# It's coming home



## Nick-ST

That is all..... Come on England!!!


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## bigalc

I hope so......maybee stop harpin on about 1966 then. &#55357;&#56834;


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## Yellow Dave

One good match out of them all and all of a sudden the country develops unrealistic hopes. We all want them to win but will it happen? If they play as well as they can and we all know they can then possibly. If they play how they usually play, like the group stages, then they don't deserve to win


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## Soul boy 68

I think England are capable of beating Croatia but I fear France will be too strong for England should the two meet in the final.


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## DLGWRX02

My loayalties are devided, want England to win, but I have France as my blind draw in the syndicate at work. So stand to win a nice little bonus��


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## Shug

DLGWRX02 said:


> My loayalties are devided, want England to win, but I have France as my blind draw in the syndicate at work. So stand to win a nice little bonus��


So I should stick a tenner on Croatia to win the world cup? :lol:


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## Yellow Dave

4mins ET to go. 

Who can say that England have played to the best of their ability for the entire match!?!?

They could be so successful if they gave it their all.


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## Yellow Dave

I hope they feel embarrassed with that performance.


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## DLGWRX02

They could of been 3-0 up at half time, just couldn’t finish it. Oh well maybe in another 4 years!


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## Derekh929

After the early goal they just kept on back passing to keeper even in the end playing out from back no good long kick out, as a Scot I have to say the keeper has been outstanding, Kane was never in the game tonight, massive missed opportunity if I’m honest


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## Kerr

I tipped Croatia to win the World Cup. 

Croatia were by far the best team tonight. I don't even think it was a foul for the England goal. Alli was going down like he often does. 

England did well to get to the semi final, but I don't think it's unfair to say the draw and decisions in games helped them. They always looked threatening from set pieces, but not in open play. 

Why is treated as such a shock that England get to the semi-finals of a major tournament? We hear every week that most of those players are top or world class and worth £30m+.


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## Darlofan

Should have had it won in the first half but they seemed happy to back pass to keeper and slow play down. Kane was nowhere tonight too. But the team can come home proud of what they did which is not what we're used to.


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## Kerr

Darlofan said:


> Should have had it won in the first half but they seemed happy to back pass to keeper and slow play down. Kane was nowhere tonight too. But the team can come home proud of what they did which is not what we're used to.


Other than the chance Kane should have scored, What else should have won the game?

The free-kick for the goal was from a dive.

Croatia had numerous chances.

Has Kane actually been that good in the World Cup? Gold boot winner made up of 3 penalties, a lucky deflection and two tap ins against Tunisia.


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## Darlofan

Kerr said:


> Other than the chance Kane should have scored, What else should have won the game?
> 
> The free-kick for the goal was from a dive.
> 
> Croatia had numerous chances.
> 
> Has Kane actually been that good in the World Cup? Gold boot winner made up of 3 penalties, a lucky deflection and two tap ins against Tunisia.


Kane missed a header, hit the post(Should have been a corner but mistakenly given offside!). Also had a header saved on the line so there were chances. Some iffy ref decisions too, where we missed out on free kicks.

Agree Kane hasn't been at his best but at the end of the day he's scored more than others in the tournament which is what the golden boot is about.


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## muzzer

Their heads dropped after Croatia scored their first, it was only a matter of time before Croatia pushed them back.

To be fair, it’s the furthest England have got in World Cup for sone time


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## bigalc

Oh well, at least they won it in 1966.
England played ok in the first half but the experience of Croatia started to show in the second half.
Well done England for getting to the semi final, maybee this will encourage the youngsters to up their game for the future.


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## nbray67

My opinion, slate me if you want, but having a defender as an England coach = negative play.
First point - Alli, missing all tournament and picked every game that mattered and failed to live up to is Spurs reputation. 

2nd - Dier, most negative player in an England shirt, but gets picked ahead of Loftus Cheek even though he had an absolute mare against Belgium.

3rd - Sadgate took Sterling off and left Lingard on despite Lingard being missing all match.

