• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

The Official EURO 2012 thread

Who will win Euro 2012?

  • Spain

    Votes: 17 17.3%

  • Germany

    Votes: 54 55.1%

  • Holland

    Votes: 17 17.3%

  • France

    Votes: 3 3.1%

  • Italy

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • England

    Votes: 2 2.0%

  • Croatia

    Votes: 1 1.0%

  • Poland

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ukraine

    Votes: 2 2.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 2 2.0%
  • Total voters
    98
Germany or Italy were the teams I most enjoyed watching, but overall it was teams having one or two entertaining performances than a consistent entertaining team (e.g. Russia).

Look, I'm not critical of Spain, they play football that wins, but I do not find it enjoyable watching a team who just pass it around for most the game, with the intention to keep the ball from the opponent more than actually lay on attacking football. It's very similar to the way Barca play, but they have the likes of Messi who adds that attacking impetus, and Arsenal also play with the same philosophy. It's all very pretty but most of the time it doesn't go anywhere and just seems to do enough.

I prefer to watch teams like Real (when they're not diving and hacking) and indeed ourselves at our height last season, where we do control the ball and the game but we also use fast attacking football, and counter attacking, utilising players with pace, power and technique. For me it's no coincidence that the most entertained I've been by Spain is in 08 when Torres was at the height of his powers. They also missed Villa.
 
linnet_spur said:
Germany or Italy were the teams I most enjoyed watching, but overall it was teams having one or two entertaining performances than a consistent entertaining team (e.g. Russia).

Look, I'm not critical of Spain, they play football that wins, but I do not find it enjoyable watching a team who just pass it around for most the game, with the intention to keep the ball from the opponent more than actually lay on attacking football. It's very similar to the way Barca play, but they have the likes of Messi who adds that attacking impetus, and Arsenal also play with the same philosophy. It's all very pretty but most of the time it doesn't go anywhere and just seems to do enough.

I prefer to watch teams like Real (when they're not diving and hacking) and indeed ourselves at our height last season, where we do control the ball and the game but we also use fast attacking football, and counter attacking, utilising players with pace, power and technique. For me it's no coincidence that the most entertained I've been by Spain is in 08 when Torres was at the height of his powers. They also missed Villa.
Click to expand...

Fair enough then, I think they missed Villa big time and the other forwards ( LLorente, Higuain) do not have the quick feet to enable all the one-twos they like to play and Torres is not at his best.

Because of that they had to play the false number nine, if Villa had been fit i do not think they would have done that. It seems to me that any team that becomes really successful ( Spain, Barca, Utd etc) and keeps winning starts to get slagged off unfairly ( not saying you are) and a lot of that is down to jealously.

I am old enough to have seen the 1970 Brazil side and i think that they and Spain are the two best international sides i have seen.
 
They are the best international side I have seen, and before this tournament they have entertained me. They just haven't done it for me this summer, partly a victim of circumstance and injuries, partly due to the way many of their opposition have set up and partly due to their resistance to change their system when struggling to breakthrough.
What can't be criticised is the fact that the football they have played has most definitely got the results, it's just frustrating seeing them playing like last night, and thinking "I wish they played that way in every game".
Perhaps in 2014 we will see them at their best again, with more open opposition to play against, and more options to use as a focal point for their attack.
 
linnet_spur said:
They are the best international side I have seen, and before this tournament they have entertained me. They just haven't done it for me this summer, partly a victim of circumstance and injuries, partly due to the way many of their opposition have set up and partly due to their resistance to change their system when struggling to breakthrough.
What can't be criticised is the fact that the football they have played has most definitely got the results, it's just frustrating seeing them playing like last night, and thinking "I wish they played that way in every game".
Perhaps in 2014 we will see them at their best again, with more open opposition to play against, and more options to use as a focal point for their attack.
Click to expand...

