Pickford Trippier Maguire Stones Rose Lingard Henderson Shelvey Sterling Kane Rashford
Only one problem with that side...
Well even if Shelvey had been there, i'm pretty sure that after a comfortable first half with us winning 1-0, Southgate wouldn't have made 3 changes at half time!
Fair point LOL I meant to say when it became clear they had our 3 at the back under pressure and we weren't able to play it out from the back. As soon as they equalised we needed to completely change it up.
Speaking through it at work, and someone made the good point that we seem to be confusing the strength of the team and the favourability of the draw.
People are saying that this team wipes the floor with the so called 'golden generation' but the team with Rooney, Owen, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard etc never got a draw like this lot did.
I do wonder what the Japan 2002 side for instance would have done had they got Sweden and Croatia instead of Brazil in the quarters.
Could argue we should have beaten Portugal in 2004 and 2006
Ronaldo wasnt quite there yet and they've never been a brilliant side, man for man our Golden Generation was a lot better than their squads at the time - Yes we'd have ended up against Holland and France in the Semi-Finals of each respective tournament
Pickford Trippier Maguire Stones Rose Lingard Henderson Shelvey Sterling Kane Rashford
Only one problem with that side...
Or on the hour mark, 99% agree with that Daz, sub Delph for the fella who never got the call up and we could have shut down the threat from their constant overlapping full backs
As many have said, gutted but there's more hope for the future than for a long time with the current set up plus some of the under 21 world champions will be breaking through.
Speaking through it at work, and someone made the good point that we seem to be confusing the strength of the team and the favourability of the draw.
People are saying that this team wipes the floor with the so called 'golden generation' but the team with Rooney, Owen, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard etc never got a draw like this lot did.
I do wonder what the Japan 2002 side for instance would have done had they got Sweden and Croatia instead of Brazil in the quarters.
The less said about the "golden generation" today, the better. This new group put them to shame with their team spirit and application.
“The all-round perception was that this is a new-look England who have changed their ways of punting long balls upfield but when we pressed them it turned out that they haven’t.”
Some truth to this. In the first half it made us move the ball faster, and we looked dangerous with our pace. Second half, the midfield completely disappeared and we just smashed it up there. We were totally unable to keep the ball. The top sides can always keep it to relieve a bit of pressure. We reverted to type.
Yes, under pressure old habits crept back, hurried passes back to the keeper, a rushed clearance up the park, giving away possession once again. No wonder the players were tired, as they were constantly having to chase the opposition.
A lot of that is down to defenders not having an outball, as our midfield was swamped and leggy by that stage and not showing enough. I remember yesterday suggesting bringing Delph on for Dele to give us more energy and cover down the left hand side.
Speaking through it at work, and someone made the good point that we seem to be confusing the strength of the team and the favourability of the draw.
People are saying that this team wipes the floor with the so called 'golden generation' but the team with Rooney, Owen, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard etc never got a draw like this lot did.
I do wonder what the Japan 2002 side for instance would have done had they got Sweden and Croatia instead of Brazil in the quarters.
The less said about the "golden generation" today, the better. This new group put them to shame with their team spirit and application.
Imagine having a player like Scholes available to just drop into that midfield last night.
Southgate kept the same system throughout the tournament, Martinez changed it every match. Both reached the semis and lost, so I'm not sure what that says about the benefits of continuity versus the benefits of surprise!
Speaking through it at work, and someone made the good point that we seem to be confusing the strength of the team and the favourability of the draw.
People are saying that this team wipes the floor with the so called 'golden generation' but the team with Rooney, Owen, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard etc never got a draw like this lot did.
I do wonder what the Japan 2002 side for instance would have done had they got Sweden and Croatia instead of Brazil in the quarters.
The less said about the "golden generation" today, the better. This new group put them to shame with their team spirit and application.
The 98 team certainly had a real togetherness... They also had an equally easy group - Almost Identically Tunisia, Romania and Colombia.
We were very unfortunate to go out to Argentina. If Beckham hadn't been sent off it wouldn't have been unrealistic for us to go on and get another goal.
The quality we had was vastly better in every position.
Seaman G Neville Adams Campbell Anderton Beckham Ince Le Saux Scholes Owen Shearer.
