European Championships 2024 ⚽ 🏆 ⚽

[SameOldSpurs]

German league had the best season and they have home advantage and the best coach. Favourites for me.

Spain strong though.

Greece, Italy and Spain won the European trophies.

I think that's more important than coefficient points in terms of how successful each nation was.

The last time Germany hosted, Italy beat them 2-0 in the semi final. If I were to bet on Germany, semi final would be as far as I see them getting. Squad looks a bit too old with very mixed results over the last year.

 

[Kekerinho]

Group B

Spoiler: Spain

Spoiler: Croatia

Spoiler: Italy

Romania

Group E

Spoiler: Belgium

Slovakia
Romania

Spoiler: Ukraine

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So we (Romania) might play in two groups at once?

We’ll still collect a total of 0 points.

 

[SameOldSpurs]

It's the poorest squad they've had since the 90's. They still have enough in the team to win it, but they certainly aren't what they were even just 5 years ago.

I don't think most squads look as good now as they did 5, 10, 15 or 20 years ago.

It's easy to look at the Brazil and France players from the 90s/00s now with their achievements behind them and marvel at what wonderful squads they had. At the time those names didn't carry the same weight as they do now.

This Spanish side, as with all sides, are 1 cup win from having a squad full of international trophy winners. Whilst they have Rodri sitting in the middle of the pitch I can't help but fancy them to do well.

 

[Football Chap]

So we (Romania) might play in two groups at once?

We’ll still collect a total of 0 points.

Just contacted UEFA and they've agreed that the fixture congestion might not be ideal so they've decided to let Albania take the spot in Group B

(not sure how I managed that, fixed now )

 

[SameOldSpurs]

So we (Romania) might play in two groups at once?

We’ll still collect a total of 0 points.

I don't think Romania getting out that group and maybe even winning a knock out game is impossible.

As a Romania fan, what do the Euros represent for you? What would be seen as success?
Is it just a more enjoyable tournament because you're involved?

 

[LeParisien]

Greece, Italy and Spain won the European trophies.

I think that's more important than coefficient points in terms of how successful each nation was.

The last time Germany hosted, Italy beat them 2-0 in the semi final. If I were to bet on Germany, semi final would be as far as I see them getting. Squad looks a bit too old with very mixed results over the last year.

Fair enough!

There are good reasons why every big team might not win. Even if you’re the favourites you can still get knocked out on penalties by Switzerland in a game you dominate!

 

[BernardMatthews]

Fully expect England to win this tournament and cement Southgate’s reputation as the best manager that England have ever produced.

Worth mentioning I can’t actually remember the last time I watched an England game. Maybe 2018.

 

[Deuterz]

German league had the best season and they have home advantage and the best coach. Favourites for me.

Spain strong though.

For me Messi and Ronaldo define a definite footballing era from 04-24/26 maybe.

In that time

Spain 1 wc, 2 euro
Italy 1 wc, 1 euro
France and Germany 1 wc
Portugal and Greece 1 euro

The Spanish domestic leagues also dominated whilst hosting Messi and Ronaldo unsurprisingly.

They also haven't hosted a competition since the 80s which feels well overdue and they seem to either go really far or fail miserably for their standards.

I can see them winning this summer. They have a very good squad full of winners.

Spain are crap mate. Or ok, average. Look at their team. Rodri is amazing and Williams dangerous but their forwards are so poor. Standard array of technical midfielders but defence and midfield wise they’re again, just okay. It’s a quarter final team at best.

France faves due to depth (one or two injuries to England and our XI falls apart) and then Germany due to home advantage + coach + form and talent. Then England. We need Shaw to be fit for knockouts and a few to stay fit throughout. I think we *arguably* (my opinion!!) have marginally the best starting 11 fully fit footballers but terrible depth in numerous positions.

 

[Deuterz]

When he does leave, it will be difficult to know what kind of job Southgate did with England. You can't really argue with his record. Under him we generally comfortably beat teams we should be beating, which certainly wasn't always the case. and we only lose by one goal against the very best sides in tournament football. But that type of game and performance against Iceland in 2016 would simply never happen under him.

While he definitely fell short tactically in the biggest moments, you also can't ignore the fact that he's completely changed the mentality around the England camp in that players clearly love playing with each other and for the shirt, which is in stark contrast to the England teams under the likes of McClaren, Capello and whatnot.

He did a great job until after the Euros. He should’ve walked away after that. It was as far as he could take us. We could’ve won that tournament but the performance in the final showed his limitations.

