Euro 2008

So England didn\'t make it. Surprise surprise. We do the hard work of going to russia getting a goal and losing anyway then Steve McClaren makes the horrendous decision of putting Scott Carson in goal against croatia and we do the one thing we needed to avoid..we got beat. Typical.

So now England are out, like the advert says...Who will you support? I\'m personally going to be supporting Spain only because my Nan has lived there for like 22 years. They have huge potential everytime but never seem to get anywhere. Bit like Liverpool, but Spain actually have potential.

Not particuarly looking forward to the competition this year, but football is football so ill be watching it. Will be interested to see if theres a big shock like Greece winning last time. Aslong as the bloody Germans dont win ill be happy!

Betting wise i\'d be tempted to go for Russia & or Croatia..You\'ll get decent prices on them. Especially Croatia, who seem to make it to the quarters every time, i\'m gonna tip them for the semi\'s atleast.

Anybody gonna be watching, interested in the event this year? watch it just for the sake of it? Couldn\'t care less because Englands not in it. Couldn\'t give two craps about England?

I\'m looking forward to the WC with capello in charge, wasn\'t too sure at first, but he seems really up for the job and has the right standards in place, he booted Terry as Captain because he parked in a disabled spot (some people think they\'re above the law). He spat at tevez and lost the all English CL final (Two english sides in the CL Final and we can\'t make Euro2008) Rio should be captain for me. I think by the time the WC rolls around we\'ll be definetly challenging..I think that every WC though . I just hope that �5m a year it going towards the Jules Remet..however its spelt.

So finally i\'ll go for Croatia to be Euro2008 champions against Sweden (who\'ll be another good bet.) Spain and France 3rd & 4th respectively.

( Edited 26.05.2008 00:29 by Topguy4 )

lol england.

Every player currently on the 'normal' lineup should be gotten rid of and replaced.

This team has been almost the same since world cup 2002, and it stinks.

I can't believe Carrick is not in it. He can get in the Man U team above Hargreaves but can't get in the England squad at all?!

I've adopted Spain because I speak a little Spanish but also because I like some of their players. I ordered a Spain top with Ramos 15 on the back. Because it's Spain though, I know I'm going to be disappointed. They do have some amazing players though with the likes of Torres, Iniesta, Puyol, Fabregas, Villa, Silva etc. This goal, apart from the obvious Cambiasso one, was probably my favourite goal of the last World Cup. Lolz at Puyol's Zidane-esque 360 pirouettte btw.

I remember that goal - just remember thinking \"well I\'d like him to come to Liverpool, but there\'s no way United and Chelsea won\'t come in for him first\" .

I\'m going for Spain because of the Liverpool connection, obviously, I remember reading somewhere that Liverpool have more Spanish internationals than Real and Barca this time round! Although, probably only Torres will actually make the starting eleven.

Germany and France are the other contendors for me.

( Edited 26.05.2008 13:37 by TheStratMan )

Italy. But only if Del Piero gets a game or two. He's a true legend of the game.

Jambo said:
Italy. But only if Del Piero gets a game or two. He's a true legend of the game.

True but what's also true is that he is well past his best football. Look at him play now and he is well slugglish.

I agree with DaOne, Carrick should definitely be in that squad. I think the team should comprise mainly of those players playing in the CL. They should be the core of the team. I cannot wait to see the team selection for the game against the US to see what sort of mindset Cappello is in.

The BBC are so desperate to get viewers, they are the ones that started this whole who will you be rooting for thing with those lame ads. One guy in that ad cracks me up. "I suppose I will be cheering on the French cos they are the closest to us" Lord Nelson must have turned in his grave.

I am rooting for Portugal cos I am part Portuguese on my mothers side.

.

I don't really care, I just wanna see some exciting footy!

I'll probably end up going for Russia or someone like that, who doesn't love an underdog?

croatia should win as they are too much for england.

Croatia were probably a good outside bet before Eduardo got injured, now they lack a real killer instinct infront of goal. His 10 goals in qualifying proved what an asset he was to them. I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Poland or ,like our cheesey friend says, Russia win it. Hiddink has got them playing some excellent football. I do think it's hard to look beyond the usual France and Germany though. Especially with Ribery in the form of his life.
I'm looking forward to seeming more of Samir Nasri, 'The New Zidane' who has been linked with Arsenal this week. Arsenal are anxious to get a deal done before the Euro's start incase he has a few good performances and his price tag rockets a la El Hadji Diouf in 2002. Here's a video of him in action.

I'm really looking forward to watching this, Olympics this summer too!

Can anyone tell me what teams have been in form? I haven't really kept up with all the qualifying rounds but I may put a few quid in. I'm tempted to back the Germans as I thought they were very impressive in 2006, really worked well as a team.

Shame England aren't involved but at least we can relax and enjoy the football now eh?

I'm gonna go for Portugal of Czech Republic.

The Netherlands if they can all get along and actually pull out some good football would be a good bet...especially when you look at the group they're in:

France
Italy
Netherlands
Romania

Is HILARIOUSLY impossible to get out of. I'm supporting Spain because I man-love Fernando Torres and I like football to be exciting and dynamic, which Spain do always attempt, bless 'em.