(Beckham 47 OFF) (Southgate for Le Saux 70) (Merson for Scholes 78) (Batty for Anderton 96)
But none of the teams from 98 02 06 or 10 made a semi final. You can pick individuals out and on paper they were better players in their prime but in reaching a semi final, this was a better overall team.
Do we compare the players of 1990 to the teams of 1986, 1982 unfavourably? In 1990 we scraped through the knockout rounds against 'poor' opposition but went further than at any point in the 80s.
Speaking through it at work, and someone made the good point that we seem to be confusing the strength of the team and the favourability of the draw.
People are saying that this team wipes the floor with the so called 'golden generation' but the team with Rooney, Owen, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard etc never got a draw like this lot did.
I do wonder what the Japan 2002 side for instance would have done had they got Sweden and Croatia instead of Brazil in the quarters.
The less said about the "golden generation" today, the better. This new group put them to shame with their team spirit and application.
Imagine having a player like Scholes available to just drop into that midfield last night.
Speaking through it at work, and someone made the good point that we seem to be confusing the strength of the team and the favourability of the draw.
People are saying that this team wipes the floor with the so called 'golden generation' but the team with Rooney, Owen, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard etc never got a draw like this lot did.
I do wonder what the Japan 2002 side for instance would have done had they got Sweden and Croatia instead of Brazil in the quarters.
The less said about the "golden generation" today, the better. This new group put them to shame with their team spirit and application.
The 98 team certainly had a real togetherness... They also had an equally easy group - Almost Identically Tunisia, Romania and Colombia.
We were very unfortunate to go out to Argentina. If Beckham hadn't been sent off it wouldn't have been unrealistic for us to go on and get another goal.
The quality we had was vastly better in every position.
Seaman G Neville Adams Campbell Anderton Beckham Ince Le Saux Scholes Owen Shearer.
(Beckham 47 OFF) (Southgate for Le Saux 70) (Merson for Scholes 78) (Batty for Anderton 96)
That was a good team but when people refer to the Golden Generation they mean 2004.
Just sitting thinking what a great World Cup it’s been. England in particular have given us something to shout about. Usually after we get knocked out it’s doom and gloom. But we have got so much to be positive about. Not often our last game is with one day of the competition left.
We don't have an equivalent to De Bruyne or Modrich to deliver a laser guided ball to the likes of Kane or Vardy and definitely the difference between winning and losing. Probably get shot down, but in the absence of a complete midfielder, seeing the hopeful punts from the likes of Henderson and Dier I thought how Shelvy could have come on and added in this department.
We don't have an equivalent to De Bruyne or Modrich to deliver a laser guided ball to the likes of Kane or Vardy and definitely the difference between winning and losing. Probably get shot down, but in the absence of a complete midfielder, seeing the hopeful punts from the likes of Henderson and Dier I thought how Shelvy could have come on and added in this department.
Henderson keeps it ticking over in the middle but he needs some creativity alongside him. Lingard isn't that player yet.
He was spent. Race run. Modric and Rackatic pulled him all over the place in the second half.
Yes, he was bit of a passenger in the 2nd half. Was the right call to sub him off. He had a great World Cup though, certainly gone up in people’s estimations.
We missed him. Dier is good at stopping others but he's never going to create chances or drive the team forwards.
Massively. No surprise in the two games he's come off or changed position we have struggled.
And Sterling. 1-0 up against Colombia when he went off. 1-1 with Croatia when he went off.
Sterling's performance last night confirmed why he's been playing over Rashford!!
Whenever we had the ball at the back, the Croatian attack would harry us and ensure that we rushed our passes making sure we didnt have time on the ball and so forced us to lump it forwards - Sterling would do that at the other end of the pitch, staying on the shoulder of the Croatia back line which meant he was constantly running on to the ball
Rashford on the other hand didnt seem to run for the ball unless he knew he could get it and would always drop deep so rather making their defence chase after him, he dropped to get the ball which allowed the Centre-Backs to just sit deep and force him to try and get through them with the ball... Something that he (1) Couldnt do (2) Barely tried to do as in Extra Time he ran into the box with the ball, had an hand put on his chest and bloody stopped!!
Lot of people saying we sat back and allowed them to come at us in the second half. I don't think that this was a choice or a conscious decision.
I think we were forced back by the tactical switch they made at half time - to push their wingers and full backs right up on our wing backs and pin them. This forced them to play deeper and the midfield were forced to then cover the overload and ended up pinned back too. We needed a tactical change to overcome that.