Lets hope you are right, i think they can do so after all only Alonso, Xavi and Casillas from the team will be over 30 by that time so they will still be strong.
 
Jeez... second from bottom. In fairness though, I set up my team before a ball was kicked and didn't log in again (completely forgot about it until the semis at which point it was too late). I'll have to do better in the premiership this year...
 
Huddy said:
Oops forgot all about this. I finished last, mind you I manage that even when I try. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had to work abroad for a week during round 2/3 and completely missed it. Next time. Edit: Just seen I finished top half without making a sub though :D
 
Tello, Romeu, Muniain, Muniesa, Canales, Jese, Alcacer, Adrian, Thiago, Isco, Montoya, de Gea are all footballers that they highly rate too, so bedding them into the squad will be important for them in my opinion.

Though you look at the squad they have now, Casillas (31), Pique (25), Ramos (26), Alba (23), Iniesta (28), Fabregas (25), Busquets (23), Silva (26), Pedro (24), Torres (28) they all still have a few more competitions left in them and at a stretch Xavi has a World Cup in him, probably should put Alonso in there but I think in 4 years they might have someone else in his place at Euro 2016.
 
linnet_spur said:
Germany or Italy were the teams I most enjoyed watching, but overall it was teams having one or two entertaining performances than a consistent entertaining team (e.g. Russia).

Look, I'm not critical of Spain, they play football that wins, but I do not find it enjoyable watching a team who just pass it around for most the game, with the intention to keep the ball from the opponent more than actually lay on attacking football. It's very similar to the way Barca play, but they have the likes of Messi who adds that attacking impetus, and Arsenal also play with the same philosophy. It's all very pretty but most of the time it doesn't go anywhere and just seems to do enough.

I prefer to watch teams like Real (when they're not diving and hacking) and indeed ourselves at our height last season, where we do control the ball and the game but we also use fast attacking football, and counter attacking, utilising players with pace, power and technique. For me it's no coincidence that the most entertained I've been by Spain is in 08 when Torres was at the height of his powers. They also missed Villa.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Italy and Germany were better to watch on the whole than Spain were. Spain were truly awesome on Sunday night, but their games against Croatia, France and Portugal especially were like watching paint dry. And it wasn't because those teams were negative as the Spanish have claimed, Portugal and Croatia both attacked Spain and really should have beaten them.

I hope Spain's win doesn't cause more teams to play without a striker. They could win with or without one that's whats so annoying. Llorente could have been hugely effective, but Del Bosque decided he wasn't even good enough to play 1 minute. Torres even managed 3 goals ffs! I want to see efforts on goal. Fabregas plays the false no. 9 well, but a striker who makes even more intelligent runs could do it better aka Llorente!
 
Jurgen the German said:
Agreed. Italy and Germany were better to watch on the whole than Spain were. Spain were truly awesome on Sunday night, but their games against Croatia, France and Portugal especially were like watching paint dry. And it wasn't because those teams were negative as the Spanish have claimed, Portugal and Croatia both attacked Spain and really should have beaten them.

I hope Spain's win doesn't cause more teams to play without a striker. They could win with or without one that's whats so annoying. Llorente could have been hugely effective, but Del Bosque decided he wasn't even good enough to play 1 minute. Torres even managed 3 goals ffs! I want to see efforts on goal. Fabregas plays the false no. 9 well, but a striker who makes even more intelligent runs could do it better aka Llorente!
Click to expand...

I dont think it will to be honest, they really missed Villa who is best suited to play the quick moving one touch play. The other forwards (LLorente and Higuen) may be good players but are not suited to one touch football and would have struggled with the quick movement. Torres can play that way but lets be honest his confidence has been low and because of that Fabregas was chosen.
 
parklane1 said:
I dont think it will to be honest, they really missed Villa who is best suited to play the quick moving one touch play. The other forwards (LLorente and Higuen) may be good players but are not suited to one touch football and would have struggled with the quick movement. Torres can play that way but lets be honest his confidence has been low and because of that Fabregas was chosen.
Click to expand...

