Euro 2020/21 (more football, sorry Brian)

elbowloh

rick_chasey said:

elbowloh said:

kingstongraham said:

pblakeney said:

kingstongraham said:

TheBigBean said:

kingstongraham said:

Ukraine v North Macedonia at 2pm is the great test of commitment to watching literally any sport.

Isn't that all of the group stages? 36 matches to eliminate 8 teams.

Yes, but Portugal v France has more interest for the neutral than (dare I say) Czech Republic v Scotland.

It's our group though so maybe not the best example. 😉

True, I was just picking out the next two lowest ranked teams who are meeting in the group stage.

Today's is unbeatable though, a group that has teams ranked 16th, 23rd, 24th and 62nd in the world.

You know you can ignore the ranking though when England are sitting in 4th!

https://eloratings.net/Europe

Elo's a bit better

Blue sky thinking there Mr

MattFalle

belgium/france/portugal/italy

sounds like someone's predictions from earlier in the thread.

that bloke must be a flipping genius.

elbowloh

Denmark looking inspired against Belgium, 1 up and it could have been more. They're all over Belgium, pressing all over and giving Belgium no time or space. 7 shots on goal to 1 so far. Can they keep up this pace?

seanoconn

Lukaku looks almost unstoppable in full flight, De Brunye showing no sign of a champions league final hangover. If Eden Harzard can find some form Belgium will take some beating.

elbowloh

Gutted for Denmark there. If they had gotten the second in the first half that would have reflect their dominance at that point...well who knows.

Looks like they're going to go out now after the loss against Finland when they clearly weren't in any frame of mind to play football.

Pross

rick_chasey said:

surrey_commuter said:

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Febrile doesn't quite do it justice.

Anyway, back to football....

I can assure you it's no better this side of the border either.

are you saying there is anti-Scottish/Welsh feeling?

I have never seen it myself and the aulde enemy is considered to be Germany and Argentina

I am looking forward to Holland, though it is a stressful watch as they are so leaky.

Interesting to see you call them Holland, I always thought that was a lazy name us Brits used to use and we had gradually come around to using The Netherlands. Is it generally accepted they are interchangeable even though Holland is only a couple of the Dutch provinces?

kingstongraham

Nice to see safe standing behind the goal.

rick_chasey

Pross said:

rick_chasey said:

surrey_commuter said:

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Febrile doesn't quite do it justice.

Anyway, back to football....

I can assure you it's no better this side of the border either.

are you saying there is anti-Scottish/Welsh feeling?

I have never seen it myself and the aulde enemy is considered to be Germany and Argentina

I am looking forward to Holland, though it is a stressful watch as they are so leaky.

Interesting to see you call them Holland, I always thought that was a lazy name us Brits used to use and we had gradually come around to using The Netherlands. Is it generally accepted they are interchangeable even though Holland is only a couple of the Dutch provinces?

Holland is the football team. Dunno why.

Hup Holland Hup.

I think you’re technically right but I guess informally you say Holland and if you want to be right you’d said Netherlands.

I guess a bit like Britain and UK.

First.Aspect

rick_chasey said:

Pross said:

rick_chasey said:

surrey_commuter said:

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

Febrile doesn't quite do it justice.

Anyway, back to football....

I can assure you it's no better this side of the border either.

are you saying there is anti-Scottish/Welsh feeling?

I have never seen it myself and the aulde enemy is considered to be Germany and Argentina

I am looking forward to Holland, though it is a stressful watch as they are so leaky.

Interesting to see you call them Holland, I always thought that was a lazy name us Brits used to use and we had gradually come around to using The Netherlands. Is it generally accepted they are interchangeable even though Holland is only a couple of the Dutch provinces?

Holland is the football team. Dunno why.

Hup Holland Hup.

I think you’re technically right but I guess informally you say Holland and if you want to be right you’d said Netherlands.

I guess a bit like Britain and UK.

Isn't it more like England and the UK (as used by an American)?

American is similar. Because Canadians, Nicaraguans and Mexicans are American....

Boy this forum is fascinating.

First.Aspect

Why is Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank a pundit?

He's able to explain that the Netherlands are 1-0 up, but that seems to be about it.

rick_chasey

xg is gonna be way outa whack again

mrb123

Gullit just been brought on.

First.Aspect

rick_chasey said:

xg is gonna be way outa whack again

Is xg going to be more than one for either side?

(There must be a "Depay" factor of about 0.1 for any chance he gets... He is the Dutch Bobby Zamora after all... )

First.Aspect

What's the attitude towards "Dutch" incidentally?

I thought it was generally annoying to Der Nederlanders because it was historically based on "Deutch" and the ignorant Brits couldn't tell the difference. Foreign, innit.

First.Aspect

Oh... Denzel Washington Dumfries and Galloway has scored.

Tottenham will probably by on the phone to his agent right now.

rick_chasey

First.Aspect said:

What's the attitude towards "Dutch" incidentally?

I thought it was generally annoying to Der Nederlanders because it was historically based on "Deutch" and the ignorant Brits couldn't tell the difference. Foreign, innit.

