- 9 hours ago
Croatia came to contain rather than conquer, and frustrated England with defensive tactics that completely spoiled the game as a spectacle. England would have won comfortably but for five squandered chances, with the lively Robbie Fowler the biggest offender. The statistics speak for themselves: England had 13 attempts on goal to just four by Croatia. Terry Venables experimented with three rather than four defenders in the back line, Mark Wright flanked by Gary Neville and Stuart Pearce. It worked to a degree, but the Croatians - beautifully composed on the ball - did not give the system a proper test because of their negative approach. England very nearly got the win they deserved ten minutes from the end when Steve McManaman drilled the ball against a post.
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00:00Daniel Neville and Stuart Pearce.
00:02Rangers' Paul Gascoigne was the playmaker
00:04and hitman Robbie Fowler started an international for the first time.
00:08Some exciting players in that Croatian line,
00:10including Prozinecki, Suker, Boban and Boksyc.
00:13Commentary from Trevor Brooking and Barry Davis.
00:20You could certainly make a case for saying
00:22this is England's biggest test before the European Championship.
00:26This is a side that finished higher in their group
00:30than Italy having beaten them in Palermo.
00:38First challenge for Stone.
00:44And this is Robert Yanni.
00:56Stuart Pearce.
01:09Great roar as Paul Gascoigne gets possession.
01:17Great strong challenge, very effective.
01:19Sieringer.
01:28Jürgen, one back, Fowler, in comes Stone.
01:36And he scored a couple of times for England,
01:39but he didn't really look like getting on the end of that
01:42and over the top of the ball.
01:46They won the ball well, England,
01:47London, Fowler, Dinkin went towards the far post.
01:49It sat up, nice, tried to side-foot it,
01:51but just sliced it.
01:55Good play by Robbie Fowler.
02:00Boban.
02:07Pavicic is on the touchline.
02:09This is Boban.
02:13Pavicic would come in.
02:17Italian contest there.
02:21Between the two clubs of Milan,
02:22with Boban getting the better of Ince.
02:25Now McManaman.
02:28Still McManaman.
02:31Well, he managed to get a man over,
02:33but Yanni closed the door.
02:38Stone.
02:39Now comes Stuart Pearce.
02:47Here comes Stuart Pearce.
02:47Sheringham has called for it.
03:02Little lunge again,
03:03and the goalkeeper in trouble,
03:04and then foul Sheringham,
03:06and foul that goes on,
03:07but the referee is coming to give a free kick.
03:10He has not signalled a score.
03:16To the disappointment, clearly, of the crowd.
03:19But it seemed to me that initially,
03:21Sheringham was pushed there.
03:25Then when he got up,
03:26well, there was an arm from Sheringham,
03:28which might have given the referee's excuse.
03:30Then, clearly, a foul there by the goalkeeper.
03:33Fowler carries on.
03:34Puts the ball in the net.
03:37But the referee will not allow it.
03:40There's a long hanging cross,
03:41which really should be the goalkeeper's, Nurmich.
03:43I think Teddy Sheringham's arm is up there,
03:45as it touches his head,
03:46but then he does hold him down
03:48and stop him retrieving the situation.
03:51The linesman didn't give anything this side.
03:52It's the actual referee who's a fair way away
03:55who actually gave the foul.
03:59One on one here.
04:00The referee tells you where,
04:28which is on the darker shade of green.
04:36Well, that foul is.
04:37Good stop.
04:39But he got between the two defenders
04:40and was unchallenged.
04:44Well, Bielic and Jekan the sweeper
04:46got called out.
04:47They seemed to leave it for each other.
04:48Robbie Fowler's not the tallest of strikers, is he?
04:51But he does jump well.
04:53Of course, it's his runs that make the difference.
04:54You see, he can get between the two defenders.
04:56And in the end,
04:57he'll feel he should have scored.
04:58But he didn't head it cleanly.
05:00He headed it down.
