EURO 2024

[Special Juan 27,439]

Really couldn't care less, in fact I really couldn't give a fuck about if England win it or not.

I will be watching the tournament but mostly out of lack of football and boredom

[Vesper 28,993]

4 hours ago, Special Juan said:

Really couldn't care less, in fact I really couldn't give a fuck about if England win it or not.

I will be watching the tournament but mostly out of lack of football and boredom

I am excited!

I love international football!

[Magic Lamps 11,668]

Obviously, I detest international football. The notion of celebrating  a bunch of guys who coincidentally have the same passport as me winning something is ridiculous in itself.  Plus the level of football is usually lower than in PL/CL esp bc of the annoying group system.

But it is not everyday you have football fans from all over Europe visiting the neighbourhood so it will be fun meeting some in the local bars, having a chat watching games together. Plus there are many exciting young players to scout. I do have the possibility to watch some dead rubber games but not sure it’s worth the hassle. Last and least, euros is the only title missing for me as German Chelsea fan so would not mind the boys winning it albeit I’d probably celebrate it  less than a Chelsea Community shield win.

[NikkiCFC 8,041]

On 06/06/2024 at 20:14, Magic Lamps said:

The attacking force is exquisite tho. Never before have there been five(!) players valued over 100m in one team. No other country has more than 2. 

All that to fail to score against Iceland at home with one shot on target...

Edited June 7 by NikkiCFC

[whats happening 1,531]

19 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

All that to fail to score against Iceland at home with one shot on target...

they dont know whats coming for them next sunday.

[Magic Lamps 11,668]

22 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

All that to fail to score against Iceland at home with one shot on target...

Well they left their main weapon Bellingham in the stands. Still, I have no doubt if there is someone who can find a way not to win anything with a generation of world class players it’s Southgate. England have a history of underperforming with incredible players at major tournaments. This one will be no different. They might still win while underperforming but atm I see France as  more capable of putting the horsepowers onto the street 

Edited June 7 by Magic Lamps

[NikkiCFC 8,041]

3 minutes ago, whats happening said:

they dont know whats coming for them next sunday.

 Mister tactical masterclass incoming 😅

I'm absolutely sure we will have max one point. Maybe we take a draw with Slovenia. 

[NikkiCFC 8,041]

7 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

Well they left their main weapon Bellingham in the stands. Still, I have no doubt if there is someone who can find a way not to win anything with a generation of world class players it’s Southgate. England have a history of underperforming with incredible players at major tournaments. This one will be no different. They might still win while underperforming but atm I see France as  more capable of putting the horsepowers onto the street 

England and France pretty much only obvious choice for a winner. 

Last EURO I successfully predicted Italy winning it a couple months before tournament and this time I have a good feeling about Portugal and even Netherlands as dark horses.

 

[Magic Lamps 11,668]

4 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

England and France pretty much only obvious choice for a winner. 

Last EURO I successfully predicted Italy winning it a couple months before tournament and this time I have a good feeling about Portugal and even Netherlands as dark horses.

 

Netherlands I can not see winning it for the life of me. Their attack is toothless 

portugal have a brilliant defense but do they have the balls to leave out the walking liability that is Penaldo? 
anyway Portugal are our favourite opponent. We usually score at least 3 goals vs them and I don’t remember us ever not easily beating them at a major tournament no matter our or their form. 

 

[nyikolajevics 2,595]

Apparently this is our contribution to the Euros. Possibly most of them won't even be starter. Well, we'll have ECL and CWC next season, at least we'll be fresh and all.

[LAM09 6,772]

7 hours ago, nyikolajevics said:

Apparently this is our contribution to the Euros. Possibly most of them won't even be starter. Well, we'll have ECL and CWC next season, at least we'll be fresh and all.

Our attention has shifted to SA talent. Let's see how many current and potential signings have been chosen for the Copa America.

[cosmicway 1,333]

I had a little look at the teams.
Note that there six groups of four and so the teams for the round of 16 are the first two from each group plus the four best thrids from all the six groups.
Then the round of 16 will be drawn as well as the the subsequent rounds - it's not prearranged like it used to be.
With the prearranged draw schemes we could do some eliminations. Thus in the world cup I think it was Brazil and Argentine who were mutually excluding each other - they could not both reach the final.

From what I have seen so far Mbappe is a good choice for top scorer (price is 6.00).
The threat is believed to be Harry Kane (but will he be taking the penalties after his sky-high effort in the world cup against France ?).

For winner I fancy France (5.00) and Portugal (8.00). If they are dutched the resultant price is 3.54.

