Thought I'd start this up again because there's loads to talk about for the other teams, plus it was pretty fun to have this sort of discussion for the World Cup. Basic stuff. News and opinions of all other countries in France this summer.
First big thing that comes to mind is that Vincent Kompany has been ruled out for Belgium with a thigh muscle injury he picked up in the CL semifinals. Since he's out, I can't see Belgium winning this. He's their captain and one of the few leaders out there. I think he's the worst injury Belgium could've suffered.
If Denmark got in then I could've seen them as an outside bet because they have a pretty good midfield and back four when healthy.
Unless they pick up another Serie A scandal then I don't see Italy doing that well, but should get out of their group and maybe make the quarterfinals. Pirlo's game has gone down and won't have Marchisio and maybe not Veratti.
I think Italy are in real trouble. Other than Veratti and to some extent Insigne, they've had no good young players come through for a while. Players like De Sciglio and El Shaarawy haven't really progressed the way they'd hoped (much like many of our players that came through around the same time e.g. Ox, Wilshere, Jones, all though of course all five of them still have time). They're relying on their experienced defenders like Chiellini and have no good strikers. I'd honestly be surprised if they make it to the semis, unless of course, they play us in the quarters.
Same with me although I feel like none of them are that strong. Germany have gone downhill since winning the World Cup but its Germany they're bound to do well in a tournament. France have built a good team now and have home advantage, and Spain are still Spain and could field about 3 different teams that would be capable of winning the tournament, but they still don't seem as strong as they used to.
2010 is last major tournament anywhere that has showcased a side no one can beat and that was Spain. Although they lost to Switzerland, they were terrific. In Euro 2012 they won it and went undefeated, but there was more flaws in that side and they didn't have to play Germany. Germany can't seem to keep a clean sheet and Spain aren't as good as they were four years ago, but are improving from their disaster in Brazil. I favor France because they don't have that many flaws. They have the defence, midfield control, and their attacking options can do just about anything even though they won't have Benzema.
El Shaarawy is very overrated, but is a threat nonetheless. A lot of their star players in 2012 won't be in the squad or have gone down the pecking order. Balotelli is so inconsistent that he's almost average now. Immobile was supposed to be the new great striker for BVB, but scored 3 in 24 and is now back in Italy at Torino. He does have 5 in 11 for them though. Italy does have several tiny, tricky players, but no strikers to feed to. It's so odd because going into the World Cup they looked pretty strong all over the place.
This is a lineup France could come out with: GK: Lloris RB: Sangna/DeBuchy CB: Varane/Zouma CB: Mathieu/Koscielny LB: Evra/Kurzawa CDM: Pogba/Kante CDM: Matuidi/Schneiderlin RW: Ribery/Coman LW: Martial/Lacazette CAM: Poyet/Valbuena ST: Griezmann/Giroud
Veratti is actually going to miss the tournament. http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-verratti-to-miss-euro-2016-with-groin-injury He joins Marchisio and Alessio Cerci for Italians who won't be going. That's three players who probably would've started, maybe not Cerci.
I can see Switzerland topping Group A ahead of France... If France doesn't show up that is. Embolo, Xhaka, Shaqiri as attackers. Lichensteiner and Rodriguez as RB & LB. Inler, Frei, and Stocker are ok midfielders. They're team selection wasn't that great against us in qualifying since they relied too much on Shaqiri in the first match while Seferovic is a poor striker. Defence may be a probably, but they really should attack more often if they want to play to their potential.
Et voici la liste des joueurs sélectionnés par Didier Deschamps et son staff pour l'@EURO2016 ! #FiersdetreBleus 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/teMC8XB2AA— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) May 12, 2016
Lacazette scored 21 goals in 32 games for Lyon. However Gignac has been just as lethal, if not more so with 28 in 32 for his club, Tigres, which is in Mexico. I personally would've taken Lacazette, but perhaps they needed one more bigger body up front.
Also interesting that they left out Gameiro too. Though they have a lot of good forwards to choose from.
Lol. That's what you get in a country with one discrete language where no one from anywhere else wants to live there.
Youngest person to be named in a provisional squad so far is the Czech Václav Černý, 18 (17th October 1997). Gabor Kiraly is only the second oldest. Beaten by Shay Given, 40. (20th April 1976).
Černý reminds me a bit of Patrick Roberts based on the way he runs and dribbles. Pretty quick with some skill, but thin, like Roberts. Compared to most of the Czech team he seems one of their most skillful players.
I thought France would take this ever since the last WC ended. They are on home soil and have some insane young players.
Coman will turn 20 on June 13 and Martial turned 20 in December. Coman has won Ligue 1, Serie A, and the Bundesliga titles already! There's an 18 year old, Ousmane Dembele, who just signed for Dortmund, who's another insane prospect. He'll probably play for France in the U19 Euros though.