fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Wouldn't say Stones, switched off completely for the Croatia winner
The World Cup Thread (26 Viewers)
- Thread starter Earlsdon_Skyblue1
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CJ_covblaze
Well-Known Member
Top man isn’t he. Whether it’s with a pen or drink in his hand he genuinely is one of us.
CJ_covblaze
Well-Known Member
That performance today from Lukaku was one of the worst 60 minutes from an individual at the tournament. The Panama forwards looked more dangerous. He was struggling to control the ball.
Westendlad
Well-Known Member
I know and even tho Belgium Buns are my favourite i shall refuse to eat them...Well until the mrs makes them again....Hopefully Tuesday
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
Easiest run to the semi final since we last got there and we have ballsed up the best shot at a final we will perhaps ever get. I thought I was being harsh on the night, I still feel the same now. It was in their grasp, they messed it up. 60 million people in a country mad about football and the self-proclaimed best league in the world, yet the best we can muster is Kyle Walker at centre back and Ashley Young at left back.
A segment with Ferdinand, Lampard and Gerrard had them blaming Sven in the same breath as admitting they didn't want to scupper their chances of winning the PL. It's a national embarrassment.
Westendlad
Well-Known Member
Gave the ball away to often today, really need to improve on that. Thought Sterling was shocking, Kane hasn't had a decent game since the Panama match. Overall not as bad as the 2016 euro's but nothing special to get excited about. On the plus side its a young team so hopefully they will gel in the next few years.
Otis
Well-Known Member
Right, this may seem a little contentious, but in some ways maybe it's a good thing we didn't win the World Cup.
Even though we clearly aren't good enough, we still could have won it.
Had more than enough chances to kill Croatia off and with a bit of luck against France and France not quite on their game, we could have beaten them too.
We had chances today against Belgium.
Obviously it would be wonderful to have won the World Cup and there would have been much joy and dancing in the streets, but I think it would then be a false dawn.
I think we would believe (well many would anyway) that we are better than we actually are.
We have progressed somewhat, but I think this was a lesson we need to learn from.
Would have been over the moon if we had bagged the trophy, but maybe in some ways this is a good thing, because I think we would have very quickly got found out after.
Does that make sense?
We know exactly now what we need to do to keep moving in the right direction.
I'm sure they'd be loads of fans and pundits thinking we are better than we were if we had won.
As I said on a different thread, it's great to win against anyone, but the likes of the feeling when you can beat Germany 5-1 is all the greater.
We need to get to a place where we can take on Germany and Spain and France and Brazil in major tournaments and compete with them.
We clearly could have won the World Cup with just a bit of luck and would clearly have not been anywhere close to being the best team.
Even though we clearly aren't good enough, we still could have won it.
Had more than enough chances to kill Croatia off and with a bit of luck against France and France not quite on their game, we could have beaten them too.
We had chances today against Belgium.
Obviously it would be wonderful to have won the World Cup and there would have been much joy and dancing in the streets, but I think it would then be a false dawn.
I think we would believe (well many would anyway) that we are better than we actually are.
We have progressed somewhat, but I think this was a lesson we need to learn from.
Would have been over the moon if we had bagged the trophy, but maybe in some ways this is a good thing, because I think we would have very quickly got found out after.
Does that make sense?
We know exactly now what we need to do to keep moving in the right direction.
I'm sure they'd be loads of fans and pundits thinking we are better than we were if we had won.
As I said on a different thread, it's great to win against anyone, but the likes of the feeling when you can beat Germany 5-1 is all the greater.
We need to get to a place where we can take on Germany and Spain and France and Brazil in major tournaments and compete with them.
We clearly could have won the World Cup with just a bit of luck and would clearly have not been anywhere close to being the best team.
jimmyhillsfanclub
Well-Known Member
If i was Belgian I'd be fucking fuming they won the group.......they play fantastic open football.
Disclaimer: I'm pissed and have only seen higjlights
Disclaimer: I'm pissed and have only seen higjlights
CJ_covblaze
Well-Known Member
I’m starting to wonder if he had the baby rather than his wife
Westendlad
Well-Known Member
Missing those couple of players that are top drawer Otis.....The Hazards/Modric of the world.
Otis
Well-Known Member
Nearest we've got to Modric is Jack Wilshere.
Nowhere near as good, but I would have taken him if it was me.
Think we had a few pointless inclusions this time round.
I do also worry about Alexander-Arnold. Seen him play a bit before and thought he looked a really good prospect, but his crossing for England was terrible. Still really young though, so there's time.
