England V Croatia

[Alf Hartigan]

Completely second best tonight, can't wait for the 3rd 4th place game though, not

[Leyther_Matt]

Croatia were awful first half, different team for the rest of it. Safe trip home to all those that have gone over.

[Duck Egg]

Best team won. Successful tournament. May never come as close again in my lifetime. Meh - Cmon Wanderers!

[bwfcfan5]

We were outclassed after half time if we are honest. Probably needed an Allardyce type in the coaching staff because I think we could have changed shape to help us hang on from 60 minutes.

 

Southgate did a great job but tonight didn’t react to a system that Croatia worked out.

[gonzo]

Beaten by a better team with big game players that know how to handle occasions like that.

 

Young team with a lot to be proud of. Even tonight, we managed to claw back the momentum after they scored and controlled the first half in extra time.

 

Fine margins and all that.

 

Big chance missed but this is the start of something special.

 

Heads held high, we’ve only just been beaten there tonight. Ran out of gas simple as that. The game should’ve been out of sight.

[Sweep]

Croatia will get humped by France

[Marc505]

Proud of them for the first time in years, exciting to see who else will come into that team in the coming years and try again.

 

No arguments with the result, I’ve loved the ride. Been amazing in an amazing World Cup.

[bwfcfan5]

I don’t necessarily agree with all this ‘team will get better’ stuff. They might but lots can happen in 2 and 4 years. Every tournament is different. Every moment is different. Injuries, form etc. International football is not about the future it’s the present.

 

Yes it’s a young team and hopefully they will continue to gain experience and progress. But nothing is guaranteed.

 

After 90 and the resurgence nobody expected we’d be so poor in subsequent tournaments.

[Casino]

Pissed off at full time, but well over it now

 

Probably a little moment of regret on Sunday but it's just England

 

They've done way better than I ever expected so seems a bit churlish to grumble but we have to find better than young and sterling

 

 

Overall, 8.5 out of 10

Very good work

[Boothy]

Other nations lightyears ahead. Just got to be confident with the youth teams performing so well. All in all the international set up seems on the ascendancy so here's to hoping.

[Marc505]

I don’t necessarily agree with all this ‘team will get better’ stuff. They might but lots can happen in 2 and 4 years. Every tournament is different. Every moment is different. Injuries, form etc. International football is not about the future it’s the present.

 

Yes it’s a young team and hopefully they will continue to gain experience and progress. But nothing is guaranteed.

 

After 90 and the resurgence nobody expected we’d be so poor in subsequent tournaments.

Surely you come out of this tournament with more hope for the future than after say Brazil 2014 or Euro 2012? Looked old and out of ideas then and with all the talk of root and branch reform. Now we at least have a blueprint and a wave of goodwill

[bolton va va]

If we'd scored a second when we were on top in the 1st half, we'd probably have gone on to win it.

 

Never mind, it was a good effort by them all, & Pickford, Henderson, Trippier, Stones & Maguire have all gone right up in my estimation, & top marks to Southgate who showed class throughout & it rubbed off on the players who behaved so well under plenty provocation.

[stevieb]

Other nations lightyears ahead.

Who?

 

Spain look fucked tiki taka with these lot is dead

 

Germany look done

 

France - they've run out of Africans to call their own

 

England - its coming home!

[Casino]

If we'd scored a second when we were on top in the 1st half, we'd probably have gone on to win it.

 

Never mind, it was a good effort by them all, & Pickford, Henderson, Trippier, Stones & Maguire have all gone right up in my estimation, & top marks to Southgate who showed class throughout & it rubbed off on the players who behaved so well under plenty provocation.

Aye

 

Henderson won me over

 

He just needs to do his job and not think he's a footballer - no offence meant

[gonzo]

Other nations lightyears ahead. Just got to be confident with the youth teams performing so well. All in all the international set up seems on the ascendancy so here's to hoping.

Such as?

[Leyther_Matt]

Such as?

Croatia and France.

[Boothy]

Add Belgium. Some teams have had a shit tournament fair enough. We've been gifted a route to the final.

[tshape]

Pleasure to see us in a semi but fucking gutted all the same. Bit more managerial experience might have seen us through but hopefully Southgate learns from it. Roll on 2020.

[gonzo]

Croatia and France.

Croatia weren’t light years ahead of us tonight.

 

France are big bunch of African fuckers. There’s no longevity with that lot.

[Leyther_Matt]

Croatia weren’t light years ahead of us tonight.

 

France are big bunch of African fuckers. There’s no longevity with that lot.

World Cup finalist with a population of 5 million says otherwise.

 

France will keep churning players out as long as they can keep offering a way out to the kids living in the slums, just as the Brazilians always have done.

 

That said, I do think there’s potential for this England team to get better as long as the likes of Maguire don’t get a ‘big’ move and are sat on a bench for the next four years.

[gonzo]

Add Belgium. Some teams have had a shit tournament fair enough. We've been gifted a route to the final.

Gifted or engineered?

 

We had a big chance tonight and we fell short by a hares breath.

 

Really don’t get the pessimism.

 

I’ve seen folk saying we were shite. Were we fuck.

 

We just fell a bit short in key areas against a team with a few big game players that know how to close the occasion down. Our players will grow and acquire those skills.

[L/H White]

Just me that thinks kane was very dissapointing?

[gonzo]

World Cup finalist with a population of 5 million says otherwise.

 

France will keep churning players out as long as they can keep offering a way out to the kids living in the slums, just as the Brazilians always have done.

 

That said, I do think there’s potential for this England team to get better as long as the likes of Maguire don’t get a ‘big’ move and are sat on a bench for the next four years.

What does their population have to do with it?

 

Moderic has just played 3 champions league finals on the spin.

 

They didn’t tonk us tonight by any stretch.

[Zico]

Better team first half but only one shot on target and after that croatia bossed it

 

The hope beforehand for me was that croatias older heads would tire quicker but ultimately that's what won it for them

 

Great effort though but a match too far

[Didledee]

There are ways you don't want to lose and it happened tonight, England absolutely bossed the 1st half and Kane has to score or give Sterling a tap in for 2-0, Lingard's shot/technique on the edge of the box looked far too casual when he had space. Their defence was really struggling with our movement and pace, but compare that to the 2nd half and Lovren and Vida kept heading our one dimensional play away.

 

Croatia grew into it and deserved it in the end, but both goals were avoidable, Stones switched off for the 2nd.

 

In the end it was a success, great experience for the players, our youth teams are very successful, so the future looks bright, I just hope that out there, there is a wonderful playmaker in the making, in that 2nd half and extra time, Croatia had the ball and Modric was influential, they kept pinging it to both wings and we retreated, if it wasn't for a cross it was coming back inside for Modric to pass it around our lines.