There is no shame in going out to a team with better, more experienced players who put in a very good performance. I'm gutted. I know there's going to be a lot of upset reactions tonight, but in the cold hard light of day this is the third youngest team at the tournament with a lot of players on the up who now have experience winning group and knockout games. This is not the end, this is the beginning.
I am very critical of how a lot of English players are coached from a young age, how the focus on possession and tactical awareness isn't fostered nearly enough, and that England simply doesn't have enough coaches. But that's not why they're out tonight. They're out because they were beaten by a better team.
In a World Cup semi-final. Well done to this group.
We lacked big game players today to make a difference. Disappointed that Harry Kane didn’t show more today.
Agree about Kane, though he also went missing against Sweden. But I think that's down to the fact that at this stage of their career, the English players aren't as good or experienced as the Croatia players are. To me that was the difference tonight. It's really fine margins.
We wont do it and we never will, we were completely outplayed in the second half by a nation of 4 million people. I am sorry but this nation cannot win a tournament and never will. Back to the grind of being so fed up with football! Hand it to them on a plate and they still fuck it up. Bless!!
Boring. Piss off.
Well done Southgate, well done the team.
I'm distraught that we're out but I couldn't be prouder.
They put everything in and came up short. Disappointed.
Trippier and Pickford men of the tournament for me.
Poor Tripper deserve for his tournament to end like this.
Harsh. He’s been one of the players of the tournament and no one deserves that.
Sorry that was a typo. It was supposed to be "doesn't deserve." Fixed it now. Yeah he was excellent for most of the tournament. It was so hard watching him struggle to just get back to the bench.
Sirens all over the bloody place outside. Expect the local manc pond life are turning the boozer over up the road.
Hurts, because for 40 minutes, England looked like they'd win at a canter. Last five minutes of the first half and you could hear their arseholes drop out from here. Awful way to go out - but nobody expected them to get to the quarters, let alone the semis. Cracking job by the manager - something to build on for the future and some real revelations (Trippier, Pickford, Stones, Maguire)
England should return home to a good reception, but to call them national treasures as the commentary team did is just wrong. Let's win something first before we bandy about that particular accolade.
It's a shame that we couldn't get the ball into Kane like we had been doing. Times in that game all we needed was for him to win a free kick, or hold possession and lay the ball off.
We wont do it and we never will, we were completely outplayed in the second half by a nation of 4 million people. I am sorry but this nation cannot win a tournament and never will. Back to the grind of being so fed up with football! Hand it to them on a plate and they still fuck it up. Bless!!
It's the world cup, nothing is on a plate. Ask Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Spain et al, all massive footballing nations and all out before both us and Croatia. Give over.
When we went out the Euros I was angry. This tournament I expected very little. Southgate has built a good foundation, and with the likes of Foden/Maddison/Sancho and Lookman coming through you get the feeling we’ll soon have that little more quality that we lacked tonight.
I’m not sure what’s more painful, losing tonight or losing in a final, but the reality is we simply wouldn’t have been good enough to beat a fully firing France. Oh well
Missed opportunity and we’ve been nudged out in a 50:50 game against a non-top 5 team. However we could easily have had a different draw and been similarly nudged out in the 2nd round.
A few players have really stepped up this tournament and not a single one can be criticised for their commitment, attitude and togetherness.
Ultimately though there are a few players that are not quite at that top level. They may be one day, but not at this tournament, and that showed at points in this game (and had we got through been shown even greater v France).
Southgate done a cracking job though, hats off to everyone involved
Christ, I couldn't make this up. As soon as the World Cup ended Fox started showing "The 700 Club," which is Pat Robertson's TV show. Pat Robertson has, for decades, been the poster child for Fundamentalist Evangelical Christianity. Two minutes of this (I couldn't find the remote) might have hurt more than the England loss.
So gutted. But you have to say they deserved it more after the first half hour. We came up a bit short in quality. Lots of potential in the squad but lacking in 3 or 4 positions for the very top level.
England fans absolute quality again tonight. We got a lot further than I expected so going to console myself with that. and the match wasn't decided on a controversial refereeing decision. All 4 semi final teams have tried to play football and not focus on diving and winning by underhand means.
For the first time in years we've overachieved. You can stick your golden generation up your arse. Very proud of this young team and what they've done, and all credit to Southgate.
Lack of nous in midfield, Lingard and Alli outclassed. Kane ordinary, he should have gone off and Sterling stayed on. But still, I doubt there was a soul who believed we would get to the semi final before the tournament, so well done to Southgate and the whole team. Fortunately, supporting Charlton kind of inures you to defeat.
Comments
Trippier and Pickford men of the tournament for me.
The Pickford save, had that been an outfield player, it would have been a pen. Modric was class.
Sirens all over the bloody place outside. Expect the local manc pond life are turning the boozer over up the road.
Hurts, because for 40 minutes, England looked like they'd win at a canter. Last five minutes of the first half and you could hear their arseholes drop out from here. Awful way to go out - but nobody expected them to get to the quarters, let alone the semis. Cracking job by the manager - something to build on for the future and some real revelations (Trippier, Pickford, Stones, Maguire)
Do 3 people think the Final is on Saturday
Times in that game all we needed was for him to win a free kick, or hold possession and lay the ball off.
I’m not sure what’s more painful, losing tonight or losing in a final, but the reality is we simply wouldn’t have been good enough to beat a fully firing France.
Oh well
Missed opportunity and we’ve been nudged out in a 50:50 game against a non-top 5 team. However we could easily have had a different draw and been similarly nudged out in the 2nd round.
A few players have really stepped up this tournament and not a single one can be criticised for their commitment, attitude and togetherness.
Ultimately though there are a few players that are not quite at that top level. They may be one day, but not at this tournament, and that showed at points in this game (and had we got through been shown even greater v France).
Southgate done a cracking job though, hats off to everyone involved
#PeakAmerica
No wonder people think England fans are insufferable.
Can we not just be proud of our team getting further than they have in 28 years and congratulate the opposition on their first WC final ever?
I'm gutted, but pleased we did well for an average young side.
Very proud of this young team and what they've done, and all credit to Southgate.
More shots on goal 7-1
England's only shot on goal happened in the 5th minute. Ouch.
But still, I doubt there was a soul who believed we would get to the semi final before the tournament, so well done to Southgate and the whole team.
Fortunately, supporting Charlton kind of inures you to defeat.