**Official Euro 2012 Discussion Thread**

[seabs]

Mclaren's England has to be up there aswell.

A hero to Scots everywhere I'm sure.

 

[Rysenberg]

Tactics or no tactics, France try to play the Spain way. They have the players to play it against the smaller teams. IMO this was the perfect match to showcase Spain. France beat 20+ teams playing creative football, Spain dismantle them effortlessly. The only way to beat Spain atm is shut up shop and defend for your life countering. England would be the favourites to beat Spain. My opinion ofc.

My main issue was the way Benzema was being played. He's a guy that shouldn't go any wider than the width of the penalty area for the majority of the game, yet he spent half the game playing out wide, where he was absolutely hopeless. It should've been Giroud and Benzema starting up front as well IMO.

Chichy deserves shot. The definition of ball watching for the first. The pundits all had a go at Malouda - completely justified - but never mentioned the fact that Clichy had just drifted into the centre without even taking a glance to see if anyone was running in. The other full back should've taken down the wide player as well with his arm, take one for the team.

Another issue with the French team was that they were obviously scared of giving the ball away, as they knew how long it would take to get it back. They were far too afraid to take any sort of a risk.

I agree totally that England are the team to beat Spain. They will struggle to get past a well organised England side without a proper striker starting IMO.

 

[Robbie Coletrain]

Impossible to "fo sho". There was no teams who played like Spain in that time, it's a revolutionary style of football.


Troll? Has to be lmao.

Yeah I troll :haha::haha::haha:

 

[Rysenberg]

Oh and by the way. Just me that noticed that Martinez speaks better English than Carragher? 1:

 

[Crayo]

My main issue was the way Benzema was being played. He's a guy that shouldn't go any wider than the width of the penalty area for the majority of the game, yet he spent half the game playing out wide, where he was absolutely hopeless. It should've been Giroud and Benzema starting up front as well IMO.

Chichy deserves shot. The definition of ball watching for the first. The pundits all had a go at Malouda - completely justified - but never mentioned the fact that Clichy had just drifted into the centre without even taking a glance to see if anyone was running in. The other full back should've taken down the wide player as well with his arm, take one for the team.

Another issue with the French team was that they were obviously scared of giving the ball away, as they knew how long it would take to get it back. They were far too afraid to take any sort of a risk.

I agree totally that England are the team to beat Spain. They will struggle to get past a well organised England side without a proper striker starting IMO.

Good post. Though Benzema had to go out wide, you see it with all teams that face Spain. You want your best players on the ball whether they're in position or not. Clichy is god awful at defending, I understand why he's there as he's quick and can go forward but he doesn't have the composure or football knowledge to combat with Spain's superior passing ability. Also, it's natural to be scared of giving the ball away as you said. You get a lot more tired defending than you do attacking. Spain's philosophy is quite simple, rest with possession, charge like angry cave men when you don't have it. They can always put pressure on you because they're so fresh as they always have the ball.

Spain are just incredible and I really see it being a Germany vs Spain final with Spain overcoming the Germs. Been my prediction from the beginning.

 

[Rysenberg]

Good post. Though Benzema had to go out wide, you see it with all teams that face Spain. You want your best players on the ball whether they're in position or not. Clichy is god awful at defending, I understand why he's there as he's quick and can go forward but he doesn't have the composure or football knowledge to combat with Spain's superior passing ability. Also, it's natural to be scared of giving the ball away as you said. You get a lot more tired defending than you do attacking. Spain's philosophy is quite simple, rest with possession, charge like angry cave men when you don't have it. They can always put pressure on you because they're so fresh as they always have the ball.

Spain are just incredible and I really see it being a Germany vs Spain final with Spain overcoming the Germs. Been my prediction from the beginning.

I agree with the bulk of that post. I disagree though that Benzema should be played out wide. He's just not a wide player at all. They should've played someone else up front if they needed them to go wide as Benzema is wasted there.

Also my prediction since the Sweden game is England beating Spain in the final. This is the first time I've ever felt like it was their year.

 

[Robbie Coletrain]

Game day. COME ON ENGLAND!
Prediction: Italy 1-0 England unfortunately can't really see us causing many problems and sloppy defending could cost us the match, if only he brought Micah Richards instead of Glen Johnson.

 

[seabs]

Really unsure on this game, both of us are out to defend, hopefully Theo starts out right with Wazza playing off Carroll to give us a bit of hold up. Harsh on Danny but I can see it working out a bit better in this game tbh, a poor mans Drogba if you will. England 1 - 0 scrape leading to me having a heart attack.

 

[Crayo]

Poor Seabs, it's going to be the same team as last time apparently. SO be prepared for Milner to lose the ball 50 times and Johnson to get skilled by a sidestep.

 

[Robbie Coletrain]

Why oh why didn't he take Adam Johnson aswell, he's got real good skill (seen him at Middlesbrough) if given the chance, he could be BIG.

 

[seabs]

http://newsthump.com/2012/06/20/england-mobilise-search-and-rescue-team-to-find-james-milner/#ixzz1yM5rCac8

Speaking of Milner this made me lol.

 

[Crayo]

Lmao nice read.

The thing I don't understand is, he hasn't really helped Glen out once apart from being there. He's so useless. Micah Ricahrds + Adam Johnson = awesomeness.

Anyway, come on England today.

 

[Robbie Coletrain]

Lol, funny link, we would be a really solid side if Richards and Johnson were on the right, but as it stands we are conceding many goal scoring opportunitys from that side, luckily we haven't played any really good sides yet but when we do (today) we will be punished.

 

[Crayo]

I'm just happy Lescott and Terry are performing like gods, but still Cole is playing the best out of the whole squad. Love him or hate him outside of football, you have to admit he's the best LB in the world.

 

[Robbie Coletrain]

I'm just happy Lescott and Terry are performing like gods, but still Cole is playing the best out of the whole squad. Love him or hate him outside of football, you have to admit he's the best LB in the world.

No doubt about it, for maybe a season or two I thought maybe Evra was but now it's plain for all to see, because he is the only LB at least I can think of that can also perform on an International level. The strange thing is, imo we have the best keeper in the world (Hart), two of the best CBs in the world (Lescott and Terry), the best LB in the world (Cole), oneof the best CMs in the world (Gerrard) and one of the best Strikers in the world (Rooney) so why aren't we playing to their strengths instead if just hoofing the ball upfield whenever we get it.