Any other ideas ?
Croatia maybe to win their group ?
 

[Vesper 28,993]

Wembley horror show leaves Gareth Southgate with headaches all over the pitch

England 0 Iceland 1: Muddled midfield, disjointed attack and a defence that failed to stop a team that didn’t even qualify for Euro 2024 give Gareth Southgate few reasons to be cheerful in final warm-up match

https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/england-iceland-result-euro-2024-john-stones-injury-2ddmvkwqx

A wake-up call as loud as a “Viking Thunderclap”. This was only a friendly, with none of the cataclysmic consequences of England’s defeat by Iceland in 2016 but it was still alarming and still enough to give an England manager sleepless nights.

What does Gareth Southgate do now? After making those bold cuts to his squad, he fielded very close to what he regarded as his strongest line-up for an exhibition he predicted would “captivate” Wembley. However only fans of horror shows — and Icelanders of course — would have been transfixed.

A defeat by opponents ranked 72 in the world, between Jordan and Northern Ireland, was bad enough but truly nightmare-inducing was an injury to John Stones, sustained after 51 seconds, that forced the only senior centre back left in Southgate’s squad to be replaced by Ezri Konsa for the second half.

 

Apart from Harry Kane and Declan Rice, Stones is probably the player ­England can least do without at Euro 2024. Southgate said his withdrawal was only precautionary but Stones’ right ankle received a heavy blow when Jon Dagur ­Thorsteinsson fell on him and it was concerning that Stones was unable to continue despite receiving treatment in the tunnel at half-time.

The first paper planes — those now-traditional symbols of Wembley dissent — came floating from home supporters as early as the 21st minute and throughout the whole game England played 598 passes only to muster a solitary shot on target.

They were laboured with the ball, and wide-open at times without it, and Age Hareide’s canny, counterattacking visitors had better chances to add to the 12th-minute lead given them by Thorsteinsson than England created to equalise. After ditching Jack Grealish and James Maddison when he cut his squad down to the 26 he is taking to Germany, it was a bad time for Southgate to watch his midfield and forwards struggle for inspiration.

Experiments only half-worked. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, playing as No 10 and right winger respectively, combined in flashes but for long spells failed to find space against Iceland’s deep block. Palmer was the better ­performer but, in truth, neither made a strong case to play behind Kane in ­England’s Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday week.

In central midfield, Kobbie Mainoo and Rice did not have the right balance. Mainoo, like Rice, prefers driving with the ball than playing connective passes and the pair did not always seem to be working in unison out of possession. There was a lack of certainty in central defence, especially after Stones’s departure, and Southgate felt the pressing across the pitch was poor.

Then there was Kieran Trippier, too right-footed to capitalise in attacking positions as the stand-in left back. The brightest spark was, again, Trent Alexander-Arnold, who came on as a substitute right back and almost equalised in stoppage time on one of several attacking forays. Unless England find more ideas from elsewhere, Southgate may have to quash those reservations about Alexander-Arnold’s work against the ball and get him into the starting side.

At full time, there was stunned quiet. England’s players were supposed to go to a certain section of their supporters for a celebratory Euros send-off photograph, but the fans had left and nobody was in the mood for any of that. It was Iceland who were able to go to their support and enjoy the moment. Their fans did not celebrate with the Viking Thunderclap as they had in Nice eight years ago but still had a famous victory, their first at Wembley, to acclaim.

Stones’s injury, inside the first ­minute, was sustained after he was challenged in possession by Thorsteinsson and Hakon Haraldsson. Thorsteinsson lost his balance and crashed down on Stones’s ankle. Stones lay in obvious pain for more than a minute while the physios checked him over.

Before long, Thorsteinsson was a thorn to England again. The situation seemed innocuous when Kolbeinn Finnsson was in possession on the left, in Iceland’s defensive third, but one good pass by the full back was enough to take both Foden and Palmer out of the game and with Rice caught upfield, Mainoo was left defending a huge swathe of space.

He couldn’t stop the ball going to Haraldsson, who played to Thorsteinsson and from the left side of the box the busy No 9 cut inside Stones and placed a smooth finish past Aaron Ramsdale — beaten a little easily. Iceland ahead after only 12 minutes.

Anthony Gordon could have settled things down just a few minutes later. With that shrugging confidence of his, Palmer played a daring ball to Mainoo inside his own area and Mainoo demonstrated his own passing quality by quickly finding Kane in the centre ­circle. Kane drew in Daniel Gretarsson and rolled him superbly to slide Gordon into space. Gordon cut on to his left foot but his shot was wild, high enough to clear two sets of goalposts.

