The I suppose we should have a Euros thread thread


Abernethy Saint
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One the one hand I genuinely don't see what all the hype is about France, they seem to be universal favourites.

I mean Pogba and Griezmann are alright I suppose but....

But then looking around the competitors I don't really see anyone else looking that good. 

I'm not sure if it is just I lack the willingness to be captivated i had in my youth but in some ways it feels like the recent media attempts to make every match that is played (especiallly in England) a clash between world superstars had led to such a proliferation of stars that the result is if everyone is a star no-one is.

Meaning all the squads just kind of look alright. 

No Pirlo, Robben, Benzema, Lahm, Ribery or younger ones like Reus.

I'd quite like a smaller team to do well, maybe Sweden or Austria

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I haven't checked these facts out but someone sent me this the other day -

"So here's some stats about England in major tournaments that came to me last night while listening to Chris Sutton spout absolute shite on 5 Live as always (I mean the man is seriously mentally unstable). Anyway I don't think it's really acknowledged just how bad England are in major tournaments. So here we go...
England have played 16 matches in major tournaments in the last ten years. They have failed to score more than one goal in all but three of those (2-0 v Trinidad & Tobago, 2-2 v Sweden [both 2006] and 3-2 v Sweden [2012]). To put this stat into a bit of context, England played four games in Euro 2004 and scored twice or more in the same amount of games there as they have in the ten years since.
Of those 16 games England have won 6, drawn 7 (2 of which they went on to lose on penalties) and lost three outright. Not a bad record you may think all things considered. Wrong, of those six wins England have only managed to beat one team by more than one goal, and that was against Trinidad & Tobago (with both goals coming in the last ten minutes, the opening one from Crouch also being a clear foul)."

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I actually think England's record is OK given the players they've had in recent tournaments. Hodgson just doesn't have the talent available to him that Bobby Robson or Terry Venables did. For them to comfortably qualify for a tournament and then manage to get beyond the group stage is about right for them I reckon. Living down here I tend to find that the only people who expect more than that from England are the ones who don't really follow football, and wrongly expect England to be able to sweep aside every opponent that comes their way.

I'm predicting Germany will win it, but I agree with the above comments that some of the smaller countries could do really well this time (as has also been the case at the Euros in the past, with outsiders like Denmark, Czech Republic and Greece all winning it). As much as it's an ingrained part of my Scotland-raised nature to hope for an England failure, I have to say that I do really like Hodgson and would be pleased for him if England did well.

 

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I actually can't stand Hodgson, which shows the impressive extent of my dislike for him given my immense respect for how un-English he was earlier in his career by challenging himself abroad and learning languages.

He's a bumbling dinosaur who has taken far too long to take advantage of England's incredible wealth of young and athletic players. They might finally have a young squad this tournament but I'm sure at great chargrain to Hodgson. He also comes across in interviews as too unstable and unaware of reality to trust and always full of excuses.

I understand what sleepless is saying about Spain but think the joy of their two kits this year undoes any (arguable) negative points for their style

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OK, got authorisation to put £100 into an online bookie to lose I mean play with during the euros. If anyone else is betting, report progress on here if you want. Naturally I had to have a test bet, because the giant on-line bookie with millions of customers might not be working, and won on the gee gees, in South feckin Korea or somewhere. So on Day -2, I am £1.21 up!! Hurrah!

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OK, got authorisation to put £100 into an online bookie to lose I mean play with during the euros. If anyone else is betting, report progress on here if you want. Naturally I had to have a test bet, because the giant on-line bookie with millions of customers might not be working, and won on the gee gees, in South feckin Korea or somewhere. So on Day -2, I am £1.21 up!! Hurrah!

Germany and Poland in the final - 50/1

Spain win with Lewandoski top scorer - 125/1

Germany win and Griezmann top scorer - 40/1

Loose change on each

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I actually can't stand Hodgson, which shows the impressive extent of my dislike for him given my immense respect for how un-English he was earlier in his career by challenging himself abroad and learning languages.

He's a bumbling dinosaur who has taken far too long to take advantage of England's incredible wealth of young and athletic players. They might finally have a young squad this tournament but I'm sure at great chargrain to Hodgson. He also comes across in interviews as too unstable and unaware of reality to trust and always full of excuses.

He's picked a lot of youngsters for England, so not sure that's fair. I'm not convinced many of England's young players are really all that good, otherwise perhaps he would have selected even more. His CV is pretty strong, a few blips aside, and I still reckon he would have made a good Scotland manager before things really started to take off for him at Fulham and he became ungettable.

I actually think he comes across as far more likeable, intelligent and respectful in interviews than most of the managers knocking about at his level. I find him a helluva lot more likeable than Strachan, that's for sure (although it's probably also not saying much).

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I actually think he comes across as far more likeable, intelligent and respectful in interviews than most of the managers knocking about at his level. I find him a helluva lot more likeable than Strachan, that's for sure (although it's probably also not saying much).

