UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany

[A Killer's Dream]

A little bit more than two weeks and then the Euro 2024 sees its Kick-Off in Munich.

Which team is your favorite this year? England? France? Spain? Germany? It can't be any worse than the last tournaments for the Germans with Nagelsmann as coach.

Fans of the sticker collection books had their first disappointment: the licensor of the stickers changed from Pannini (Italy) to Topps (USA). Everything is more expensive now, Topps didn't have the rights to portray all of the players and they even included teams which were unable to qualify. Mbappé is missing in the sticker collection as are Manuel Neuer and others. So essentially the stickers are not bang up to date and not worth their money:

The flimsier the product, the higher the price.

 

[Jax]

Beat me to it - was just thinking about creating a EURO thread

24 teams and a month worth of football. There is nothing like tournament level international football.

GROUP A
Germany
Scotland
Hungary
Switzerland

GROUP B
Spain
Croatia
Italy
Albania

GROUP C
Slovenia
Denmark
Serbia
England

GROUP D
Netherlands
France
Poland
Austria

GROUP E
Ukraine
Slovakia
Belgium
Romania

GROUP F
Portugal
Czech Republic
Georgia
Turkey

So whose going to win it?

 

[Jax]

A little bit more than two weeks and then the Euro 2024 sees its Kick-Off in Munich.

Which team is your favorite this year? England? France? Spain? Germany? It can't be any worse than the last tournaments for the Germans with Nagelsmann as coach.

Personally my favourites are France.

1. France
2. Portugal
3. Spain
4. England

I think France have the most balanced squad and having reached the finals of the last 2 World Cups, you have to see France up there as potential winners.

Portugal have there best squad in recent memory and that is with Ronaldo on the bench IMO. Such attacking flair and power + a more stable defence than in previous tournaments.

Spain while miles away from the 08-12, x3 time Major winners are still a potent force. The defence will concede but they will create a ton of chances and will starve many oppositions of the ball.

England last chance under Southgate and the same goes for a few players like Walker, Trippier, Maguire and maybe even Stones. We have the attack if people are fit. Kane, Foden, Saka, Bellingham are goal machines but we have NO Left backs available if Shaw doesn't regain fitness (which is the likely scenario) and an aging partnership in Stones/Maguire. Rice doesn't have his trusty partner in Kalvin Phillips. The balance looks off but the attacking four mentioned earlier could counter that.

 

[Relayer1]

The flimsier the product, the higher the price.

Is that one of The Rules Of Acquisition ?

Oh, and supporting England. With a fond eye on Scotland and the Netherlands.

France will win.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

I have tried to get into "soccer" here in the States, via MLS and FC Cincinnati. It just never clicks. Probably would've been easier when I was younger.

Oh, well.

 

[MrPicard]

I can't wait to see us (Germany) fail spectacularly again. (I'm super unenthusiastic about the team, sorry.) In general, I always support "smaller" teams that - on paper - have no chance of beating the big guys but when they do it's amazing to see.

 

[A Killer's Dream]

Is that one of The Rules Of Acquisition ?

Oh, and supporting England. With a fond eye on Scotland and the Netherlands.

France will win.

Yes, it is one of the Rules. Let's hope that Quark isn't the one who sells the tickets.....

If it's not Germany in the final I will root for England - not as Queen Victoria, but Kane - as a goal machine - finally has deserved a title....

 

[A Killer's Dream]

I can't wait to see us (Germany) fail spectacularly again. (I'm super unenthusiastic about the team, sorry.) In general, I always support "smaller" teams that - on paper - have no chance of beating the big guys but when they do it's amazing to see.

German teams have weak defenses - so Real is going to win the Champions League final. And they have difficulties to overcome teams with strong defenses.

 

[Jax]

Germany on home soil will pep them up but the rebuild after the disaster 2018 has seemingly not taken place. I still would love to see England v Germany in the Semi Final with the score 1-1 and ENG winning 5-4 on pens...

I can dream!

 

[Thestral]

I have tried to get into "soccer" here in the States, via MLS and FC Cincinnati. It just never clicks. Probably would've been easier when I was younger.

Oh, well.

For what it's worth, I've only seen a minimal amount of Nashville SC, and would much rather watch the Europeans (although having a local club in Cinci is cool!). Picking a club to watch/follow helps a lot imo, and the Italian, German, English, and Spanish leagues all have streaming options here in the US. Or in the tournament this thread is about, picking a country and maybe if you like some particular player/s, check out their team?