That encapsulated England’s wobbly composure. Palmer loped about, soft-footed and inventive on the ball, ­immune to doubt, but it infected nearly everyone else’s play. Having started so well, showing exquisite footwork to escape pressing and playing a couple of terrific diagonal passes to Trippier, Foden grew discouraged and Southgate was out, telling his No 10 to calm down, after Foden rushed a pass that Gordon didn’t read and went straight out of play.

Rice was playing in his Arsenal mode, trying to get further forward, but sometimes he and Mainoo attacked at the same time and there were few passing combinations between the pair.

However Rice’s high pressing won England a golden opportunity when he hounded the Iceland goalkeeper, ­Hakon Valdimarsson, into a poor clearance that flew straight to Palmer, who chested down and shot left-footed but could not direct it past Gretarsson.

Even Kane’s nerve failed. After Rice picked his way to space outside Iceland’s area, Palmer cut inside and chipped a delicious ball to Kane, but the striker, clear at the back post, mistimed things and shinned his effort over the bar.

How Southgate would have loved a big performance from Gordon after leaving Grealish out to accommodate the Newcastle youngster, but Gordon only flickered in moments. One, in the 48th minute, involved an exchange with Foden and a neat ball back to the No 10, who shot early but directed it just wide.

Driving forward, Rice released Palmer with an excellent ball and Palmer rounded Valdimarsson but instead of centring for Foden went for a shot from a tight angle and Valdimarsson saved. Iceland began finding big holes in England’s defence and when Konsa played Haraldsson onside, he centred for Thorsteinsson who would have made it 2-0 but slipped at the crucial moment.

At a corner, Sverrir Ingason had a free header and to English relief put it straight at Ramsdale. From close range, a Thorsteinsson shot crashed against the side of Marc Guéhi’s head, dazing the defender. A clutch of substitutions failed to improve England and after Ivan Toney cleared a corner, Finnsson almost caught out Ramsdale with a lob. What is it about Iceland that has ­England completely losing their cool?

Who made the grade and who flopped?

Gregor Robertson runs the rule on the fringe players hoping to impress in their final audition for Euro 2024

Cole Palmer
Three minutes was all it took to be struck by how much more fluid an England forward line with Palmer in it would feel. Twice in the opening stages the 22-year-old drifted from England’s right all the way over to the left wing to combine with Anthony Gordon, picking out Harry Kane with a savvy cut-back before clipping another cross to the back post. An impish flick to Kobbie Mainoo, on the edge of England’s ­penalty area, catalysed a chance for Gordon in the 14th minute and was typical of the ice-veined Chelsea player, while a delightful cross ought to have been buried by Kane midway through the first half. The only thing Palmer’s performance lacked was a goal and, while he is unlikely to supplant Bukayo Saka on the right of England’s attack, his ­display left the impression that he will have a big role to play in Germany.

Anthony Gordon
When Gordon was asked, shortly after an impressive England debut against Brazil in March, whether a place in England’s Euros squad was up for grabs, his answer proved to be rather perceptive. “You can never truly be in this ­England squad, with the talent around you,” the Newcastle winger said, which the man he supplanted in Gareth Southgate’s squad, Jack Grealish, will now be acutely aware of. Gordon’s performance here, particularly bright and purposeful in the opening stages, did nothing to suggest Southgate made the wrong call. His goal threat is one reason why he was selected, but he passed up a fine first-half chance when he blazed over the bar.

Kobbie Mainoo
Somehow, after an uneasy night for the 19-year-old and England at Wembley, it would feel bolder than ever for Southgate to start the Manchester United youngster against Serbia. Could Mainoo have been more alert to cover the space in behind England’s midfield for Iceland’s goal? When Hakon Arnar Haraldsson drifted in to a pocket of space behind the United midfielder, and released Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson, England were punished and, while Mainoo was typically industrious and brave, for the most part the game passed him by here. The ­dependability of Conor Gallagher may feel more alluring to the England manager after this performance.

Marc Guéhi
Guéhi is in pole position to fill the void left by Harry Maguire in the centre of England’s defence and, for 45 minutes here, the Crystal Palace defender did not put a foot wrong. Guéhi outmuscled and outjumped Andri Gudjohnsen in every duel and his composure in possession was encapsulated by one vignette when the 23-year-old stepped out of the back line to receive a pass from John Stones, before turning and carrying the ball forward purposefully. His second half was not as assured, however, when the partnership with Stones that Southgate was hoping to cultivate was brought to a premature end. As England chased the game, their defending became ragged and Guéhi had a few shaky moments, losing his footing during an Iceland break, losing his man at a corner and being struck on the head by a point-blank shot that left him looking as dazed and confused as Southgate must feel this morning.