He did very well fixing the culture around the team and making us competent against teams we should beat. Our record in the games with fine margins under him has not got better. That’s the next step needed and he isn’t going to take it.

 

[LeParisien]

He did a great job until after the Euros. He should’ve walked away after that. It was as far as he could take us. We could’ve won that tournament but the performance in the final showed his limitations.

He did very well fixing the culture around the team and making us competent against teams we should beat. Our record in the games with fine margins under him has not got better. That’s the next step needed and he isn’t going to take it.

Who would you bring in to replace Southgate?

 

[Deuterz]

Who would you bring in to replace Southgate?

Depends on availability at the time he leaves us tbh. I’d take Pochettino. I don’t agree the coach has to be English. I dislike Jose but a coach like him could be what a NT like England needs. Equally he could make us toxic again and send us backwards.

Controversially I’d take Tuchel in a heartbeat.

 

[LeParisien]

Depends on availability at the time he leaves us tbh. I’d take Pochettino. I don’t agree the coach has to be English. I dislike Jose but a coach like him could be what a NT like England needs. Equally he could make us toxic again and send us backwards.

Controversially I’d take Tuchel in a heartbeat.

They would both be huge appointments. I don’t think Tuchel is ready to wind down his career yet.

Poch? Maybe …

 

[Zomb]

I don't think most squads look as good now as they did 5, 10, 15 or 20 years ago.

It's easy to look at the Brazil and France players from the 90s/00s now with their achievements behind them and marvel at what wonderful squads they had. At the time those names didn't carry the same weight as they do now.

This Spanish side, as with all sides, are 1 cup win from having a squad full of international trophy winners. Whilst they have Rodri sitting in the middle of the pitch I can't help but fancy them to do well.

Doubt the snide big bastard will be allowed free rein to commit constant fouls like he does in the PL to break up play when someone runs off the one paced chugger. Big muppet fuck

 

[Zomb]

They would both be huge appointments. I don’t think Tuchel is ready to wind down his career yet.

Poch? Maybe …

Would an Argie take the end job?

 

[Zomb]

Who would you bring in to replace Southgate?

Ange

 

[Zomb]

He did a great job until after the Euros. He should’ve walked away after that. It was as far as he could take us. We could’ve won that tournament but the performance in the final showed his limitations.

He did very well fixing the culture around the team and making us competent against teams we should beat. Our record in the games with fine margins under him has not got better. That’s the next step needed and he isn’t going to take it.

Brilliant manager, average coach

 

[Zomb]

Spain are crap mate. Or ok, average. Look at their team. Rodri is amazing and Williams dangerous but their forwards are so poor. Standard array of technical midfielders but defence and midfield wise they’re again, just okay. It’s a quarter final team at best.

France faves due to depth (one or two injuries to England and our XI falls apart) and then Germany due to home advantage + coach + form and talent. Then England. We need Shaw to be fit for knockouts and a few to stay fit throughout. I think we *arguably* (my opinion!!) have marginally the best starting 11 fully fit footballers but terrible depth in numerous positions.

Shaw has no chance. He’s played four games in 2024, he’s not coming back from a short knock he’s completely unconditioned and miles off it. Would be madness…. If he had been out for a month or so fair enough but this is almost 2/3 of the season

 

[Deuterz]

Shaw has no chance. He’s played four games in 2024, he’s not coming back from a short knock he’s completely unconditioned and miles off it. Would be madness…. If he had been out for a month or so fair enough but this is almost 2/3 of the season

He will play. Nailed on. He’s the only left back Southgate has brought, there’s no way he’s done that without a conversation being bad about it.

The plan I think is trippier as inverted full back for the groups and Shaw in for the knockouts. I agree it’s madness. You bring a Mitchell so you have a left sided player. But that is the plan.

 

[LeParisien]

Brilliant manager, average coach

That’s the most important thing at international level.

 

[Deuterz]

That’s the most important thing at international level.

Until you play an Italy in a final and you’re up against Mancini and one coach makes adjustments which lead to his team dominating and the others changes are to bring on subs to take penalties, with those subs missing them.

Southgate does a lot right in the job. But the things he doesn’t do right are glaring. And unless we have an overwhelming talent advantage it will show.

I actually think our loss vs you in the WC was his most impressive game as a coach. But even then, substitutes were questionable.

If we play Germany for example, I would fully expect Nagelsmann to make adjustments which win the game.

I watched a clip of Gary Neville talking about his time in management & one thing he spoke about was how another coach was making changes and that was one of the moments he realised he’s not at this level as he didn’t know what to do.

Southgate for me in terms of tactics and coaching is a championship level coach. He’s great at other stuff.