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Thread: England Russia WC 2018

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
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    Hi again chaps!
    First and foremost I can openly confess I have watched some WC footie, and yes also egos have been subdued by GS for the betterment of squad / team spirit. That’s what has got this squad to where they are now.
    LM aah yes , I recall way back when he was well out of favour at Spurs and it was touted almost anyone could have him for a song (relatively speaking). I was desperate to see us make a play for him and realise to some degree Tugay II !
    Anyhow , not unusually I’m a bit with Champs on this in that I think that France are a far more difficult obstacle. Don’t get me wrong as I have immense respect for Croatia, but they are showing traits of ‘going off the boil’.
    I am in two minds over this as I pretty much dislike nay detest the French (by and large), so it would irk me far more for them to ‘do us’ than the Croations’

  2. #32
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    Mar 2009
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    6,297
    My son and I feel desperately down after that. (He said to me, "At least you've seen us win one!")
    Two evenly-matched teams. Croatia took two of their chances. We missed several clear-cut ones.
    Once Modric dropped a little deeper in the second half, he began to run the game again.
    The key moment, which wasn't commented on much, was Kane's missed header. I think the ball was obscured from him for just that fraction of a second.
    The referee was very harsh on England in the second period of extra time. Why was that NOT a free kick on the edge of the area? It was actually an off-the-ball yellow card incident!
    All the same, I never for a moment expected us to reach the semi-finals before the tournament, so the positives outweigh the negatives.
    Bit early for a drink, but...

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
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    1,634
    I think experience told. With youth you get inconsistency, even within 90 mins(or 120). First half they were excellent, and even at times within the second period and extra time.

    Still proud.

  4. #34
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    Nov 2011
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    You really need to be the ‘finished article’, or as close to that as possible. GS has repeatedly said this is a team ‘in progress’.
    Although knowing v few of those involved, I always felt from the off ‘lack of experience throughout’. When you match off against the likes of Belgium, Croatia, and now not to be France, you’re gona get found out.
    But, as for effort and heart, top class. But also no little skill.
    They did not let anyone down.

  5. #35
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    Jan 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by AucklandRover View Post
    My son and I feel desperately down after that. (He said to me, "At least you've seen us win one!")
    Two evenly-matched teams. Croatia took two of their chances. We missed several clear-cut ones.
    Once Modric dropped a little deeper in the second half, he began to run the game again.
    The key moment, which wasn't commented on much, was Kane's missed header. I think the ball was obscured from him for just that fraction of a second.
    The referee was very harsh on England in the second period of extra time. Why was that NOT a free kick on the edge of the area? It was actually an off-the-ball yellow card incident!
    All the same, I never for a moment expected us to reach the semi-finals before the tournament, so the positives outweigh the negatives.
    Bit early for a drink, but...

    We did well to get there. However, we found ourselves in a semi fibal playing a pretty average side. NOT World class, but very very beatable. But I am refusing to do this English thing of embracing failure. That is why we simply don't have the mental strength to get past a semi final. Last night was no different to the 2 previous times. only this time we had a side we could beat, as opposed to Germany.
    We wont, not in my lifetime, ever have a better chance of winning a World Cup. 1 nil up at HT, mentally they had gone. We created chance after chance after chance.
    In the final now is an average side, playing a slightly less average side. They are NOT 2 world class sides.

    Harry Kane was always going to let us down, when it really counted. I said that pre-tournament, I stick by it now.
    He scored a few pentalities, and a ball hit his heel 25 yards out. That was it.
    He failed to turn up vrs Sweden. Luckily they where so woefully poor, we found a way around that, because we are good at set pieces. He failed to turn up last night, and missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0, and put is in the semi. He was greedy, didn't play in Sterling for an open goal, was greedy and fluffed an easy chance. That ultimately cost us. That was the turning point. A world class player would've made it 2. Or played in his teammate. They would have made the right decision. Its one thing scoring against Panama. Its another on that stage. I never truly believed that a bunch of Spurs players would take us that step further as a nation. Spurs are not winners. They celebrate failure. Like England.
    We made defensive mistakes once we played a half decent side, and got found out, and where severely lacking in getting back into it.

