Euro 2016 betting thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter SlimChance
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They didn't make the finals in 96? Funny, I must have been watching someone else
 
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I knew it was a mistake on your post of course . Listen. I do largely agree as previous post pointed out to some extent. My point is that they haven't been completely out of it for 40 years continuously .
 
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I knew it was a mistake on your post of course . Listen. I do largely agree as previous post pointed out to some extent. My point is that they haven't been completely out of it for 40 years continuously .

Wait a minute do you actually think they made the finals in 96?
 
Imo reasons we underperform:

Technique - but this is getting better.

Unlike Rugby Union the club game is prioritised over the National one. This is the single biggest reason for England's failure down the years. Delli Alli or whatever he's called looked a frigging world beater for Spurs mid season against far better defences than he faced at the Euros. Our pros are asked to play too many games. The powers that be need to get together and:

a) nix 2 teams from the PL, saving four games a year.
b) **** the League Cup off.
c) Have a winter break for the top division after Christmas (2 weeks) and have them come into the FA Cup in the 4th rather than 3rd round

This would save our best players up to 10 games a season.
 
Unfortunately Euro, the clubs hold too much power and not enough of them would vote to drop 2 teams as the amount of money they would lose if being one of the clubs dropping out is too much for them to gamble. The winter break will be discussed again no doubt, but in the end they will just carry on doing as they do now and continually not being good enough.
 
Wait a minute do you actually think they made the finals in 96?

drop the s from finals. It still wasn't a hairsbreadth.

That said, I think England's level is similar to that of the likes of Belgium/Poland - capable of putting in a semi-finals performance when they put it all together but that bit short of the top table.

Perhaps West Ham/Southampton is a better comparison.
 
England are simply not a cohesive attacking unit. They lack a player(s) to bind the individual pieces together and make the system(?) work. They are no where near the level of Portugal of Belgium and miles away from Germany. All I saw from play in the final third in their last two games was panic, they had conposure. Rooney sprinting to take corners in the Slovakia was a strange sight. What was the rush? Just keep playing possession football and wait to find an opening rather than the panic that allowed them zero, yes zero shots on target in second half of that game.
 
of course

i was at every england game in that tournament. For a brief period of time we had a very good side. Some very strong characters and a genius (mean that too..and rarely say it) in Gazza

People do forget that the first game was a shocker. Spain was the hottest afternoon imaginable and they wrongly had a goal disallowed offside..( i was right in line) but in a strange way that was perhaps the best performance eclipsing holland.

it was unforgettable.
 
And while all that might very well be true it underscores my point that in the last 50 years there is only one tournament talked about where England was a legitimate contender.

I think Simmo's comparison with Belgium and Poland is not far off the mark, and it depends on what one deems upper echelon but my list would include for Europe:
Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands and after last night Portugal. Sustained excellence over a longer period of time. Netherlands deserve a mulligan for their non qualifying this time around.
 
So what we're basically saying is that England have arguably had two periods where they were capable of performing well on the world arena - 1966-70 and 1986 (arguable) - 1996. Other than that they are mediocre, likely to go out in the group stages or early knockout rounds.

And on the basis of something that happened 20/50 years ago the current team should be capable of doing well????

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1990 was the same situation of course.

Probably 1986 too.

Worth remembering that Portugal haven't actually won a match in this Euros.

No they haven't but they've actually been to a final and four semis since 84. England one semi.
Sustained excellence was my criteria, otherwise I'd have to include Greece, Denmark and possibly Czech Republic in the mix.
 
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of course

i was at every england game in that tournament. For a brief period of time we had a very good side. Some very strong characters and a genius (mean that too..and rarely say it) in Gazza

People do forget that the first game was a shocker. Spain was the hottest afternoon imaginable and they wrongly had a goal disallowed offside..( i was right in line) but in a strange way that was perhaps the best performance eclipsing holland.

it was unforgettable.

It was a team full of men and proven winners past and present. They rode their luck but they were absolute men when it counted against Germany. The 2016 version is a bad joke.
 
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Wonderful result for Wales. They showed England how to play for each other and for their country.

Utterly delighted for Chris Coleman, a thoroughly decent guy and obviously a very effective man manager who got a raw deal at club level.

Superb night.
 
Wales were excellent, alway knew Belgium had a soft centre. As an Arsenal fan it pains me to see them wasting Ramsey's talent by not playing him as an attacking up and down midfielder, he has been their player of the comp by a mile, possibly even the whole tournament's. Think he'll be a huge miss come the semi but then Portugal are shite, but horrible to play against.
I'll still be amazed if the winner doesn't come from tomorrow night's game.
 
I think the minority of England fans who create trouble are a huge handicap to the team. How can you feel pride in the jersey when at the back of your mind is a dread about what these morons are going to do next? There was even a fear at one stage that the team might be sent home.

All the teams with a troublemaking element among their support underperformed.

Oh well, if that's not the explanation is it the arrogance of the England players? How else to explain the success of so called lesser teams made up of players from the same leagues? Well done Wales, it's great to see.
 
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