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Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 2:11 pm
by uspompeyfan
can't disagree with Pompey Penguin at all in that assessment. Whereas most people thought that Croatia would tire, they didn't. Modric was immense in that second half and in the end, it was their experience in the pressure cooker of the second half and extra time that told.
It was nice to hear so many positive things coming about an England campaign, even the US media at Fox (half were English mind) were all seemingly rooting for the Three Lions, especially Alexi Lalas.
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 2:42 pm
by Portchester PFC
Pompey Penguin wrote:No complaints. We were beaten by the better team overall. No controversy, no referee error, no bad mistakes by any of our players; no-one who is going to be blamed. The whole experience over the last year or so has made me (and a lot of other people) like the England football team again, and I have enjoyed watching them. I said at the start that all I wanted was to feel that England try to win and play with freedom, and they certainly did that.
England were the third youngest and least experienced (in terms of caps) squad in the finals, and they will only learn from the experience. As of now, they have played in a WC Semi-final; something that only 40 Englishmen have ever done.
As to the game, it all changed after half-time when Croatia pushed their wide attacking players forward, and England's wing-backs backwards. England were effectively playing 5-1-2-2, and that's not a formation you want to be using. This opened up acres of space for the two Croatia full-backs and Modric, and Croatia have too much talent not to make the most of that. Southgate could have changed things and gone 4-5-1, but you have to admire the fact that they stuck to an attacking mindset, even if it didn't really work.
Roll on Euro 2020!
Spot on assessment, I am happy with the way the team has performed and i think we will be a force to be reckoned with in the Euros.
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:13 pm
by The Cincinnati Kid
Yeah...good assessment however I'm somewhat gutted as never again in our lifetime, will the path to the final be so laid with gravy and rosepetals
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:36 am
by Pompey Penguin
The Cincinnati Kid wrote:Yeah...good assessment however I'm somewhat gutted as never again in our lifetime, will the path to the final be so laid with gravy and rosepetals
Look at it this way Kid. As Theo Epstein said about the Red Sox; the aim is always to get to the play-offs (effectively the 1/4-finals), after that everyone knows it is a crapshoot.
If we can turn out a team that is not burdened by injured players, over-reliance on superstars and gives their absolutely best efforts to win by playing attacking football, then the 1/4-finals are realistic and we can take our chances from there, both in luck of the draw and luck of the games.
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:19 am
by Lost in Transportation
Pompey Penguin wrote:The Cincinnati Kid wrote:Yeah...good assessment however I'm somewhat gutted as never again in our lifetime, will the path to the final be so laid with gravy and rosepetals
Look at it this way Kid. As Theo Epstein said about the Red Sox; the aim is always to get to the play-offs (effectively the 1/4-finals), after that everyone knows it is a crapshoot.
If we can turn out a team that is not burdened by injured players, over-reliance on superstars and gives their absolutely best efforts to win by playing attacking football, then the 1/4-finals are realistic and we can take our chances from there, both in luck of the draw and luck of the games.
It would also help to have some midfielders. We hide our weaknesses quite well but the difference in terms of influencing play that Modric and Rakitic brought to the game once England's legs started to wane was apparent. As TCO said on Croatian TV, Croatia killed England in the second half.
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:07 am
by Earl Grey
Lost in Transportation wrote:Pompey Penguin wrote:The Cincinnati Kid wrote:Yeah...good assessment however I'm somewhat gutted as never again in our lifetime, will the path to the final be so laid with gravy and rosepetals
Look at it this way Kid. As Theo Epstein said about the Red Sox; the aim is always to get to the play-offs (effectively the 1/4-finals), after that everyone knows it is a crapshoot.
If we can turn out a team that is not burdened by injured players, over-reliance on superstars and gives their absolutely best efforts to win by playing attacking football, then the 1/4-finals are realistic and we can take our chances from there, both in luck of the draw and luck of the games.
It would also help to have some midfielders. We hide our weaknesses quite well but the difference in terms of influencing play that Modric and Rakitic brought to the game once England's legs started to wane was apparent. As TCO said on Croatian TV, Croatia killed England in the second half.
Totally agree. We needed some quality in the midfield like a Pompey born lad. Oxlade-Chamberlain would've been our Modric. Go Pompey!
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:29 am
by Milton End
Really good analysis of the England performance with some excellent data on the BBC Sport website:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44808192
The general conclusion? England were good but also lucky.
