WORLD CUP 2018 - Matchday Thread

[darklord]

Howe many balls came through the middle, How many times have or wing backs ran with the ball,? We are flattering to deceive 

[Guest everydays_wednesday]

It will be nice to finally see my Scottish and Welsh friends who appear to have had issues with phone reception recently :-)

[Maddogbob]

39 minutes ago, WAWAWUTO17 said:

Welsh or not. Hate seeing this.

Bellend. Needs some social media training that kid. 

[full fathom five]

Got what we deserved

[oldishowl]

Best side won tonight but I don’t get the need to have a go at a manager and group of players who have played their hearts out , shown a lot of ability and lost in extra time of the semi final.

[RUMBELOWS91]

Now is the time to get the deal done and sell Wembley.

 

The country needs to radically improve and expand the opportunities for Young people to play football all year round on decent surfaces.

 

Kids need to be dragged away from their Playstations and into organised, quality environments where they can socialise, compete and improve.

 

Selling Wembley will give the FA the cash to push forward with the success that's spreading through the younger age groups.

 

Capitalise on the shot in the arm this World Cup could potentially give the game in this country at grass roots level and increase participation by building better and more facilities - or stagnate but have a nice stadium to play friendlies 4 times a year in.

[Ethel The Tree]

8 hours ago, frastheowl said:

 

The reality is...the 1st side we've played with any genuine class, have brushed us aside. 

 

The 1st half was fantastic. High intensity, relentless pressing...but it wasn't sustainable. 

 

As soon as the 2nd half started, Rakitic and Modric started pulling the strings and the writing was on the wal

 

There wasn't much 'genuine class' in evidence during the first half

We had the perfect start and really should have made more of our superiority

If there was writing on the wall then it was the likelihood of us overplaying things at the back and making unforced errors

 

Second half was entirely different because we allowed them time and space to move the ball around our side of the halfway line

Deliver crosses and pick up loose balls outside our penalty area

Whilever we seemed able to defend there was little inclination to change the pattern of play and that handed Croatia the initiative

 

They scored their goal and yes, it was coming. But then and only then (IMO) did their class show

It took England ten more minutes to come to terms with them and despite creating little I think we looked the stronger side at the finish

 

Extra time swung on the timing of the goal and then Croatia used their greater experience to wind the clock down

I'm not too critical of our players or the effort they put in, they exceeded expectation by some distance

But I think defeat in this game was definitely avoidable, it just needed more concentration at key moments

 

I thought the ref was poor too, but thankfully nothing major was decided by VAR

 

[83owl]

10 hours ago, darklord said:

I'm going to be controversial here but England are lucky to make the semis. We've played poor throughout under Southgate and nothing has changed.  We have little going forward bar set pieces, nothing down the wings with pace and zero through the middle.  We to often play it back to the keeper rather than pushing forward.  We were lucky against Tunisia and until we beat Sweden looked lucky to be there. 
Some of that squad are poor asked I know I will be lambasted but that really papered over the cracks.

 

Completely agree. Bang average team that’s strong at set pieces. Midfield is especially poor with nobody capable of controlling a game. Gifted a route to the semis so I don’t think they have overachieved as the first decent team we have played have knocked us out. This Wednesday team would have qualified from that group.

[selbyowls]

7 hours ago, RUMBELOWS91 said:

Now is the time to get the deal done and sell Wembley.

 

The country needs to radically improve and expand the opportunities for Young people to play football all year round on decent surfaces.

 

Kids need to be dragged away from their Playstations and into organised, quality environments where they can socialise, compete and improve.

 

Selling Wembley will give the FA the cash to push forward with the success that's spreading through the younger age groups.

 

Capitalise on the shot in the arm this World Cup could potentially give the game in this country at grass roots level and increase participation by building better and more facilities - or stagnate but have a nice stadium to play friendlies 4 times a year in.

Why sell Wembley to raise money, the premiership is the wealthiest league in the world and is run by the FA, money and resources needs to filter to down to all grass roots football. 

[billyblack]

9 hours ago, oldishowl said:

Best side won tonight but I don’t get the need to have a go at a manager and group of players who have played their hearts out , shown a lot of ability and lost in extra time of the semi final. - against better players

This

[billyblack]

12 minutes ago, 83owl said:

Completely agree. Bang average team that’s strong at set pieces. Midfield is especially poor with nobody capable of controlling a game. Gifted a route to the semis so I don’t think they have overachieved as the first decent team we have played have knocked us out. This Wednesday team would have qualified from that group.

