Diego_Sideburns Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Good to see the return of the terrace as the Swedes stand tall thanks to Greeks bearing gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Good to see the return of the terrace as the Swedes stand tall thanks to Greeks bearing gifts. Who was that handsome young gentleman playing in the No. 17 shirt for Sweden? He looks like one for the future if I have any eye for a footballer And don't forget I spotted Eardley for a central midfielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 Who was that handsome young gentleman playing in the No. 17 shirt for Sweden? He looks like one for the future if I have any eye for a footballer And don't forget I spotted Eardley for a central midfielder Another ex-Red to delight your Irish relatives. Hopefully our new ex-Red will have learned a few things from him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Ok with everyone having played a game my view of the tournament group by group, nation by nation (and unlike the bandwagon jumping Diego I won't use up space with fancy pictures from the net) Group A : Switzerland Did better than most people gave them credit for before the start of the tournament but really needed not to loose as the were playing the Czechs going out in the groups Czechs My team in the sweepstake and they look like the eqivalent of Bolton when they were good- very big and defensive but with some quality up front. Can see them winning a lot of games by the odd goal and they will be a danger on set-pieces but not this is not their year although they may beat someone more fancied than them by out-muscling them. Turkey Not great against a good Portugese team and can't see them getting a result against anybody other than the Swiss, especially as they seem to be relying on the goal machine that is Tuncay to get them some goals, going out in the groups Portugal Looked very good and as usual the commentators might have well as bent over and dropped trousers the praise they were giving the most over-rated footballer in the world, the winker. (Unfortunately the same channel has all the Portugal games so expect more of the same) However, they looked a little small and I think could be troubled at set-pieces especially against the likes of the Czechs, even if they add Meira as a holding midfield player. Plus Carvalho and Pepe both look prone to mistakes and I can see it costing them. Group B: Austria Same as the Swiss really Croatia No matter about how much bandwagon jumping certain people on here will do they didn't look all that impressive without Eduardo (God how a team from Britain needs a Brazilian 'mercenary') and its a pity as with Eduardo they would be legitimate contenders. However, like the Czechs can see them pulling a shock result with muscle, set-pieces, and a strong defense Poland Looked OK against a very strong German team and a good result against the Croats could see them qualifying but I doubt it as I can't see them beating both Croatia and Austria, will go out in the groups Germany This tournament has Germany winning it all over it, they looked good both in defense and attack, and won't be out-muscled by the likes of the Czechs. Its even in two neighbouring countries where a lot of the local neutrals love the Germans and will support them when their teams go out. However, they look vulnerable at Goalie as Wenger isn't a mug and he dropped Lehman for a reason and he looks more dodgy as usual with his usual temperament (can see him getting suspended) and the back-ups have about 70 minutes of international football between them. Group C: Holland Looked great against a poor Italian side and like the Germans looked strong defensively and in attack and won't be out-muscled, Van Der Sar looked good too. However, with injuries they seem to not have as big a strength in depth as they might need especially in the forward going midfield area, plus there will no doubt be some off the pitch problems as there always seems to be with the Dutch and their record in penalty shoot-outs is almost as bad as England's. Romania Are trying to do a Greece and their tactics seem to be defend as much as possible and then give it to Mutu and see what he can do, but Mutu doesn't have the quality for that job. Plus anyone whose reserve striker plays at Inverness can't be all that good. Its a pity really as they out qualified the Dutch for a reason but won't go through. France Ah well the French who are playing with Le Sulk up front need someone with energy and drive who's willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the team playing there and Anelka is the opposite of this. In top-level football I wish when coming against a team that 'park the bus' in front of their own goal the other team would be a bit more attacking otherwise the game is appalling for the neutrals. Need some big changes or they will go out in the groups and its easy to see now how they struggled against Scotland. Italy Didn't look good against the Dutch but are notoriously slow starters and if they get through the group stages tend to do well and a good performance by the Dutch made them look worse than they are. Can't see them winning it without the assurance of Cannavaro (Materazzi WILL be suspended at some point) but with the current non-appearance of the French will go through the group. Group D Greece Same tactics as 2004 but without the same success and lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place will go out in the groups. Russia Looked very poor against the Spanish and their defense showed how England scored 3 against them at Wembley, however fortunately for them they are in the weakest group and Arsavin will no longer be suspended for their big game against the Swedes but can see them going out in the groups Sweden A team that look good (oh sorry this is 2008 and not 2004). Can see them winning the award for the team that goes through the groups by being second best of a bad bunch. Might do something against Spain by out-muscling them and their quality up front (since Ibrahimovic has turned up) should see them beat Russia. But given the ages of most of their players and the fact that an obviously not fully fit and old Henrik Larsson doesn't have to do any of the graft of qualifying but walks into the team doesn't say a lot for their hopes in the near future. Spain Ah the footballing nation's equivalent of a flat-track bully. Great against poor opposition and look very good going forward but like their Iberian neghbours could well be out-muscled (what's their average height of the midfield 4ft2) and don't look that good defensively (Puyol struggles against the quality that a lot of teams have up front). Plus they like starting well and then tend to crash out (although their record in this tournament is a lot better than the World cup). Will do well but can't see the winning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 Day Five and the Austrians and Swiss could be taking a tumble off the mountain, or will it be in UEFA's interest for a swiz to be arranged to keep the local interest alive? I only ask questions! Unlike Van Nistelrooy's doctor (rudemedic) I won't take up space with a lot of text assessing performances so far - to the casual observer a picture paints a thousand words! What goes round comes round, but one thing that is certain, Petr Cech will need to stand very, very tall today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 (edited) Portugal fans making the most of things before they're laughing on the other side of their faces. Have the Czechs bitten off more