Euro 2024
- Thread starter BerkeleyBernie
- Start date
Windhook
Well-known member
Wrong logic. The current format creates the aura of competitiveness. More sponsors, bigger audience.
I'm far from the opinion Croatia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Serbia are worse teams than Georgia or Slovakia. You have to be born yesterday to think that. The larger draw the bigger luck.
I'm far from the opinion Croatia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Serbia are worse teams than Georgia or Slovakia. You have to be born yesterday to think that. The larger draw the bigger luck.
Man England got lucky
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Temptation
Well-known member
SouthGOAT always gets the luckiest draws.
Maradona37
Well-known member
True, they aren't worse teams. But that's tournament football - lesser teams will sometimes prevail and better teams will sometimes go out. That's how it works when the sample size is so small (3 games) - luck and moments become a bigger factor.
For example, Georgia are a worse team than Serbia on paper, but they performed better in this tournament. You are thinking about it all wrong in my opinion - just looking at the 'names' in the Serbia side for example.
This is what I meant when people were predicting Netherlands to beat Austria easily - you're looking at the names on paper, not how the teams are playing. Austria were a great match up for Netherlands in terms of pressing, but people just looked on paper.
Many many football fans do it - before seasons start English top 6 fans just assume they'll beat the likes of Brentford and Crystal Palace, but there's always games you win that you think you won't, and games you lose you think you'll win. Who'd think Man United would draw at home to Liverpool and lose at home to Fulham?
In short, football is played on grass, not paper. Poland and Serbia have better players than Georgia and Slovakia, but they were worse in this tournament, even taking into account luck of the draw in terms of who they played, Georgia playing an already qualified Portugal and so on.
I have seen it a lot on here in recent days. People just assuming this team will beat that team 100 per cent in the knockouts. This is Barca forum and it's a very elite club fan mindset to assume everyone in the world is shite except Barca, Real Madrid, Bayern, Man City, Spain, England, Germany, Argentina and France. Even tonight everyone assumed Portugal would destroy Georgia, but did that happen (even taking into account Portugal not needing anything)?
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Temptation
Well-known member
Birdy
Senior Member
Place your bets guys
The first candidate to upset some big name in the R16 is Romania
Netherlands underwhelming and unconvincing, it could be a repeat of their game vs Austria
Windhook
Well-known member
Serbia is the worst example out of all tbh. Even in Yugoslavia days they were individuals with no teamwork.
Imagine Georgia in a 16 team format group with Spain, France and prime Bulgaria circa 1996. That's what I hint at.
Temptation
Well-known member
Austria have a much better team and manager than Romania. Think NL will edge that tie.
For me, the "upset" would be Switzerland-Italy.
Brilliant team on and off the ball. Experienced, energetic, tough, tactically shrewd and have the quality in crucial moments. Players like Embolo and especially Shaqiri make all the difference in International Tournaments. Xhaka is imperious for Switzerland. Vamos 🇨🇭.
Maradona37
Well-known member
Yeah I know. But I just picked them out randomly as they were so bad in this tournament. They also haven't qualified for a Euros since 2000 until this year I believe, so it's not like they have loads of credit in the bank and recent past performance in this tournament.
I totally agree about the Euro 96 example - on that I agree Georgia would really struggle. I remember that group - Romania finished bottom and they were a class team too coming off an impressive USA 94 two years earlier (as with Bulgaria). I was at Romania-Bulgaria in Newcastle as a 14 year old.
The dilemma is do you want more quality, less quantity, a high quality tournament with fewer teams? Or do you want to give more smaller teams chances and their fans the chance to get involved at a major tournament?
Maradona37
Well-known member
I wouldn't even consider that an upset. Switzerland are a very solid team and the Italians don't have the players of years gone by. Plus the Swiss eliminated France in Euro 2020, admittedly it was an unbelievable game but it shows they can beat decent teams.
Windhook
Well-known member
Not up to us to decide, anyway.
I want less. 1/4 of the teams that qualified to Round 16 will never see a World Cup group stage the next decade.
Maradona37
Well-known member
I know, but nothing is up to the fans to decide - doesn't stop millions of fans talking football on the internet and in pubs, though.
That pedantry aside, I have mixed feelings, as my comments on recent pages will attest to. I do agree though that the overall quality in European international football cannot support 24 team tournaments. But it's still good to see the lesser fancied nations enjoying themselves, and some of them have did themselves proud so far.
Temptation
Well-known member
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