SF: Croatia vs England, Wednesday 11 July, 18h00 GMT: Page 15 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

SF: Croatia vs England, Wednesday 11 July, 18h00 GMT

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Ricky who you support out of interest?

Ricky1985

Arsenal! 😆

I'm English, born and bred. Although my Grandfather is Italian. If that's what you're asking.

I don't support any international team, though, and don't really watch or like international football full stop. Couldn't pay me enough to watch a qualifier or a friendly unless there's an Arsenal angle!

Coombs

I genuinely can't figure out what your argument is, Ricky. People say: "really enjoyed England having a good run, showing some nerve, and getting to the semis." Then you've basically ranted about the quality of the opposition to make some point about the quality of the squad.

I don't understand. Who honestly gives a toss about any of your points when it comes to supporting a team? I sure don't. In fact, if anything, you've only made me reflect back and think even more highly on their run and their performances.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Ricky1985 wrote:
Arsenal! 😆

I'm English, born and bred. Although my Grandfather is Italian. If that's what you're asking.

I don't support any international team, though, and don't really watch or like international football full stop. Couldn't pay me enough to watch a qualifier or a friendly unless there's an Arsenal angle!

Fair play. I'm the same in that most of the time I give no fucks about international football.

Rohit

Isn't there a tendency to believe that the media narrative is a reflection of general public sentiment and hence be repelled by the team which is the subject of the media story?

I think it's unfair to both the people of the country who are brought together by such a tournament and the players.

I am not English. I don't live here either. I have however been in London for over a week now and in Russia for a game in between and met a lot of people. I haven't met one person who believed this team had a chance, or that any of the previous English teams were better than they showed.

It was really heartening to see the excitement in people, those that are regular football viewers and those that are indifferent about the game. They were really looking forward for a reason to celebrate. The English fans are passionate from what I have seen but not deluded.

banduan

England paid for not having a creative player. Not that they had much option. Still I think Southgate shoulda gambled on Wilshere over Welbz. Maybe even Jonjo Shelvey.

This doesn't excuse Kane who did bottle this though. Went into hiding - dropped deep but didn't really even get the ball.

Croatia were always my favourites from this half of the knockouts. They have really solid squad. But it's 3 ET games in a row now and they've got some fairly old players.

invisibleman18

Ricky's point seems to be that it doesn't really count for anything without having beaten any of the traditional big teams. None of whom (bar France if you include them in that group) made it as far in the tournament, and several of whom (Germany, Italy, Netherlands) couldn't get past the Sweden side it was apparently no achievement to beat. Presumably by "only" beating Denmark, Russia and England it's no great success for Croatia yet either.

I don't really see the shame in going out at this stage. It wasn't the best England team ever and they may not have beaten the best teams, but for most people on here at least it was the best run at a World Cup in living memory. Last tournament they went out to Iceland and the one before that they were out inside the first week. Also hadn't won a tournament knockout match since 2006. This was a good run beyond reasonable expectations and there's no shame on feeling proud of it. There's also no harm in feeling optimistic about the future given the age of many of the players, and also remembering England have just won the U20 and U17 World Cups too.

USArsenal

im trying to think of how the Ox really could have helped this team. (and by that, i mean he really could have). he has that explosiveness and can beat a man better than Lingard can. shame he got injured

TambourineMan

Well Croatia are a country with 4 million people so it's a pretty amazing accomplishment regardless of who they beat on their way to the final. It would have par for the course should England have made it however due to the disparity between the relative size of both countries.

This was England's best chance to make a final and they blew it. It's an embarrassment especially considering how everyone was constantly banging on about how it's coming home.

GooneriC

Wilshere didn't go and despite dropping off his top level since injury he would have been a good asset for England in a game like this. Even coming off the bench.

lorddulaarsenal

It’s not an embarrassment at all. Getting behind your team and country is what it’s all about. Having a vested interested made it all far more exciting. Garaunteed I’ve enjoyed this World Cup more than the those snarky negative folk in here who have a pop at england because it’s england. They are the embarrassing ones.

Jed

Tambourine Man wrote:
Well Croatia are a country with 4 million people so it's a pretty amazing accomplishment regardless of who they beat on their way to the final. It would have par for the course should England have made it however due to the disparity between the relative size of both countries.

This was England's best chance to make a final and they blew it. It's an embarrassment especially considering how everyone was constantly banging on about how it's coming home.

All that it's coming home stuff was obviously banter and it's amazing that you can't see this.

Gutted about yesterday. Small details cost us the game, such as Kane and Lingard messing up great opportunities and Stones switching off for their winner. That aside there was very little between us and them.

Southgate should've shut up shop in the 2nd half and played on the counter. Bit of naivety there tactically and looking back he would probably be the 1st to admit that he got it wrong in the 2nd half. We allowed Croatia back into it with little to no tactical adjustments.

That being said, can't help but feel proud of the lads and it very much does feel like our pride as a footballing nation on the global stage has been restored.

RC8

Ricky1985 wrote:
However good the feeling is, beating Colombia and Sweden can't, in my opinion, be hailed as some sort of great achievement.

Colombia is a tough team to beat. They are inconsistent which is why they rarely win anything, but they are very tough and often cause upsets.

I agree that overall England has had an incredibly easy draw for WC standards. In the end they lost against the two teams you would have expected to beat them, and scraped by the only other theoretically tough team they played. Sweden were no pushovers, but beating a good team of that sort rarely gets you to the semis.

England did well to get this far given their very limited squad. They don't seem like a particularly good team to me, and therefore I think English fans should be rightfully delighted by the fact they might bring third place home.

Burnwinter

Still one more to go, just look to the next game.

If England can beat this Belgium side they'll have proven their bona fides clearly.

lorddulaarsenal

Not bovved by Sat - what’s the point in that game?

lorddulaarsenal

England definitely create the biggest buzz in international footy. Interest is yuuuge. That in itself is credit to the success

Mirth

Who would have thought England would play Belgium twice in a game no one cares about?

jones

Way too much talk about England and not nearly enough praise for Croatia for my liking. The likes of Modric or Mandzukic were dead on their feet in the first half already but somehow were still pressing Pickford in the 118th minute, insane willpower. Rakitic the best Croatian this tourney for me has played 70 games since last summer, as a CM he's barely subbed too. Why anyone would want to see them "taken apart" in the final is beyond me

England did well to get this far, they have a solid functional team which isn't nearly good enough for the semis on a normal day so they can hold their heads high although that's certainly not what I'd be saying after going out so I can definitely understand Ricks ridicule of Kanes interview. Southgate is similar, his setup is good enough to get past most weaker teams but his neglect of the midfield was always going to be his downfall. He also clearly put players in based on reputation first which is why I never warmed to him

Overall this England side is basically the Burnley of this tournament. A compliment if you consider the quality of the squad and an insult if you think about the aspirations they had.

lorddulaarsenal

And yet I don’t see many if any teams who have played significantly better footy. Go figure

Second youngest squad in the tournament and lots of promising youngsters in the pipeline, whilst other major nations are seeing their stars age. Futures well bright

lorddulaarsenal

I want to see France win cos Mbappe is the only player to get me off my seat so to speak this World Cup. He’s electric

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