World Cup 2018 | Page 104 | Vital Football

World Cup 2018

I’d bite off your hand for the chance to cheer on the Stars and Stripes in a World Cup, nevertheless a knockout match or QF or Semi.

Hard way to go out, but only positives to take I’d say
And I hate to say it but the way the game is going here in the US, it might be a long time before that happens. Turning into a rich-kids sport at youth levels with this stupid academy system they now have in place. If the USSF doesn’t get its head out of its arse and see that they are excluding the very population that typically excels in professional sports then the downward trend for the US team will continue.
 
***BREAKING NEWS***

FIFA officials have noticed that Croatia used a player that was yellow carded two games ago. He should have missed the last two games.

FIFA officials could disqualify Croatia from the World Cup, meaning England could potentially still be on their way to the final!

This news is official and can be checked on the BBC website. It was brought to the attention of the chairman of FIFA only 25 minutes ago.

Carlsberg don't do statuses, but if they did, this would be the best status of the World Cup 2018! ???
 
Speaking of biting arms, would gnaw both off to have Southgate managing Villa. There’s a guy who knows how to develop youth and motivate a team

Agree he’s got those attributes, but he has a bit to do until he’s a top quality coach in my opinion particularly when it comes to seeing what’s going on in a game and the ability to change it
 
View from afar: the hype from the British media (and subsequent public reaction) was ludicrously over the top once we had beaten Colombia. The media realized they weren’t going to find their usual scandal or scapegoat (although they tried desperately with Sterling re the tattoo and then his lack of goals). So the only answer was to sell their papers with all the “its coming home” stuff. Pissed off just about every other country in the process and I can guarantee the Croatian dressing room was full of articles and quotes from pundits and “experts” talking about England winning the World Cup before the semi final had even been played...
The one thing that really gets under my skin is these ex pros getting paid silly money by the media to give their “expert” opinions. First of all, being an ex-player doesn’t make you Einstein - you were paid to follow instructions on the pitch. Secondly, you are selling-out your own fellow pros with your constant undermining of certain players.

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-says-english-disrespect-was-extra-motivation

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44804874
 
Is it too early to be honest? The English are natural born losers really. "Oh well, we didn't win, but we are all united and it was a spiffing effort wasn't it? " Fuck that, in it to win it, go down fighting, that's the way to do things

Other nations aren't like this.

We were piss poor at the World Cup, we played two half decent teams and lost. Our tactics were off. Croatia were there for the taking but we bottled it. Sorry, we united the nation in losing. One of the best strikers in the world was played too deep. We hoofed the ball up to the smallest guy on the pitch and lost possession cheaply. Sterling (who too many slate because they have to have a boo boy target) needed to be in the hold or wide to whip the ball over to Kane, he's a goal poacher and a brilliant finisher.

Lingard, Sterling and Alli are too similar. We had players who could score if set up but no one to set them up. It was clear after going up by one last night we had the momentum so what did we do? Sat back. Just like watching Villa. If we had passed the ball around, kept it (not radical that is it?) and made Croatia chase shadows, they would have fallen apart. But no, again just like Villa, we gave the ball to them cheaply over and over again and then their confidence grew. We got what we deserved, nothing.

We were one of the dullest teams there.

Love the fact they are young, but we can't say young and learning can we? They play for some of the biggest clubs in the world. Still would not rip it all up, that has never worked, just hope Gareth learns lessons he shouldn't have needed to learn and sets us up more aggressively and (again just like Villa) stops trying to put square pegs in round holes.

Hell Mr Cat... just put you amongst the pigeons.
 
Is it too early to be honest? The English are natural born losers really. "Oh well, we didn't win, but we are all united and it was a spiffing effort wasn't it? " Fuck that, in it to win it, go down fighting, that's the way to do things

Other nations aren't like this.

