Are you bored with the world cup,?

[ivoralljack]

Justice was done and the better team won. Had England squeezed through it would have been a travesty. Tbh, from the second half on England looked like the Swans at their worst last season. They looked leggy and fatigued and barely strung two passes together. They couldn't keep the ball and ended up playing hit and hope balls down the channels that just got swallowed up. But if I were an England fan, I'd be demanding to know from Southgate why a team that had played many more minutes than them, had so much more running in them.

One other thing. When I saw the makeup of the England squad, I didn't see a playmaker in there and there should have been one to act as the glue in midfield. Wilshire, not in the greatest form it's true, at least is a player who could have played those crafty passes, showed that bit of creativity that could have made a difference. The players Southgate did play in midfield, didn't have a clue.

So it's well done Croatia and well done @CroJack . I'm very pleased for you and would like to see you celebrate a win on Sunday. However, I honestly can't see it. Not only have France played far less minutes, they've also had an extra day's rest and they're a far better team than England in every respect. But I'll be rooting for you.

 

[Jackflash]

Congrats Crojack, deserved win, England a bit like last years Swans, 60 mins then surrender.

 

[CroJack]

Thank you guys .

I wrote earlier that the whole England setup has been wrong. Open Play won against Set Pieces. 3-5-2 (and in the second half mostly 5-3-2) is good for Burnley and likes, but it's criminal to use it when you have a lot of pace up front. Ask yourself, how on earth can Raheem Sterling score 20+ goals for Manchester City last season and in 20+ appearances for England score 0 goals? Something is wrong with the system they use, when the top players in their team don't play up to their potential. Ask yourself, why were Dyer and Routledge able to score goals under Rodgers and Laudrup just to become so ineffective under Monk, Guidolin, Clement, Bradley and Carvalhal? It's the system. Delle Ali is an attacking, not a central midfielder; Jesse Lingaard is a winger not a central midfielder; Raheem Sterling is a winger, not a striker. What a waste of talent. Had England played 4-3-3 with Dier - Henderson - Loftus-Cheek midfield and Lingaard - Rashford - Sterling up front (I think Kane played injured) - I bet they would have easily beaten Croatia using pace, high pressing and counter-attacking.

People criticise England for not having creativity enough in the midfield. Wrong. Liverpool didn't have creativity in their midfield either but they scored plenty of goals both in the Premier League and the Champions League after Coutinho had left them. I know I am boring to you when I quote Klopp again and again, but he is spot on here "Winning ball back in opposition third (high pressing) is ten times more worth than having a creative genius in the midfield." Klopp have three work horses in the midfield who run, press and win the ball, then they quickly pass the ball to the three killers up front. Mane, Firmino and Salah have never scored as many goals in their careers as last season. Why? The system. Liverpool create so many clear cut chances that even Routledge would bag 10 goals per season if he played for them.

And this bald guy is spot on about Southgate:

 

[CroJack]

 

[CroJack]

 

[1jack]

Thankfully no vitriol on this post, have to say I'm a bit embarrassed with all the crap that has been posted over social media by the Welsh, goes way beyond banter. There been loads on the Swans trust page on Facebook, so poor I've left the group.
@ivoralljack spot on with the match analysis, I said the same to a mate, England did look just like us, why pass forward when there's your own 'keeper to pass to. Croatia definitely deserved the win, but I think England have a bright future.

 

[Jackflash]

Thankfully no vitriol on this post, have to say I'm a bit embarrassed with all the crap that has been posted over social media by the Welsh, goes way beyond banter. There been loads on the Swans trust page on Facebook, so poor I've left the group.
@ivoralljack spot on with the match analysis, I said the same to a mate, England did look just like us, why pass forward when there's your own 'keeper to pass to. Croatia definitely deserved the win, but I think England have a bright future.

Your spot on with the similarity with the Swans, exhausted after 60 mins. And as Ivor says had they won it would have been a travesty to emerge as the best team in the world.I agree they look far more promising now,and able to hold a respectable place in European football. Best team in the world ? quite a way to go yet.

 

[ivoralljack]

Thankfully no vitriol on this post, have to say I'm a bit embarrassed with all the crap that has been posted over social media by the Welsh, goes way beyond banter. There been loads on the Swans trust page on Facebook, so poor I've left the group.
@ivoralljack spot on with the match analysis, I said the same to a mate, England did look just like us, why pass forward when there's your own 'keeper to pass to. Croatia definitely deserved the win, but I think England have a bright future.

