Euro 2024

Who will win?

  • Total voters
    23
  • Poll closed .
draconifire

draconifire

NTC with a Positive attitude
The only threat England showed against the Netherlands was through the right. Foden and Saka. And for Spain, that's one of their weakest links.
 
M

Maradona37

Well-known member
In all honesty, I am almost prepared for England winning it. They've been getting closer in recent years with the help of kinder draws and with the level of the PL being improved by Pep and Klopp, and the substantial investment the FA have made into grassroots, coaching and other factors. They're improving player quality and quantity even if not overall performances.

It's really highly likely that they will win a tournament in our lifetime. I am 42, so I feel it's pretty good that they won nothing or even came close (most of the time, two semi-finals in 1990 and 1996) from 1982-2016. In recent years they have been getting closer as I say, and it would be a statistical oddity if they didn't win anything in my lifetime - especially if I live what I hope will be a long life into my early 80s or so. That's a lot of tournaments considering they're biennial.

So I am resigning myself to it happening and the hype being there forever. If that is tonight, then so be it. The even bigger worry is that by winning one they get the monkey off their back, and then go on a golden generation Spain type run of successive tournament victories, or at minimum winning tournaments fairly regularly. Let's hope tonight isn't the start of something for them.

In fact, given the young generations both have, tonight could be a platform for future success for the winner.

A more pertinent question is WHY I want England to lose so much. It's true that I am very put off by their national anthem, but Spain have a royal family too (though nowhere near as grotesque as ours). There's some idiot fans, but every country has those - most English people are just normal, law-abiding citizens. Their media is absolutely delusional, but the Scottish media is probably even worse. On top of all of that, I don't even really support the Scottish NT because I don't feel overly patriotic to be honest.

So based on that, it's hard to explain why I want them to lose so much, when I am not that partisan about my own country and we are just as bad in many ways. I think it's just a bit of rivalry that was formed in my mind when I was young, and that is hard to let go. Plus all the hype around their players, all their xenophobic claiming that other teams dive and cheat, when they're among the worst for it. The dislike I have for plenty of their players. Yeah, there are definitely reasons to wish failure on them, even if other reasons are irrational.
 
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G

Gnidrologist

Senior Member
JohnN said:
I keep seeing posts about "Africans" and not native and immigrants and all that. People have been mixing races for thousands of years. It's at least weird to believe that there is such a thing as "purebred" and more so, that the ideal time for reference being 30 years ago...
All German NT is German. All French NT is French. And so on..
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How about you check a pic of France NT from Platini era, doofus.
 
M

Maradona37

Well-known member
I still can't decide. On form and team cohesion, Spain should win by two goals or so. But finals are a toss up generally and there's some voodoo with England, as other posters have said. They have a few players who can punish ESP if they don't take their chances.

I am still leaning Spain but I admit I am very worried.
 
R

Rory

Senior Member
If Kane and Bellingham spend the game dropping deep and being relatively (compared to Foden/Saka/Palmer/Mainoo) poor on the ball, Spain will just win the ball back constantly and have 70% possession, with a lot of that possession being high up the pitch. It'll come down to how many chances Spain waste.

It's do or die for Kane, either he stretches the pitch, opening some space for Foden/Saka/Bellingham or he drops deep and he gets subbed at min 60.
 
Givenchy

Givenchy

Senior Member
Maradona37 said:
I still can't decide. On form and team cohesion, Spain should win by two goals or so. But finals are a toss up generally and there's some voodoo with England, as other posters have said. They have a few players who can punish ESP if they don't take their chances.

I am still leaning Spain but I admit I am very worried.
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Would be sickening for Spain to fall at the final hurdle after their run but a final is anyone's game.. unless it's Madrid in the CL, that is a full gone conclusion.

The worrying part is England have shown signs of life in that game vs Netherlands and they'd of probably wrapped up the game had Southgate made changes earlier.

Spain need to go at them from the 1st second and grab early goal/s, attack attack attack. Yamal tires out around the 60th min and if it's 0-0 with Ferran or Orezbel whatever his name is coming on... yeah. England just get stronger and stronger with their subs, insane depth. The later into the game it goes level, the more chance England have to win.
 
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