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France win and now the dust has settled

Started by St Eve, July 15, 2018, 08:23:19 PM

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St Eve

I expected us to get to the knock out stages but we did better than that and we're about a half hour away from the final. The 52 year wait was nearly over. Sussemly we all thought we could win this thing. The manager who everybody saw as a temporary replacement for big Sam was becoming a genius, a hero even. Yes the same guy that got fired at club level. In fairness he did well.
So where are we? Certainly not 4th in the world. I'm afraid Germany, Spain, Portugal and Brazil would still thump us. So maybe we are top 10 or 12. We have found a goal keeper, 2 good centre backs in Stone and McGuire and surprisingly a good defender in Trippier. Walker is ok. We all knew Kane was good and Sterling could be if he wasn't so greedy and wasteful. So we now need to get a midfield and another forward. Sess of course takes one of those places. Let's hope a few other youngsters come through

ron

I'm sure Sess would fit easily in that eleven. It takes France to show us that 19 year olds can fit in at the top level. Good enough means old enough.

fulhamben

Not sure I'd call Southgate a genius. Personally think his negative tactics cost us a place in the final. We played with 5 defenders and a dm and only kept one clean sheet in 7 games. And it wasn't even as if we played anyone of a good standard other than Belgium and arguably Croatia. Our tactics meant that we offered very little going forwards and we were extremily reliant on set pieces. Don't think we will ever achieve anything playing this way, as we lost the midfield battle in every game barring Panama.
CHRIS MARTIN IS SO BAD,  WE NOW PRAISE HIM FOR MAKING A RUN.


Holders

I felt that Sess could have made the difference in the Croatia game. Agree that Maguire, Trippier, Pickford and Walker looked the part.
Non sumus statione ferriviaria

Jamie88

I may get shot down for this. Am I the only one who wasn't all that impressed with England during this tournament? Yes they are improved and yes Southgate I believe has been a good appointment who has galvanised a group of players, but how did it pan out - we narrowly beat Tunisia in injury time, beat Panama who are useless, scraped past Colombia and beat an average Swedish side. As soon as we have been tested against Belgium we lost on both occasions and failed to score at all.

However, it was great to see us reach a World Cup semi final and see a rejuvenated English side who for years have seemed like playing for their country was a chore and I genuinely think we will be stronger come the Euros and Qatar

Woolly Mammoth

#5
We have found a Goalkeeper and some good defenders, and when we attack in numbers, and we now have the players to do so coming through, we will be capable of scoring in every match. What we need priority is more of a creative midfield.
We certainly missed Adam Lalana, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlaide Chamberlain who were all injured.
A midfield general definitely. Somebody with that X Factor.
We have some really good youngsters coming through, so it's a question of building on what we have.
Let's remember the likes of Italy and Holland never even made the last 32, to qualify along with scores of others who all failed as well.
Its not the man in the fight, it's the fight in the man.  🐘

Never forget your Roots.


nose returns

Quote from: Jamie88 on July 15, 2018, 09:22:54 PM
I may get shot down for this. Am I the only one who wasn't all that impressed with England during this tournament? Yes they are improved and yes Southgate I believe has been a good appointment who has galvanised a group of players, but how did it pan out - we narrowly beat Tunisia in injury time, beat Panama who are useless, scraped past Colombia and beat an average Swedish side. As soon as we have been tested against Belgium we lost on both occasions and failed to score at all.

However, it was great to see us reach a World Cup semi final and see a rejuvenated English side who for years have seemed like playing for their country was a chore and I genuinely think we will be stronger come the Euros and Qatar

you forgot to mention croatia in the semi final where we learned two things.
1. our players are not good enough, wasting possesion obver and over
2. our manager that we all saw did a brilliant job, is dtill tactically hopeless. in both the croatia and blegium game he failed to kinow how to deal with what they had and how they changed during the game. he continued to keep faith wiyth deli and lingard and sterling all who massively underpformed. I agree one usually does not change a team that is winning but when the players continue to struggle then it was clear changes needed to be made. southgate had to be braver in team selection but decided to go with loyalty to players that were not doing it.

doyhgate maybe like coleman at wales, a one shot trick of the light, i hope not but i fear so. the next tournament, if we make it, may be a better test.

report card for the manger B-, it was fun and I enjoyed the ride but my head says we have a long way to go.

