|
Post by Alanović on Jul 1, 2024 9:24:58 GMT
Dubya is spot on. England were pedestrian, dull and ultimately lucky. By contrast the later game between Spain and Georgia was an utter joy. Spanish quality told in the end, but Georgia were a revelation, exactly how the game should be played. Fearless and positive. I wanted Spain to progress as they're clearly the best team in the tournament, but it was a huge shame Georgia had to go home. I am certain they would have beaten pretty much anyone else in the tournament.
The Spain-Germany quarter final, IMHO, is now effectively the tournament decider, I think. Massive chance for England, Switzerland, Austria or Netherlands to reach the final. I think England the least likely out of those on current form, but any of them could be there. I can't see past Spain to be the ultimate winners, though. But nothing's ever certain in football.
|
|
bpg
Full Member
Posts: 2,732
Member is Online
|
Post by bpg on Jul 1, 2024 11:18:05 GMT
Austria v Turkey should be interesting tomorrow. Austria being a surprise team in this tournament and Turkey being similar to Georgia in everyone working for the team even if they are prone to the odd gaff.
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Jul 1, 2024 13:02:41 GMT
If Pep or Jurgen or even Mikel had managed England he would have furious at the poor passing and lack of running off the ball.
|
|
bpg
Full Member
Posts: 2,732
Member is Online
|
Post by bpg on Jul 1, 2024 13:34:40 GMT
The problem is there is no system or structure. If you look at the German and Danish leagues they get the children when they are young and coach them a system which is adopted throughout their football association at all levels.
We take the best players from the positions they play for in their team forgetting not all teams play the same systems. Get together a few times/year and look like a pub team. Saka, brilliant winger at Arsenal, I think I saw him take on and beat his fullback once last night. Foden, he plays like that one good kid at school who thinks he can play all eleven positions in one game. Takes all the free kicks, all the corners. I swear Dubravka had roundels on his gloves last night 'cos Foden hit them every time with his free kicks.
|
|
Rob
Full Member
Posts: 2,721
|
Post by Rob on Jul 1, 2024 15:07:31 GMT
If someone like Jurgen was the manager, they'd be doing a lot better than they are currently. Even the equaliser wasn't that great a goal - he fluked it more than anything.
As you say the English way of managing is to take the best of each position from teams across the world (mostly Europe) and expect them to play well together. When Man Utd were made up of a lot British youngsters (so a while ago) when Ferguson was unstoppable at times as a manager, you could have say taken the back 4 and got them playing for a national team better than the ones we would have had in the national team at the time.
|
|
WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,352
|
Post by WDB on Jul 2, 2024 8:23:20 GMT
I didn’t see Slovenia’s game against England but, having seen how far they stretched Portugal last night, perhaps England can feel better about not beating them.
More questions about the playing surface, though. Is all this wet weather causing problems, or possibly the amount of football these stadiums have had to host hasn’t allowed the turf to recover?
|
|
|
Post by Alanović on Jul 2, 2024 8:29:38 GMT
Bit of both, probably. Also, in the case of Frankfurt, I think they've been playing American Football or something on it just before the tournament too. Bad idea. But I don't think they were expecting such bad weather this time of year. Perhaps our Köln correspondent can enlighten us to whether this weather is unusual. I've been in Germany once or twice in summer months and it's been brutally hot and sunny.
|
|
bpg
Full Member
Posts: 2,732
Member is Online
|
Post by bpg on Jul 2, 2024 9:22:49 GMT
The problem with the pitches is they have been layed multiple times and not had time to bed in. I've heard some of the pitches are a mix of natural grass with artificial turf structure underneath which again would need time for the grass roots to grip.
The summer weather here has, for years, been hot i.e. mid to high 30s being normal low 40s not unknown. The last two summers have got me scratching my head wrt what personal transport to buy next. Electric Ark is not a thing, yet. Saturday night the rain was brutal. We have a 12' diameter circle in the garden about 4" deep, leveled that we used for an above ground pool since 2017. We haven't used the pool last summer or this year. That area was a duck pond on Sunday morning. It is still under water this morning.
|
|
|
Post by Alanović on Jul 2, 2024 9:45:46 GMT
Driving through Germany to get to Belgrade in Summer 2004 (stopped a night in Paderborn to visit Sis), we had the radio on and this song came on. I laughed like a drain. Looks like these Sommern in Deutschland are just a distant memory now.
|
|
bpg
Full Member
Posts: 2,732
Member is Online
|
Post by bpg on Jul 2, 2024 10:31:42 GMT
😂
It helps having Scottish blood, the warm rain means you know it's summer. It still beats a hot day on the NE coast, 17°C, followed by three days haar when the heat off the land meets the balmy, spanner water that is the North sea.
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Jul 2, 2024 11:08:08 GMT
Was chatting with Son #2 last night about the football. He is very knowledgable and analytic about it. In his view most of the big teams have underperformed and some of the smaller teams have overperformed. The Slovaks and Slovenes in particular have been unfortunate to lose. Portugal and England are very lucky not to be home now.
|
|
|
Post by Alanović on Jul 2, 2024 12:07:02 GMT
He's not wrong. Georgia were unlucky to have been drawn against Spain also. Unless England or Netherlands pull their thumbs out of their posteriors, we are likely to have an outsider in the final from that side of the draw. I think the Swiss highly likely to beat England and be that team. They do annoy me though, they are clearly the biggest team of ringers on the continent.
|
|
WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,352
|
Post by WDB on Jul 2, 2024 12:52:34 GMT
…the Swiss … are clearly the biggest team of ringers on the continent. Cowbells?
|
|
bpg
Full Member
Posts: 2,732
Member is Online
|
Post by bpg on Jul 2, 2024 16:24:50 GMT
Is it a rule of the tournament that the teams must stay in the country ?
Scotland stayed in Garmisch which is 635kms from the stadium in Cologne where they played Switzerland. Sopwell House near St. Alban's (Arsenal uses) is 611kms to Cologne stadium. Flight time 50 minutes from Stansted.
Would it help the players prepare better in familiar surroundings ?
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Jul 3, 2024 9:43:39 GMT
But the drive from Sopwell House to Stansted will take some time in a bus.
We are staying in Sopwell House for a wedding late in August. Having done The Grove (England base for Wembley) for a wedding a few years ago, I will be able to compare facilities.
|
|