Euros 2012 - Predictions and general chatter

A bit short notice I know but I just got notification of this

SportsGuru (the predictions site that the people on the darkside use for rugby pools etc) are running a predictions comp for the Euros

I'm entering anyway but I've set up a Golf Chat league if anyone wants to jon in

The main site is at www.sportguru.co.uk/euro2012 - you'll have to register if you aren't already but it's free registration and it doesn't seem to send too much spam or share your details with anyone else

Once registered (or logged on if you are already registered) you can go to the Euro 2012 section and search for an existing pool - you can search either by the pool name "Golf Chat UK" or by the pool code "byestogs" (without quotes)

Then all you need to do is predict the results! You can make all your picks for the group matches in one hit, though beware, once you've made a pick you can't change it. So if you want you can predict for the 1st round of matches and then wait until you see how they go before picking the rest - or just do all the group matches in one hit

Let me know here if you apply to join too so I can accept your application

Tournament starts tomorrow so get to it if you want to join! I can't see us getting that many entered but you never know, we may get enough to have a bit of fun

Davie, i'm in
Please accept me

You're in!

Nice

Requesting permission to come aboard Captain!

Mary ... how could I refuse. You're in!

Ooops - off to a rather inauspicous start.

Certainly wouldn't have guessed that draw in the opening game - Poland were lucky to come away with a point in the end! Could be the last we see of Szczesny in this tournament!

Another surprise with the Denmark v Holland result.

Fingers crossed for Ireland this evening.

Didn't expect Italy to take a point off Spain either - some good results coming in so far stirring it up a bit. I've love to see Ireland get a result tonight

Whoo - picked up some points from that draw. Just need Ireland to bring it home now - I've placed my faith in them winning!

England team for this evening announced...

Hart
Johnson Terry Lescott Cole
Milner Gerrard Parker Oxlade-Chamberlain
Young Welbeck

The only real surprise there I suppose is Milner starting. Guess they are leaving Theo and/or Downing to come on as impact players as the French (hopefully) start to tire

Wish we had a decent right-back but I guess with two premiership winners and two champions league winners in the back 5, it's not a bad looking defense

Nice to see Ox get a start too - I think him starting with Theo perhaps replacing him later is better than t'other way around

Glad to see the Ox is starting. If Theo is on song he will be a strong threat if he comes on later in the game. Not sure how much we can expect from "no goals, no assists" Downing!

I know I don't follow football so this may sound like a silly question, but why isn't Wayne Rooney in the team? I thought he was England's top player (or am I mistaken)?

LP - "Wazza" Rooney is banned from the first two matches for disciplinary reasons. He is with the squad though and eligible for the final group match (and further, should we get there)

Davie. So he's not going to play much then, is he?

Gooaaalll!!

venice1 wrote:Gooaaalll!!

Getting in practice for tonight Venice? Go Kings!

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:

venice1 wrote:Gooaaalll!!

Getting in practice for tonight Venice? Go Kings!

Hopefully so but the fans are a bit jittery as they've never been this close to seeing the squad hoist the cup. On the other side of the coin, the players seem completely focused after watching yesterdays media interviews.

Back to the England/France match: nothing much to say after that game.

The Ox put in a good shift, and Joe Hart made some crucial saves. I am a bit more confident now about England possibly getting through the group stage.

venice1 wrote:

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:

venice1 wrote:Gooaaalll!!

Getting in practice for tonight Venice? Go Kings!

Hopefully so but the fans are a bit jittery as they've never been this close to seeing the squad hoist the cup. On the other side of the coin, the players seem completely focused after watching yesterdays media interviews.

Back to the England/France match: nothing much to say after that game.

Good luck for tonight and less said about the match the better but I will indulge

Dropped far too deep, didn't close down properly and were lucky that France never really pushed too hard for a winner. Did enough attacking wise to keep France honest at the back but looked to be playing for a draw early on in the second half. Substitutions probably disrupted the team but players were visibly tired hopefully that was just from the emotion of the occasion and they'll be okay for the next match. I think Roy would have been happy to take a draw from the start.

I thought that was a decent performance against a form team. Didn't like the way the back 4 stood off the attackers within about 30 yards from goal, but two hours ago I'd have taken a draw.

Ox looked very mature - think he was only taken off because at that time it was starting to get a bit tasty and he was already on a yellow

Hart did everything that was asked of him - I think he was unsighted for the goal though it was a great strike. Steady performance from Cole showing why he is one of the best left backs in world football. Terry and Lescott looked OK and Johnson at right back was better than I expected

Only downside for me was Milner who looked way off the pace and gave the ball away far too much (as well as missing such a great chance by such a wide margin)

Happy with a point though - remember we should only really be looking to get out of this group for it to be considered a "good" performance. Another draw against Sweden and 3 pts against Ukraine should see us through

Question: compared to World Cup action, how important is the European Cup performance to the English team or are we talking apples and oranges?

Venice - for any European country, the European championship is the second most important event after the world cup - so yes, VERY important

And apart from missing teams like Brazil and Argentina, it is a really strong championship - with only 16 teams battling out the finals, there really are no weak teams

The World Cup has 32(?) teams qualify so apart from adding the South American powerhouses it also adds a lot on minnows. In that respect you could easily claim that the Euros are harder to progress in than the WC

Venice you'll need to factor in the 45m+ England managers that this country has who can never decide or agree on a line up to get some sense of the importance that gets placed on the England national football team.

