Very Proud | Vital Football

Very Proud

Proud of our team. No complaints.

Well done Croatia. A fantastic achievement from a country of only 4m. They deserved to win. Hope they win it. Another game with very little play acting.
 
I think the 2022 World Cup in Winter in Qatar could be bizarre, so hoping this team can go one step further in the Euros in 2020.
 
Agree with all the comments.

And I thought we actually didn't play very well today but were still the better side over the first 90 mins. That augurs well, there is plenty of up-side to this team.

But come the 120 mark, I think Croatia deserved it. Were dropping like flies but willed themselves on. I'd love to see them beat France, but think that's unlikely. They played their final tonight.
 
Agree with the above, best team by far in the first half but became men against boys (literally) second half where their experience showed.
Lots to look forward to but gutted we didn't get a shot at the French, I honestly believe we could give them a game.
Finally, got to agree with Roy Keane, Southgate and the team showed true class throughout the tournament and, as Southgate pointed out, the reaction of the fans at the final whistle shows they have made us fall in love with our national team again. Never thought that could happen after the last ten years of abject misery.
 
Like many have said above, very proud, and for once the future looks bright especially after the success of the Under 17,s and under 20,s
 
I am proud of the young England team, but I won’t let that stop me saying it as I see it. I thought they really let themselves down last night. A world cup final place was there to be taken and they didn’t take it.

I was confident before the match that we were better than a Croatia team who, bar a great performance against Argentina, have been average this tournament (and are lucky to get to the semis after being outplayed by an average Denmark team and being taken to pens by a weak Russia team). My biggest fear was that the “Argentina” Croatia team would turn up. They didn’t and were poor in the first have and should have been put to bed. They slightly improved in the second half, but did nothing special and never really played when they got their undeserved equaliser. Still, Croatia were far from anything special and their game plan was just to keep the ball at a slow slow pace, which we allowed them to do. There can be no excuses about tiredness (Croatia have played more minutes than us and are far older), weather (it wasn’t warm), or the ref (who wasn’t great, but didn’t give any major decisions against us).

Like all, I’d have taken a semi final performance before the tournament, but had someone said, after a weak geoup, we’d face poor sides in Colombia and Sweden, an average Croatia side in the semis and a far from great France side in the final, I’d have been gutted not to reach the final and disappointed not to win it.

Yes, the team are young and will be stronger next time. However, if we progress, we we won’t be playing weak teams in the last 16 and QF, an average side in the semi and the chance to play a beatable side in the final.

My abiding memory will be a missed chance and disappointment and the thought of how lucky Croatia are to be in the final.

So let’s congratulate England and show pride in the young team, but bus parades and street parties, like 1990 where we were unlucky to go out against a brilliant Germany team, are not warranted (and would be embarrassing), .
 
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A marvellous effort from the England players and manager. Who honestly thought before the tournament started we would have got so far? We have massively exceeded expectations and it says a lot that we are so disappointed that we haven't made the final. Very proud of the lot of them.

Because it was probably the best chance we have had to win it, and a chance that may never come again. I think its massively disappointing.

Southgate has avoided so many of the mistakes of his predecessors. Not taking injured and not match fit players (Lallana, who for me is the most effective England midfield player when fully fit) and he has set up a formation/system to make the most of the players he has, rather than trying to pick the best 11 players in the country and wedge them into a system/formation that doesn't suit them. I'm hoping that this is just the start.

Also thank god for Allardyce's greed, because I have no doubt we wouldn't have done this with him in charge.

Southgate had said something along the lines about this team being nowhere near their full potential yet, and lets hope he's right and Euro 2020 beckons.

As for the final I can't see Croatia beating France, who have looked the most impressive team for me. Thankfully I bet on France Each way at 13/2 to win the tournament, and after their demolition of Argentina I had a side bet on Croatia Each way at 12-1, so on a winner either way.
 
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"Also thank god for Allardyce's greed, because I have no doubt we wouldn't have done this with him in charge."

Agree with that, I could see the group being L W L under the old regime. People are still underestimating the win against Tunisia but in the old days, that would have potential defeat written all over it.
 
A bit harsh on Croatia Steve; prompted by Modric they gradually took control of the game. Not sure why Sterling seemed to disappear quite early on when he was so dangerous, which seemed to coincide with Henderson's almost total lack of performance compared with previous games. Perhaps he could've been subbed earlier in the second half. The other thing that didn't bear fruit was the passing around at the back; I don't have a problem with that as long as there's a cunning pass out be it a long ball or through ball. All in all, I would have taken the semis and perhaps third place; the boys done good.
 
Maybe Wayne, but I like to look at things holitsitically and, in the scheme of things, Croatia are not a good semi final or final World Cup side. We can have pride in our young team, but I don’t think that should mask views on individual matches. And last night, for me, was a huge chance of a World Cup final thrown away. Even when the young lads improve and are much better (and they will be), I’d be surprised if they have a better chance than last night. In the scheme of things, we have been in harder World Cup groups than Colombia, Sweden and Croatia, so a bit of perspective and cold acts are needed, whilst dishing out warranted praise.
 
So let’s congratulate England and show pride in the young team, but bus parades and street parties, like 1990 where we were unlucky to go out against a brilliant Germany team, are not warranted (and would be embarrassing), .

I think you might be feeling embarrassed Steve :)
 
Like many have said above, very proud, and for once the future looks bright especially after the success of the Under 17,s and under 20,s

it will be fantastic if those U17's and 20's progress to provide further strength to this current team over the next few years. Keep them all playing and believing they are on a good path to full England representation.

The current mob have shown it is maybe better to have decent players playing in a system and to their strengths rather than picking the outlying superstars and trying to fit a team around them.
 
“The current mob have shown it is maybe better to have decent players playing in a system and to their strengths rather than picking the outlying superstars and trying to fit a team around them.”

Exactly the point. Southgate has done that and that is a massive achievement and something many of his predecessors failed to do.
 
Better teams than Croatia went out.They were slightly better than us largely due to Modric.

I fully expect and hope they are well beaten by France who have been the best team by far.
 
Southgate has avoided so many of the mistakes of his predecessors. Not taking injured and not match fit players (Lallana, who for me is the most effective England midfield player when fully fit)

I thought Alli looked half fit. I know he only got injured during the tournament so its not like he picked him in the squad knowing he was injured, but he still continued to persist with playing what did seem to me a half fit dele alli.
 
Even though I won £100 on bets on Keiran Trippier scoring the first goal, the Full time draw and Croatia to qualify, I'm still completely deflated this morning. Sometimes I wish I wasn't right all the time!