Euro 2008 Austria/Switzerland Official Thread

[Apple Top]

By the way how comes a player is God at one club and a w**ker at another - is it just the shirt you love?

[new devil]

Who are you talking to [Mod3]

[Doogie Browser]

I hate that crap talk Doogie. The English have 2 teams in the CL final, an FA Cup on the horizon and their top league has just finished with the play offs in full flow. Their national team is not involved in the summer tournament. You expect their press to fill their pages with it a full month before kick-off. Catch a grip of yourself.

Their quality papers will cover the tournament as well as expected.

I have no doubt, but the point I was trying to make earlier was that there has been little or in fact zero mention of it and this is the biggest tournament of the past 2 years, I am not stupid enough to believe that will continue when it starts as that is all they will have to feed off.
I have always said that we 'over here' get caught up in the hype of the whole English game as it is all we read about day in day out.  I am a big fan of the premiership but still think that you do get clouded when objectively judging it because as I said it is all we are fed.

[Apple Top]

Who are you talking to

Must be you. 

[Gaaboardmod3]

New Devil, That post has been edited for Personal Abuse. Please refrain from posting that sort of stuff.

[Billys Boots]

Group A, Portugal and Czechs.

Group B, Germany and Croatia

Group C, France and Holland.

Group D, Spain and Russia.

Then the quarters

Portugal v Croatia - Croatia

Germany v Czech Rep - Germany

France v Russia - France

Spain v Holland - Spain

Semis

Germany v Croatia - Croatia

France v Spain - Spain

Final

Croatia v Spain - Croatia

The Euro has a history (even more so recently) of being won by teams that hit a run of form, and have a good togetherness vibe (as opposed to those teams filled with 'stars').  I like the cut of Croatia's jib, and I think a lot of the Germans, Spaniards, Italians, French may be 'tired' after long seasons.

[AZOffaly]

I would have had Croatia as a real dark horse until Eduardo's injury. I think they might struggle for goals without him.

[Billys Boots]

I think it'll be won by a midfield that can retain and use possession well (like the last four winners, for instance  ), that's why I'm sticking with Croatia.  They still have Petric, who will be a handful up front (and may have started in preference to Eduardo anyway).  Modric to be player of the tournament.

[Uladh]

I think Spain will win,it two top strikers and probably the most gifted squad

This quote has been used before big tournaments for generations.

i fancy the germans

[Minder]

I think Spain will win,it two top strikers and probably the most gifted squad

This quote has been used before big tournaments for generations.

i fancy the germans

The same way similar things were said about Italy before big tournaments, i dont think they have had as strong a squad as this before.

[Uladh]

How many world cups have italy won?

It'll be the same oul story with soain. they won't play torres and villa together anyway

[Minder]

How many world cups have italy won?

It'll be the same oul story with soain. they won't play torres and villa together anyway

Well from 1982 to 2006 they had won zero. Spains midfield will keep the ball better than any other team in my opinion, a reason why England will never win a major tournament.

[AZOffaly]

Ì think it's a given that it is a significant advantage if you can control the midfield, both in terms of possession and tempo, but unless you have a cutting edge, or a miserly defense, that isn't going to get the job done.

As for the last 4 winners.

2004 - Greece. Absolute grinders. Wouldn't say they controlled games like the great Italian, Dutch, German or French teams did/do, but they were dogged and were quite content to win games 1-0 via set pieces or breakaways. They were an anomaly of the time though.

2000 - France. France scored a lot of goals in 2000. They had Henry, Trezuguet, Wiltord, Zidane and Djorkaeff. They scored 13 goals, and they also conceded 7, including 3 to Holland. They had the cutting edge I speak of.

1996 - Germany. While they were the usual Germanic model of efficiency, they also had a cutting edge with Klinsmann, Bierhoff and Sammer. They scored 10 goals in the 6 games, and only had a 0-0 against Italy.

1992 - Denmark. Another workmanlike side, ala Greece, but even they had your man Larsen.

I think the teams that control games, in the way you mean, need a cutting edge to press home the advantage, where as teams like Greece and Denmark who really just tried to grind teams down don't control a game in that way. Denmark had a 0-0, a 1-0 defeat and a 2-1 win in the group stages.

I don't think Croatia are a grinding team, I think they are a nice passing, controlling team, and I think they will need more than just Petric to supply goals, or to take advantage of Modric's passes if he plays well. I think what will happen to them is that the new destroyer type midfielder will pick up Modric, and Petric will have to be very efficient. If Eduardo was there, it would give them more threat.

[Billys Boots]

2004 - Greece scored 7 in total, Engerland (10), Czechs (10), Sweden ( and Portugal ( were teams who scored more.  Grim tournament.

2000 - Netherlands also scored 13, but got ground out by Italy in the semifinal on penalties.  

1996 - Germans dominated, Czechs scored 7 without a decent striker.  Grim tournament.

1992 - Denmark, Holland and Germany each scored 6 (16 team tournament, no quarterfinals).  Grim tournament.

I dunno, we could have a repeat of 2000, if Torres/Ronaldo/Benzema set the place alight, but I can't see it.

[Dannymcfella]

Have a wee feeling croata will surprise a few things, i know with eduardo missing they will loose some of their goal threat, but at the same time they may pull together as a team and 'play for eduardo' and as we seen with greece it was their workmanlike team work which won them the last championships.
i put a few croats in my fantasy team so i hope they do well anyway