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Venice you'll need to factor in the 45m+ England managers that this country has who can never decide or agree on a line up to get some sense of the importance that gets placed on the England national football team.

It certainly makes no sense that England hasn't enjoyed similar success as Germany and Italy since 1970. 1966 might as well be centuries away.

It makes perfect sense Venice. England struggle to play in a formation suited to international football, too many chiefs not enough Indians.

They will no doubt have taken the result but i thought the performance was poor. It says a lot that Joe Hart made, what, two world class saves. We had i think i saw 4 or 5 shots to their 20. We should really have lost.
Same old England really, we defend too deep, can't keep the ball, don't get anyone forward to support any attacks and end up playing quite direct to our forwards.
Uninpsiring for me but hey we didn't lose!

Davie wrote:Happy with a point though - remember we should only really be looking to get out of this group for it to be considered a "good" performance. Another draw against Sweden and 3 pts against Ukraine should see us through

I wrote that before Ukraine put one over Sweden! Maybe we should be looking for a point against Ukraine and a win against Sweden!

Don't understand why so many people seem to be "down" on England. No one gives us a chance, it's the least hyped England team in a major championship for years, and everyone seems to think progressing out of the group would be a major achievement - yet a point against a very good French side with players like Ribery, Benzema and Nasri and suddenly people are getting onto England. In a strange way I'm glad we didn't beat France even though for 30 minutes it looked a possibility - if we'd won last night we'd suddenly be overhyped again!

By the way I had to chuckle while watching the game in the pub last night; when England scored there was a lone scottish voice piped up saying "oh no, now all we'll hear about is 1966 again"

I can honestly say that apart from buffoon commentators (a redundancy if ever there was one) and the occasional media idiot, I haven't heard 1966 mentioned for years and years. When it IS mentioned it's usually by Jocks sayng that's all England ever talk about!

When was the last time any of you heard an England fan mention 1966?

About half an hour ago, by you Davie!

I wondered who the smart-a$$ would be to say that

Guilty as charged m'lord!

Davie, you make a very good point about 1966.

However, I can't agree with your assessment of the game as a decent performance. Although we created a couple of good chances in the first half (Milner - oh dear!) we sat far too deep and didn't retain possession... and we saw the familiar sight of Gerrard launching long cross field balls to no one.

I was surprised Carroll didn't come on in the second half. Not because I rate him, but he would have suited our style of play. I honestly expected us to get battered in the second half, we deserved to lose the game so a draw was a good result.

It's not all doom and gloom. A draw against the best team in the group is perfectly acceptable, there is nothing wrong with a slow start.

I think we are saying pretty much the same thing Ray (just in different words) - by decent performance I mostly meant that we got a draw! They DID defend too deep and they DIDN'T create enough chances - but they set out to be defensive and that's what we got. If they'd played like that against a lesser team then I'd have been disappointed, but we got a point out of a match we were probably expected to lose - acceptable as you say

But I don't think it was a decent performance. It was average at best... 6/10.

Oops, pressed send by mistake.

I think that if that had been a knock out game, France would have pressed more and won at a canter, but they were a bit cautious too as it was the first game. France definitely have another gear, but I don't know if we do?

I do think that we have another gear...another reverse gear that is

Just seen some stats and apparently in the opening round of Euro 2012 games, England had the fewest shots (5), fewest shots on target (1) and 2nd lowest possession (35%).

Oh yeah, we were awesome alright!

But one more point than some though...

France will probably win the group, then its any one of three. No team is out yet. Ukraine at home and Sweden who England never beat aren't going to be easy at all.

Same old arrogance from commentators saying they have nothing to fear from Sweden or Ukraine once the match was over. Do they not realise that both those countries would be saying exactly the same about England?
They could probably play 11 outfield players amd a rush keeper given how little they threatened the goal.

Germany/Holland tonight could be a firecracker - not much love lost there!

I don't like spitting, but I've always found it funny when I see the clip of Frank Rijkard gobbing in Rudi Voellers mullet.

You'd never get away with playing 11 players AND a rush keeper.

Rush, stick or scramble?? Anyone else remember that??

You obviously don't remember mpb. The rush keeper IS whichever of the 11 outfield players who is nearest the goal.

Beautiful equalizer by the Dane's. Funny how the Portuguese have suddenly become more serious about the match with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Update: amazing how much pressure they can apply when necessary.

Sneaky win from the dirty Portuguese. Still think they are going out.

So Bendtner outshines Ronaldo, who'da thunk it?

Tasty game coming up, only got live text so hope he makes it sound exciting.

No TV coverage of Germany/Holland over there Grumps? Or are you stuck in an office with no TV?

Davie wrote:No TV coverage of Germany/Holland over there Grumps? Or are you stuck in an office with no TV?

No TV in office, plus I've already had a lunchtime meeting so can't really sneak out. It's on in pretty much every bar in the city but I was cuddled in a bad way for a coke during the England game, they were even charging for water too, so I'm not going back in a rush. You can watch on ESPN online if you have it through cable and I get mine via satellite so no option there either.

Hope the live text does it justice then! Although it's been a quiet start so far