tennisman wrote:I can't say anything that hasn't already been said.
The team was left wanting marginally in allareas; up front, through the middle and at the back but it's those small margins which make the difference.
In all the matches, the side has started well but then faded. Kane has to score that chance really and after Lingard stroked the ball past the right hand post, not much more was created.
I'm not anti Henderson or Dier but they are functional journeymen in their positions, albeit at a high level. Further forward, Deli and Lingard are more dependent on others creating for them than they are creating for others (Deli more than Lingard).
In defence, they didn't attack the ball - Percic ducked in almost on the 6 yard line and in slo-mo, as Roy Keen said, John Stones stood still for the split that it took Mandzukic the time to slip in behind and score. If not suffering from physical fatigue, they were switching off mentally as the minutes ticked by. Imagine Chiellini and his Juve boys defending that lead?
But once behind, the lack of a real creator in midfield meant they were relying on the likes of Rashford etc to spark one way or the other which, at that level, they can't do, not yet certainly.
As the ITV pundits said, by the end, the Croats were beginning to do those 4-5 pass moves in the middle third where my head was spinning from in front of the TV, let alone the England midfielders.
Southgate was great at the end and so were the fans.
Onwards and upwards for the 2020 Euros. If they reach the semi-final and final, football will truly be coming home with the matches being held at Wembley.
An accurate summation. .
When the game was in the balance England went more 'route one' and played it down the channels and hope it stuck
Croatia played those 55/45:balls to a team mate believing and trusting he would deal with it and gain a team advantage. .
Bottom line is (and was) Croatia have a fair few better Footballers than England..
No disgrace in getting beat by a better team..