Ezri Konsa
Concerns rippled around Wembley when Stones fell awkwardly under a challenge so early in the game and a second half in which Konsa was earning his fourth cap and Guéhi his 11th demonstrated why. Konsa has enjoyed a fine season for Aston Villa, but the likelihood of England going deep into the Euros with such a callow central defensive pairing felt rather remote here. Konsa, who replaced Stones at the break, was fortunate to see Thorsteinsson slip with the goal at his mercy after he had tried, and failed, to play Haraldsson offside — and that was not the only time England’s high line was exposed.

England’s Euro 2024 fixtures

Serbia v England
Sunday, June 16, kick-off 8pm
Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen

Denmark v England
Thursday June 20, 5pm
Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt

England v Slovenia
Tuesday, June 25, 8pm
Rhein Energie Stadium, Cologne

[nyikolajevics 2,595]

10 hours ago, LAM09 said:

Our attention has shifted to SA talent. Let's see how many current and potential signings have been chosen for the Copa America.

Yes.. But either way it's interesting how we spent hundreds of millions on French players(Badiashile, Fofana, Gusto, Disasi, Nknunku, Ugo) or how many highly rated Englishman we have(Sterling, James, Colvill, Chillwell, Carney) who weren't even really taken into consideration to be squad members, for various reasons. Still this 5 feels very low number. But at least Maresca can start the work in good circumstances.

[OneMoSalah 8,783]

Heading over to Germany next week. Should be an interesting experience.

Hopefully a good tournament, not sure who I fancy to win it yet though, hard to make such a prediction so soon without seeing a few games go in.

Plus those pre Euro friendlies, wow, how many big teams lost. Germany & England shocking results 😂

[NikkiCFC 8,041]

On 07/06/2024 at 23:36, Magic Lamps said:

Netherlands I can not see winning it for the life of me. Their attack is toothless 

portugal have a brilliant defense but do they have the balls to leave out the walking liability that is Penaldo? 
anyway Portugal are our favourite opponent. We usually score at least 3 goals vs them and I don’t remember us ever not easily beating them at a major tournament no matter our or their form. 

 

I'm surprised Zirkzee is not called. 

About Portugal yes they must drop Ronaldo but also Pepe and Patricio. 

Jota, Neto, Silva, Leao interchanging attack has great potential. Ramos did great on WC. Felix and Ronaldo as worse options tells you how good they are. 

On 08/06/2024 at 15:40, nyikolajevics said:

Apparently this is our contribution to the Euros. Possibly most of them won't even be starter. Well, we'll have ECL and CWC next season, at least we'll be fresh and all.

Enzo and Caicedo Copa America and Ugo on Olympics. But you are right, still we used to have like 17, 18 players on international level. 

[NikkiCFC 8,041]

On 09/06/2024 at 02:46, cosmicway said:

Then the round of 16 will be drawn as well as the the subsequent rounds - it's not prearranged like it used to be.
With the prearranged draw schemes we could do some eliminations. 

This is only for 3rd place teams. 

We can predict that if Portugal and Germany win their groups and win round of 16 and QF they face in semis. Same for England and France in other bracket. But still surprises happen all the time so better to wait for groups to finish and when we have bracket to bet on winner or finalists. 

Portugal is 11.00 in my place. 

[cosmicway 1,333]

3 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

This is only for 3rd place teams. 

We can predict that if Portugal and Germany win their groups and win round of 16 and QF they face in semis. Same for England and France in other bracket. But still surprises happen all the time so better to wait for groups to finish and when we have bracket to bet on winner or finalists. 

Portugal is 11.00 in my place. 

I cannot back England not even if they are true favourites. The price 4.00 is ridiculously low.
In Germany I don't believe. Rather I believe Germans will win many WC-Euro trophies between our time and the next century but not right now.
So I 'm on Portugal and also respect France.
France yesterday against Canada were a super sh*t show, far surpassing that of England against Iceland, but they were not playing with all their stars.
I don't rate Spain. Am I wrong in this ;
Then the Netherlands are always fighting hard. Can they do something ?
I recall a lousy tipster in 2010 who wrote "Netherlands will be the team to catch the first plane home and ... watch out for Denmark, the surprise of the tournament". That was a horrible one.
Should I back Portugal or the Netherlands ?