I think one disadvantage with MLS (other than the relative speed/skill of play) too is that there's no promotion/relegation which adds an element of drama. It's usually not a problem for the big clubs which us Americans would follow, but even then the fluidity means new opponents, too.

As a game itself, I've decided it's better than gridiron... but I do still follow the NFL a lot more. Like you, it's tradition and familiarity for me.

 

[A Killer's Dream]

Germany on home soil will pep them up but the rebuild after the disaster 2018 has seemingly not taken place. I still would love to see England v Germany in the Semi Final with the score 1-1 and ENG winning 5-4 on pens...

I can dream!

 

[Jax]

England look like there building for the 2026 WC and not the Euro's tonight. Beat a poor Bosnia side 3-0 but the stand out players were the ones unlikely to start in Germany but to start 2 years from now.

Adam Wharton will be a name to remember - been fantastic for Crystal Palace in 2024 and on his debut tonight came off the bench to complete 100% of all his passes - some incisive forward ones to propel the team's attack. Southgate even said he is a player England have been missing for 7/8 years. He will be our Toni Kross player for the next decade.

 

[A Killer's Dream]

Today another round of friendlies before the tournament.....

 

[Shaytan]

I totally forgot about this Euro until last week because of all the things that are happening in France (should I already start a olympic threads ?).

I am fine with any result from my national team. We have been spoiled for years.

 

[A Killer's Dream]

I totally forgot about this Euro until last week because of all the things that are happening in France (should I already start a olympic threads ?).

I am fine with any result from my national team. We have been spoiled for years.

It's too early for an olympic thread as there are still qualifications and championships going on... E. g. the swimming Trials in Australia and USA.

 

[Shaytan]

It's too early for an olympic thread as there are still qualifications and championships going on... E. g. the swimming Trials in Australia and USA.

That's what I thought too. It's obviously starting to be crazy in Paris.

 

[Jax]

Losing to Iceland 1-0 shows exactly what I feared - England have ZERO chance of winning EURO 2024.

* Our players look knackered - too much football is played these days.

* Defence is spineless and will lead to early exit. If Stones is injured then we will have 75% of our defence missing. No one can overcome that.

* Declan Rice needs a fully fit Kalvin Phillip's and that is a million miles away. We don't have a proper partner for him.

* Too many players out of form or carrying knocks and Shaw/Maguire injuries have destroyed our balance because Southgate's style of playing from the back is now 100% nullified.

I think we take 4 points from the Group and go out in the last 16.

ENG need a rebuild centred around our defence and Rice's partner before 2026.

 

[A Killer's Dream]

Maguire and Grealish not nominated. Germany sent the 4th goalkeeper Nübel home. Goretzka and Hummels were never asked to join Team Germany.

Both Germany and England didn't have good friendlies yesterday. At least Germany beat Greece and we got to hear Major Tom twice...

 

[Jax]

How the hell was Hummels not selected?

 

[Jax]

I think the only chance Southgate has is to change his system. Big risk with no more warm up games but it's clear his Plan A went out the door with the injuries and his Plan B to keep the system with different players is doomed to failure. We need a new formation to cover our deficiencies and to alter our attack because Kane is too isolated up top at times.

4-3-1-2 for me...

Trent-Stones-Guehi-Walker
Wharton-Rice-Bellingham
Foden or Palmer
Saka-Kane

TAA needs to play because he creates chances, simple as that. Makes more dangerous from set pieces too.

We have no LB at the moment and I'd rather have the pace of Walker on the left than Trippier whose ability to cross the ball is nullified by playing on the left.

Wharton and Jude can sit deeper and hopefully get Rice to maintain his CDM role, rather than running forward and leaving space in behind like he's been doing now for the last year in an England shirt. Wharton and Jude passing from deep will help us play out and Jude can have the license to roam forward on the counter.

Foden/Palmer essentially given a free role though Eze can also play it too.

Saka playing as a Deep wide forward who can drift away or stay central and use his pace to get in behind defences. I've seen this work at my club Forest when we played our winger Brennan Johnson closer to the striker and it worked wonders. Saka has the pace and goal threat to play such a role. When Kane drops deep it would keep a goal threat on the pitch.