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Westendlad
Well-Known Member
It has been a brilliant World Cup and chuffed to bits that we got so far. Just what the country needed.. My thoughts on England are..... Pickford. Wow totally surprised with him. Really thought he would be nervous as hell but played like a top keeper. Walker. Did ok apart from a few errors. Stones. Thought he was a stone, rock solid (soz ). Maguire. What can i say, hand on heart can't say i really new much about him before but 10/10. Young. Never rated him and apart from set pieces he's not the way forward. Trippier. Player of our tournament. Brilliant. Henderson. Good when against lesser sides, need better quality in that position and Dier is too slow and not clever enough. Lingard. Like him and he will get better same as Dele. Loftus-Cheek. Big strong lad but no real quality at international level, hope he proves me wrong. Kane. Started good but against better sides he struggled badly. Should of stayed near the D instead of chasing back all the time. Stirling. I do like players that run for every ball and i kept hoping he would come good but the last two games he's been woeful....Not international quality at all. Rashford. Loved him when he broke on to the scene, run, dribble and blast it into the net. Now he can't do any of those. Other players are not worth mentioning, average at best. Southgate. Should of changed tactics for the semi final and the jury's still out. Time will tell.
Gazolba
Well-Known Member
Have we really though?
I suggest you go to Youtube and take a look at some of our WC games from the past (90's maybe). We had way better players then in almost every position. The only 'progress' we've made is instead of good players we already knew about, we now have a few good players who were relatively unknown before. Can you honestly say we have anyone of the quality of Scholes, Shearer, Sheringham or Owen? Even players like Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham were better than this lot is ever going to be
I think in this tournament we benefited from the relative degrading of the opposing teams. Italy and Holland never even qualified, so that took away two teams that would normally beat us. Germany, Spain, and Argentina are way past their best. Add the fact that we were in a weak group and then had a relatively easy path to the semis. As soon as we came up against a top team, all the old failings became apparent.
Yet it was a golden chance to win it. But I don't expect that to happen again for a long, long time.
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Gazolba
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't hold one mistake against Stones when the rest of the team all made multiple mistakes.
This is the World Cup, you are up against some of the best players in the world.
Otis
Well-Known Member
We have progressed.
We all know the players we have now aren't of the quality of the golden generation.
We were playing the ball out from defence in this competition with confidence. A sea change. Much happier to retain possession rather than just get it forwards too quickly.
We definitely looked a better side in the way we tried to play, unrestricted and with freedom (though we did seemingly go back into our bad ways a bit as the tournament wore on in those last couple of matches).
There are seeds there for sure. We are clearly short of a really good side by about 5 players though.
Otis
Well-Known Member
I rate Loftus-Cheek. The only thing that annoys me about him is his final ball. He had a reluctance to shoot when in great positions and/or failed to deliver the killer ball.
Very much akin to Sterling and the problem he has.
Loftus-Cheek is very strong though, hard to dispossess and does have some skill. He is only 22 too.
Gazolba
Well-Known Member
What I mainly meant is we haven't progressed in producing good players.
The players the current team has are inferior in ability to past WC teams.
I agree, we changed the way we played compared to previous tournaments and Southgate has made the team play more as a unit rather than a collection of individuals.
But I don't think that will take us to the next level absent the influx of higher-quality players.
Otis
Well-Known Member
Hopefully the kids from the two junior World Cup wins will come up trumps. So annoying though when the big clubs snap up all the young players, but then keep splashing the cash on big money signings that then push those kids down the pecking order.
I_Saw_Shaw_Score
Well-Known Member
The real reason England didn’t reach the final!
no_loyalty
Well-Known Member
England only played against three decent teams in this world cup, and didn't beat any of them. They still have a long way to go to convince me they are a good team
Liquid Gold
Well-Known Member
England are champions at under 21 under 19 and under 17 so we can't be that bad at producing players.
Otis
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but like I said, the big clubs like Chelsea are snapping them up, but then not getting game time as the club keeps splashing big cash on top players as they look for instant success.