I have to admit that if Wales play England at anything, I want us to smash 'em. But, as we didn't make the finals, I was more than happy to throw my support behind England who were representing the UK by default. I'm Welsh but I'm also British! I was disappointed by the result but, in football terms, Croatia deserved to beat them. Southgate was comprehensively out-thought by his opposite number.

He had no playmaker but he failed to adapt his tactics to those so well described by @CroJack above. This meant that England's advantage in playing less minutes was negated by the superior gameplan and performance of Croatia. Mind you, had England taken those missed first half chances, I think they might well have gone on to win. But still think that France would have beaten them anyway in the Final. I think that France will also have too much for Croatia but it would be great to see our very own CJ whooping and hollering on Sunday.

 

[Behindthegoal]

Well done, Croatia! I watched the match in a bar just outside Nice. The locals had been hoping for an England win but are looking forward to a cracking game on Sunday.

 

[CroJack]

I think that France will also have too much for Croatia...

I agree. Mbappe's pace and trickery will be too much for our left back who has been our weak link from day one. What a fantastic player that 19 years old lad is ! Griezman is another game changer for France.
And, of course, France haven't played 3 x 120 minutes in the past 10 days, so they'll have a huge advantage.

 

[ivoralljack]

And, of course, France haven't played 3 x 120 minutes in the past 10 days, so they'll have a huge advantage.

That might prove critical. And of course, there's Mbappe! If Sterling provided problems for your LB then Mbappe is sure to. But it's a Cup Final, the biggest one of all and, in a one off game, anything can happen!

 

[Ladygargar]

This World Cup has been really enjoyable and fascinating and I’m glad a home nation progressed as far as England did; but my uneducated analysis on the whole show is it’s been all about the second half in almost every single game - England v Croatia was a case in point.

If you are spent going into the second half and don’t win it - you simply don’t win.

 

[The Blobster]

Most teams have been over cautious in the first half, the games haven't opened up until the second half .

 

[Jackflash]

As much as I dislike Piers Morgan, his reply to a viewer regarding Englands 11 being called Englands Hero's, He asked a fan if they're hero's what category would you put the cave divers that rescued the school kids in. the fan replied," Oh yes they were hero's as well" that's when Morgan disconnected him.

 

[ivoralljack]

So it's 4th position for England and they deserved no better. I think they've got potential but that's down the line. Again I was so reminded of us in the way they were so one-paced and slow in the build up. Time and again they passed the ball in front of the defence without hurting them. The few times they got in behind, they caused panic but it wasn't often enough.

And they also proved the point that no matter how good your main striker is, he needs SERVICE to score. Kane had so little that when he was presented with a chance, he butchered it. There was no Ericsson setting him up here as happens at Spurs. I'm sure that Pots will realise that we need some genuine creativity even though his predecessors seemed not to. At least, I hope he does!!

 

[Ladygargar]

I missed it! I thought it was on tonight!! Doesn’t look like I missed an epic though. I’m pleased for Roberto Martinez - looked a bit like the England squad were sulking - I may be wrong but they looked a bit like Kevin & Perry about the place.....

 

[ivoralljack]

I missed it! I thought it was on tonight!! Doesn’t look like I missed an epic though. I’m pleased for Roberto Martinez - looked a bit like the England squad were sulking - I may be wrong but they looked a bit like Kevin & Perry about the place.....

Don't miss the final tomorrow, which I believe is also an afternoon game. France for me but Croatia will be dangerous with the players they have.

 

[Jackflash]

I missed it! I thought it was on tonight!! Doesn’t look like I missed an epic though. I’m pleased for Roberto Martinez - looked a bit like the England squad were sulking - I may be wrong but they looked a bit like Kevin & Perry about the place.....

Same here,thought it was later, watched a bit of the replay until that Rose defending.lost interest, switched off.

 

[Jackflash]

Well, one more day and it's all over, then it's back to the real serious business,the start of our Championship season which is just over a couple of weeks away.

 

[Ladygargar]

Lots of Swan activity through the lanes to fairwood lately I hope they’re gelling with Potter and his coaching team - I think that will be a deciding factor to our success or continued descent and I’m sincerely hoping for the former.....