Finally, that same starting 11 struggled against Tunisia FFS, struggled against Colombia FFS but still he picked the same 11 again tonight. 23 man squad means naff all these days.

Croatia have played 2 extra times and still ran us ragged in the 2nd half, even with Lovren at the back.

I called it ages ago, Sadgate will win us **** all.


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## dholdi

I wish people would quote their previous predictions so we can all see why they would make a better manager than the incumbent.


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## Bulkhead

Firstly, I'm in no way, shape or form a football supporter. I think this stems from freezing afternoons being forced to watch Oxford United at the Manor (usually getting beaten) and trying to make a packet of Polo mints last 90 minutes. However, I thought I'd watch a bit of the World Cup. In the words of Julia Roberts, big mistake; huge! I saw players happy to kick the ball backwards and sideways endlessly. After 15 mins the thought of watching paint dry became ever more appealing. I came to the conclusion that the dreary play was due to the increased fitness of modern players. Back in the 70s, pre-match warm-ups consisted of a pie and a nip of brandy. Now, the finely-tuned athletes feast on electrolytes, tattoos and spray tans. As both teams have a similar mix, play becomes stagnant as the qualities of each opponent are cancelled out. So here are my recommendations to the Football Association:

Reduce each team to 9 players with two substitutes.
Playing the ball backwards results in a free kick to the opposing team. 
Increase the width of the goal by 1 metre and height by half a metre.
Dissent, time-wasting and generally behaving like a petulant child gets you 10 minutes in the sin bin for the first offence and red carded for a second.
Players salary is performanced-based - say a 30 grand retainer and bonuses based on game-by-game performance.
All referees have to complete a course on common sense and match management by Nigel Owens.

Sorted.


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## dholdi

Bulkhead said:


> Firstly, I'm in no way, shape or form a football supporter.


Haha, should have stopped there


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## Bulkhead

dholdi said:


> Haha, should have stopped there


Couldn't help myself:thumb:


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## tonyy

Sorry Lads..
Croatia was better and win..
England make 2 mistakes,they have a lot of arrogance they think easy win and 
they underestimated Croatia..
Good luck for Saturday for 3rd place..


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## kh904

Kerr said:


> I tipped Croatia to win the World Cup.
> 
> Croatia were by far the best team tonight. I don't even think it was a foul for the England goal. Alli was going down like he often does.
> 
> England did well to get to the semi final, but I don't think it's unfair to say the draw and decisions in games helped them. They always looked threatening from set pieces, but not in open play.
> 
> Why is treated as such a shock that England get to the semi-finals of a major tournament? We hear every week that most of those players are top or world class and worth £30m+.


In my opinion it may have been a little soft, but it was a foul.

Croatia were also my underdogs to do very well in the tournament! They are very very good technically and have a better footballing mind (unlike us/England). It's about making the right choice/pass at the right moment, and it's something we really need to work on. Instead our player take on too many players dribbling with the ball and lose it, instead of passing it to a player in space/better position.

You would have though it was England who played a gruelling extra time in the previous round!


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## kh904

nbray67 said:


> My opinion, slate me if you want, but having a defender as an England coach = negative play.
> First point - Alli, missing all tournament and picked every game that mattered and failed to live up to is Spurs reputation.
> 
> 2nd - Dier, most negative player in an England shirt, but gets picked ahead of Loftus Cheek even though he had an absolute mare against Belgium.
> 
> 3rd - Sadgate took Sterling off and left Lingard on despite Lingard being missing all match.
> 
> Finally, that same starting 11 struggled against Tunisia FFS, struggled against Colombia FFS but still he picked the same 11 again tonight. 23 man squad means naff all these days.
> 
> Croatia have played 2 extra times and still ran us ragged in the 2nd half, even with Lovren at the back.
> 
> I called it ages ago, Sadgate will win us **** all.


I sort of agree and see where you are coming from, but imo Southgate has done really well considering it's his first time managing the national team in a big tournament.

