| England v Croatia 21:56 - Jul 7 with 12612 views | bosh67 |
I have no idea why but feel a bit relieved we are playing Croatia rather than Russia given the intensity of Russia's fantastic support and what it would have elevated to against us if they had won.
I feel that it will be a more even playing field on Wednesday. We won't be playing 80,000+ supporters in the ground as well.
Croatia are a hugely talented team but like today it is a game that on paper could go either way, whereas I felt it was written in the stars for the Russians to do the impossible if they won tonight. |  |
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| England v Croatia on 22:00 - Jul 7 with 5530 views | Match82 |
Yeah that and the steroids. |  | | |
| England v Croatia on 22:04 - Jul 7 with 5520 views | CiderwithRsie |
Me too. Croatia are the more accomplished side alright, I've always liked them, but Russia have been brilliantly unpredictable.
Also, I quite like us having a bit of a challenge. Croatia feel big enough not to be a banana skin but not out of sight. |  | | |
| England v Croatia on 22:07 - Jul 7 with 5513 views | MrSheen |
I wonder if Southgate might be tempted to play Dier and Henderson. Hope not. |  | | |
| England v Croatia on 22:15 - Jul 7 with 5477 views | danehoop |
I have a feeling Uncle Vlad will be looking for a chat with his friends in FIFA tonite to understand why, having paid so generously for the world cup, there seems to have been some kind of problem.
Equally I wouldn't want to be on the Croatian team bus at the moment. At a very minimum I'd be changing my route, hell I'd probably change the whole damn hotel. |  |
| Never knowingly understood |
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| England v Croatia on 22:30 - Jul 7 with 5407 views | SimonJames |
Hopefully we'll have the Russians cheering us on now. |  |
| 100% of people who drink water will die. |
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| England v Croatia on 22:59 - Jul 7 with 5332 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| England v Croatia on 22:15 - Jul 7 by danehoop |
I have a feeling Uncle Vlad will be looking for a chat with his friends in FIFA tonite to understand why, having paid so generously for the world cup, there seems to have been some kind of problem.
Equally I wouldn't want to be on the Croatian team bus at the moment. At a very minimum I'd be changing my route, hell I'd probably change the whole damn hotel. |
Can you imagine If Russia won the World Cup after not winning a match in 11 games prior. FIFA and Russia would have zero credibility left. [Post edited 7 Jul 2018 23:00]
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| England v Croatia on 23:16 - Jul 7 with 5289 views | californiahoop |
| England v Croatia on 22:30 - Jul 7 by SimonJames |
Hopefully we'll have the Russians cheering us on now. |
Yep, hoping the Russians supporters hold a grudge. | | | |
| England v Croatia on 23:46 - Jul 7 with 5213 views | CliveWilsonSaid |
We were discussing this earlier. If before the world cup someone said, who would you prefer in the semi's? Russia or Croatia? I'd have taken either.
If I were a betting man id have backed France to win from the beginning. Haven't seen a lot to change my mind but Sterling v Mbapp in the final seems fitting. |  |
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| England v Croatia on 23:52 - Jul 7 with 5196 views | Jigsore |
Croatia have looked knackered for both the games against Denmark and Sweden now, gonig to penalties surely couldn't have helped. Our side are fast pretty much all across the board and much younger. We definitely have a chance.
oh and it's coming home. |  |
| “The thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.†|
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| England v Croatia on 08:49 - Jul 8 with 4933 views | johnhoop |
I think that man for man we may well be as good as Croatia or even slightly better with the major exception of Luka Modric who I'd rate as possibly the best midfield player in the world at the moment. We don’t have anyone of that class but may be slightly superior in other areas to balance it out. Think we’re in with a real chance of making it and if you’d said to me before the tournament started that we’d get this far I’d have thought you were nuts so very happy to see England competing in a World Cup semi-final. | | | |
| England v Croatia on 09:22 - Jul 8 with 4859 views | Lblock |
How does that Croat striker feel now who got sent home?
What an absolute mug, spitting the dummy coz you’re a sub.
Always liked Croatia for their kit and I thought Suker was a quality striker. Glad they won as it should also mean some extra tickets floating around now. |  |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| England v Croatia on 10:02 - Jul 8 with 4783 views | Watford_Ranger |
| England v Croatia on 22:07 - Jul 7 by MrSheen |
I wonder if Southgate might be tempted to play Dier and Henderson. Hope not. |
Think he knows he got it wrong bringing Dier on against Colombia and he’d go with Delph if he was going to bring in a more defensive player.
