Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.
Options

England v Croatia - Match thread

11213141618

Comments

  • Laddick01 said:
    This game is fast. Not sure if it’s the camera or what but the Netherlands seem to play with a much higher intensity than us and Croatia did today.

    Could be a difficult match up. 
    Also a different time of the day...

    Hopefully see a faster game when we play our last two Group games seeing they'll be at 8pm
    Very true. In cooler weather we could look really dangerous.
  • Laddick01 said:
    This game is fast. Not sure if it’s the camera or what but the Netherlands seem to play with a much higher intensity than us and Croatia did today.

    Could be a difficult match up. 
    And could either team play like that against England?  I saw Bromley play and they looked intense, wouldn't fancy them against Man City though. 
  • Laddick01 said:
    Laddick01 said:
    This game is fast. Not sure if it’s the camera or what but the Netherlands seem to play with a much higher intensity than us and Croatia did today.

    Could be a difficult match up. 
    Also a different time of the day...

    Hopefully see a faster game when we play our last two Group games seeing they'll be at 8pm
    Very true. In cooler weather we could look really dangerous.
    Am more looking forward to getting the game without that bloody shadow on the pitch, was even more challenging with Croatia in their dark kit but did ruin my enjoyment of the game a bit today
    They really should’ve done something about that. Bloody typical BBC. 😎
    Really should have gone back to the studio!!
  • Kane dropping in to midfield and constantly getting in the way, not playing up front, was annoying. But, he's our captain and there's no chance Southgate will drop him. But he needs to remember he's playing for England not Spurs and play off the centre halves and leave the intricate stuff to the soon-to-be World Class midfield we have. If not get Calvert-Lewin on. 
  • I know Sterling scored, but he can't trap a bag of sand, so would rather see Grealish terrorising the opposition and drawing fouls actually knowing what his feet are doing. Leaving Sterling's pace to scare tiring defence's with 20mins to go than him starting
    What does Sterling do for a day job?  Play for the dog and duck? 
  • edited June 2021
    Charlton fans watching England:  get Grealish on so he can run at people and win free kicks.

    Charlton fans watching Charlton: get Williams off all he does is run at people and win free kicks.

    (yes I know, but you get the point) 
  • Sponsored links:


  • Sage said:
    Skimmed through this thread and saw so many comments about Phillips, so many negatives or what’s the point or always underwhelmed. Wow… well I hope he’s changed people’s opinions now because he was outstanding.

    What most people don’t know is, Phillips used to be more of an attacking midfielder. Bielsa pushed him back because of his passing ability. Phillips showed today his quality with and without the ball.

    Very impressive.
    A lot of people who comment on England haven’t actually watched Phillips, Rice and Henderson play in any large amounts and it shows. They just hear that they are ‘holding midfielders’ and assume that they’re all the exact same type of player despite playing totally different roles for their clubs and being tactically aware enough to carry out nuanced roles for England. Thank god Southgate doesn’t listen to the mewling
  • Is mason mount Novak Djokovic’s illegitimate son .


    25% Win tourney 
    25% Runner up
    25% Losing semi 
    17% losing 1/4 finalists 
    8% losing last 16 
    0% failure in the group stage 

    It’s coming home!
  • edited June 2021
    It's Kane's lack of workrate that gets to me. I think I saw him run once. Remember the Colombia game where everyone was convinced he had broken ribs, but actually he was fine... And in that run of games there was no actual explanation for why he was so sluggish.

    When DCL came on, straight away he was battling for balls that Kane wasn't. 

    If Kane is in fact going through another one of these strange periods, nobody should be undroppable. Especially when we've got DCL. 
  • Pickford - Did OK but little disappointed with some of his distribution.

    Walker - Awful first half and looks like an accident waiting to happen.
    Mings - Very good.
    Stones - Very good.
    Trippier - Should go to right-back, did OK but that should be his last game at left-back.

    Rice - Efficient and calm.
    Mount - Sheer class. I hate Chelsea but they have done us proud with this lad.
    Philips - Exceptional - like our own Kante.

    Sterling - Good goal and nice burst in the first half to set up Foden but awful control at times.
    Kane - Very poor by his standards
    Foden - Excellent shot in first half, not sure I like him playing quite so wide, would like to see him closer to Kane.

    Overall this team is light years from the absolute shower of shit that lost 2-1 to Iceland in 2016 when we had to watch Wayne Rooney lumbering about in midfield trying f----g Hollywood passes every time he got the ball.

    Players like Foden and Mount represent a massive, massive cultural shift in English football and represent how we are developing technical players light years away from the likes of Geoff Thomas, Carlton Palmer, Andy Gray, David Batty and Gareth Barry types that we had not so long ago. 

    Foden and Mount are just so relaxed in possession, even when under pressure - as are Grealish, Chilwell, Trippier, Philips and others - back in 2016 we looked as nervous on the ball as the bloke from Al Qaeda who has to carry the company mobile phone.
  • Think Southgate will tweek the team to meet the needs of each game, as he did today.

    We played two DCM to nullify Modric and it worked.

    Scotland will set up differently so more likely to see Grealish on to run at them.

    Southgate has been building this squad for a while, give him some credit.
    I hope you’re right but playing a formation to nullify rather than dominate the opposition will win you jack shit imo.
  • Yes we got the win so can't complain about that, but i thought Croatia were very poor. An ageing squad coming to the end of an era. Mandzukic and Rakitic have gone, and Modric, Lovren, Vida, Perisic etc are all the wrong side of 30.

