[Football] England's WC review - a fair ending

[Weststander]

Valiant effort, great to finally get 4 wins in a tournament. Southgate has done a brilliant job. The first eleven plus Rashford stepped up the plate and performed. English pride restored. A young team, so there's more to come. I hope there's a fresh wave of players coming, so we start to get a brilliant bench of subs.

But a fair ending. After a good first 30 minutes tonight, we allowed decent at best players such as Lovren and Vida to boss us with a relentless high press. Which elminated Kane, Alli, Lingard and Sterling from the match for lengthy spells. The excellent Pickford was left punting the ball up 30 or 40 times to Lovren & co who, licking their lips, regained easy possession.

Teams that win the WC (rather than Euros ..... Greece) are always special, one of the two best teams on the planet at that moment in time. England and Croatia aren't, so fortunately/unfortunately the French have it in the bag.

On another positive, we'll stop hearing wally non-sports reporters asking all and sundry "It's coming home, isn't it?". This got cringeworthy in the end.

Still a great summer and we have the PL Albion to look forward to.

 

[Sheebo]

It’s coming home has never meant the Facebook generation adoptment that it became in this tourno. It initially meant we were hosting a tournement in 96 and to me it just means everyone getting behind England. Some great memories created from a young side and the nation all together as one supporting the team - football came home this summer to me, a long serving loyal England fan as we all should be. Well done lads.

 

[Ernest]

All the idiots with their waistcoats and singing 'It's coming home' despite never having seen a match before can go do one now

 

[Eeyore]

My only frustration was the idiot pundits at half time who seemed to think Croatia were a rubbish team and were almost talking about how we would fair against France.

Anyone with any footballing nouse knew they would come back once they had their game sorted. England did well not to lose in normal time but seemed to find it difficult to keep shape once the high press really kicked in.

I'd like to have seen them progress but, in all honesty, I think Mpape and co may have embarrassed us. England would merely have been the lion's bait.

They've done well, all credit, it's how they kick on that will be most interesting.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

It’s coming home has never meant the Facebook generation adoptment that it became in this tourno. It initially meant we were hosting a tournement in 96 and to me it just means everyone getting behind England. Some great memories created from a young side and the nation all together as one supporting the team - football cake home this summer to me, a long serving loyal England fan as we all should be. Well done lads.

I like football cake

 

[neilbard]

The it's coming home generation, have these pricks ever watched England in a World Cup before, failure after failure after failure.

Lesson for the newbies, It isn't coming home ever!!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

The it's coming home generation, have these pricks ever watched England in a World Cup before, failure after failure after failure.

Lesson for the newbies, It isn't coming home ever!!

****

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

The it's coming home generation, have these pricks ever watched England in a World Cup before, failure after failure after failure.

Lesson for the newbies, It isn't coming home ever!!

****

oh that word was t w a t, mr neilbard, if you wondering. It always makes me happy when I know that I'm happier than other people, like yourself

 

[Eeyore]

The it's coming home generation, have these pricks ever watched England in a World Cup before, failure after failure after failure.

Lesson for the newbies, It isn't coming home ever!!

Nope, because it never left. Other countries just wanted us to share it out. That's why you were watching tonight. Good 'innit ?

 

[Weststander]

oh that word was t w a t, mr neilbard, if you wondering. It always makes me happy when I know that I'm happier than other people, like yourself

He makes every one appear happy. A schadenfreude misery waiting for bad news.

 

[neilbard]

oh that word was t w a t, mr neilbard, if you wondering. It always makes me happy when I know that I'm happier than other people, like yourself

England winning or losing doesn't alter my emotional state, we just aren't good enough and I accept that, so mentally I am in a happy place.

 

[Surrey Phil]

I always thought before the tournament started our weakness was the defence and I think Croatia highlighted that! I do think though we need a World Cup in England.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

England winning or losing doesn't alter my emotional state, we just aren't good enough and I accept that, so mentally I am in a happy place.

so why are you here trying to bring others down

 

[neilbard]

so why are you here trying to bring others down

I have no influence on other peoples emotions or feelings, unless you are easily influenced or gullible.

 

[Weststander]

so why are you here trying to bring others down

Trying, in vain.

A couple of elated (about our exit) bitches, only strengthens my view that as a team probably from the second tier of international sides, we had a good WC and have a bright future.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I have no influence on other peoples emotions or feelings, unless you are easily influenced or gullible.

Yep, thats a fair point

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Our club sides have won countless Europan Cups. But England have been shit for decades. Not now. We look like a proper football country. We have plenty in the tank, plenty to look forward to. Bring on the Euro qualifications

 

[perseus]

I thought after watching Russia v Croatia it would not be easy.

Bookmakers did well out of me though in this World Cup.

 

[Weststander]

Our club sides have won countless Europan Cups. But England have been shit for decades. Not now. We look like a proper football country. We have plenty in the tank, plenty to look forward to. Bring on the Euro qualifications

Plenty to look forward to. A young England team, with even younger players such as Sessegnon and Foden on track to make it in time. The system the FA and latterly Southgate got going is working.

 

[neilbard]

A fair ending indeed, a group of youngsters who arrived at this World Cup with no pressure and no expectation.

Southgate steered his lads to a slightly easier bottom half of the draw and incredibly reached the semi-final, an extraordinary tournament that saw the demise of Germany, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Brazil.

The future is bright until you factor in expectation and mounting pressure on the players, time and time again we have seen better players and squads capitulate under this type of pressure.

All in all a good tournament for England, but in my opinion this was the best chance of winning the World Cup in decades and once again we fell short.