than they can chew? Edited June 11, 2008 by Diego_Sideburns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 It was almost washed out by half-time but Turkey live to rewrite that 'tattoo'. The Swiss took their eye off the ball...... .....and end up cheesed off with the result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Day Six and at last I can get back to talking pictorally about Croatia. It’s amazing that a country with a smaller population that Scotland can do so well against the big boys. It must be down to the legacy of a great coaching system from the former Yugoslavia. What appeals to me is that everyone has pride in putting on the shirt of a country that recently fought a war for the right to wear their own shirt. The coach Slaven Bilic has definitely played his part in Croatia's success. The players clearly respect him. He did his time with the Under-21s and, if you were a player, he is the kind of bloke you would listen to and you would walk through walls for - Croatia‘s Stuart Pearce. In a year he is probably paid what former England coach Steve McClaren was paid in a couple of weeks. So the fans of the smallest country in the tournament move on from Vienna to Klagenfurt with absolutely no chance on paper against Germany. If Werder Bremen forward Ivan Klasnic, who was born in Germany, plays he will be the first player to be picked for a European Championship following a kidney transplant. He suffered kidney failure in January 2007 and received a transplant from his mother, only for his body to reject her kidney. Two months later he repeated the operation, this time using his father's kidney. The fans will make the most of it knowing that there is still the Poland game to look forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldhamSheridan Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 And just in case you were wondering, nearly all the ladies were that hot when I went over there. Anyone know what happens if Turkey and Czech Rep draw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky_Latic Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Anyone know what happens if Turkey and Czech Rep draw? straight to penalties. Shoot-out permutation With Turkey and the Czechs now level on points with identical goals for and against, their meeting in Geneva is crucial. The winners will reach the quarter-finals, and the losers will be out, while a draw would see the last-eight position decided on a penalty shoot-out. Kazım Kazım said: "To be fair, they had some chances to score, but this is football – we scored the winner in added time. Now everything is in our hands. If we win, we go through – if the Czechs win, they go through. We will see." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Franz Beckenbauer, Oliver Bierhoff, Paul Breitner, Oliver Kahn, Jürgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthäus, Gerd Müller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bernd Schneider, Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher, Harald Schumacher, Uwe Seeler, Berti Vogts, Rudi Völler, Fritz Walter, Steffi Graf, Boris Becker, Marlene Dietrich, Georg Friedrich Händel, Engelbert Humperdinck, Kraftwerk, Nena, Albert Einstein, Wilhelm Messerschmitt, Felix Wankel, Eva Braun, Heinrich Himmler, Rudolf Hess and your Austrian Führer, your boys took a hell of a beating! Who was it who said a picture is worth a thousand words? Oh yes, it was me! At the six mile stage of this marathon, things are really looking up. It's onwards & upwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Njemačka jesu slab , Hrvatski za ikada! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc_ok Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Felix Wankel Snigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky_Latic Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 The joys of avoiding Portugal in the knockout stages. Anyone would have thought they'd won the bloody thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Another ex-Red to delight your Irish relatives. Hopefully our new ex-Red will have learned a few things from him. Hang on Mr Sideburns Given the tendency of the Irish to support the Redd Soxx, I would be surprised if there aren't a few of them tucked away in your family closet? My mum couldn't understand why I refused any thought of going with another cousin's husband (tother side of the family) to Bad Old Trafford a few seasons ago, unless alternative tickets could be found in the away end... Think they were playing Bolton on the day it was a possibility, so it would have been like choosing beaten a golden shower and a chocolate steamboat anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Austria exposed up front but saved face in the end A smile for getting away with that offside goal, but no Pole dancing tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Hang on Mr Sideburns Given the tendency of the Irish to support the Redd Soxx, I would be surprised if there aren't a few of them tucked away in your family closet? Nah, extensive painstaking research has proved conclusively that my ancestors left the Emerald Isle before Newton Heath L & YR FC was formed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Austria exposed up front but saved face in the end A smile for getting away with that offside goal, but no Pole dancing tonight! WTF is that on the left of the picture? I don't know, but I bet there aren't two of them in the alpine resort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 The joys of avoiding Portugal in the knockout stages. Anyone would have thought they'd won the bloody thing. David, the "one legged blind poodle", tweaked the tail of Goliath and suddenly that "bulldog" is not barking as cockily tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) All for one and one for all: Love is sharing the footy experience together: Croatia's Chuckle Brothers think it doesn't get much better than this! I missed the match live on TV as I was driving back from Oldham. Listening to the commentary on Five Live I was amazed to find Steve McClaren working as co-commentator - he was really impressed with Croatia - er....it's a bit late for that Steve! Then it looks as though he's trying to become an honorary Croat as he joins the celebrations fom the left: Meanwhile it was fortunate for one bloke that he was not otherwise engaged playing for his country: Edited June 12, 2008 by Diego_Sideburns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Meanwhile, in readiness to face the French today, Dutch lady boys give Beardy and leeslover a run for their money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 Day Seven and all to play for in terms of artistic impression. versus And there's the Dutch angel with big wings: versus the French who're on the button: While on this subject, it seems a shame not to add some Croatian girls when things are going so well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 No apologies for harping on about last night's famous victory - wouldn't you like to have been a part of this "twelfth man"? They're enjoying it back home too. Not forgetting another gratuitous girl fans photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc_ok Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 That Tintin's really let himself go, hasn't he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 Almost too close for comfort but not yet kissed goodbye to the tournament. A toast to Romania - so near yet so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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