We were piss poor at the World Cup, we played two half decent teams and lost. Our tactics were off. Croatia were there for the taking but we bottled it. Sorry, we united the nation in losing. One of the best strikers in the world was played too deep. We hoofed the ball up to the smallest guy on the pitch and lost possession cheaply. Sterling (who too many slate because they have to have a boo boy target) needed to be in the hold or wide to whip the ball over to Kane, he's a goal poacher and a brilliant finisher.

Lingard, Sterling and Alli are too similar. We had players who could score if set up but no one to set them up. It was clear after going up by one last night we had the momentum so what did we do? Sat back. Just like watching Villa. If we had passed the ball around, kept it (not radical that is it?) and made Croatia chase shadows, they would have fallen apart. But no, again just like Villa, we gave the ball to them cheaply over and over again and then their confidence grew. We got what we deserved, nothing.

We were one of the dullest teams there.

Love the fact they are young, but we can't say young and learning can we? They play for some of the biggest clubs in the world. Still would not rip it all up, that has never worked, just hope Gareth learns lessons he shouldn't have needed to learn and sets us up more aggressively and (again just like Villa) stops trying to put square pegs in round holes.

Hell Mr Cat... just put you amongst the pigeons.

Love the fact they are young, but we can't say young and learning can we?

Think there was only one young and he isn't young he's ashley

See what I did there ...

Yep agree about the setup. Very strange Kane playing where he did; they could have done with Jack there. Lindegard covered a lot of ground but he's no striker

But I think they'll learn. Reckon Southgate's priority was to get them out there without the usual mindset, to play without fear, be positive and be ambitious. We weren't seriously embarassed by any team until we met Croatia, who are a very well set up side rather than a great one. First English side I took to since Sven.
 
All credits to Southgate , a man I can admire and relate to. No bullshit in the interviews, looks the person in the eye, and is humble and connected to reality. I've really enjoyed the ride, proof that youth can succeed if handled well, proof that bold decisions to ditch the old guard (Rooney Hart Wilshire etc) were spot on
 
Is it too early to be honest? The English are natural born losers really. "Oh well, we didn't win, but we are all united and it was a spiffing effort wasn't it? " Fuck that, in it to win it, go down fighting, that's the way to do things

Other nations aren't like this.

We were piss poor at the World Cup, we played two half decent teams and lost. Our tactics were off. Croatia were there for the taking but we bottled it. Sorry, we united the nation in losing. One of the best strikers in the world was played too deep. We hoofed the ball up to the smallest guy on the pitch and lost possession cheaply. Sterling (who too many slate because they have to have a boo boy target) needed to be in the hold or wide to whip the ball over to Kane, he's a goal poacher and a brilliant finisher.

Lingard, Sterling and Alli are too similar. We had players who could score if set up but no one to set them up. It was clear after going up by one last night we had the momentum so what did we do? Sat back. Just like watching Villa. If we had passed the ball around, kept it (not radical that is it?) and made Croatia chase shadows, they would have fallen apart. But no, again just like Villa, we gave the ball to them cheaply over and over again and then their confidence grew. We got what we deserved, nothing.

We were one of the dullest teams there.

Love the fact they are young, but we can't say young and learning can we? They play for some of the biggest clubs in the world. Still would not rip it all up, that has never worked, just hope Gareth learns lessons he shouldn't have needed to learn and sets us up more aggressively and (again just like Villa) stops trying to put square pegs in round holes.

Hell Mr Cat... just put you amongst the pigeons.

Easy to say after we got knocked out. I get it you are fishing for a response so here's mine.
My opinion is we were far the better team in the first half and IF we'd taken our chances we'd be in the final. Interesting that their winning goal was almost identical to the chance Kane had first half, he missed, they didn't. Take your chances or go home.
Yes we hoofed it a bit up to Sterling but actually looked a good tactic in this game first half, it had Croatia worried considering his pace, and quite often we were able to get out easily doing this.
Second half they changed it a bit, we seemed to tire and couldn't respond yet still had a chance or two.

