Beholder Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 I think that team is stronger than the one that played Croatia... Apart from maybe Walker. We will probably still lose though considering the opposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefdave Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 This is like watching Wednesday under Carlos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm an Essex Owl Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 Any England team that has Jones Delph and Dier in it is second tier. This is why people are deluded if they think we are going to build on this world cup. We simply do not have the talent - and if we had beaten Belgium in the group game we would already be home. We massively overperformed in an easy draw. It was brilliant fun while it lasted and the players have been great and have helped connect us all back to the national team But let's face it our success has been like Wigan getting to the cup final that time (except they won ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontCallMeOwlCallYou Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 36 minutes ago, I'm an Essex Owl said: Any England team that has Jones Delph and Dier in it is second tier. This is why people are deluded if they think we are going to build on this world cup. We simply do not have the talent - and if we had beaten Belgium in the group game we would already be home. We massively overperformed in an easy draw. It was brilliant fun while it lasted and the players have been great and have helped connect us all back to the national team But let's face it our success has been like Wigan getting to the cup final that time (except they won ) England have a lot of young talent coming through, sancho even opted to join Dortmund rather than sit on the bench at city, quite a few have headed to Germany. Championship player of the season last year was an 18 year old english lad. The issue is the past lot failed miserably, Rooney, Wilshire, Walcott all got way too much money too young and burned out, and should be still in the set up now. Thus the holes in this team, the core is now of good young players. Never expected a result today, this team is too young to bounce back from the Croatia defeat so quick. The youth teams are doing well, they will build on this world cup, most of them have another two left. Think you should look at the talent coming through before you suggest its deluded to think we can build on things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm an Essex Owl Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 Well yes we may have talent coming up but none of them will get the opportunity to regularly play at the top level here. As you indeed say our young talent has to go to an inferior league to avoid sitting on the bench. Yes Sessegnon looks a prospect (as does Loftus Cheek) but so did Ox and Walcott and Dier... Are we saying Germany Spain Italy France Portugal don't have talent comng through? I hope we do build on this world cup. But I fear we will always be a second rate international side whilst the Premier League rules the roost and the FA cant organise a drinks do in the proverbial... Hope I am wrong but I don't think it will be coning home any time soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontCallMeOwlCallYou Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 Just now, I'm an Essex Owl said: Well yes we may have talent coming up but none of them will get the opportunity to regularly play at the top level here. As you indeed say our young talent has to go to an inferior league to avoid sitting on the bench. Yes Sessegnon looks a prospect (as does Loftus Cheek) but so did Ox and Walcott and Dier... Are we saying Germany Spain Italy France Portugal don't have talent comng through? I hope we do build on this world cup. But I fear we will always be a second rate international side whilst the Premier League rules the roost and the FA cant organise a drinks do in the proverbial... Hope I am wrong but I don't think it will be coning home any time soon... The Spanish situation seems to be worse than ours to be honest, even barcas academy cannot get players in their team at the moment, its happening all over. Of course all countries have talent, France in particular. But our youth are regularly performing on the top stage now, they don’t need to play in the premier league immediately to make it, the german league is more than good enough for emerging talent. So is the championship, not so long back a lot of the english youth though they were too big to go to any other league. The thing that needed to chill is the wages. You cannot give 16 year olds 50k a week so other teams don’t get them, doesn’t even save them money anyways because over the development period its the same as paying millions for the player anyway. Think the big clubs have finally clocked that, and they don’t seem desperate to sign these kids straight away, they are just like get them when they are good as they will want to play for the best teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel The Tree Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 Belgium 2-0 England ... The difference between the sides in the end was purely down to quality and experience BBC stats: Possession Home42% Away58% Shots Home12 Away15 Shots on Target Home4 Away6 Corners Home4 Away5 Fouls Home11 Away4 Typically, I thought our best performances came from players who haven't reached this level yet So maybe that gives cause for optimism Just a shame we couldn't get that first goal today, I think they deserved that much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveger Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 (edited) No shame in finishing 4th at a world cup with what's probably one of the weakest England sides in years, no shame at all. They should be congratulated, if anything they have overachieved. Well done to them. International football