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DEFEAT IS GUTTING... BUT SO MANY KIDS WILL BE INSPIRED BY SOUTHGATE’S TEAM
CHRIS SUTTON
WHEN we look at this result, it depends which route you want to go down. Rather than focus on the negatives, let’s take the positives. This team have inspired us all. I’ve got a six-year-old daughter called Sophia. She knows I was a professional footballer back in the day but she has adored this World Cup and other kids out there will be the same. Sophia and the younger generation will be absolutely inspired. They will want to become the next Harry Kane, the next Harry Maguire. I tweeted last night that hopefully the youngsters out there will throw their PlayStations and Xboxes in the bin. Go out, play football. That is what this team have done. They were inspiring. Let’s take the positives and be proud.
PETER CROUCH
GUTTED. Absolutely gutted. I can’t find any other words to describe the feelings I have after thinking England were ready to conquer the world. I went all in to say football was coming home and for long periods of last night, I thought the dream was coming true. It started so well. I watched the first 45 minutes with increasing admiration. We all recognise the 4-1 win over Holland at Euro 96 as the most exciting England performance of the modern era, but I’ve never seen us more composed. This is what we have always wanted to see. England dominant, full of confidence and players showing they were made for this stage. Among the many stand-out performers, nobody caught my eye more than John Stones, who was so good. I’ve always had time for him, he’s a classy defender. If only his header in the first half of extra time, which was cleared off the line, had dropped in… that would have been the game, there and then. That would have been immortality for these boys. But for all that dominance and the lead we had, I was nervous going into the second half. Croatia are a proper team and the way they fought back illustrated all their qualities. You have to give credit where it is due and they deserve to be in the World Cup final. Croatia have shown so much character that I wouldn’t bet against them finishing the job against France. I just wish it was us.
GRAHAM POLL
WHEN players are given licence to foul with little or no prospect of disciplinary sanction it allows the dirty teams to prosper. Dejan Lovren and Ante Rebic committed foul after foul, breaking play up and sapping energy from English players with strong fouls. There were calls for a free-kick for a high boot when Ivan Perisic scored but Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir was right to ignore any claims. It was telling that when Rebic was eventually cautioned, in extra time, he was quickly substituted. It was a pity Lovren didn’t suffer a similar fate. Yet, although I didn’t enjoy his style last night, Cakir had no real negative effect on the outcome of an absorbing game.