stevefloyd
Well-Known Member
Pickford--- never let himself down good saves when needed...hit
Trippier--- best player for England....hit
Alexander Arnold--- looked overawed....jurys out
Cahill---probably finished now....miss
Jones--- what was the point taking him? fucking joke....miss
Young---must have been shocked to have gone let alone start so many games, Rose is so much better....time to retire
Rose----should have been in the starting line up, if he wasn't fit he shouldn't have gone....future hit
McGuire---started slow but one of our best players and one of our shining lights...hit
Stones--- Worries me when he leaves it until the last second to pass but solid enough...mini hit
Walker--- Great right back but scares me in the centre makes dangerous errors....hmmm on the fence playing in a back 3...miss at right back
Lyngard...still young but needed someone in midfield guiding him more....on the fence
Henderson... had a great season at Cov, his missus probably loves him does a lot for the sideways crab and backpass movement and errr thats about it.....miss
Dier---same as his name suggests, very apt....miss
Delph--- should have stayed with his missus and the baby....miss
Ali-- dreadful tournament....miss
Kane--- top scorer in the world cup, is no captain for sure imho a failure ....miss for me
Vardy---dreadful....miss
Sterling---another bad tournament from him, looked good at Man City but has class round him there.... on the fence but time must be running out at international level unless he improves
Rashford--- talented lad but maybe confidence shot by the special twat and Southgate...future hit
Loftus Cheek---didn't impose himself for me had chances but has failed to take them...miss
We carried so many players throughout the tournament, nobody taking the bull by the horns, shining lights Pickford, Trippier and McGuire after that I am seriously struggling and they all play at the back!
All the foreigners in the English game are stifling what little talent we have left, no world class players we will be a lesser nation before long with the top clubs in the premier league barely having any English players playing so what chance does the national team have!!!
I am not a fan of Jonjo Shelvey but I think he would have made a bigger impact than the midfield we had out, Henderson was our best player in midfield and thats not really a complement because he really isn't good enough at international level...this is not sour grapes because I said most of this before we even got to Russia, unless we unearth some serious talent English football will go even lower, thank god we got an easy draw in the world cup to get us to the semis but lets just take a moment to enjoy the downfall of the Jerries guffaw guffaw guffaw
Trippier--- best player for England....hit
Alexander Arnold--- looked overawed....jurys out
Cahill---probably finished now....miss
Jones--- what was the point taking him? fucking joke....miss
Young---must have been shocked to have gone let alone start so many games, Rose is so much better....time to retire
Rose----should have been in the starting line up, if he wasn't fit he shouldn't have gone....future hit
McGuire---started slow but one of our best players and one of our shining lights...hit
Stones--- Worries me when he leaves it until the last second to pass but solid enough...mini hit
Walker--- Great right back but scares me in the centre makes dangerous errors....hmmm on the fence playing in a back 3...miss at right back
Lyngard...still young but needed someone in midfield guiding him more....on the fence
Henderson... had a great season at Cov, his missus probably loves him does a lot for the sideways crab and backpass movement and errr thats about it.....miss
Dier---same as his name suggests, very apt....miss
Delph--- should have stayed with his missus and the baby....miss
Ali-- dreadful tournament....miss
Kane--- top scorer in the world cup, is no captain for sure imho a failure ....miss for me
Vardy---dreadful....miss
Sterling---another bad tournament from him, looked good at Man City but has class round him there.... on the fence but time must be running out at international level unless he improves
Rashford--- talented lad but maybe confidence shot by the special twat and Southgate...future hit
Loftus Cheek---didn't impose himself for me had chances but has failed to take them...miss
We carried so many players throughout the tournament, nobody taking the bull by the horns, shining lights Pickford, Trippier and McGuire after that I am seriously struggling and they all play at the back!
All the foreigners in the English game are stifling what little talent we have left, no world class players we will be a lesser nation before long with the top clubs in the premier league barely having any English players playing so what chance does the national team have!!!
I am not a fan of Jonjo Shelvey but I think he would have made a bigger impact than the midfield we had out, Henderson was our best player in midfield and thats not really a complement because he really isn't good enough at international level...this is not sour grapes because I said most of this before we even got to Russia, unless we unearth some serious talent English football will go even lower, thank god we got an easy draw in the world cup to get us to the semis but lets just take a moment to enjoy the downfall of the Jerries guffaw guffaw guffaw
stevefloyd
Well-Known Member
Yep the big clubs snap them up from lower league teams and stick them in their development teams on ludicrous amounts of money so they can piss it up the wall in their flash cars and top totty girlfriends and not get a chance to make it into the first team because of the so called star megabucks players in front of them so they drift out the game disillusioned
I_Saw_Shaw_Score
Well-Known Member
I’m sure the refs one of the guys that used to door the front door at the Colly! Used to wear the woolly hat! : D
Paul Anthony
Well-Known Member
Good start from Croatia, no hangover from having three lots of extra time yet.
I_Saw_Shaw_Score
Well-Known Member
“I’m going to watch the world
Cup final on itv”.......said absolutely nobody!
Cup final on itv”.......said absolutely nobody!
Johnnythespider
Well-Known Member
Certainly not overawed by the occasion
Paul Anthony
Well-Known Member
Own goal by Mandzukic.
Sky Blue Harry H
Well-Known Member
From a Griezmann dive for a free kick