Take a look at second line of the anthem.

First.Aspect

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

What's the attitude towards "Dutch" incidentally?

I thought it was generally annoying to Der Nederlanders because it was historically based on "Deutch" and the ignorant Brits couldn't tell the difference. Foreign, innit.

Take a look at second line of the anthem.

I'm British...how the hell would I know?

mrb123

Bullard taken off.

First.Aspect

First.Aspect said:

rick_chasey said:

First.Aspect said:

What's the attitude towards "Dutch" incidentally?

I thought it was generally annoying to Der Nederlanders because it was historically based on "Deutch" and the ignorant Brits couldn't tell the difference. Foreign, innit.

Take a look at second line of the anthem.

I'm British...how the hell would I know?

I looked it up. Basically means not Spanish. Okay. But doesn't really answer the question.

I appreciate that it is nearly impossible to offend a Dutch person, and even harder than the offending a South African....

Pross

mrb123 said:

Gullit just been brought on.

Really does look like him.

Only the second match I've watched. Austria have been dire.

rick_chasey

https://theathletic.co.uk/2657238/2021/06/18/why-do-so-many-euro-2020-teams-play-right-footers-at-left-back/

For those who have a subbie this is really good on why so many teams in the Euros (including England) are playing right footers and right backs in at left-back.

Dorset_Boy

Pross said:

mrb123 said:

Gullit just been brought on.

Really does look like him.

Only the second match I've watched. Austria have been dire.

I agree, Austria were awful, and the Dutch average. It looked like the Austrians had never met before and didn't speak the same language.

I thought the Dutch had no pace in their starting team, particularly up front, and seemed terrifed to shoot.

A very poor game overall, unlike the Belguim Denmark match earlier.

rick_chasey

No pace, were you watching the same game? What else was the second goal about?

surrey_commuter

rick_chasey said:

https://theathletic.co.uk/2657238/2021/06/18/why-do-so-many-euro-2020-teams-play-right-footers-at-left-back/

For those who have a subbie this is really good on why so many teams in the Euros (including England) are playing right footers and right backs in at left-back.

why not give us a precis?

TheBigBean

surrey_commuter said:

rick_chasey said:

https://theathletic.co.uk/2657238/2021/06/18/why-do-so-many-euro-2020-teams-play-right-footers-at-left-back/

For those who have a subbie this is really good on why so many teams in the Euros (including England) are playing right footers and right backs in at left-back.

why not give us a precis?

I clicked on it intrigued to see the basis of such a ridiculous argument, but unfortunately it is behind a paywall.

My theory is that international managers want to be seen trying to do clever things, whereas in reality, they're just the guys who couldn't get a job with a decent club.

kingstongraham

I'd expect its because in those teams, the second best right back is considered better down the left than the best left back is.

Fwiw, I think that's very rarely actually true.

rick_chasey

It's less an argument and more an observation.

Jan Boril (Czech Republic), Joakim Maehle (Denmark), Kieran Trippier (England), Leonardo Spinazzola (Italy) and Tomas Hubocan (Slovakia) all right footers playing left back.

Summary: partly to do with "making do with what you have" as a feature of international football, but it also goes into what teams to do maximise the opportunity it presents. Tripper is is part of one of the strongest defences in football and probably Southgate values that 1v1 and broader defensive ability over much else.

Depending on how aggressive your right-footed left back is, either they are playing as an inverted wingback (so cutting in whilst the winger stays on the outside - Italy do this a lot) helping to create a front 5 which is the Italy attacking system or generally having unconventional runs against the opposition right back.

With Trippier being more conservative than say Spinazzola it was more about making the most of the natural body angle, creating channels towards the centre of the pitch, bringing in sterling etc - as well as the natural swing outwards of balls down the line to give mount a bit more chance to get a yard or two on the right back in that position.

Obviously the downside is it makes for tougher passes down the line - Tripper needs to be much more accurate to avoid the ball going out of play.

There was also some stuff about the specifics of throw ins (which we know Southgate pays attention to) and it helps open up various angles which are advantageous from throw ins on that side.

pblakeney

kingstongraham said:

I'd expect its because in those teams, the second best right back is considered better down the left than the best left back is.

Fwiw, I think that's very rarely actually true.

My pet theory is them picking their best 11-15 players and making a formation out of those instead of the other way round.

rick_chasey

pblakeney said:

kingstongraham said:

I'd expect its because in those teams, the second best right back is considered better down the left than the best left back is.

Fwiw, I think that's very rarely actually true.

My pet theory is them picking their best 11-15 players and making a formation out of those instead of the other way round.

Well yeah. Look at Belgium last match.

Fairly rubbish till the good players came on at half time.

Pross

kingstongraham said:

I'd expect its because in those teams, the second best right back is considered better down the left than the best left back is.

Fwiw, I think that's very rarely actually true.

Before one of the matches last weekend they were discussing it on BBC and suggested right footed players are better able to cut inside whereas left footed players are better at crossing. Who knows, I've never understood the tactics and formations people love to discuss in the pubs like they're experts.