Euros 2012 - Predictions and general chatter

First topic message reminder :

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

Who do we have from the under 21 set up who can be brought on in the next year or so. Howson from Norwich springs to mind along with Cleverley, Wilshire, Jones, Ox ..... One at least needs to be a Scholes/Hargreaves type player. If Gerrard is to stay he needs to be more like Pirlo and just walk around spraying balls around, but needs strong players around him to protect him.

This is why I'm pleased Roy was chosen over Harry, as he'll be at the skills school in Burton with the kids and hoping he can have an impact upon their progress for the future. But will he have time to find those elusive midfielder that we need to qualify for the WC?

Agreed re Roy, Blue. He did come across well, sometimes a little like he was trying to kid us saying how well we'd done, or maybe he believed it, but on the whole he did alright. I do hope he can be flexible in his tactics though as i think the days of a flat 4-4-2 winning at the highest level are over.

As far as the U21s go, i think that's an irrelevance. We have some decent young players but not many that are ready to go into the team. International football isn't about building for the future. The clubs do that for you. It's about picking the best 11 form players at the time of your games and making a system that fits them. I think it's the system we need to work on rather than the players. Get that right and good players can come in and out like they do for other countries

Pirlo may have looked cool last night but not so much here....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76M-rPqN16c

Ha excellent

You can't beat the Lineker version though -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2-Nkc8-Kig

Barely gets the ball off the deck!

Pity Joe Hart had not seen that. Would loved to have seen him stand still, catch the ball and make Pirlo look a complete arrogant twat

John Terry has just said "We are a team and we will accept failure as a team, but trust those two ni**ers to miss the penalties"

Nice one Blue

Glad you liked it Grumps. I thought it was amusing but wasn't quite sure whether to post it, didn't want to cause any offence!

It was funny, I was sitting at home last night pondering whether to tell it to Mrs Digs but thought better of it. Possibly a joke that reads better than actually saying it.

I did see though that the police have got involved with various racist tweets made towards the two Ashleys - maybe best to be careful what we say!

The first semi final take place today between Spain and Portugal; is it just me or does anyone else feel a bit "hnnh" about the semi finals now? I know there's some good teams left but I'm feeling a little bit disinterested.

Maybe it's just the timing of when the games are on, during my working day, but I don't think I can put it down to England's exit.

I know what you mean Grumps, though in my case I think it's just the England factor (or lack of)

Honestly, the 4 best teams are probably left (you could maybe argue on pre-tournament form that you could perhaps swap Portugal for Holland, but other than that, it's about right) - and I'm sure I'll watch both semis, but I've lost a little interest now

I really can't see anything other than a Spain/Germany final - Portugal rely too much on just one little winker; Italy may give Germany a sterner test but I still think Germany will win through in the end

Spain/Germany final I think will be a tough one to call - Spain may just be slight favourites but I fancy Germany to go all the way (and it will help me win some free bets with the online betting service I use too!)

Not much interested now that we are out. Doubt I will watch it live, might catch up with the highlights later

Im still quite into it, think tonight could be a good match. Portugal always give Spain problems. They are solid at the back and play two holding midfielders which actually allows Ronaldo to play, Nani is also a good player though a bit streaky.
Like I said earlier Spain dont score loads, they are not an attacking side as such, well not against the top sides. Cant see there being more than a goal in it whereas I think Germany might paste Italy as Pirlos legs will be shot.

I'll have the live text on and will try to catch the highlights on the Fox Soccer Channel tonight.

I hope it turns into a bit of a kicking fest, shame Puyol isn't playing as I'm sure he'd love to put a reducer in on the little winker. Wonder if Spain are playing a striker, he writes before checking the BBC website.

Think you're right on Germany mullering Italy, especially as they had two days extra rest. But losing to the Italians has stopped the Germans getting another chance to avenge Munich however it has also prevented us from enjoying another rousing rendition of 10 German Bombers (check out Youtube for reasons why other nations hate us)

So how does the beautiful Spanish team respond to bring outplayed...cynically carve down Nani and Ronaldo ! If they don't stop you playing one way then it's back to old school Spain.

Is cynically carving someone down any worse than pretending you've been cynically carved down?

Is the game any good? From the live text it doesn't seem too clever

It's not bad Grumps - getting pretty feisty out there too.

Silva has just gone off but Jesus comes on to save the day

Davie wrote:It's not bad Grumps - getting pretty feisty out there too.

Silva has just gone off but Jesus comes on to save the day

Hallelujah!

I'm watching it with the sound muted - much more enjoyable.

Silva has been playing in England too long, been crap all tournament.

Thanks Davie, sounds like Spain are needing a miracle or two....