    I don't think that side from last night will be good enough to beat the stronger nations. The full back situation is weird, i believe Southgate said he went for experience (i guess he wanted Trippier there as he doesn't trust Mings), but Mings did well so that maybe gives Southgate something to think about. I'd either move Trippier over against Scotland or go with Chilwell/James, two full backs who've just won the champions league.

    Obviously Sterling scored but overall his control/finishing will eventually let us down, and he's not creative enough. Also not entirely convinced Foden on the right works, although he did well with the early cut inside and shot off the post, but does he ever play on the right for City? Personally i would play Grealish left/Sancho right instead.

    We're lucky to have a lot of options and have the ability to change things up. 2 good players (sometimes 3) for every position except centre back, and obviously up front but Kane will always start anyway.
  • Yes we got the win so can't complain about that, but i thought Croatia were very poor. An ageing squad coming to the end of an era. Mandzukic and Rakitic have gone, and Modric, Lovren, Vida, Perisic etc are all the wrong side of 30.

    I don't think that side from last night will be good enough to beat the stronger nations. The full back situation is weird, i believe Southgate said he went for experience (i guess he wanted Trippier there as he doesn't trust Mings), but Mings did well so that maybe gives Southgate something to think about. I'd either move Trippier over against Scotland or go with Chilwell/James, two full backs who've just won the champions league.

    Obviously Sterling scored but overall his control/finishing will eventually let us down, and he's not creative enough. Also not entirely convinced Foden on the right works, although he did well with the early cut inside and shot off the post, but does he ever play on the right for City? Personally i would play Grealish left/Sancho right instead.

    We're lucky to have a lot of options and have the ability to change things up. 2 good players (sometimes 3) for every position except centre back, and obviously up front but Kane will always start anyway.

    He will, but he shouldn't.
    If he plays that poorly against Scotland I would rest him.
  • edited June 2021
    Thought Sterling worked his socks off yesterday and was at the heart of all our best play. Foden and Kane were anonymous in comparison. 
  • Sponsored links:


  • Chunes said:
    It's Kane's lack of workrate that gets to me. I think I saw him run once. Remember the Colombia game where everyone was convinced he had broken ribs, but actually he was fine... And in that run of games there was no actual explanation for why he was so sluggish.

    When DCL came on, straight away he was battling for balls that Kane wasn't. 

    If Kane is in fact going through another one of these strange periods, nobody should be undroppable. Especially when we've got DCL. 


    Harry is a fantastic passer of the ball and the thought that Sterling who scored his first goal in a dozen chances in major Championships will somehow become a clinical finisher is hard to fathom. 
    Kane has never just been a Number 9 but check out his goal scoring record for Spurs and England before slating him for a quiet game in 30 degree heat when played as a lone striker and his friend Christian who was on the brink of death less than 24 hours before.
  • It was also Kane who drew the centre back across which allowed extra space to open up for Sterling to run into and score
  • edited June 2021
    I never said Sterling would become a clinical finisher, where's that come from? 

    I did wonder why you LOL'd me when Kane missed an open goal from a few yards out and I said he should've scored. I guess you like him a lot which is fine. 

    There is no doubting he is one of the best strikers in the world, but for whatever reason, he has been poor at recent tournaments for us, other than on penalties. And he's not above criticism just because he's a good player, especially when he's not putting a shift in and everybody else is. 

    His one good moment was a clever back heel to Sterling in the first half but I can't remember anything else. Let's hope he picks it up a bit.
  • Could be. He certainly plays with a lot more energy and verve for Spurs. 
  • Kane takes a load of hits to create space for Sterling and Foden, he wasn’t great yesterday, but far rather he was there as he’s such a smart footballer.

    also I thought it was excellent defending for that chance that went wide
  • I wouldn’t have picked Phillips and now wouldn’t drop him. 
    Yeah I hold my hands up to doubting the point of Phillips starting but freely admit to being wrong on that one.
  • Chunes said:
    I never said Sterling would become a clinical finisher, where's that come from? 

    I did wonder why you LOL'd me when Kane missed an open goal from a few yards out and I said he should've scored. I guess you like him a lot which is fine. 

    There is no doubting he is one of the best strikers in the world, but for whatever reason, he has been poor at recent tournaments for us, other than on penalties. And he's not above criticism just because he's a good player, especially when he's not putting a shift in and everybody else is. 

    His one good moment was a clever back heel to Sterling in the first half but I can't remember anything else. Let's hope he picks it up a bit.

    Foden was given a job to do and never stopped running and closing down. After a bright start when he gave the young Croatian LB problems, we appeared to attack more down the left where Trippier can't overlap.

    We all agree that Kane didn't get on the ball much yesterday and for us to progress in this tournament that will have to change. 
    Sterlings goal from MOM Phillips did cover up two poor efforts on goal when not under pressure he missed by a mile with his right foot in the first half and a woeful effort with his left in the second. Sterling timed his run well for the goal and received a great pass from the Leeds man.
    Hopefully Kane can prove he's our number one striker against the Scots and then sit out the 3rd game against the Czech Republic.

    Just a reminder:

    Harry Kane 34 goals in 54 games for England. 

    Love to sit in on the analysis to find out why he was subdued yesterday ?  Rooney was affected by his off field problems at times, hopefully Kane's desire to get away from Spurs and Levy's stubbornness is not on his mind, As well as the health of his friend Christian.


  • After being also-ran‘s in Championship for so long, yesterday must have been a proud moment for Leeds fans to see there player be MOM for England in a major tournament. 
  • not read all the thread but was there an annoying group of Leeds fans singing Leeds stuff near the mike ... thought i recognised a song but it may have been an England version of it 
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!