is dying on its arse IMO Edited July 14, 2018 by steveger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frastheowl Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 15 hours ago, steveger said: No shame in finishing 4th at a world cup with what's probably one of the weakest England sides in years, no shame at all. They should be congratulated, if anything they have overachieved. Well done to them. International football is dying on its arse IMO Why do you say that? It's been one of the most entertaining World Cup's for decades. Certainly in my lifetime. The standards of the lesser nations are certainly improving, and closing the gap on the heavyweights. Most matches had something riding on it, and we've seen some fantastic spectacles. It wasn't long ago that it was common practice for the heavyweights to comfortably, and regularly dispatch the lesser nations comfortably at World Cups. The fact that only France made the semi finals out of the pre-tournament favourites prove that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted July 15, 2018 Author Share Posted July 15, 2018 15 hours ago, steveger said: International football is dying on its arse IMO Not it isn't Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel The Tree Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Said at the beginning that I have a tendency to root for the underdog, and those are the games I'll remember from this tournament: Germany losing to Mexico and S Korea Argentina being held by Iceland and then losing to Croatia Brazil drawing with Switzerland and then going out to Belgium Spain going out to Russia on pens ... and England progressing further than any of us expected There have been some stand-out games too, so for me the overall score is either seven or eight out of 10 - depending on today's final It's ironic but aside from their 4-3 win over Argentina, games involving France have been grim to watch And aside from that 3-0 win over Argentina, Croatia's mardiness has left a bigger impression on me than their scintillating football So if entertainment is the main consideration, then perhaps I should've been rooting for Argentina? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@owlstalk Posted July 15, 2018 Author Share Posted July 15, 2018 Best World Cup ever VAR works now too Great event Owlstalk Shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelowl Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 rubbish day for me wanted Croatia and Anderson in the tennis however,I think I may have spotted a prospect not many people will have noticed him but there's a young lad called mbappe bit out there but I reckon the kid might do a job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel The Tree Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Just waiting to see if the ref gets struck down by a bolt of lightning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel The Tree Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 France 4-2 Croatia ... 1-0 Own goal from a free kick that should never have been given Zees could only appen to Frahnce! 1-1 Top strike and that feeling that justice has been done 2-1 Seriously.. wtf? Ball to hand from a distance of about a foot After studying VAR for an eternity, ref decides to award a penalty - FIX How France went in at half time ahead is one of those mysteries that will always cast doubt on the integrity of international competition - they'd barely been out of their own half and their one shot at goal was the 'penalty' 3-1 'Against the run of play' being an understatement, the goal was perhaps less surprising than the glowing praise heaped on Pogba by the BBC commentary team - "Cometh the man" excuse me? He'd done nothing all game 4-1 Six minutes later and now it's Mbappe's turn to have his bottom kissed 4-1!! Two good strikes but how did it come to this? 4-2 Lloris provides a moment of pure comedy - just surprised the ref didn't find a reason to disallow it Apart from Croatia tiring badly, Mbappe falling over his own feet and Pogba missing an absolute sitter - that was it I'd already decided long before the final whistle that I didn't care who won, but the best side on the day lost ... IMO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWLERTON GHOST Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 21 minutes ago, Ethel The Tree said: France 4-2 Croatia ... I'd already decided long before the final whistle that I didn't care who won, but the best side on the day lost ... IMO Thanks very much Ethel for all your World Cup Reports ... You've done us all proud ..... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastleigh Owl Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 11 minutes ago, OWLERTON GHOST said: Thanks very much Ethel for all your World Cup Reports ... You've done us all proud ..... He is a top man OG. I had Croatia in the sweep at work, £350 if they'd won, bit gutted TBH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buxtongent Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Disputable decisions aside, the Croatia side played their hearts out, but were well held by a French side that relied on tempting the opposition forward, then hitting them on the break and at speed. I think Croatia, along with Belgium, who thrashed us in the semi-final play-off, are two young teams who will only improve. As for France, how does their Manager get Pogba into a world-beater, when Man.Utd can't? All in all, despite some superb performances by most of our young lads, we were justifiably FOURTH. A little aside for those who cry out for a 20-a-year striker, a little fact. Harry Kane got the golden boot for 6 goals (4 Penalties), whilst on the Croatia side , no fewer than 10 players scored. The days of the old Centre Forward, or even the current lone striker, are long gone. Every member of the side MUST contribute to scoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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