World Cup Thread

[tommy toes]

A well deserved defeat. Croatia were by far the better team.

[Draytonian III]

Kane should have been subbed at the end of normal time

[Rovers91]

Not enough attacking intent, from the second half onwards, never troubled their keeper after half time, the writing was on the wall after the equaliser, Henderson went awol at HT

Henderson went awol because he was by himself in the middle of the park getting stretched all over.

[IDM]

Fair result, no complaints from me..

It seems we were just missing one link in our attacking play - not sure who that should be..?

Disappointed with Alli, at the moment he’s not “that” player to give us that extra spark..  I also don’t get the criticism of Sterling, his pace and touch is frightening..

We need someone like Bale or De Bruyne..

Who would that be?

However, reaching the semi final is a great achievement and more than the Germans, Spanish, Argentinians and Brazilians achieved, never mind the Dutch or Italians..

The other bonus is many of the England players are young enough to go again next time..

[drfchound]

1 shot on goal says it all

One shot, were you watching the game?

[Cantley Rover]

1 shot on goal says it all

One shot, were you watching the game?

Yes I watched it and those figures came on the screen. Maybe it was the second half. But it did show Croatia's 7 shots to our 1

[NickDRFC]

Fair result, no complaints from me..

It seems we were just missing one link in our attacking play - not sure who that should be..?

Disappointed with Alli, at the moment he’s not “that” player to give us that extra spark..  I also don’t get the criticism of Sterling, his pace and touch is frightening..

We need someone like Bale or De Bruyne..

Who would that be?

However, reaching the semi final is a great achievement and more than the Germans, Spanish, Argentinians and Brazilians achieved, never mind the Dutch or Italians..

The other bonus is many of the England players are young enough to go again next time..

Agree with Alli, never done it in an England shirt for me and playing on club form. I was pleased when he was dropped before the World Cup but obviously he got his reprieve.

When you say we need a Bale or a De Bruyne - which do you mean? Two very different players. For me we need a creative influence in midfield, that’s what’s really lacking at the moment.

All in all though we did what very few thought we would and made the semi finals, we should be given credit for that. Most of the team are young and will be back for 1 if not 2 more world cups so hopefully we can come back stronger, although I doubt we’ll ever get a more favourable draw.

[drfchound]

So apart from the one we scored with, what about the two from Kane that the keeper saved.

I assume you just mean shots on target.

[drfchound]

Ali was a bit anonymous but Sterling put a shift in.

Sterling would have had a tap in if Kane had squared the ball to him instead of trying to slot that chance home just before half time.

[Cantley Rover]

So apart from the one we scored with, what about the two from Kane that the keeper saved.

I assume you just mean shots on target.

Like I said, I just saw it come up on the screen. It could have been shots on target but to be honest I was bored by that point as I knew the game was lost.

[IDM]

Nick I mean either, someone who can conjour chances out of nothing, and score them too..

Who is going to step up for England in that kind of role over the next 4 years..?

[Cantley Rover]

Ali was a bit anonymous but Sterling put a shift in.

Sterling would have had a tap in if Kane had squared the ball to him instead of trying to slot that chance home just before half time.

More likely he would have f**ked it up like he normally does.

[drfchound]

So apart from the one we scored with, what about the two from Kane that the keeper saved.

I assume you just mean shots on target.

Like I said, I just saw it come up on the screen. It could have been shots on target but to be honest I was bored by that point as I knew the game was lost.

Well it was wrong.

[Canadian Rover]

Nick I mean either, someone who can conjour chances out of nothing, and score them too..

Who is going to step up for England in that kind of role over the next 4 years..?

Jordan Sancho

[Cantley Rover]

So apart from the one we scored with, what about the two from Kane that the keeper saved.

I assume you just mean shots on target.

Like I said, I just saw it come up on the screen. It could have been shots on target but to be honest I was bored by that point as I knew the game was lost.

Well it was wrong.

Croatia 55% possession England 45%
Shots
Croatia 22 England 11
Shots on Target
Croatia 7 England 2

The other shot must have come after the stats came up on the screen

[drfchound]

If the stats were in the second half then they were wrong because the Kane thing happened just before half time.

Let’s not have an argument about this as well.

[Glyn_Wigley]

I hope to God the British newspapers don't revert to type and decide to give any of the players or the manager a kicking they don't deserve.

[drfchound]

I hope to God the British newspapers don't revert to type and decide to give any of the players or the manager a kicking they don't deserve.

It would be unusual if they didn’t Glynn but somehow this time I think it may not happen.

[selby]

   They have done the country proud,we are missing that bit of class to open up the opposition in midfield, I would have liked to see Loftus Cheek on with Alie, but hey it has been a great ride over this competition, and the better team on the night won.
    Let's hope we can kick on from here, with the youngsters coming through it may happen.

[PDX_Rover]

We're missing a Gazza-type, that can unlock a defence.

[RoversAlias]

I hope to God the British newspapers don't revert to type and decide to give any of the players or the manager a kicking they don't deserve.

I would hope they don't. Everyone with half a brain cell or more can see how well they've done and how we've all rightly got behind them. They should come back to a hero's welcome quite frankly.

[Ye-Aul-Tavern]

So apart from the one we scored with, what about the two from Kane that the keeper saved.

I assume you just mean shots on target.

I think kane had been flagged offside for that which would mean it doesn't count as a shot in the stats?

[IDM]

Although had Kane put the ball in the net, VAR May have shown he wasn’t actually offside..

Doesn’t matter now..

[Cantley Rover]

One thing it has done is f**k up any feel good factor to help Theresa May. She is a dead woman walking but tonight has probably made that walk a bit shorter.

[drfchound]

So apart from the one we scored with, what about the two from Kane that the keeper saved.

I assume you just mean shots on target.

I think kane had been flagged offside for that which would mean it doesn't count as a shot in the stats?

Wrong again.
Kane was onside, the keeper saved the first one.
He hit the post and then it rebounded onto the keeper and out of play on the other side of the goal.
The linesman flagged for a goal kick, thinking that Kane had got the last touch.
It should have been a corner.

By the way, that was the same linesman who failed to give us another corner and a throw in when the the ball had clearly gone out of play off Croatian players in extra time.

[Cantley Rover]

Although had Kane put the ball in the net, VAR May have shown he wasn’t actually offside..

Doesn’t matter now..

Let's face it, that linesman got most things wrong all game.

[dickos1]

Anyone who is having a pop at Sterling is just doing so cause they don’t like him.
He was excellent today and we went down hill when he went off.

Stones had a header cleared off the line, lingard missed a good chance, Kane should’ve done better with the header, he should’ve played sterling in the first half.

First half we were very good absolutely battered them and controlled the game, needed to take our chances

[Tarkovsky_Mikluzhkin]

Alex Oxlade Chamberlain had a superb 2nd half of the season for Liverpool, he could have been that difference in central midfield.

[pib]

First half was decent but then we fizzled out. Croatia's experience and know-how kicked in and they were just a bit too streetwise. Stones and Walker switched off a bit on the goals - those two were always the question mark in terms of their defensive ability.

It's disappointing and a missed opportunity, but it doesn't detract from the fact that it's been our best World Cup for a generation. Hopefully the players will learn from it and be contenders again next time. Could do with one or two more creative players through the ranks though.

[dickos1]

I don’t think we fizzled out, they upped their game. It’s a World Cup semi final there was no way we were going to dominate like we did in the first half for 90 mins. That’s why we needed to take our chances. Should’ve been 3-0 at half time