EURO 2012

  On 6/26/2012 at 10:09 PM, chenGOD said:

Explain Newcastle then? Spurs? How are newly promoted Swansea able to win or draw vs 3 of the top 4 at home?

And the Spanish league was ridiculous, it was Real Madrid, Barca and then a whole lot of daylight. And in Spain last season the gap from first to last was considerably more than in the premier league.

 

The league is not the issue - it's the style of play that is expected from the type of English players that get picked. The EPL routinely bring in foreign players to be the "craft" players.

Newcastle were an aberration. I'm willing to bet they will never do as well for a long long time. Spurs have cash. Swansea were very good until they got found out towards the end of the season. They may have got a few draws but they did not worry the top positions in the league in the end. Excitement does not necessarily equate to competitvenss.

In most European leagues there's a Big # who traditionally share the championship. Wilson's point is that the gap between 4th and 4th bottom in the EPL indicate it is less competitve than other leagues.

I totally agree that the style of English player demanded by most premier league clubs contributes a lot to the national team's problem. But I would say that the premier league itself is also part of the problem. Since the FA began to relinquish control in the 80s the business element in top flight football has become more and more prominent . It's in the interests of these businesses to ensure their product is exciting for the average football fan and more importantly, the casual fan - the people who watch for the entertainment and drama, without a particuarly strong connection to a specific club. Even more so now as the overseas market is the big growth area. As long as the English game of fast-paced, gutsy, kick and run can be ever so slightly tempered with the technical brilliance of non-English players, still be competitve in the CL and attract larger global audiences it will probably never change.

I think the problem is the youth system. There's a reason why England blocked so many fucking shots in the Euros. They're arguably the best nation on the planet (other than Italy :troll:) at creating the prototype centreback. They also generate a few decent strikers now and again in the Target Man variety. However, in the center of midfield, dogshit. Pure dogshit.

Jack Wilshere, if you listen to most morons on the intertubes, is the greatest fucking central midfielder at the Euros...even though he's not there. That speaks to the sheer desperation to replace Scholes, Lampard, and Gerrard, all three of whom have had mediocre careers internationally. I think Scholes AND Lampard would have been nice options for Woy. Better than the shit they brought anyhow. I'm no fan of Fat Frank, but I thought he was excellent against Napoli and Barcelona.

Okay, rambling here...

I don't think Newcastle were an aberration. Yes, Ba and Cisse were revelations of sorts, but keeping things on topic here, Newcastle were successful in large part because of excellent central midfielders: Cabaye / Tiote. They'll still be there next year, along with Jonas and Ben Arfa. I think Newcastle will continue to do very well.

Well said Mirezzi (and Italy does produce some outstanding centrebacks).

The youth issue, totally agree, but more and more clubs are producing academies, and participation in the NextGen series will only improve things, as long as the continental clubs continue to participate.

I'm also hoping that the financial fair play rules will allow Ajax to become a force again.

It also sure as fuck wouldn't hurt if English players were more interested/able to compete in foreign leagues. To produce excellent central midfielders, which has been the achilles heal of England in the last 3 4 5 fuck it tournaments, wouldn't it make sense to send players to Italy, Spain, or hell even Germany?

So...

Exhibit A: Improved youth systems + ideology/coaching philosophy. Roger Bennett and Brian Moore have written about this problem. "Get stuck in!" is a great philosophy if your first goal in a tournament is Most Blocked Shots.

Exhibit B: GTFO of England for a few years.

yeah but then they'd have to learn a language beside English....!!! (I mean the few that actually speak English).

and btw: Achilles heal?

Mario.

Speaking of Mario, I think Gomez will get the hook at half.

Wow, Cassano doin work here.

This is a great game.

Nothing like watching a Ghanaian-Italian beast smoke the football past a paralyzed twat like Manuel Neuer.

So far, so good, but Germany look capable of scoring plenty.

the fuck is happening

Balotelli you ledge!

man i fucking hate those crying german fans

There are a lot of tears pouring out of the German orbital sockets in Warsaw. Didn't expect to see that...there's still 45 minutes of football to be played for fuck's sake.

  On 6/28/2012 at 9:34 PM, dese manz hatin said:

man i fucking hate those crying german fans

Exactly, wtf is that all about?

I hope Germany can level this match for a truly epic semifinal.

  On 6/28/2012 at 9:14 PM, The Overlook said:

Speaking of Mario, I think Gomez will get the hook at half.

hah! +1

fuck yeah klose

  On 6/28/2012 at 9:51 PM, dese manz hatin said:

fuck yeah klose

Indeed. One would suspect this will be his last major tournament.

Lahm...wtf. That should have been 2-1.

I hope a Italy v Spain final will be just as good as their group stage match. I think that was the best game of the tournament so far. And I don't want to see the same two teams in the final as in 2008.

Also Pirlo has just been just mind-blowingly insanely good. More of him.

He's just so calm (Pirlo). It's like watching Steve Nash. Whenever he has the ball, you simply expect him to make the right decision.

With minutes left here, I have to say, Italy have been superb. I also agree with Npoess in saying that Italy - Spain was one of if not the most entertaining matches of the tournament.

oh man. it's the same procedure every two years.

I just read a tweet by God.

  Quote

Loved Balotelli tonight. That, motherfuckers, is how you beat racism. Jessie Owens did it in 1936, Mario Balotelli does it again in 2012. You come to the white man's house and you make him look a cunt at his own game. And not only that, you do it for a country that barely thinks you're human. Disappointed the referee carded him for taking his shirt off. The boy had a point to make and he fucking made it.

Was well impressed by Italy, Germany not so much. Italy and the ebony god that is Balotelli took it right to the Germans who played oddly shit. Question is were they ever really tested enough in the tournament, first time they faced a proper team. Italy deservedly to the finals which ought to be an interesting match. Wouldn't surprise me at all if Italy took the championship, so they ought to make sure to have a match fixing scandal in their league when there's a big tournament coming up.

Italian fans are annoying cunts. Oh you have a car horn, do keep pressing it.

Finally an exciting knockout match.

Been massively impressed with Italy this tournament. No reason why they can't go in to Sundays game expecting to win.

I hope they don't win, I will snap and murder everyone