Finally an England manager picked players for the squard that would fit in his system instead of the usual big name players based purely on reputation/sponsership.

I would agree with you that some of the players should not have started.
Delli Alli had a really really poor tournament. Besides his goal against Sweden, he went missing.
Sterling did well to stretch the opposition, tried to do too much and again no end product.
Henderson tried his best, did the ugly work quite well, but can't control the tempo of the game.
Walker gets complacent and often puts the team in unnecessary pressure.

We often gave the ball away so cheaply! And in the heat against quality opposiition, you'll waste lots of energy.

Loftus-Cheek should have started imo and we really missed a big commanding midfielder who has some creativity.

Finally, one criticism of Southgate in the match against Croatia, is in the 2nd half. I could easily see how often Croatia had the ball on the left wing and they quickly switched it to the right wing and their players outnumbered us.
Often Alli and Young were easily beaten or not goal side, giving Croatia opportunity to get at our defence.

These are just some criticisms that we must learn from, but that still doesn't take away that the England team brought some much pride back. Its' still a relatively young team and hopefully they'll learn from the experience and get another opportunity.


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## nbray67

dholdi said:


> I wish people would quote their previous predictions so we can all see why they would make a better manager than the incumbent.


In truth, I've berated Sadgate and that starting 11 all over FB as opposed to here. My quotes from FB.

18th June against Tunisia - FFS Southgate. 5 defenders against Tunisia? Where's the attacking football Kane was blabbing about when we stick 5 defenders on the pitch? Southgate's looking for a 1 nil defended win with that set up. Negative numbnuts.

3rd July - Glad we're thru but that same team Southgate, struggled like a good 'un to beat Tunisia and scraped thru on pens against Colombia.
Please, drop Alli but please don't put Dier as his replacement. He's getting the plaudits for the winning pen but he was terrible for the time he was on the pitch.
Passing backwards, giving the ball away, in fact, I might be wrong but did he not give the ball away in midfield that led to the rocket from Uribe that Pickford brilliantly parried for the corner they scored from?
Sterling and Lingard had mediocre games tonight also, Rashford for either of these as we need to change it up from what I saw against Tunisia and Colombia.
Roll on Saturday afternoon!!!

Saturday after beating Swededn - 3 points noted this last week.

Alli, missing all game over 3 matches but scores the 2nd goal and he's a hero, In Southgate's eyes.

Dier, most negative footballer in the current England squad and gives the ball away like Alli but scores the pen to send us through to the qtrs and he's a hero, in Southgate's eyes.

Loftus Cheek has outshone both of these Spurs midfielders each time he's played but he must've shagged Southgate's missus because he's not even getting a look in now.

4th point, even though I said 3, Southgate, open your fookin eyes, Sterling is having as much of a mare as the above 2, drop him and give Rashford a chance FFS and listen to the nation and the pundits back home.

Rant over, again, roll on Wednesday!!!


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## nbray67

Not taking a creative midfielder to a WC was another one of Sadgate’s biggest mistakes.

Wilshire and Lallana would’ve been better served in that squad than Dier.


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## Kerr

Reading all the posts elsewhere I am genuinely surprised at the level of positivity. It's not often to see that from England fans. :lol:

A lot of people are suggesting this team is something special. I'm sorry, but they clearly watched something different to me. It was a solid team at best. They haven't done anything close to what people are suggesting.

I do personally think that players need to leave England and learn new things. All the players playing in the same league doesn't help. 

England and even us up here is Scotland have had a list of good young players who come through, but hit the barrier and never seem to progress any further. Why is there the confidence that this team will do any better?

Some of the guys are quite young, but they are all experienced players with lots of games and caps under their belt. According to his Wiki page Alli already has 29 caps.

Alli didn't have a good World Cup, but I don't think he's been as good this season than last. Rashford needs to get out of Man Utd as his progress will be hindered there under Mourihno. 

Reading the comments were build the team around Trippier, Maguire, Walker, Kane, Stones and Lingard. 

