General Euros chatter

[Sean Ashley]

 

[Drico]

German TV coverage is appalling. Four middle-aged men (including Per Mertesacker) sitting in a studio with a live audience dangling their white trainers whilst not wearing socks from the sofa.

 

[Bedfordblue]

Whoever the female reporter is for the BBC she’s not pulling any punches in the post match interview.
Refreshing change from the usual ass kissing sessions.

 

[Drico]

That draw between Holland and France opens up the possibility that France may end up on the other side of the draw to England. Finishing second means they will play the team that finishes second in Belgium's group. They would then likely have to play Portugal in the quarter-final and possibly the winners of a potential Germany-Spain quarter-final in the semi.

See? All falling into place for England, whose path to glory would, if they top their group, be a third placed side, possibly Italy, and then Holland. Very doable for Gareth's Lions.

Let the England tabloid rollercoaster begin!

 

[Obes]

Flying in to Berlin this morning for a few days. Will be at Netherlands vs Austria on Tuesday. Hoping the weather turns out as forecast.

Gonna check out the Fan Zones today but will probably have to find a bar tomorrow night to watch the Jocks.

 

[Billy Dean]

That draw between Holland and France opens up the possibility that France may end up on the other side of the draw to England. Finishing second means they will play the team that finishes second in Belgium's group. They would then likely have to play Portugal in the quarter-final and possibly the winners of a potential Germany-Spain quarter-final in the semi.

See? All falling into place for England, whose path to glory would, if they top their group, be a third placed side, possibly Italy, and then Holland. Very doable for Gareth's Lions.

Let the England tabloid rollercoaster begin!

Thing is though, if England do manage to win their group, if they are unlucky they will come up against Austria or Netherlands in R16. They're currently not in a fit state to beat either of those teams so the draw opening up might be academic for them anyway

 

[teppic]

Southgate totally wasted the dream of all draws in 2018. The only decent team between us and the final in the whole route was Croatia. And he lost to them.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

Three potential great games on today. Keen to see those nutters Georgia take on the Czechs.

The Turkey v Portugal game looks tasty as well and also I’m hoping Romania stick it to the Belg’s.

 

[Drico]

Thing is though, if England do manage to win their group, if they are unlucky they will come up against Austria or Netherlands in R16. They're currently not in a fit state to beat either of those teams so the draw opening up might be academic for them anyway

Oh, I agree. I don't think England will win the tournament - I have long since said they missed their chance at Wembley three years ago, sandwiched between two genuine opportunities at two World Cups - but I'm just pointing out that there is a lot of guff spoken about England right now and the vacillating between extremes - particularly by the English media - is tiresome. Before each tournament, they are world-beaters. As soon as they meet a competent side, they call for the manager's head. Wearisome stuff.

Nobody wins tournaments in the group stages. But you can lose them.

England will progress to what is, effectively, a new tournament in the knockouts. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them make the last four or even the final, with a favourable draw. If France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal - the four best sides, really - are on the opposite side of the draw, then England have a chance. Perhaps it's a chance they don't deserve or will not take advantage of, but it's a chance. I wouldn't write them off. And the media, having savaged them now, need to be held to account when facile wins against minnows such as Slovenia or Ukraine or whichever tiddler they meet in the last 16 leads to the usual outbreak of arrogant jingoism.

In other words, I hope lessons are learned by the evidence before our eyes after two matches. England aren't great, are most likely down the pecking order here, and need to start treating countries like Denmark, Croatia, and Uruguay with respect before setting their sights on the giants, but they are unbeaten and still top their group. All is still to play for - especially if the big boys end up on the opposite side of the draw. A feeble Italy and Ronald Koeman is as good a path as it gets to a final - well, unless you play most of your matches at Wembley and meet Ukraine and Denmark along the way...

 

[Drico]

Flying in to Berlin this morning for a few days. Will be at Netherlands vs Austria on Tuesday. Hoping the weather turns out as forecast.

Gonna check out the Fan Zones today but will probably have to find a bar tomorrow night to watch the Jocks.

It was torrential rain here this morning, but it will get very hot here next week. You'll have no problems finding a bar...

Enjoy your stay.

 

[Drico]

Last point about the tournament from me for now (I seem to be hogging this thread): all of these group matches that we are currently watching would only have been Wednesday night qualifiers in the not-too-distant past. Drawing huge conclusions from a couple of matches against relatively mediocre sides is premature. This competition really only starts in the last 16. Three or four of those matches will be proper games, the rest fairly predictable. Then the last 8 will see things get real.

The key right now is to be in that last 8. Then the paths to the final will have a big say. The competition really only starts next week. Like the Champions League, the trick is to be alive. Remember this post when England line up for the final. You heard it here first.

 

[Walken]

I think it's been ace, the gap is smaller between the better and lesser teams than the bloated financial dirge of club footy. Just the football tonic I needed.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Been a poor tournament. No stand out quality, best players all looking tired, no elite strikers doing great tings in front of goal.

 

[Drico]

Southgate totally wasted the dream of all draws in 2018. The only decent team between us and the final in the whole route was Croatia. And he lost to them.

Yeah, he's had incredible fortune with the draws or the way they opened up, including:

• Facing a Colombia bereft of the injured James Rodriguez at Russia '18 - they drew without him and lost on pens, surely he'd at least have stuck a pen
• Facing Sweden and then Ukraine at subsequent tournament quarter-finals - hardly top-rank opposition
• Playing five games at Wembley to reach the Euro 2020 final, also held at Wembley
• Facing Croatia and Denmark in semi-finals - both good sides, but relatively kind opposition to have to play at that stage of tournaments

I reckon their luck is holding. The way the draw is beginning to open up, it could be Slovakia or the Czechs in the last 16, a feeble Italy or ancient Croatia in the last 8, and then Ronald Koeman in the semis.

The real tournament only starts next weekend. England are primed.

 

[Drico]

I think it's been ace, the gap is smaller between the better and lesser teams than the bloated financial dirge of club footy. Just the football tonic I needed.

International tournaments are glorious, a million times more entertaining than the Champions League or domestic leagues. They're not of a higher standard, but they do uncover something in a player when he, a world-beater, has to take the pitch with a few butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers and lead them against the odds to something noble.