No they wouldnt

[hasthagotanycheese]

8 hours ago, RUMBELOWS91 said:

Now is the time to get the deal done and sell Wembley.

 

The country needs to radically improve and expand the opportunities for Young people to play football all year round on decent surfaces.

 

Kids need to be dragged away from their Playstations and into organised, quality environments where they can socialise, compete and improve.

 

Selling Wembley will give the FA the cash to push forward with the success that's spreading through the younger age groups.

 

Capitalise on the shot in the arm this World Cup could potentially give the game in this country at grass roots level and increase participation by building better and more facilities - or stagnate but have a nice stadium to play friendlies 4 times a year in.

Nope. Sell an asset that cost 700 million to build for 600 million 15 years ago in one of the worlds most expensive cities? That owner of the Jaguars would be having the FA's pants down at that price.

 

As another responder said the game at the top level is awash with cash, the FA should grow a pair and stop the ridiculous transfer fees and the players needlessly earning in excess of 100 grand a week. A fraction of the amount spent on transfers and top wages filtered down to grass roots coaching & facilities would make an enormous difference.

 

If the FA were to sell Wembley, a large proportion of the funds raised would have to go back to repay loans and public grants that they were given. 

[Guest Maxine]

The dream is over. God knows what happened second half. 

[frastheowl]

2 hours ago, Ethel The Tree said:

 

There wasn't much 'genuine class' in evidence during the first half

We had the perfect start and really should have made more of our superiority

If there was writing on the wall then it was the likelihood of us overplaying things at the back and making unforced errors

 

Second half was entirely different because we allowed them time and space to move the ball around our side of the halfway line

Deliver crosses and pick up loose balls outside our penalty area

Whilever we seemed able to defend there was little inclination to change the pattern of play and that handed Croatia the initiative

 

They scored their goal and yes, it was coming. But then and only then (IMO) did their class show

It took England ten more minutes to come to terms with them and despite creating little I think we looked the stronger side at the finish

 

Extra time swung on the timing of the goal and then Croatia used their greater experience to wind the clock down

I'm not too critical of our players or the effort they put in, they exceeded expectation by some distance

But I think defeat in this game was definitely avoidable, it just needed more concentration at key moments

 

I thought the ref was poor too, but thankfully nothing major was decided by VAR

 

 

There wasn't any "genuine class" in the first half, because of the intensity at which we played. We suffocated Croatia's midfield. But the thought that Croatia's older players coupled up with the two penalty shootout wins would catch up with them physically, was unfounded. 

 

Of course the game hinged on Kane's missed opportunity. If he squares it or finishes it, we're 2-0 up in the World Cup semi final...teams don't often lose from those situations in such major games. 

 

As it was, our intensity dropped...both mentally and physically...and it was evident, long before the goal was scored, that Croatia's better players were seeing more of the game and showing the class that set us apart. Brozovic had time to pass through the lines to Modric. Rakitic drifted into the half spaces and overloaded the left flank with Perisic and Strinic. And Versaljko was given the freedom of the right wing in an area which was been our potential achilles heel throughout the tournament. 

 

Defeat was just as avoidable, as victory was in the games against Tunisia and Colombia. It's small margins...which we've harnessed an advantage with our meticulous set piece routines. We've done well to progress as far as we have this tournament, and it's been a brilliant couple of weeks...but, despite the euphoria, we've been OK...at best. We have flaws which eventually were going to be given a real test against genuine top class international sides. Whether Croatia is deemed a top class international side or not, is irrelevant. They saw the flaws, and exposed them...with the help of England's collapse both mentally and physically.

 

Long term, hopefully it'll do the lads some good. How to handle the biggest stage and making the most our our opportunities. Maybe the fact only four of our starting XI have actually won a major trophy played a significant role...not enough of our young players have come out victorious in the biggest of games. Compare that to eight of Croatia's starting XI winning major leagues and trophies. Experience matters...and we'll continue to gain that, with this group hopefully. 

Edited July 12, 2018 by frastheowl

[LiamAP22D]

Gutted!!! Beaten by a better side with a very strong midfield, who controlled the tempo of the game.

