Sir Kenny Dalglish: English reaction to semi-final defeat has been blinkered

I SAID in my column a fortnight ago that I wasn’t buying into all the hype about ‘“football’s coming home”.

But I take no pleasure from the fact England are returning from Russia without the World Cup.

The only way you get to play in a Final is to win the round before it, and Gareth Southgate and his players fell short in last Wednesday’s semi-final against Croatia.

Yes, they scored early through a terrific free-kick from Kieran Trippier, and then Harry Kane missed a very good opportunity to double their lead.

But that doesn’t mean they should have won the game.

You can’t wear blinkers just because a certain country happens to be the team you support, or the place where you live.

That kind of attitude is also unfair on Croatia.

They deserve credit for having the ability and desire to come from a goal down to emerge victorious.

The Croatians also achieved their goal under testing circumstances, as they endured extra-time for the third knock-out game on the trot.

That says plenty about their heart and desire. It also tells you they all have fantastic pairs of lungs!

When it came down to it, Luka Modric and his team-mates just had a wee bit too much for England.

That said, I had real sympathy for England when Trippier had to go off injured, leaving them down to 10 men for the remaining minutes of extra time.

It was clear to see that, at the final hurdle before reaching the biggest game of their lives, the long, domestic season took its toll on many of the England players.

But there are plenty of positives for the Three Lions to take from the tournament.

And I’m sure that when Gareth and his staff reflect and analyse in greater detail when they return to work, they will feel optimistic about the future.

That’s not to say that the disappointment of the defeat will not stay with them for weeks and, quite possibly, months.

I believe that the further you go in a tournament, the greater the disappointment becomes if you don’t win it.

The possibility of there being a longer-term hangover from the loss to Croatia may also have an effect on players when they go back to their clubs for the domestic season.

That is something that club managers such as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and the rest will need to keep a careful eye on.

Not just their players’ mental state, but also the condition the physical aspect of the whole tournament process has left them in.

The players will now rest and focus on club matters towards the end of the month, and Gareth won’t see them again in a working capacity until they play Spain on September 8.

Now that they have raised the levels of anticipation, much will be expected from this England squad in the next four years.

But the bar has been raised, particularly, for the Euro 2020 Finals as many of the games will be played at Wembley, including the Final itself.

Some will argue that England will never again be given a more fortunate ride in a major tournament, in terms of the opposition they faced on their way to the semis.

That may be true.

However, you can’t criticise Gareth or his players for the opposition they faced, or the fact they ended up in what most would regard as a more comfortable half of the split for the knock-out stages.

But maybe it is just the way of some people that they MUST find something to be critical of, or try to find a negative to hang on to.

It was the same when some supporters – and some sections of the media and pundits – were assessing Raheem Sterling’s contribution, and wanted him out of the team.

It’s amazing how quickly a bandwagon can be started.

I felt very sorry for Sterling. The criticism was unfounded.

But he has a strong mentality and is a brave person and footballer. He would not have been bothered.

However, it was an element that wasn’t necessary, particularly ahead of a World Cup semi-final.

Overall, it was a productive tournament for England, and they certainly exceeded the expectations almost everyone would have had before a ball was kicked just five weeks ago.

They have a manager who found a system to suit the players, and going to three at the back worked well for them.

Southgate also handled the whole media circus around the tournament very well. That would have been an education for him, and he came out of it very well.

I’d like to think lots will have been learned, on both sides, and the benefits of keeping things on a reasonable level of expectation can be taken forward.

Of course, as the England players, management and public all sit down to watch the Final today, there will be a feeling of what might have been.

It’s France against Croatia, and I expect to see a more-than-decent 90 minutes.

However, I’m certain Didier Deschamps and his players will emerge victorious.

In Kylian Mbappe, they have a teenager who may well lift the Player of the Tournament award. He has been fantastic.

The 19-year-old has the ability to light up this showpiece occasion, and go from strength to strength in his career.

In other areas of the team, France have quality in depth, such as keeper Hugo Lloris. He makes saves at crucial times, as he proved again against Belgium in the semi-final.

N’golo Kante has also had a fantastic tournament, and it takes something special to get the better of him.

Yes, I tipped Brazil to win the World Cup before the tournament started, but I have to concede that France have been the best team in the tournament.

They will be worthy winners.