Oh and it was our second team that lost to Belgiums second team so hardly anything to go on.

I agree though we are not good enough to win the whole thing but you never know. Put us in the final anything can happen in a one off game.

I thought Sterling was so poor throughout he was nailed on to score the winner in the final!

So on to 2020 when we can do it all again, as long as we qualify. lol
 
Nope, not fishing, it's called expressing an opinion.

And yes, I'd thought similar about Sterling in the final. I don't think he was that poor though, so I assume you are fishing for a response! :grinning::grinning::grinning: I just thought he was played in the wrong position. He put more effort in than Alli and Lingard I thought.
 
Dele Ali is like a higher class hourihane. No pace, can't beat a man, ok passer of the ball but doesn't really contribute anything to the midfield. He just has that knack of getting a goal though.
 
We are miles away from the side that were a disgrace v Iceland and don't forget we have had Allardyce in charge since then as well. As Southgate said this side is nowhere near finished , but in isolation to get to the semi final isn't a bad achievement and I get we had a nice passage through , but I refer back to the Iceland game to show what can happen against so called lesser teams if you are rubbish.
We failed to capitalise when we were on top Wednesday , you have to make it count in those situations and we didn't so in that respect we missed a massive opportunity.
 
Nope, not fishing, it's called expressing an opinion.

And yes, I'd thought similar about Sterling in the final. I don't think he was that poor though, so I assume you are fishing for a response! :grinning::grinning::grinning: I just thought he was played in the wrong position. He put more effort in than Alli and Lingard I thought.

It's all very well Sterling having effort Jonathan but, a little skill wouldn't go amiss.
As I have said before, repeatedly I might add, Sterling isn't international class, or anywhere near it. When he gets the ball in the penalty area, he honestly looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a speeding truck, (Mmm roadkill), he has no idea what to do.
Now at his club, with class players setting things up for him, he can score 20 goals a season.
Hell, my Gran could score 20 goals a season playing for Man City and she's been dead 50 years.
It's the same with Ali, Rashford, Young and Lingaard. They all play pretty well for their clubs but, are unable to transfer club ability to the international stage.
Take Delle Ali as an example, he's made a hatful of goal chances for Harry Kane at club level but, at international level, he has an almost zero end product. Compare Ali to his Danish team-mate Eriksen, who also creates loads of scoring chances at club level. The difference is, Eriksen also produces at international level.
 
Yes this team are not world beaters but for once we have a foundation to build upon.
Gareth is not the finished article but compared to some of the managers of old, he has been a breath of fresh air.
Instead of changing everything again like we usually do let's stick with GS and co through thick and thin and see where the ride takes us.
 
Let's face it no one thought we'd get anywhere near the semi finals. We'd not won a knockout game in 12 years and I went into the tournament thinking that getting to the quarter finals would be a great achievement.

It's ridiculous whinging about other nations having a winning mentally or some bollocks like that but Germany, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and uraguay would all have swapped places with us given the chance and Italy and the Netherlands didn't even qualify. How often can we say we've had a better tournament than any of those let alone all of them.

I was annoyed yesterday as I really thought we'd beat Croatia but now I'm attempting to think positively and reminding myself that this team did better than anyone predicted. We need to learn from this and hopefully some of these lads who've been winning youth tournaments will actually be given a chance at club level not discarded so the future might be bright.
 
Yes we have to get more English players playing in the Premiership for sure. Not sure if the clubs will co-operate though.
 
It was a simple tactical switch at half time by Croatia, by changing the shape of their midfield and pushing their wingers high and fullbacks further forward. It forced England into playing a back five, and there is a snowballs chance in hell of defending in wide areas with a three man midfield. Easy adjustment would have been to switch our shape. We didn’t and got punished by them having acres of space in wide areas and 2v1 against Trippier and Young.
That’s where Gareth showed naivety by just doing like-for-like substitutions.