My real concern is whether the England team players will be given game time in the PL over the upcoming season.
They need to improve and develop further. But this will be difficult because the wealth and pressures of the PL make it easier for PL managers to recruit from outside the UK and fail to select English players. Also one of Roy Hodgson's complaints if I recall correctly?
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:29 pm
by uspompeyfan
Milton End wrote: this will be difficult because the wealth and pressures of the PL make it easier for PL managers to recruit from outside the UK and fail to select English players. Also one of Roy Hodgson's complaints if I recall correctly?
Hasn't this really been the problem since the 90s? When we had to increase the foreign influence to 'over two' players per team? Once foreign limits were fully withdrawn it opened the PL to desicrate the 'English ' born players' development for the sake of seeing foreign stars every week.
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:00 pm
by PakefieldBlue
uspompeyfan wrote:Milton End wrote: this will be difficult because the wealth and pressures of the PL make it easier for PL managers to recruit from outside the UK and fail to select English players. Also one of Roy Hodgson's complaints if I recall correctly?
Hasn't this really been the problem since the 90s? When we had to increase the foreign influence to 'over two' players per team? Once foreign limits were fully withdrawn it opened the PL to desicrate the 'English ' born players' development for the sake of seeing foreign stars every week.
The flaw I always see in this argument is that it implies our national team has performed more poorly since the influx of overseas players. However I don't recall us winning or getting to the semis of any tournament in the 70's or 80's when there were very few foreign players in our leagues.
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 4:59 pm
by Locky_McLockface
PakefieldBlue wrote:uspompeyfan wrote:Milton End wrote: this will be difficult because the wealth and pressures of the PL make it easier for PL managers to recruit from outside the UK and fail to select English players. Also one of Roy Hodgson's complaints if I recall correctly?
Hasn't this really been the problem since the 90s? When we had to increase the foreign influence to 'over two' players per team? Once foreign limits were fully withdrawn it opened the PL to desicrate the 'English ' born players' development for the sake of seeing foreign stars every week.
The flaw I always see in this argument is that it implies our national team has performed more poorly since the influx of overseas players. However I don't recall us winning or getting to the semis of any tournament in the 70's or 80's when there were very few foreign players in our leagues.
In the mid-90s, UEFA introduced a cap on non-nationals playing for teams in the CL. Man Utd were quite upset about it, they were only allowed to play 4 foreign players, and I recall watching one game where poor old Man U had to play the kids, because there weren't enough English senior players. The "kids" we're talking about here were Beckham, Scholes, Butt. They seemed to benefit from the experience....
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 6:11 pm
by Mickemo
Introduce a tax on foreign players in EPL - take a % of the transfer fee and wages and feed funds into English grass roots football
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:08 pm
by uspompeyfan
Mickemo wrote:Introduce a tax on foreign players in EPL - take a % of the transfer fee and wages and feed funds into English grass roots football
definitely a legal possibility after Brexit, but not before I'd imagine with freedom of trade or whatever its called. Like the idea though
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 1:15 pm
by Locky_McLockface
Mickemo wrote:Introduce a tax on foreign players in EPL - take a % of the transfer fee and wages and feed funds into English grass roots football
That will never happen. The EPL aren't interested, the FA aren't really that interested.
You may have heard of the proposed sale of Wembley Stadium to the geezer that owns Fulham, who wants to use it for 'merkin Football. Once the capital cost of construction is paid off, and the EFL have had their mits into it, there's nothing left for Grassroots at all. In fairness to the PL, they've said they don't want any of the proceeds.
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 1:36 pm
by Locky_McLockface
I'm getting a bit annoyed with Shearer on the Beeb (and not just cos he's an ex-Stain).
The free kick for France's first goal. At both half- and full-time, he was pontificating about it clearly being wrongly-awarded, showing the action replay. He completely ignored the angle from the rear, which clearly showed Griezeman's legs being taken by the defender. He just talked over it, not bothering to watch it at all.
Grr.
Re: World Cup Yak Thread
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:22 pm
by Portchesterblue1
Some of the co commentating and punditry of this world cup has been abismal. Glen hoddle should just give up. He was berating dier for not looking up and squaring the ball when alderwirald cleared off the line, despite the fact there was no one to pass to anyway lol.