    It was not a glorious end, a glorious failure. It was just failure. Against a pretty poor side, who we invited back into the game second half, when they where dead and buried. Not because they where good, but because we were not quite good enough.

    Maybe we will see this young side push on, we do stand a chance as we have a great manager, and they are young. But we still need a change in mentality. Last night was no different to Italia 90 or Euro 96. We have been here before. And mentally, we just don't quite believe. That's born from this 'you have failed at the ***** moment but yiu all return as heroes' mentality. That gives them an out.
    They don't need to find that mental strength to get past a semi, as its acceptable to lose.
    One day it would be nice to win. That's ultimately what football is about.
    And in my lifetime England will never get a better chance.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    11,680
    Quote Originally Posted by AucklandRover View Post
    My son and I feel desperately down after that. (He said to me, "At least you've seen us win one!")
    Two evenly-matched teams. Croatia took two of their chances. We missed several clear-cut ones.
    Once Modric dropped a little deeper in the second half, he began to run the game again.
    The key moment, which wasn't commented on much, was Kane's missed header. I think the ball was obscured from him for just that fraction of a second.
    The referee was very harsh on England in the second period of extra time. Why was that NOT a free kick on the edge of the area? It was actually an off-the-ball yellow card incident!
    All the same, I never for a moment expected us to reach the semi-finals before the tournament, so the positives outweigh the negatives.
    Bit early for a drink, but...

    We did well to get there. However, we found ourselves in a semi fibal playing a pretty average side. NOT World class, but very very beatable. But I am refusing to do this English thing of embracing failure. That is why we simply don't have the mental strength to get past a semi final. Last night was no different to the 2 previous times. only this time we had a side we could beat, as opposed to Germany.
    We wont, not in my lifetime, ever have a better chance of winning a World Cup. 1 nil up at HT, mentally they had gone. We created chance after chance after chance.
    In the final now is an average side, playing a slightly less average side. They are NOT 2 world class sides.

    Harry Kane was always going to let us down, when it really counted. I said that pre-tournament, I stick by it now.
    He scored a few pentalities, and a ball hit his heel 25 yards out. That was it.
    He failed to turn up vrs Sweden. Luckily they where so woefully poor, we found a way around that, because we are good at set pieces. He failed to turn up last night, and missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0, and put is in the semi. He was greedy, didn't play in Sterling for an open goal, was greedy and fluffed an easy chance. That ultimately cost us. That was the turning point. A world class player would've made it 2. Or played in his teammate. They would have made the right decision. Its one thing scoring against Panama. Its another on that stage. I never truly believed that a bunch of Spurs players would take us that step further as a nation. Spurs are not winners. They celebrate failure. Like England.
    We made defensive mistakes once we played a half decent side, and got found out, and where severely lacking in getting back into it.

    It was not a glorious end, a glorious failure. It was just failure. Against a pretty poor side, who we invited back into the game second half, when they where dead and buried. Not because they where good, but because we were not quite good enough.

    Maybe we will see this young side push on, we do stand a chance as we have a great manager, and they are young. But we still need a change in mentality. Last night was no different to Italia 90 or Euro 96. We have been here before. And mentally, we just don't quite believe. That's born from this 'you have failed at the ***** moment but yiu all return as heroes' mentality. That gives them an out.
    They don't need to find that mental strength to get past a semi, as its acceptable to lose.
    One day it would be nice to win. That's ultimately what football is about.
    And in my lifetime England will never get a better chance.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    6,297
    Quote Originally Posted by Despair View Post
    You really need to be the ‘finished article’, or as close to that as possible. GS has repeatedly said this is a team ‘in progress’.
    Although knowing v few of those involved, I always felt from the off ‘lack of experience throughout’. When you match off against the likes of Belgium, Croatia, and now not to be France, you’re gona get found out.
    But, as for effort and heart, top class. But also no little skill.
    They did not let anyone down.
    I agree. As yet, Lingard and Alli cannot impose themselves on a match. They have good moments, but they flit in and out.
    Modric has been player-of-the-tournament for me. He looks like a long-distance runner, and has that kind of stamina. His passing-range is wide and amazingly accurate. Above all, he has that apparently natural ability to make the right decisions. In that respect, he reminds me of Beckenbauer - but with a turn of pace.
    I'm really happy now that my Uncle Shebby has told me Modric is the player TM is hanging out for.