There is a good few players and Kane is a quality player. However I can't say that I've been that impressed with Stones or Lingard at any time. Both have flashes of good play, but not consistently enough and I don't see them being top quality players. 

Trippier and Walker are older than I thought. Trippier will be 28 soon and Walker is already 28. The entire team isn't as young as I thought. You don't keep hearing the young France team when they've got a 19 year old as their main player. 

Getting to the semi is a decent result. It's still not amazing when you consider how big a footballing nation England is with tons of money, and the teams England beat. 

Looking at the squad I don't see them pushing on to a higher level. Luck of the draw and the top team's sloppiness has given people artificial hope


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## nbray67

Kerr said:


> Reading all the posts elsewhere I am genuinely surprised at the level of positivity.
> 
> Looking at the squad I don't see them pushing on to a higher level. Luck of the draw and the top team's sloppiness has given people artificial hope


I know you're, dare i say, slightly biased, being a Scot but i totally agree with you Kerr.

At no point did I ever think we'd win it, especially when the same inept squad was selected time and time again and each time, struggled to gain a truly positive win that made me think, maybe we've got a decent chance here.

Take the Sweden game where 2 nil looked half decent, thank Pickford and the numerous last ditch blocks/tackles for that clean sheet.

As for Alli, quality player no doubt, but he was, imo, not fully 100% fit in any match he played. Henderson was poor last night and was rightly subbed but why play him when he was only passed fit the day before? Makes the whole 23man squad a pointless subject.

Lingard scored a screamer against Panama and that is all he did for the whole tournament. Sterling ran and ran but poor lad, the squad never once played to his strengths, no KDB or Silva to play neat passing/one two's within the England squad.

Kane, again, cracking striker, looked jaded/off it the last 2 matches and missed a glorious chance to put us 2 up last night where normally that would be meat and drink to him.

Dier, pointless typing anything about him.

Young at left back was mediocre and was dropped by the England set up years ago because he always failed to deliver when it mattered. Why Rose was not starting in front of him I don't know.

Vardy came on and he'd been carrying a groin injury all week since his sub appearance in the 88th min against Colombia. Pointless sub last night.

That 23man squad consisted of 8 defenders and 4 defensive midfielders and 3 GK's. That leaves 8 players, 7 in reality as Welbeck was never getting on in any of the important/big games, to go and win you the WC with their attacking/goal scoring talents!!

12 goals scored with only 4 from open play!!

Southgate was too negative, not surprised as he's a defender, and too bl00dy minded to make positive changes when it was quite clearly obvious, we were in dire need of them.

All in all, some damn good goalkeeping, weaker/unlucky opposition and stand out performances from Maguire got us as far as the semi final. Without that, we'd have been out earlier.


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## DJ X-Ray

nbray67 said:


> Not taking a creative midfielder to a WC was another one of Sadgate's biggest mistakes.
> 
> Wilshire and Lallana would've been better served in that squad than Dier.


Bang on - said that before a ball was even kicked - I'd add , Shelvey to that list^. So obvious we had no midfield creativity.


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## Kerr

Although I'm Scottish I do think I can give an honest opinion. I'm not that bad. 



Only half the street heard me cheer when Croatia scored. :lol:


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## DJ X-Ray

Kerr said:


