2012 UEFA European Championship

[James Johnson]

To me the English team looks pretty weak.. I thnk Sweden will have chances..

The English club teams are killing the English national team by buying too many players from more renowned youth teams which have less money like Ajax, Feyenoord, several French and Belgian teams. And many of these players fail at a big club like Chelsea or City and play on loan at 2nd division crap. These players never become the stars people thought they would be because they sink away in those big teams. Just look at Arsenal how many French boys did Arsène hire? There are 7 Belgian players at Chelsea which should be great in the future, but will they ever shine now? Will they ever have a chance?At the same time English youth players are not interesting anymore and it's clear that teams from abroad don't buy English players.. So many English players stay at 1st and 2nd division teams and just some talents (like Gerrard) make it, because the investment in such a French guy or whatever has to be earned back... But at the same time 9 or 10 out of 11 players on the pitch are from other countries. THAT is what is killing English football. English players are not wanted abroad, nor are they wanted in their own English teams..

The English team:
The goalkeepers aren't that good. if Joe Hart drops out with an injury they're very very weak,, And Jack Butland even played in Second Division last year...

Not too impressed with the defenders. They may be a tad better than the Dutch defenders but nothing else than that.. They will have a hard time with the Swedish attackers..

The midfield lacks experience, only Scott Parker is older than 30 y.o.

The forwards are except for Wayne Rooney nothing special and had a pretty disappointing season.


Now Sweden:
If a GK like Isaksson is the first goalie something is wrong. He has a very doubtful reputation at PSV Eindhoven and that's just the Dutch Eredivisie. Also he was 2nd GK at PSV Eindhoven last year, behind Polish second GK Tyton.

Not too impressed with the defenders as well. A collection of defenders from weaker teams in high leagues. Or the best teams in weaker leagues..

Same goes for the midfield unfortunately.

They have a couple of good forwards. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is awesome. Johan Elmander is said to be good nowadays, even though he failed at Feyenoord in 2003 or something. The substitutes aren't very good. Rosenberg failed at Ajax, Toivonen is not a real Forward, at least not at PSV. He's more a number'10' between forwards and midfielders. I don't know why Hysén is, but the Swedish competition is not strong..

Well the England team might be understrength but for once in our lives there is no pressure on them with the English/British media so i think they could do well for once.

 

[GAIAjohan]

That may be true since I've no insight in the British press... But don't you think the Premier League should set a rule like the Russian competition? At least 6 players from England or the UK in the team on the pitch.
That way you make sure new British talents will breakthrough because they get the opportunity. I mean, just look at Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal. There's barely any Englishman in there..

 

[Marco Sbordoni]

1-1 against Spain.

Not so bad for my poor Italia

And my Roman football player De Rossi is simple a champion....

 

[James Johnson]

That may be true since I've no insight in the British press... But don't you think the Premier League should set a rule like the Russian competition? At least 6 players from England or the UK in the team on the pitch.
That way you make sure new British talents will breakthrough because they get the opportunity. I mean, just look at Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal. There's barely any Englishman in there..

Well Arsenal are bringing more and more young Englishmen into the team with the likes of Walcott, Wiltshire, Oxlade Chamberlain plus you gotta look at their youth scheme but on the whole there is not much going on but in Arsenal's case more and more Englishmen are making it into the top flight.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

1-1 halftime France vs England. Very entertaining match with great goals.

 

[GAIAjohan]

France is quite a tad better than England tho'.

 

[James Johnson]

The French back 4 don't look too shabby though. There was a few times where they were almost sliced open like butter.

 

[Caramidaru Andrei Bogdan]

Oh no, how many chances do we need to make a freakin goal Time for Huntelaar!

Kudos for Denmark for being so efficient! 3 chances, 3 shots on goal, 1 goal = impressive

@bram
kinda late,but just found this
i was thinking that it is funny,

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Haha and in the next picture you see all of those orange people in the water eating that Danish boat?

 

[Xosé Estrada]

That may be true since I've no insight in the British press... But don't you think the Premier League should set a rule like the Russian competition? At least 6 players from England or the UK in the team on the pitch.
That way you make sure new British talents will breakthrough because they get the opportunity. I mean, just look at Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal. There's barely any Englishman in there..

They can't, at least not with European players, due to UK being a EU country.

They can force 6 EU players per team, but I'm not sure if that would have any effect.

 

[GAIAjohan]

Hmm that pretty much pisses me off in two ways:
England has problems raising new talents
the Netherlands and Belgium are full of non-talents, while the talents have gone to clubs who won't use them, eventually becoming nothing.. For example Jeffrey Bruma, would've gotten an awesome start at Feyenoord if he had stayed there.. But went to Chelsea and didn't gain a place in the first 11. He's crap at Hamburger SV now.. While usually he would've grown ready for a big competition by now.

Or Royston Drenthe who went to Real Madrid too early.. There are so many Dutch and Belgian talents wasted in Italy, Spain and England it just makes me sad.. And why? just because those teams have (or don't have, that debatable) money.. At least they can spend money like idiots..

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Holland 1 - 0 Germany

 

[Caramidaru Andrei Bogdan]

Why we don\t see this in simracing

http://9gag.com/gag/4457802?ref=discuss

 

[T46D]

i hope germany and holland do not the same but both are rivals! Germany wins

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Germany wins

Not when our coach finally listens to me and starts with this team instead of his own ultra defensive one

And if we have to lose to Germany then at least lose in style like we normally do

 

[Tom]

Not when our coach finally listens to me and starts with this team instead of his own ultra defensive one

And if we have to lose to Germany then at least lose in style like we normally do

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Oh so we are getting down to the cheeselevel now Bring it on

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

 

[Tom]

Now, who are we going to field tomorrow...oh, right. Someone named MÜLLER!

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Sorry did you say Völler?