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Euro 2016 Discussion Thread

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ML Hammer95 View member profile	Jul 11 2016, 09:04 AM Post #581
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 4 October 2014 Posts: 5,610 User: 21,265	For me, 24 teams has been too many. The likes of Wales and Iceland would have qualified under the old 16 team format anyway and there was a notable step-up in goals in the knockout rounds. It was the mid-ranking teams with tournament pedigree that stunk out the finals this time... Russia, Ukraine, Sweden, Czech Republic, Romania, Austria, Turkey. England were just funny. The tournament would have been no worse with sixteen teams. Although the format isn't solely to blame. Just contrast the 2010 and 2014 World Cup's for example. Defensive, counterattacking football ruled. There was no Chile, Colombia or Algeria that illuminated Brazil two years ago. Its the easiest way to play international football, pack men behind the ball. Early goals would have helped significantly (see France v Iceland) but in most games this failed to happen. Missed opportunity for France, Germany and Croatia especially. Italy exceeded expectations. Spain just seem tired. Wales and Iceland were big successes of course and both Ireland's did their country proud (although probably not World Cup standard). Poland flattered to decieve, as did Belgium (aka England 2004). Hungary were a pleasant surprise while Slovakia and Switzerland performed as I expected. Well done Portugal though. Been there or thereabouts for years so this has been a long time coming. Tournaments need a team to root against and a pantomime villain like Ronaldo anyway!


Mart!n View member profile	Jul 11 2016, 09:43 AM Post #582
Infamy Infamy they all got it in for me Joined: 5 March 2006 Posts: 129,134 User: 2	The new format was better, more teams and more games and the competition running longer, and its nice to see teams like Iceland and Wales getting through. The next Euro competition is going to be interesting to see how it develops, on paper its a good idea with no host nation getting a automatic free pass to the final part of the competition. At least Portugal get added to the list of honours on the Throphy instead of the usual suspects, but I wish it was a better team like Belgium, not flukey Portugal.


Iz 🌟 View member profile	Jul 11 2016, 10:00 AM Post #583
I'm a paragon so don't perceive me Joined: 3 February 2011 Posts: 37,405 User: 12,929	I wouldn't want to change the format as I liked seeing more teams get a chance out there, Wales and Iceland may have improved but Albania and Northern Ireland would never get a chance like this otherwise and I hope similarly-levelled teams like Norway, Bulgaria, Finland or Slovenia get to use that chance in the future. 2012 felt way too cramped and non-inclusive for that reason, and the boring play wasn't completely related to the format, honestly for many of the knockout games it was just as dry, you had the teams like Portugal and Italy just sitting back and doing their thing while otherwise exciting teams like Croatia fell foul of that safe play early on. 2014 was much better, so I really hope some of these safe European teams get caught out by international entertainers like Chile in 2018.


Houdini View member profile	Jul 11 2016, 10:52 AM Post #584
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 4 April 2015 Posts: 7,816 User: 21,725	I think expanding the number of participants was a good thing but maybe if they were going to introduce a "Round Of 16" then they should have increased the teams to 32. Having 24 teams meant that it was virtually impossible to fail to qualify for the knockout stages which meant that teams were happy to play for draws instead of doing the instinctive thing of trying to win. If there were 32 teams then only the top two from each group would have progressed to the next round which would have motivated teams to try harder to win matches instead of settling for draws. I also think if the golden goal rule was in place for knockout matches then it might have made a difference rather than teams playing for a penalty shootout instead. This is part of why league football such as the F.A Premier League is so successful because teams always play to win matches as 1 point doesn't often make much of a difference to a team's position in the league table.


Rooney View member profile	Jul 11 2016, 06:17 PM Post #585
WINTER IS COMING Joined: 7 March 2006 Posts: 45,594 User: 88	The overall quality of international football is worse than it was 10-15 years ago. Teams now set up to defend instead of setting up to attack. I can understand nobody wants to lose, but over the past few major tournaments, probably Brazil 2014 aside, they have been pretty poor. I think one of the BBC commentators summed it up - it's been a tournament full of great moments, but not a great tournament. While I applaud Portugal, I don't think anyone will remember this Portugal team like the Spain team of 2008 for example or France in 1998. But it must be a great feeling and as much as I hate Ronaldo, you can see how much it meant to him. Football needs more characters like him and Messi. It's what England lack as well, we have no born winners. Hopefully the one real good thing to come out of this from an English point of view, is how poor we were. There needs to be some real changes to the foundations of English football. An embarrassment getting beaten by Iceland and the FA and team were probably saved by how much other stuff was going on in the UK at that moment in time e.g. EU referendum. However, I'm yet to be convinced that we will learn anything from the defeat...


Steve201 View member profile	Jul 12 2016, 12:42 AM Post #586
Shakin Stevens Joined: 29 December 2007 Posts: 46,119 User: 5,138	QUOTE(Steve201 @ Jul 10 2016, 02:47 PM) I think the way Portugal set themselves up has been very tactical and it'll be interesting to see France coming out and trying to break that down! So the final went pretty much like I thought then lol


Steve201 View member profile	Jul 12 2016, 12:53 AM Post #587
Shakin Stevens Joined: 29 December 2007 Posts: 46,119 User: 5,138	It really winds me up to see people saying Portugal are flukey and things like that - what nonsense - they were the best team in the tournament there's no doubt. The manager is unbeaten since sept 2014 when he took over and there's no comparison to Greece I'm afraid - Portugal have great players and the right balance unlike the bloated unbalanced teams that England and Belgium for example came with with their star names and world wide stars but unfort not spirit, character, personality or team ethic - that's the big difference between winning at the international stage and the big money of the EPL and their cohorts in Sky Sports!!


Soy Adrián View member profile	Jul 12 2016, 11:40 AM Post #588
I'm so lonely, I paid a hobo to spoon with me Joined: 6 February 2010 Posts: 12,908 User: 10,596	QUOTE(Steve201 @ Jul 12 2016, 01:53 AM) It really winds me up to see people saying Portugal are flukey and things like that - what nonsense - they were the best team in the tournament there's no doubt. The manager is unbeaten since sept 2014 when he took over and there's no comparison to Greece I'm afraid - Portugal have great players and the right balance unlike the bloated unbalanced teams that England and Belgium for example came with with their star names and world wide stars but unfort not spirit, character, personality or team ethic - that's the big difference between winning at the international stage and the big money of the EPL and their cohorts in Sky Sports!! Best team in the tournament? They were exceptionally well organised when it mattered, for sure. But on a game by game basis I'd argue France, Germany and Italy were all better.