05:01But it took just the pace off the ball.
05:02Shearingham.
05:08And he's got to do something about Pablicic,
05:12like showing me yellow card immediately.
05:15He's playing the wrong code at the moment.
05:20Good action by the Polish referee.
05:23He probably wishes he hadn't been selected at the moment.
05:26Pablicic.
05:26Puntie forward here.
05:40Puntie forward here.
05:40Puntie forward here.
05:41Puntie forward here.
05:41Puntie forward here.
05:46in the net for the second time, but pushing header by Rush, Abahia, Scheringham, beautifully
05:57played but Plath had moved too soon. Neville, staying forward right side, Scheringham also
06:08on the right side, back to Pearce on the left, that's going faced by Bourbain, pulled all
06:18back bar two, Scheringham, Stone, driven cross this time, Fabulicic, surprising his goalkeeper
06:34a little bit, he didn't seem to be as dangerous as he thought, he wasn't actually challenged,
06:41I wonder where McManaman was perhaps, he's here, couldn't be, that could very nearly have been
06:52though, by Scheringham, it's a good save, wasn't room for the overhead from Ince, but Scheringham
07:00ahead of him found the room, and it needed a good stop, I've been totally convinced and
07:09up there in the air, the Croatians up to now, I think if there is a sign of weakness, it
07:13is on crosses, got a push and shove in the six-yard area, and Mermic, that did a bit, but got
07:20enough contact, Kozinetski, isn't entirely convinced Johan Cruyff at Barcelona, he might have appreciated
07:35that with a skill until the end, he hasn't found the ball into the box, Steve Stone, that England
07:44here, been looking for, Neville, better clips, good save from Platt, but what a difference
07:52it makes when the cross is a good whipped in ball, and David Platt, we've got on the end
07:58of the cross from Gary Neville, must have thought it was going to be goal number 27 of his England
08:03career, certainly got plenty of power, but the goalkeeper found it coming straight to him,
08:08was able to block it, I mean the marking on crosses is suspect there, again Pavlicic, the
08:14fullback, was the one that got the wrong side of David Platt, Terry Rennerwood will be disappointed,
08:20his side is not in the lead, at half-time, but the 54th different opponent, two-face England,
08:27have in truth been really disappointing, one change in the Croatian side at the start of the
08:36second half, of this green flag international, on comes Mario Stanic, who plays for the Belgian
08:42champions Bruges, he's on in place of Bobin, who clearly isn't match fit, and the captaincy
08:48is taken over by Davos Suker, presumably would like to see rather more of the ball in the second
08:54half, count by the referee, away-going England, who certainly had the better at the first 45 minutes,
09:05but, do you just wonder how much the opposition are steadying themselves, just getting the
09:12feel of playing in England, the European Championship starting in 45 days, June the 8th, when England
09:21plays Switzerland here, in Group A, Karats are in Group D, along with Denmark, Portugal and Turkey,
09:30for the next 5th, in Group A, Karats, and then, as well seen, by Stiemetz, who's got the shooting
09:39chance, and was close.
09:42That was an excellent strike, wasn't it?
09:45Confidence to push forward, and just with the outside of his right foot, just drifting away
09:53away from the post, SEMA probably had it covered.
10:06Stone.
10:09Oh, it pulls away. Got a little touch in McManaman!
10:15Oh, unlucky McManaman. Real pace in that. End by Stone. It actually bounced off Fowler.
10:29McManaman was quick but just wide.
10:33Well, this was all Robbie Fowler trying to control and set it up permanently for McManaman.
10:37Just cleared Murchmich's body and took it beyond the post but unlucky McManaman. Coming
10:42through the central position for once.
10:44Platt wanted it early.
10:48McManaman again. A little bit of pushing and Fowler over the top.
10:54Bobbled a bit in front of him.
10:57McManaman made all that happen really.
11:01Platt was the player who gave the final ball.
11:04He just watched as the ball comes across.