  8. #38
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    Jan 2008
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    11,680
    Quote Originally Posted by AucklandRover View Post
    I agree. As yet, Lingard and Alli cannot impose themselves on a match. They have good moments, but they flit in and out.
    Modric has been player-of-the-tournament for me. He looks like a long-distance runner, and has that kind of stamina. His passing-range is wide and amazingly accurate. Above all, he has that apparently natural ability to make the right decisions. In that respect, he reminds me of Beckenbauer - but with a turn of pace.
    I'm really happy now that my Uncle Shebby has told me Modric is the player TM is hanging out for.

    I really do rate Modric. He is a top player. I still maintain in the first half, he was nowhere, and failed to impose himself, like he did in the previous game vrs Russia. Their defence had no way of handling us, and they where well and truly on the ropes. we are one nil up, everything is going our way, and we have chance after chance to settle it. And Modric, like the rest, have hardly had a kick. Instead of seizing the moment, we did the English thing. We folded. Invited them on, and made Modric look a lot better than he actually is. Like us, you have to remember they have not played anyone half decent yet. They will on Sunday. Sorry to mention it again, but I think we just missed a golden opportunity. Which is a once in a lifetime kind of thing. So it is a big thing. And I don't think its correct to celebrate failure. Lets find a way of finding a way through this semi final and actually experience that?
    We have 2 generation of kids who have actually won a WC in their age groups. And a really decent manager. The time now ...imo ....is to build and ask questions.
    Why did we fail?
    How can we do everything to not fail next time?

    By allowing them an 'out' here now, will affect us actually achieve anything moving forwards.

    This is a huge, positive platform to build from. Will we do that? Or will we accept this and roll over the next time?

  9. #39
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    Aug 2016
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    I'm not gonna rise to it. The youngest and least talented england side possibly ever just got narrowly beaten in the world cup semi final. Take that in and call it failure.

  10. #40
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    Jan 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saxo1man41 View Post
    I'm not gonna rise to it. The youngest and least talented england side possibly ever just got narrowly beaten in the world cup semi final. Take that in and call it failure.

    In no way I'm trying to get a reaction. Its just how I see it. I want to see England win a World Cup. This one was great fun. Imagine if we won it? Surely we should aspire to do that? If such a lack of talent (in your opinion) can reach a a semi at such a tender age, then let's encourage and support them to going one step futher, and winning it. That's not controversial is it?
    It's just I don't believe the best way of going about it is telling them they've been brilliant. They are young professional athletes who should want to win. And as a nation we need to find a way of doing that. Blowing smoke up their arse isn't the way ....imo.
    Jon Stones....excellent all tournament. Turns off for one moment in a semi final and we go out.
    Do we tell him he's been brilliant and a hero?
    No ....imo....He's been excellent and needs to really improve in the next 2 years as a defender so he doesn't do that in the next semi final of the next tournament.
    Which I do think we have a good chance of setting our sights on. Not disappear off for 30 years in glorious failure.
    I think we have a great young squad, and a really decent manager. And a great platform to build from.
    But I also maintain that Croatia are pretty average and at 1-0 up we needed to put them away. We didn't. We invited them in, and blew a monumental chance of winning a WC. Because I also think France are beatable.
    This may never be the case again in my lifetime?
    Or we learn to take the positives of this and push on. But improve and figure out a way of getting past a semi.

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