated this tournament brilliantly to get this far. No one would have had them making the semi finals, if it was offered before hand we would have snapped your hand off for it.

This World Cup has even felt different, you can feel a togetherness of the country behind the team, supporting them and pushing them on.

Let’s not start having scapegoats and slagging players off. It’s been nice watching people get behind the team and not hounding them for a change, taking away the pressure has helped them get this far and they have given a brilliant account of themselves. Pride restored and the national team and worth watching again.

Good on the lads, all of them. They’ve done brilliantly and hey all deserve to be proud of what they have achieved in this tournament.

For the first time in ages, regardless of result, regardless of club loyalty. Well done England. You’ve done yourselves proud.

Brilliant post imo. Well played sir.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

What was the deal with Rebic, did he not get booked for a flailing arm to Walker’s face in the first half?

Mandzukic got the card for hitting the ball out of bounds

 

[DuDe]

Croatia were far better.

You really should stop drinking that Moonshine there, b'woy. Rots that ol' nuggin'. ;-p

 

[Metalhead]

Disappointing but overall, it's been good and I'm confident that the future is bright.

 

[absolute bobbins]

Kane just made me mist up, bastard

 

[Lennon1981]

It’s a shame because I thought at least getting to the final would help the spurs players but again they fail at the semi final stage must feel like it’s never going to happen for the Spurs players

 

[hughy]

Why has Kane not been given media training? Keeps saying uuugh on television.

He's our most marketable star.

You seriously need to sort your priorities out.

 

[spurs mental]

Harry Winks is the missing link in that midfield

 

[fortworthspur]

I really want to know why Kane was played as an AMC rather then a striker.

Aside from that, we have scored 1 goal from open play. Or maybe 2? Ether way we didn't deserve to win the world cup. Tacticaly we were useless tonight, no midfield and no ideas.

because all Sterling does is run and he's faster than Kane. seriously.

 

[Colston]

It was all self inflicted, that shitty OT goal should've been dealt with.

FWIW I don't think they would've stood much of a chance against France anyway, they are massive favorites for me.

Still hurts though