Bilbao (Llorent's club) play a possession game too. And they really attack with pace at their best. I think Llorente would fit perfectly into their side, plus it would give them a plan B i.e. an aerial threat when teams look to frustrate them. He's easily been one of the top 10 strikers in Europe over the last couple of seasons.

I'm also worried that teams will start to play 6 in midfield so that they don't get dominated by Spain/Barca.
 
Llorente had fitness problems though didn't he? I don't think other clubs will adopt this approach very much, although a 4-6-0 type formation to counter Spain might be seen, fudge it was pretty much what Chelsea did against Barca and Bayern anyway. If anyone should be blamed for negatively influencing football it should be Chelsea, Greece etc, not Spain.

The idea that Spain is boring I find quite ridiculous, at least if seen on any kind of scale including other teams. To me any English journalist (or fan) classifying Spain as boring without also classifying England under Hodgson as boring squared or worse seems jealous to me.

Spain weren't as good as they have been at their best, but they were still one of the more entertaining sides at the Euros and clearly one of the very best if not the best. I wish Germany would have beaten Italy as I was hoping for a final between Spain and Germany, but maybe they will meet in Brazil instead.
 
braineclipse said:
Llorente had fitness problems though didn't he? I don't think other clubs will adopt this approach very much, although a 4-6-0 type formation to counter Spain might be seen, fudge it was pretty much what Chelsea did against Barca and Bayern anyway. If anyone should be blamed for negatively influencing football it should be Chelsea, Greece etc, not Spain.

The idea that Spain is boring I find quite ridiculous, at least if seen on any kind of scale including other teams. To me any English journalist (or fan) classifying Spain as boring without also classifying England under Hodgson as boring squared or worse seems jealous to me.

Spain weren't as good as they have been at their best, but they were still one of the more entertaining sides at the Euros and clearly one of the very best if not the best. I wish Germany would have beaten Italy as I was hoping for a final between Spain and Germany, but maybe they will meet in Brazil instead.
Click to expand...

Yeah Chelsea and Greece deserve their share of the blame, but my main point was that Spain are so good and far and away the best team, they could have won playing with a striker also.
 
Jurgen the German said:
Yeah Chelsea and Greece deserve their share of the blame, but my main point was that Spain are so good and far and away the best team, they could have won playing with a striker also.
Click to expand...

For sure. I'm not convinced either that playing without an out and out striker was the best thing for them even with Villa injured, Torres struggling and Llorrente not fully fit.

Torres did look at his best (imo) during this championship when they were either in the lead already or towards the end of matches when space was opening up though. I can see the argument for playing with Silva and Fabregas as the most advanced players giving them more creativity and skill on the ball from their front men while accepting a loss in physical ability and finishing as a way of breaking down stubborn bus parking sides.
 
braineclipse said:
For sure. I'm not convinced either that playing without an out and out striker was the best thing for them even with Villa injured, Torres struggling and Llorrente not fully fit.

Torres did look at his best (imo) during this championship when they were either in the lead already or towards the end of matches when space was opening up though. I can see the argument for playing with Silva and Fabregas as the most advanced players giving them more creativity and skill on the ball from their front men while accepting a loss in physical ability and finishing as a way of breaking down stubborn bus parking sides.
Click to expand...

Tbh, I don't see the need for them to play Alonso AND Busquets, it's not like they conceed a lot of goals is it? Play one of them, which means you can fit Fabregas into the side and a striker.
 
Jurgen the German said:
Tbh, I don't see the need for them to play Alonso AND Busquets, it's not like they conceed a lot of goals is it? Play one of them, which means you can fit Fabregas into the side and a striker.
Click to expand...

Both excellent players though that offer a lot to their team. There was some stat about them not conceding a goal in almost 1000 minutes of knock out tournament football.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back