As a smaller nation Croatia did well a few years ago to have a decent generation coming together so they could compete at the upper end. But clearly that is coming to an end and while I’m no expert on Croatian football, they probably don’t have the depth to see another team come together like that for a while.
As for England, they/we are good - one of the better nations in the world at present, by that I mean top six, but…
I still can’t see beyond the cowardice at the big tourney, and piling on seven goals against a past-its-sell-by-date Croatia side won’t undo it for me.
England obviously have the players to smash a number of teams, and today they did just that. But the abiding memory that won’t wash away is them bottling it against Argentina, going ahead, and then camping out at the edge of their own box, filled with fear and trying to hold on.
Arguably this post needs to go in the grumpy old sod thread that we have established, but it’s how I feel about the England football team, even if that was a good performance and result today.
Well, they also finished 3rd in 1998. They have been a good side for a long time
On England I agree. That Argentina team was really pathetic. Beating Croatia with 41 year old Modric doesn´t nearly cover that or give me any reason to be excited for the next tournament.
We have a good chance in the Euros as we have a top 3 squad with France and Spain and Germany, Netherlands and Italy are pretty weak, but we could bottle it again.
The other thing about him playing down Trent’s performance is that I firmly believe and reiterate that he is still mad about Liverpool since the CL match with hoffenheim when he was their manager, when they were winning 3:1 and we managed to beat them in the end 4:3 , he was apoplectic and since then he never rates our players past and present apart from Quansah who now plays for German team.
And the last combined Yuogslavia side, filled with the players from the recent Red Star European cup winning side and the best player on the Marseille side they beat in the final, were among the favourite to win Euro 92 before they got kicked out to make way for Denmark.
England are playing well at present with both Trent and Rogers creating havoc on the right hand side. The pressing routines are working well the tchèques are struggling to get out. Croatia must have had a right kicking after the England drubbing as they are winning 1:0 against Spain at halftime.
You can tell Tuchel is really emphasising they use their individual abilities and “take people on”. It was really notable how Rogers and Hall frequently drove at their defence, putting Czechia on the back foot.
