Let's keep everything 2016 Euros here. http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2016/matches/index.html#md/1 Anyone doing any fantasy leagues?
Very interested to see how Belgium does in their group. Especially interested to see if Eden can make his mark on the international stage.
i want to watch iceland too. just think it's awesome they made it. really a lot of good storylines in this one. young players and teams, last chance for some older ones. should be great.
For sure.. and this must be the first tournament in however long where England doesn't have the likes of Stevie Me or Lamps.
We really have surprisingly few internationals this summer. 6 at the Euros (TC, Hazard, Gaz, Dave, Pedro and Cesc) and just Willian at Copa so not much Chelsea interest in the latter at least and only 3 teams being repped in France (plus Italy of course). Still, probably a good catch-all to use this thread for Copa too given the US link for many of our members. As important as many of these players are it's great to see most of the squad getting a breather.
The most intriguing thing in the Euros this summer for me is how good England has been since the WC shit show. Wales with Bale is interesting. Iceland with Guddy. Belgium with our connection. Are some others.
It's weird, but as good as our results have been, you'd be hard pushed to find many people who think we've been playing at a high level. A good chunk of that is continued mediocrity in several positions and another factor is a general mistrust in Hodgson. Myself, I think this team is best when let off the leash and give the form players a chance to do their thing. We'll concede but we'll score as well. But we will probably plod out Rooney, Milner, Henderson etc, do the safe thing and get knocked out in the last 16 or QFs. We have a good enough squad to make a run at this MFer and it would be really annoying if we don't give it a proper go. No guts, no glory this summer.
I think Kane and Vardy need to have a good tournament along with Alli if you are to go far. Defensively though, your just rather weak. Just not sure Hodgson will allow the free flowing game most of these know how to play. Recent results have been your typical grind it out types.
Willian/Brazil are absolutely pedestrian. Really average and just mailing it in. EDIT: I know Neymar isn't involved; Brazil shouldn't be that dependant on one player.
Been this way for a long time now. They really lack the kind of golden generation that made them a dominant force in the past.
It's because their talent pool is shrinking. The Brazilian league isn't what it was and so many of their players are leaving for big money in Asia.
True. The whole money over competitiveness thing surely does not help. Still, not like they're all chumps either. Plenty of talent in there just missing some key players imo.. the squad just doesn't gel very well. No great striker to rely on, no great midfielders.
They just aren't very good. They have a poor midfield. They are truly lacking up top. Outside of Neymar and Douglas Costa, they just don't have much up there.
Seeing Fred be their go to in the last world cup was legitimately painful. Seeing a Brazil team without a great striker is weird.
with twellman as the color guy, you know it's just a matter of time for him to complain about a lone striker system. i have not heard a game he has commentated without him mentioning his love of 4-4-2 or saying two strikers need to be on the field.