Frank Lampard has urged England fans not to be too downbeat after the defeat in Croatia.

The England midfielder shared the disappointment of supporters following a 2-0 reverse in Zagreb. But he believes the Three Lions will fight back.

He said: "It is a big blow to lose the game but we have to try and come back from that. There is a long way to go in the group and we have to try and come back and qualify. That’s our aim.

"It wasn’t a good night but up until we conceded the two goals we controlled a lot of possession and we had a decent grip on the game.

"But when that first one goes in, and the second one goes in like it did, then it became difficult for us.

"To go 2-0 down at a place like Croatia is difficult to come back from. We had had a go but once it's 2-0 it is hard. The second goal was a killer. At 1-0 you've still got a real chance."

Lampard is well aware there will be a nationwide debate about England’s tactics in the match, and especially the use of a new 3-5-2 formation. But he doesn’t share the despondency of some critics.

He said: "It seems strange to say after losing 2-0 but I think the system did work pretty well. For the first hour, we felt particularly comfortable in possession, we had the spare man in midfield and were moving the ball about.

"We didn't create loads of chances but we felt something would come - and then you concede. That was the killer for us. But it’s important we keep on working and don’t get down. We still believe we can qualify."

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