You’d have to fancy our attack against their defence but Modric, Rakitic and the guy at Inter against our three slightly terrifies me. It’s a genuine 50-50 game, not that the odds will reflect that. | | | |
| England v Croatia on 10:43 - Jul 8 with 4701 views | TacticalR |
On bosh's point I think for good or ill it's much more likely to be 'just a game of football' (if there ever is such a thing). |  |
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| England v Croatia on 10:45 - Jul 8 with 4698 views | davman |
| England v Croatia on 22:07 - Jul 7 by MrSheen |
I wonder if Southgate might be tempted to play Dier and Henderson. Hope not. |
Southgate appears to be loyal to the team he has chosen. Unless it is a dead game (like Belgium), he will tend to stick with the same 11, so I expect that unless there are injuries.
Absolutely nothing wrong with picking your best team and sticking with it. I always wondered what it would be like supporting a team who did that... |  |
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| England v Croatia on 11:24 - Jul 8 with 4599 views | DavieQPR |
| England v Croatia on 10:45 - Jul 8 by davman |
Southgate appears to be loyal to the team he has chosen. Unless it is a dead game (like Belgium), he will tend to stick with the same 11, so I expect that unless there are injuries.
Absolutely nothing wrong with picking your best team and sticking with it. I always wondered what it would be like supporting a team who did that... |
Croatia have lost their gas supplies for the next 10 years. |  | | |
| England v Croatia on 12:17 - Jul 8 with 4523 views | smegma |
Watching the Russia games I got the impression the locals were at their first ever football match. | | | |
| England v Croatia on 13:54 - Jul 8 with 4412 views | SimonJames |
| England v Croatia on 23:46 - Jul 7 by CliveWilsonSaid |
We were discussing this earlier. If before the world cup someone said, who would you prefer in the semi's? Russia or Croatia? I'd have taken either.
If I were a betting man id have backed France to win from the beginning. Haven't seen a lot to change my mind but Sterling v Mbapp in the final seems fitting. |
Before the tournament started I had France down as my favourites, but now I think Belgium will beat them. | |
| 100% of people who drink water will die. |
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| England v Croatia on 17:10 - Jul 8 with 4232 views | Tonto |
| England v Croatia on 22:30 - Jul 7 by SimonJames |
Hopefully we'll have the Russians cheering us on now. |
Er... have you not noticed that little spat between the two countries recently? I fear that politics is thicker the football! Back then Scots still hate us from stuff done several hundred years ago! And that's without Putin telling them who to support! [Post edited 8 Jul 2018 17:11]
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| England v Croatia on 17:38 - Jul 8 with 4167 views | CaptainPugwash |
Avast me hearties!
The Black Pig was once becalmed off Dubrovnik fer nigh a fortnight,crew heavin' and a-fartin' from a bad barrel o' apples.The longboat leaked an' we fair escaped with our lives from pesky sea leeches wot swarmed the rafts.The maidens were surly and witheld their favours for lack of sufficient dubloons - a pox on their memory and their native land!
Yo Ho! [Post edited 8 Jul 2018 17:39]
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| England v Croatia on 18:44 - Jul 8 with 4093 views | CiderwithRsie |
| England v Croatia on 17:10 - Jul 8 by Tonto |
Er... have you not noticed that little spat between the two countries recently? I fear that politics is thicker the football! Back then Scots still hate us from stuff done several hundred years ago! And that's without Putin telling them who to support! [Post edited 8 Jul 2018 17:11]
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The impression I get is that no-one watching the football gives a toss about the political stuff, whether they're English or Russian.
I reckon most of us wouldn't hold yer average Russki responsible for Putin's antics and I bet it goes the other way. Plus everyone's having a good time, there's not been any violence I've heard, people on here coming back seem to have had got on fine.
TBF it hasn't been the propagandafest that some predicted - unlike the notorious 1978 Argentina WC with Galtieri and his mates. Maybe FIFA have done a good job for once, or maybe it's just that no-one thought Russia would get out of the groups so didn't want to shout the odds and then look like arses when they got knocked out. | | | |
| England v Croatia on 19:15 - Jul 8 with 4029 views | smegma |
| England v Croatia on 18:44 - Jul 8 by CiderwithRsie |
The impression I get is that no-one watching the football gives a toss about the political stuff, whether they're English or Russian.