[RUMBELOWS91]

2 hours ago, hasthagotanycheese said:

Nope. Sell an asset that cost 700 million to build for 600 million 15 years ago in one of the worlds most expensive cities? That owner of the Jaguars would be having the FA's pants down at that price.

 

As another responder said the game at the top level is awash with cash, the FA should grow a pair and stop the ridiculous transfer fees and the players needlessly earning in excess of 100 grand a week. A fraction of the amount spent on transfers and top wages filtered down to grass roots coaching & facilities would make an enormous difference.

 

If the FA were to sell Wembley, a large proportion of the funds raised would have to go back to repay loans and public grants that they were given. 

How can the FA dictate what the PL does?

[hasthagotanycheese]

15 minutes ago, RUMBELOWS91 said:

How can the FA dictate what the PL does?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Football_Association

[RUMBELOWS91]

34 minutes ago, hasthagotanycheese said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Football_Association

There's no waythe FA can demand the PL must pay money from transfers and wages into grass roots football. I agree with The sentiment- in fact a few weeks ago I said exactly the same should happen and showed how much difference just 1% of wages filtered down would make- but it would have to be a goodwill gesture.

 

[swfc-dan]

2 hours ago, frastheowl said:

 

There wasn't any "genuine class" in the first half, because of the intensity at which we played. We suffocated Croatia's midfield. But the thought that Croatia's older players coupled up with the two penalty shootout wins would catch up with them physically, was unfounded. 

 

Of course the game hinged on Kane's missed opportunity. If he squares it or finishes it, we're 2-0 up in the World Cup semi final...teams don't often lose from those situations in such major games. 

 

As it was, our intensity dropped...both mentally and physically...and it was evident, long before the goal was scored, that Croatia's better players were seeing more of the game and showing the class that set us apart. Brozovic had time to pass through the lines to Modric. Rakitic drifted into the half spaces and overloaded the left flank with Perisic and Strinic. And Versaljko was given the freedom of the right wing in an area which was been our potential achilles heel throughout the tournament. 

 

Defeat was just as avoidable, as victory was in the games against Tunisia and Colombia. It's small margins...which we've harnessed an advantage with our meticulous set piece routines. We've done well to progress as far as we have this tournament, and it's been a brilliant couple of weeks...but, despite the euphoria, we've been OK...at best. We have flaws which eventually were going to be given a real test against genuine top class international sides. Whether Croatia is deemed a top class international side or not, is irrelevant. They saw the flaws, and exposed them...with the help of England's collapse both mentally and physically.

 

Long term, hopefully it'll do the lads some good. How to handle the biggest stage and making the most our our opportunities. Maybe the fact only four of our starting XI have actually won a major trophy played a significant role...not enough of our young players have come out victorious in the biggest of games. Compare that to eight of Croatia's starting XI winning major leagues and trophies. Experience matters...and we'll continue to gain that, with this group hopefully. 

 

I watched it in Sheff on the big screen, had a distant view mind! Wasn't Kanes missed chance which hit the post offside? Either way we clearly didn't deserve to win. Knew our midfield would be our weakness and it finally showed, no players comfortable receiving ball in tight area and keeping possession, and no one to play creative passes to hurt the opposition. Whereas Croatia are full of them, and I'm not even sure we saw Kovacic all night, another very talent midfielder.

 

Most of the team did well over the tournament and can hold their heads up high. Thought Dele Alli was garbage though, aside from one header he's been a ghost the whole tournament- what does he ever offer? Never should have kept his place, Loftus Cheek would've been a better option with more power and pace or even Dier to shore things up. Alli doesn't put tackles in, doesnt show for the ball and gives it a way a lot, he's a hugely overrated footballer coming off a poor year for Spurs.

 

Pickford, Maguire and Trippier were the pick of our lot I thought and should be very pleased with how they did. At least it was a world cup campaign not ending in utter humiliation for once. We did as well as good have been expected with this crop of players, over achieved in terms of a semi-final but that was purely down to the draw.

[Sova]

One thing it does go to show is how well we can do when things well for us, even aside from the draw. This time round, we had no one stupidly sent off, no goals inexplicably ruled out and no goals against us resulting from blatant cheating. Our goalkeeper made no ridiculous howlers, and we got through a penalty shoot-out. I think we tried to play positively most of the time. Fingers crossed this isn't just a one-off.