FIFA World Cup 2018

[Malenko]

Which is often enough unfortunately.

[MDK]

13 hours ago, Spainanite said:

Ringy, shut the fuck up! I know that was you! I ain't even gotta look! I should send your ass back to Crenshaw Pete with his hot-ass coat hangers, bitch. Would you like that?

 

[Gazz]

We're gonna be ok. There's issues to be addressed coming out of the tournament but there are players coming through that hopefully will address those issues. The two main ones that were demonstrated last night were that we are crying out for a calm, creative playmaker midfielder type who can put their foot on the ball, have a look around and pick a pass to unlock a defence in traffic, a Modric or an Eriksen. Phil Foden seems like that sort of player and learning from KDB and David Silva won't hurt, next World Cup might be a bit soon for him though since he's only 17.

We had little to no threat down the left side all tournament. Ashley Young is experienced, solid and dependable. Can he go past a player and put in a cross on his left foot? Didn't look like it which is why so much of our play went through Trippier on the opposite side who could. Luckily for us, Ryan Sessegnon is absolutely made for the role and should be called up as soon as possible for the upcoming friendlies and Nations League matches.

We need someone else to help Harry Kane with the burden of scoring all the goals, you can't rely solely on one player if you want to compete at the very top level. Again, I'm hoping that Rashford kicks on between now and the next World Cup and makes that place alongside Kane his own. Sterling just isn't clinical enough but we've known that about him for years.

The emergence of another one or two ball-playing centrebacks wouldn't hurt either.

But there is a big concern, tactical inflexibility and whether this system actually works. We've scored twelve goals this tournament, only three have been from open play and one of those was a fluke. We've played six games and kept only one clean sheet and that was only due to three world class saves from Pickford. It plays some nice football and it's good for retaining and recycling possession but does it create chances against top-quality opposition? Is it defensively sound? Not particularly on the evidence. It's early days and it might need a tweak here and there or a different player in a different role.

One thing I did see last night that I recognised from my own coaching education was the 'England DNA' being demonstrated. One of the things they want to implement is that you play the same in the first minute as you do in the ninetieth, you stick to the system and your role. Problem is last night, we were a goal down with ten minutes to play in a World Cup semi-final and we're playing possession football and we've brought on Vardy but dropped Kane into midfield to retain the 3-5-2 instead of playing with three up front and committing players forward to find a goal. We played keep ball for ten minutes and didn't create anything nor committed enough players forward to do so. Sometimes you've got to stick a big lad up to and try and hit him with the long ball. Seems naive to me to try and play in front of and through a team who've dropped into a very deep 4-5-1.

[MDK]

Just now, Gazzlory Hunter said:

you've got to stick a big lad up to and try and hit him with the long ball

This is the only bit I read.

[Adam]

I've just read reaction from Croatia players, Luka Modric says disrespectful English pundits wrote them off and said they would be tired, then said they should be "more humble".

In the next paragraph Dejan Lovren says he himself should be considered one of the best defenders in the world. Very humble.

[Hobo]

Almost like they're two different people.

[Naitch]

Croatia lost me with their attitude, to be honest. Before the game I was expecting whoever won to be my preference to beat France on Sunday. They weren't as rough on the pitch as the likes of Tunisia, Panama, and Colombia, but they played just dirty enough for me to want a France win now. Croatia played the better game than England last night thanks to their world class midfield play and flexibility but I'm currently hoping for a comfortable France win with no more than two goals each from Griezmann and Mbappe.

[Lineker]

39 minutes ago, Gazzlory Hunter said:

We're gonna be ok. There's issues to be addressed coming out of the tournament but there are players coming through that hopefully will address those issues. The two main ones that were demonstrated last night were that we are crying out for a calm, creative playmaker midfielder type who can put their foot on the ball, have a look around and pick a pass to unlock a defence in traffic, a Modric or an Eriksen. Phil Foden seems like that sort of player and learning from KDB and David Silva won't hurt, next World Cup might be a bit soon for him though since he's only 17.

We had little to no threat down the left side all tournament. Ashley Young is experienced, solid and dependable. Can he go past a player and put in a cross on his left foot? Didn't look like it which is why so much of our play went through Trippier on the opposite side who could. Luckily for us, Ryan Sessegnon is absolutely made for the role and should be called up as soon as possible for the upcoming friendlies and Nations League matches.

We need someone else to help Harry Kane with the burden of scoring all the goals, you can't rely solely on one player if you want to compete at the very top level. Again, I'm hoping that Rashford kicks on between now and the next World Cup and makes that place alongside Kane his own. Sterling just isn't clinical enough but we've known that about him for years.

The emergence of another one or two ball-playing centrebacks wouldn't hurt either.

But there is a big concern, tactical inflexibility and whether this system actually works. We've scored twelve goals this tournament, only three have been from open play and one of those was a fluke. We've played six games and kept only one clean sheet and that was only due to three world class saves from Pickford. It plays some nice football and it's good for retaining and recycling possession but does it create chances against top-quality opposition? Is it defensively sound? Not particularly on the evidence. It's early days and it might need a tweak here and there or a different player in a different role.