I almost agree with both aspects of this, in the sense he might be more likeable than Strachan and that that doesn't really inform the disucssion on his overall likeability.

I find Strachan's media manner to be a source of intense embarrassment for as long as I can remember, constantly trying to be funny and stand-offish every time. I also find his team selections to have been abhorrent although his tenure, although he got away with it during the good first half of the campaign.

That said, although I can't really help by putting my finger on why, if I was a young player I'd trust Strachans words over Roys. I don't think Hodgson comes across as intelligent (although his language-skills would suggest otherwise), or respectful, constantly whining and blaming other people. I have no qualms in accepting its subjective views that aren't necessarily 'right' though. Just the impression I get of him. 

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This is a decent article about the improvement in Icelandic football - https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/08/iceland-stunning-rise-euro-2016-gylfi-sigurdsson-lars-lagerback

Funnily enough the Scottish chap interviewed suggests there are issues at the top of our game with the people paying themselves all the money.

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What Iceland has achieved is truely astonishing.

Yes and should be a lesson to the "best wee country in the world"...even Northern Ireland and Albania are there ffs. This is the fans view.

Being even handed, the Dutch didnt qualify so....in good company according to Dungcaster and the Orcs...so nothing needs to be done to address the issue.

 

BTW...I'm going for the Germans, Spain, Portugal and France/Poland for Semi Finals..

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One the one hand I genuinely don't see what all the hype is about France, they seem to be universal favourites.

I mean Pogba and Griezmann are alright I suppose but....

But then looking around the competitors I don't really see anyone else looking that good. 

I'm not sure if it is just I lack the willingness to be captivated i had in my youth but in some ways it feels like the recent media attempts to make every match that is played (especiallly in England) a clash between world superstars had led to such a proliferation of stars that the result is if everyone is a star no-one is.

Meaning all the squads just kind of look alright. 

No Pirlo, Robben, Benzema, Lahm, Ribery or younger ones like Reus.

I'd quite like a smaller team to do well, maybe Sweden or Austria

I think they are a bit better than alright, both have been in superb form going into the tournament with their clubs this season. 

Pirlo wasn't included because he plays in the MLS and if you've seen any of him this year you would know why.

Robben isn't there because Holland never made it. 

Lahm retired two years ago from international football

Bemzema is banned from representing France and Ribery retired two years ago

Reus has a niggling injury/possibly conflict with Low if you believe everything you read.

 

 

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William Hill were offering England to win at 9/1 with a £5 free bet for every match they win. I've stuck a tenner on England. So hopefully they win at least 2 group games.

 

Same, surely they will get a couple wins before getting pumped out in the quarters

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I think they are a bit better than alright, both have been in superb form going into the tournament with their clubs this season. 

Pirlo wasn't included because he plays in the MLS and if you've seen any of him this year you would know why.

Robben isn't there because Holland never made it. 

Lahm retired two years ago from international football

Bemzema is banned from representing France and Ribery retired two years ago

Reus has a niggling injury/possibly conflict with Low if you believe everything you read.

 

 

Cheers but I'm well aware of all that, hope it was fun to type out.

My point was more that these are bigger names and therefore make a competiton seem more exciting, rather than the current crop who aren't as exciting despite being clearly of fantastic calibre - linked into my point about being less impressionable as I get older, less willing to see players as icons or superstars as opposed to just lads who play footy.

Apologies if that wasn't clear but...well I'm not sure how it wasn't

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One the one hand I genuinely don't see what all the hype is about France, they seem to be universal favourites.

I mean Pogba and Griezmann are alright I suppose but....

But then looking around the competitors I don't really see anyone else looking that good. 

I'm not sure if it is just I lack the willingness to be captivated i had in my youth but in some ways it feels like the recent media attempts to make every match that is played (especiallly in England) a clash between world superstars had led to such a proliferation of stars that the result is if everyone is a star no-one is.

Meaning all the squads just kind of look alright. 

No Pirlo, Robben, Benzema, Lahm, Ribery or younger ones like Reus.

I'd quite like a smaller team to do well, maybe Sweden or Austria

generally your longing for guys who have been around for years , these guys are now past it and the current guys need time to become legends. 

id rather get excited about the current stars such as Pogba Hazard De Gea Deli Ali Bale Goetze and if you want some legends you still have Casillas Ronaldo Iniesta Muller etc

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Supporting NI - TW/Mannus, then Sweden.

Reckon Belgium are the dark horses, and will make the last four, if not win it!

France will go out in the Quarters. Spain & Italy to choke in round two with Sweden the surprise from that group.

Iceland, Romania, Ireland, Switzerland, Albania will all get dumped out in early stages. 

Russia, France, Belgium & Germany in the semi final.

BEL v GER final.

There will be no surprises...... England will continue to give us all a laugh! 

100% ABE 

 

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