Very strange - the BBC commentators are lamenting the fact there has only been one shot on target in 90 minutes - the official match stats show 3 on target for Portugal and 2 for Spain

Also a little bothered by Diggers' comment about the Spain cynically carving down Nani and Ronaldo yet from what I've seen it's the other way around. Admittedly I didn't see much of the first third - the 2nd third I was watching but also on here checking posts and emails. The final 30 minutes I watched properly and all the fouls seemed to me to be from Portugal. Official stats for 90 minutes show 5 yellows for Portugal (including the whole back 4) and 3 yellows for Spain; 24 fouls from Portugal against 16 from Spain. (50% more by my calculations)

Sadly the official stats don't show how many times Nani and the little winker have rolled about on the floor from mistimed evil looks or damaged hairstyles.

Nothing to he bothered by Davie, just watch the first 30 minutes.
To be fair it has all levelled out in a pretty awful match.

Good decision Ronaldo

And the Ronaldo fans are crying as he's left out of the action.

Two best players on the park were the left backs, both played fantastic.
Odd decision be either Ronaldo and/or the manager.
That said an inch of woodwork makes the difference , one bounces out and one rolls in. Fine margins.

So Balotteli takes first blood in the battle of the Super-Marios

Still fancy the Germans to take this game but as I thought, Italy won't go without a fight

Got to love Balotteli though - no doubt the guy is as mad as a box of frogs, and I still fear he has a MAJOR meltdown in him on the scale of Cantona, Zidane, Barton and all the other bad boys rolled into one, but you can't dount his entertainment value!

So much for two days extra rest.

SuperMarioGoesBallasticGermansAreAtrocious!

One more for the perfect hat trick

Seems a very different game to yesterday, even the live text seems exciting. Hope the text description didn't do it justice so I can watch the highlights with interest tonight.

A second goal but a needless yellow card for removing his shirt - what odds now he scores a third, gets a second yellow for something stupid and missed the final?

Think the Germans might wind him up a little in the second half so strong chance he won't survive the game. Might see him taken off to prevent something like that happening.

Davie wrote:A second goal but a needless yellow card for removing his shirt - what odds now he scores a third, gets a second yellow for something stupid and missed the final?

He's been very immature since he came on the scene. Don't know if he'll ever understand certain things.

So no hat trick but more importantly no red card. Super Mario lives to fight another day.

Maybe a 0-0 draw with Italy was a fantastic result

Well I never, well done Italy and Super Mario. Didn't see this one coming.
It's not that England were rubbish...Italy are just good.....hmmm

Maybe we dragged them down to our level; lowest common denominator and all that...

A certain bah-ha moment for Philipp Lahm; so that's what 2 days less rest gets you; a backlash mate

Headlines today from the Christian Science Monitor:

"Germany Forfeits to Spain and Italy, Agreeing to Loan Directly to Banks"

A submissive gesture to the Euro Cup finalists? Coincidence or not?

The scene is set for Super Mario to be the hero or villain tonight - and for the life of me I can't decide which it will be

Personally, despite him being as mad as a box of frogs I'd love to see him be the hero - and as I had a free £10 bet I put it on Italy at close to 3-1

Whether he is hero or villain he will always be an interest in the game and I thought I just heard BBC commentators say he was the first black to play for Italy in a major championship - if that is true I'm amazed!

PS - did I just see that right? On BBC coverage they just advertised red button coverage of alternative commentary from CBBC? Did I misread it or have they got a load of cartoon commentators and teletubbies? I may just have to check the red button coverage out!

To answer my own question; yes it's true. One of the "featured commentaries" is CBBC. Not one, not two but THREE brain-dead "yoof" TV personalities talking about almost anything but football. As if the main commentators aren't bad enough, this is just taking the piss - and all at the expense of license fee payers.

Spain DO look good, but Hansen says it's the best display he's ever seen? He should get out more

Game over now for Italy. Our ESPN commentary team had forgotten that Italy had made a sub in the first half and were going on for a few minutes about Italy bringing on another sub.

Think Mad Mario could get himself sent off, he's looking a bit moody at the moment.

Well Chavvy Alonso did just cut him down fairly mercilessly. Watch out Chavvy, you are in the Super Mario gunsights

Mad Mario showed a different side of himself in the second half. Played a more defensive role to help the team. His disappearing act at full time showed how much this meant to him.

Congratulations to MPB for winning the predictions comp, and thanks to Davie for setting it up.

Ha thanks Mary
Congrats to you on coming 2nd and Davie for coming, err, 3rd

Cheers for setting it up Davie

Yeah it was a good bit of fun - shame we couldn't get a few others to join in

I must say, my position in the league proved one of two things .. either the whole contest was really close and very difficult to predict - or I know even less about football than I thought I did! Less than 50% prediction rate in a tournament like that is awful!