One thing I did see last night that I recognised from my own coaching education was the 'England DNA' being demonstrated. One of the things they want to implement is that you play the same in the first minute as you do in the ninetieth, you stick to the system and your role. Problem is last night, we were a goal down with ten minutes to play in a World Cup semi-final and we're playing possession football and we've brought on Vardy but dropped Kane into midfield to retain the 3-5-2 instead of playing with three up front and committing players forward to find a goal. We played keep ball for ten minutes and didn't create anything nor committed enough players forward to do so. Sometimes you've got to stick a big lad up to and try and hit him with the long ball. Seems naive to me to try and play in front of and through a team who've dropped into a very deep 4-5-1.

RE: a Modric/Eriksen style player - I'm obviously biased here, but I think a lot of people have forgotten just how good Harry Winks was looking before injury wrecked his season. I think he could be a huge asset going forward for England. Totally agree about Sessegnon - I am worried about an upcoming dearth in top-quality centre-half talent though.

[Jimmy]

Just now, Switzerlineker said:

RE: a Modric/Eriksen style player - I'm obviously biased here, but I think a lot of people have forgotten just how good Harry Winks was looking before injury wrecked his season. I think he could be a huge asset going forward for England. Totally agree about Sessegnon - I am worried about an upcoming dearth in top-quality centre-half talent though.

Also biased, but Winks was a huge loss for this squad. He's definitely not an Eriksen for me, maybe closer to Modric. He was just so good at the Bernabeu this season, where he managed to control the midfield all by himself. I was saying we really could've done with him as an option. 

[Adam]

6 minutes ago, Hobo said:

Almost like they're two different people.

Thanks for that. You're being deliberately obtuse, but I'll spell out what I mean anyway.

Modric believes it was unfair of English to be cocky, playing down Croatia. He believes we should all be more humble, implying Croatia wouldn't have the same attitude and that's a factor in why they won.

Dejan Lovren, a fellow Croatia player, then goes and makes a pretty cocky statement. To claim he is one of the best defenders in the world is pretty big-headed, especially when he didn't even have a good game last night.

But you're an Irish Liverpool fan so I'm probably wasting my breath.

[Kaney]

What does him being Irish have to do with it?

[DavidMarrio]

7 minutes ago, Switzerlineker said:

RE: a Modric/Eriksen style player - I'm obviously biased here, but I think a lot of people have forgotten just how good Harry Winks was looking before injury wrecked his season. I think he could be a huge asset going forward for England. Totally agree about Sessegnon - I am worried about an upcoming dearth in top-quality centre-half talent though.

I think England missed the likes of Chamberlain, Winks and Lallana. They're all midfielders who would have been able to link the midfield and the attack. 

Winks and Chamberlain were both playing great before their injuries. 

[METALMAN]

I don’t think Modric said it was unfair for the English to be cocky. I don’t think he was suggesting that it was morally wrong for them to underestimate Croatia.

I believe the point was that the cockiness got under the Croatians’ skin and inspired them to perform against England. Lovren himself may well be cocky, but one’s own cockiness doesn’t invalidate the possibility of being annoyed at another’s cockiness.

We are all motivated and rewarded by different things. Perhaps the English team were insufficiently inspired by Lovren’s cockiness, or perhaps - not having the same knowledge or access to Croatian media that the English speaking Croatians have to British media - they were unaware of it.

But I’m a Scottish Kilmarnock fan so you’re probably wasting your breath.

Edited July 12, 2018 by metalman

[Lineker]

So that photographer who was caught at the bottom of the Croatian pile last night took these:

[METALMAN]

15 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

Also biased, but Winks was a huge loss for this squad. 

He’s the missing Wink(s)

[MDK]

15 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

Also biased, but Winks was a huge loss for this squad. He's definitely not an Eriksen for me, maybe closer to Modric. He was just so good at the Bernabeu this season, where he managed to control the midfield all by himself. I was saying we really could've done with him as an option. 

You are such a huge fan of his I shall call you a Winker from now on.

[Cymbols]

58 minutes ago, Switzerlineker said:

RE: a Modric/Eriksen style player - I'm obviously biased here, but I think a lot of people have forgotten just how good Harry Winks was looking before injury wrecked his season. I think he could be a huge asset going forward for England. Totally agree about Sessegnon - I am worried about an upcoming dearth in top-quality centre-half talent though.

James Maddison is one who could take this kind of role I reckon.

[The Lusophone]

1 hour ago, PolaMDK said:

You are such a huge fan of his I shall call you a Winker from now on.

He's a Lamela rebound for Jimmy. *Nods*

[Naitch]

59 minutes ago, Cymbols said:

James Maddison is one who could take this kind of role I reckon.

He was definitely the star of an otherwise underwhelming Norwich side last season.

[FLiam]

This is absolute gold.