I think it might end up being one of the best Euro tournaments for quite some time, especially seeing as I don't have to give a crap about England losing as we're already out. Ah the joys of Steve McClaren...

I like football to be exciting and dynamic

But I thought you were a Liverpool fan?

France Italy and the Netherlands all in the same group!?

Good luck to Romania is all I can say! Hopefully they'll put up a decent fight- Scotland style.

Stucorbs said:

I like football to be exciting and dynamic

But I thought you were a Liverpool fan?

Zing Torres, Garrard and Babel are three of the most exciting players in the Premier League. We might not have the dynamism of Arsenal, but at least we can finish when we get in front of goal and whilst Man United have awesome-ness coming from every stinking little oraphis we are closing the gap, this summer could prove to be crucial. Enough club football talk!

�Venido en Espa�a!

Gerrard is a pretty boring player most of the time tbh...

To be honest, I think Italy have the best chance. I like there team, although I was disgusted that Del Piero got picked and Inzaghi didn't. I want Italy to win, not only because I'm a Milan fan but because when they won the world cup my local Italian owned chipper where giving extra food free with every order

just returned from portugal for my honeymoon and if they win any match, the country levels another meter or so. Seriously, the game is super-popular there!

We (I'm dutch) are very skeptical about the league we're in. I don't think anybody expects to make it through that pool

But I don't know anything about football - not that much - and am not that much of a sucker for it either...

Italy? I wouldn\'t bet on them. Their team is changing dramatically; you can\'t just automatically assume players like Gattuso, Del Piero, Gilardino, Inzaghi, Matterazzi etc etc will be in the starting XI, as is evident from their Euro squad.

I hope Netherlands win. I\'ve always loved the way they play, and they have some class players. Obviously they have big names like Babel, Huntelaar, Van Nistelrooy, Van der Sar etc, but others like John Heitinga, Maarten Stekelenburg, van Brockhorst and Rafael van der Vaart are fantastic. Heitinga in particular; he is one of the best centre-backs in the world and I\'m surprised he\'s still at Ajax and not somewhere like Barcelona, Man Utd or AC Milan. It\'s a shame Seedorf didn\'t get called up for the tournament, he is one of the best players in the world today.

In Netherlands cock it up, which they somehow always do, I would fancy Germany to win. They are well into their football (having lived there for three years and about to move to live out there again for five - also quite a big Borussia Monchengladbach fan!), and there are so many class players in the Bundesliga. Schweinsteiger, Frings, Klose, Lahm, Mertesacker, Hitzlsperger, Podolski... the list goes on. Really hope they win it if Holland don\'t.

The only team I\'d hate to see win is France. So egotistical, and they have Gallas, which is an automatic minus point. The French league is absolutely awful to watch, 99% of decent French players play either elsewhere or for Lyon. I\'m not supoorting a team with such a crap national league.

That said, the Eredivisie isn\'t anything to shout about either...

And Romania...you can\'t write them off so easily. They came top of their qualifying group and are actually a quality team.

Edit>>> Woops, Metzelder is a Madrid player...

he booted Terry as Captain

Look at BBC Sport website asap.

Croatia to be Euro2008 champions against Sweden

You must be mad. Croatia are actually not a very good team, and far, far worse without Eduardo. Holland crushed them 3-0 or something the same week England beat Switzerland in that friendly. To bet on them would be like throwing your money down the drain...

Sweden also lack young talent. Larsson and Ljungberg, though class players, are far too old now. Their first choice keeper is the reserve for a mid-table Premier League team, behind a player who hasn\'t even got a full international cap yet. Granqvist is about to be released by Wigan. Elmander and Ibrahimovic alone won\'t win them the tournament I\'m afraid. Just because England find them a hard team... well, that doesn\'t mean anything really does it?

( Edited 27.05.2008 22:55 by Robsy )

DaOne said:
Gerrard is a pretty boring player most of the time tbh...

Justify your somewhat questionable claim that one of the best and most dynamic midfielders in the world can be classed as 'pretty boring'...

He rarely does anythign exciting. The odd decent shot. He doesn't have real flair like Ronaldo, Messi heck even Nani.

And he gives possession away far too often with his wayward passing. Has a cracking shot on him though.

Oh how very wrong you are. The best box to box midfielder in the world, one of the best strikers of the ball in the world, one of the best passers of the ball in the world. He doesn't have loads of trickery like the players you mention above (I'd still argue that Nani looks a bit of a waste of space and has had a pretty crap season), but what he does have is all the attributes to make him a fantastically exciting player. His performances in the FA Cup Final (West Ham) and the Champions League Final (AC Milan) were outstanding, he literally won both games on his own.

I've been supporting and watching Liverpool and football in general for over a decade and he's been one of the finest and most enjoyable players to watch. I also think you're being a bit mean to say 'the odd decent shot', he scores over 20 goals a season regularly now and well over half of them are outstanding. You're just being stubborn

I still disagree - he's a boring player and Liverpool play a lot of boring football apart from Babel and sometimes Torres.

I wouldn't say Nani is a waste of space hes scored some decent goals and totally destroyed Arsenal and Liverpool.

Another player with flare is Anderson - he made Gerrard look shocking in their first game against Liverpool and made Fabregas look like a tit against Arsenal.