I reckon most of us wouldn't hold yer average Russki responsible for Putin's antics and I bet it goes the other way. Plus everyone's having a good time, there's not been any violence I've heard, people on here coming back seem to have had got on fine.
TBF it hasn't been the propagandafest that some predicted - unlike the notorious 1978 Argentina WC with Galtieri and his mates. Maybe FIFA have done a good job for once, or maybe it's just that no-one thought Russia would get out of the groups so didn't want to shout the odds and then look like arses when they got knocked out. |
A Rangers mate is out there. While in a bar full of locals he was asked by one of them 'so what do you think of Putin?" ......total silence as a load of locals waited for him to reply, he had them all in stitches when he replied " no idea as I've never met him". | | | |
| England v Croatia on 19:51 - Jul 8 with 3960 views | themodfather |
well, it's up for grabs now.......england will never get a better chance for a fifa world final and maybe win it.
trying to not get too excited but it's "there"...it took me 25 years to get engalnd flags and bunting along the street and i have finally done it......its coming home!! | | | |
| England v Croatia on 22:25 - Jul 8 with 3820 views | CiderwithRsie |
| England v Croatia on 19:15 - Jul 8 by smegma |
A Rangers mate is out there. While in a bar full of locals he was asked by one of them 'so what do you think of Putin?" ......total silence as a load of locals waited for him to reply, he had them all in stitches when he replied " no idea as I've never met him". |
The bloke's a born diplomat - could probably do a better job than old Boris if there's vacancy (ooo-err politics alert) | | | |
| England v Croatia on 08:18 - Jul 9 with 3611 views | rsonist |
| England v Croatia on 10:45 - Jul 8 by davman |
Southgate appears to be loyal to the team he has chosen. Unless it is a dead game (like Belgium), he will tend to stick with the same 11, so I expect that unless there are injuries.
Absolutely nothing wrong with picking your best team and sticking with it. I always wondered what it would be like supporting a team who did that... |
I dunno, Three Lions roaring and all that but I think there's plenty wrong with walking into punches if you have the options available to adapt and protect yourself - obviously if you go to the extreme of completely nullifying your own strengths that's one thing but doing your homework really shouldn't be seen as this big mark of submission or anything. Similarly, the question of loyalty shouldn't particularly come into it unless we're talking a fully like-for-like switch based on form (Rashford for Sterling for instance).
I do agree bringing Dier in would be a bad move though, but that's with regards to the limits of Dier's capabilities specifically. If we had ball players like Brozovic and Kovacic to bring in the way Croatia have done to good effect this tournament it'd be a different story - even just Modric on his own can play deeper or as a pure 10, we don't have a player with that flexibility.
Personally I would be very tempted to have Loftus-Cheek in for Alli though, and be quick to introduce Vardy depending on how the game's panning out. Croatia are obviously going to try and pin our wing backs down and build pressure in the middle so a stronger ball-carrier might be preferable.
I mean I guess Southgate could throw the whole thing out and match Croatia with a compact 4-3-3 (IMO still preferable to any Dier-Henderson configuration) but that'd be bold to say the least. |  | | |
| England v Croatia on 08:32 - Jul 9 with 3583 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
| England v Croatia on 08:18 - Jul 9 by rsonist |
I dunno, Three Lions roaring and all that but I think there's plenty wrong with walking into punches if you have the options available to adapt and protect yourself - obviously if you go to the extreme of completely nullifying your own strengths that's one thing but doing your homework really shouldn't be seen as this big mark of submission or anything. Similarly, the question of loyalty shouldn't particularly come into it unless we're talking a fully like-for-like switch based on form (Rashford for Sterling for instance).
I do agree bringing Dier in would be a bad move though, but that's with regards to the limits of Dier's capabilities specifically. If we had ball players like Brozovic and Kovacic to bring in the way Croatia have done to good effect this tournament it'd be a different story - even just Modric on his own can play deeper or as a pure 10, we don't have a player with that flexibility.
Personally I would be very tempted to have Loftus-Cheek in for Alli though, and be quick to introduce Vardy depending on how the game's panning out. Croatia are obviously going to try and pin our wing backs down and build pressure in the middle so a stronger ball-carrier might be preferable.
I mean I guess Southgate could throw the whole thing out and match Croatia with a compact 4-3-3 (IMO still preferable to any Dier-Henderson configuration) but that'd be bold to say the least. |
I know he’s out of form, but I think Dier is mustard and the only one who came out of the Euros with any credibility. | | | |
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