General

I think we were generally just quite lucky. Our half of the draw was simply far easier and that showed more today with the difference in quality between France and Croatia - with France having beaten very good teams to get to the final they simply steamrolled Croatia.

Now Croatia did well to get to the final but were found wanting. This could have had something to do with the fact they had played 120 mins the last three games on the trot but France had far more quality.

Milo

Sess in the last 15 mins for Young and we would've snatched it!


Lyle from Hangeland

Quote from: ron on July 15, 2018, 08:40:19 PM
I'm sure Sess would fit easily in that eleven. It takes France to show us that 19 year olds can fit in at the top level. Good enough means old enough.

Jadon Sancho is a better left side inverted winger than Ryan. He's basically the English version of Sane. Ryan's value is his character and ability to play wherever on the left-side. I don't think he is quite ready to make the step up, but he's getting there.

Slaphead in Qatar

Well done to Southgate and the players.

My only main problem with Southgate was he showed too much loyalty to sterling and dele ali. Especially dele ali who had a dreadful tournament except for goal against Sweden.

bog

On the BBC this morn they said Croatia were blown away. No they were not. They were the better side in the early stages then suffered a dive for a free kick and then an OG. Great equaliser then a very dubious penalty right on half time. Second half came out with all things blazing and pressing hard but France had the players to still score even when under the proverbial cosh. Two great goals by them but still the Croats kept going. France did deserve it but Croatia were not blown away. Excellent final.

092.gif   


   


Holders

Quote from: bog on July 16, 2018, 09:16:32 AM
On the BBC this morn they said Croatia were blown away. No they were not. They were the better side in the early stages then suffered a dive for a free kick and then an OG. Great equaliser then a very dubious penalty right on half time. Second half came out with all things blazing and pressing hard but France had the players to still score even when under the proverbial cosh. Two great goals by them but still the Croats kept going. France did deserve it but Croatia were not blown away. Excellent final.

092.gif   


   

Agree, Bog. If Croatia had taken their chances and not suffered the dodgy free-kick they'd have been well ahead before France even turned up. It was Croatia going behind unluckily like that that gave France the confidence they'd been lacking. Reminded me a bit of England/Croatia actually.
Non sumus statione ferriviaria

nose returns

Quote from: bog on July 16, 2018, 09:16:32 AM
On the BBC this morn they said Croatia were blown away. No they were not. They were the better side in the early stages then suffered a dive for a free kick and then an OG. Great equaliser then a very dubious penalty right on half time. Second half came out with all things blazing and pressing hard but France had the players to still score even when under the proverbial cosh. Two great goals by them but still the Croats kept going. France did deserve it but Croatia were not blown away. Excellent final.

092.gif   




I thought france were the better team start to finish. they did what they did against belgium, they sat back and waited. croatia were predictable and france took advantage. true the first two french goals should never have been, we all know that, and that affected the way the game played out, but I thought france were always going to win because they were better for 90 minutes. If the ref had not been so useless, then the debate about the goals would not have happened and it would have been more clera cut. And on the subject of the ref, I disliked that one in every game I saw him officiate, how he got the final is a mystery known only to the honest men that run FIFA!

Holders

The ref took about 4 minutes to review a penalty decision that since the beginning of the game refs have had to decide in an instant. If it was that uncertain then it wasn't a pen but it was highly influential in the course of the game.
Non sumus statione ferriviaria


Skatzoffc

Quote from: bog on July 16, 2018, 09:16:32 AM
On the BBC this morn they said Croatia were blown away. No they were not. They were the better side in the early stages then suffered a dive for a free kick and then an OG. Great equaliser then a very dubious penalty right on half time. Second half came out with all things blazing and pressing hard but France had the players to still score even when under the proverbial cosh. Two great goals by them but still the Croats kept going. France did deserve it but Croatia were not blown away. Excellent final.

092.gif   


   

Spot on Bog.
Siblings, let us not be down on it.
One total catastrophe like this...is just the beginning !