11:06It sat up a little bit. He got underneath it and over the top.
11:10Good ball in.
11:12The Manaman breaking from that center and put his left foot this time.
11:16Setting up Robbie Fowler and should have scored.
11:20How do you play this style of football, make the transition but still have that cutting edge
11:26to score the goals that you're going to need at this level, particularly as you're the host
11:29nation and English supporters are going to have to be very, very patient if they're going to play this
11:33style because it might not be the normal goal mount action that they're used to.
11:36And it was too far outside.
11:53More up than away off his head.
11:55More up than away off.
12:00The Manaman.
12:07Krosi Netsky.
12:09England ball.
12:10I think he remember his first match here
12:19Nearest yet
12:38Really sorted himself out well McManaman
12:44And unlucky on the follow-up with Shearing
12:47And the final whistle
12:52Ends a disappointing evening for the crowd
12:55And well he will tell us what he feels
12:58But I think the general feeling is we just don't know
13:01With Euro 96 in mind
13:02Do you think England are becoming more adaptable?
13:05We've got to
13:06Because it's all very well having the expectancy
13:08And saying we're going to do this
13:09If we're not going to be up to date with what other teams are doing
13:12We're going to come unstuck
13:15And we want to do
13:17And I want to do everything I can
13:20To make sure we don't
13:21All we can do is do our best
13:24And that's what we're doing
13:25And I think everyone is concentrating
13:27And listening to what we're doing
13:28And that has been very satisfying
13:31From our point of view
13:33As coaches
13:34Willie that boiled down version of the game
13:36Showed England being pretty unlucky
13:37They had a lot of chances
13:38But for long periods of the game too
13:40There was a lack of spark about them was there not?
13:41Well I think it's a problem
13:43And it's been a problem for some time now
13:46And they're playing friendlies
13:47And it's very difficult for players to get themselves lifted
13:50For friendlies
13:51It's difficult for the crowd as well
13:52Terry Venables is trying so many permutations
13:56And so many different players in different positions
13:59He's still searching for his best team
14:02But I keep getting back to their playing at home
14:04They're playing all their games at Wembley
14:06The last time they did that was in 66
14:08And we know what happened then
14:09So I think they'll be strong
14:10I still think England will be strong
14:12Come the time
14:12Is it a problem Billy
14:13That Terry Venables has too many strikers to choose from?
14:16It's not a problem we have
14:17No it's not
14:18Well it seems to be
14:19And it's astonishing when you look at the quality of striker that he has
14:22I don't think they're all that far away
14:24Because to me they looked at more than a reasonable side tonight
14:27And they were a bit unlucky when it came to finishing
14:29They hit the post a couple of times
14:31One or two things got scrambled away in front of goals
14:34But I honestly think they'll be a threat
14:36And to underestimate them would be very, very silly
14:39Well the Terry Venables is not slow to bring in the young players
14:42And it looked as if maybe the young players are almost the best thing about the side at the moment
14:45The likes of Neville, McManam and Fowler
14:47Confident young players
14:48Yeah I think you've got to give young players their chance
14:52But you know these guys are playing at the top level week in week out
14:55Not only are they playing at the top level week in and week out
14:57They're doing very well at the top level
14:59So it's not a difficult decision for a manager
15:02If he's going to these top games and he's seeing the players perform well
15:05They're young players but they've got old heads and young shoulders
15:08Billy the Croatian coach tonight accused England of being too predictable and sterile
15:13Well we hear that all the time
15:15But I think that's what Terry Venables was saying
15:18He's got to try and get rid of that image
15:20When you think of the type of player who's got Gascoigne in his team
15:24He's got Sheringham up front
15:25And it's hard to imagine a team being predictable with players of that quality
15:29But you know I think they'll be there
15:31And anyone as I say who would dare to underestimate them
15:34Might be certainly wrong
15:36Okay thanks
15:37If England or Scotland are to reach this
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