> Reading all the posts elsewhere I am genuinely surprised at the level of positivity. It's not often to see that from England fans. :lol:
> 
> A lot of people are suggesting this team is something special. I'm sorry, but they clearly watched something different to me. It was a solid team at best. They haven't done anything close to what people are suggesting.
> 
> I do personally think that players need to leave England and learn new things. All the players playing in the same league doesn't help.
> 
> England and even us up here is Scotland have had a list of good young players who come through, but hit the barrier and never seem to progress any further. Why is there the confidence that this team will do any better?
> 
> Some of the guys are quite young, but they are all experienced players with lots of games and caps under their belt. According to his Wiki page Alli already has 29 caps.
> 
> Alli didn't have a good World Cup, but I don't think he's been as good this season than last. Rashford needs to get out of Man Utd as his progress will be hindered there under Mourihno.
> 
> Reading the comments were build the team around Trippier, Maguire, Walker, Kane, Stones and Lingard.
> 
> There is a good few players and Kane is a quality player. However I can't say that I've been that impressed with Stones or Lingard at any time. Both have flashes of good play, but not consistently enough and I don't see them being top quality players.
> 
> Trippier and Walker are older than I thought. Trippier will be 28 soon and Walker is already 28. The entire team isn't as young as I thought. You don't keep hearing the young France team when they've got a 19 year old as their main player.
> 
> Getting to the semi is a decent result. It's still not amazing when you consider how big a footballing nation England is with tons of money, and the teams England beat.
> 
> Looking at the squad I don't see them pushing on to a higher level. Luck of the draw and the top team's sloppiness has given people artificial hope


I agree with you, Kerr boy - way too much Tottenham in that team ,anyway. It was only ever going one way.


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## kh904

nbray67 said:


> Not taking a creative midfielder to a WC was another one of Sadgate's biggest mistakes.
> 
> Wilshire and Lallana would've been better served in that squad than Dier.


To be fair, Lallana needed plenty more game time to get fit and it would have been a mistake to take him to the world cup.
Wilshire, i'm not too sure - possibly worth a shot


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## kh904

DJ X-Ray said:


> Bang on - said that before a ball was even kicked - I'd add , Shelvey to that list^. So obvious we had no midfield creativity.


Shelvey is a good shout!
He had a very good season from the Newcastle games I saw


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## nbray67

kh904 said:


> To be fair, Lallana needed plenty more game time to get fit and it would have been a mistake to take him to the world cup.
> Wilshire, i'm not too sure - possibly worth a shot


An unfit Lallana is a far better option than a fit Dier.


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## Kerr

Here's a stat to highlight the lack of creativity. Out of all the teams at the world cup only Iran averaged less efforts on goal from open play.

England averaged less than 0.9 shots on target per game.


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## bigmac3161

2 ex spurs players where the difference in the 2 teams Walkers ability to fall a sleep the first goal and Modric showing why he’s the beat midfielder around. Just keeps everything moving does the simple things simply that kinda goes unnoticed don’t do anything flash just keeps everyone around him on their toes. Oh well when all else’s has failed just blame it on there being to many spurs players in the team ie Adrian Durham tool. The best team won but let’s face it France are gonna be champs come Sunday nite Croatia gotta be knackered 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jenks

So, we only finished up coming 4th at the world cup. Let's face it most England fans would have taken that before the tournament kicked off. Let's not forget this is a team in progress and we have multiple winners of youth competitions at euro and world level coming through.


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## transtek

Having not been up-to-date with football in the UK for the last couple of decades due to living abroad and being used to the repeated disappointment from the England squad, I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this team, especially during the first half of most of their games, with good one-touch football running rings around other, more experienced teams, although they never seemed able to build on their advantage and mostly faded away in the second half, letting the opposition gain the upper hand, well except for the last game against Belgium, where they just looked worn-out and very mediocre. However, as it is a young team and a new manager, I reckon they have done very well and will be a force to be reckoned with the next time around: we might even make 3rd place!


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## PugIain

We were ok. Nothing more. Too much tippy tapping about for my liking. A more direct style should have been employed imo especially when time is running short.
All well and good being patient and trying to work an opening, but when that didn't work there didn't seem to be a plan B. Most of the time, the patient approach yielded sod all anyway!

Well, apart from Panama. Where we should have scored hatfull no matter how we played. Also a mistake/over confidence lead to them scoring.

The less said of that lark of playing it short to a fullback back near our own area, then playing it backwards and forwards the better, half the time ending back at the keeper putting him under pressure. That's just inviting trouble!
It wasn't just us doing it, the quicker that goes away the better. I just hope the Grimsby Town team don't think it's a good idea..




As for a young team? Same average age as the French, and they won it.
There is just obviously less quality in our squad.


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