Good foundations laid for us to build on going forward. Well done to all the young lads and Southgate for stepping up and make the nation proud again!
I am guessing that was the last we will see of Young as a regular. Rose needs to be played as the first choice left back now to add some balance to the side.
It would be good to see Gomez make a full recovery from his injury and slot into the third centre back role in place of Walker. He did well but you can see it isn't his natural position and made a few mistakes throughout the tournament. You would have three decent ball playing centre backs.
Midfield and forward options looking a bit light at present through so hopefully we will see a few more young players break through and make the step up.
We missed him. Dier is good at stopping others but he's never going to create chances or drive the team forwards.
Massively. No surprise in the two games he's come off or changed position we have struggled.
And Sterling. 1-0 up against Colombia when he went off. 1-1 with Croatia when he went off.
Sterling's performance last night confirmed why he's been playing over Rashford!!
Whenever we had the ball at the back, the Croatian attack would harry us and ensure that we rushed our passes making sure we didnt have time on the ball and so forced us to lump it forwards - Sterling would do that at the other end of the pitch, staying on the shoulder of the Croatia back line which meant he was constantly running on to the ball
Rashford on the other hand didnt seem to run for the ball unless he knew he could get it and would always drop deep so rather making their defence chase after him, he dropped to get the ball which allowed the Centre-Backs to just sit deep and force him to try and get through them with the ball... Something that he (1) Couldnt do (2) Barely tried to do as in Extra Time he ran into the box with the ball, had an hand put on his chest and bloody stopped!!
Comments
No matter though, I am still proud of the team.
Ronaldo wasnt quite there yet and they've never been a brilliant side, man for man our Golden Generation was a lot better than their squads at the time - Yes we'd have ended up against Holland and France in the Semi-Finals of each respective tournament
A lot of that is down to defenders not having an outball, as our midfield was swamped and leggy by that stage and not showing enough. I remember yesterday suggesting bringing Delph on for Dele to give us more energy and cover down the left hand side.
We were very unfortunate to go out to Argentina. If Beckham hadn't been sent off it wouldn't have been unrealistic for us to go on and get another goal.
The quality we had was vastly better in every position.
G Neville Adams Campbell Anderton
Beckham Ince Le Saux Scholes
Owen Shearer.
(Beckham 47 OFF)
(Southgate for Le Saux 70)
(Merson for Scholes 78)
(Batty for Anderton 96)
Do we compare the players of 1990 to the teams of 1986, 1982 unfavourably? In 1990 we scraped through the knockout rounds against 'poor' opposition but went further than at any point in the 80s.
I'd have considered putting Delph on for someone like Lingard though
Rose -> Young
Dier -> Henderson
Walker -> Vardy
Think Henderson got taken off because he was blowing hard after tracking Modric, Rakitic and Brosovic side to side for 60 minutes.
I'd have rather reinforced that part of the pitch after 50-55 minutes than done a like for like swap in extra time but it's nit picking.
Gutted ain’t the word.
Modric and Rackatic pulled him all over the place in the second half.
Whenever we had the ball at the back, the Croatian attack would harry us and ensure that we rushed our passes making sure we didnt have time on the ball and so forced us to lump it forwards - Sterling would do that at the other end of the pitch, staying on the shoulder of the Croatia back line which meant he was constantly running on to the ball
Rashford on the other hand didnt seem to run for the ball unless he knew he could get it and would always drop deep so rather making their defence chase after him, he dropped to get the ball which allowed the Centre-Backs to just sit deep and force him to try and get through them with the ball... Something that he (1) Couldnt do (2) Barely tried to do as in Extra Time he ran into the box with the ball, had an hand put on his chest and bloody stopped!!
I think we were forced back by the tactical switch they made at half time - to push their wingers and full backs right up on our wing backs and pin them. This forced them to play deeper and the midfield were forced to then cover the overload and ended up pinned back too. We needed a tactical change to overcome that.
I am guessing that was the last we will see of Young as a regular. Rose needs to be played as the first choice left back now to add some balance to the side.
It would be good to see Gomez make a full recovery from his injury and slot into the third centre back role in place of Walker. He did well but you can see it isn't his natural position and made a few mistakes throughout the tournament. You would have three decent ball playing centre backs.
Midfield and forward options looking a bit light at present through so hopefully we will see a few more young players break through and make the step up.
This is interesting...
England:
Croatia: