the weakness spain showed today was tactical/defensive
they can score with a 4-6-0, they played it vs scotland with silva as withdrawn cf and scored three times, they scored vs italy and they scored today (just about)
introducing navas into that formation was a bit strange but he does provide an outlet behind the defence and nobody else apart from torres (and sometimes pedro) can do that
the breaks that allowed croatia's best chances midway through the second half showed a serious lack of cohesion
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Monday, 18 June 2012 22:13 (eleven years ago) link
xabi is obviously an estimable character and an excellent player and his presence presumably reassures casillas (a bit flaky) ramos (angry retard) and arbeloa (????) but he plays at a different pace to the rest of the midfield -- he is at his best receiving from the defence, taking a touch or two and hitting a throughball or a 20 yard pass out to the flanks
if they removed him and played a more orthodox 4-3-3 they could play a forward line reminiscent of pre-2009 barcelona, with torres making similar runs to eto'o, silva providing a playmaking cut-inside option and pedro or navas a touchline winger on the other flank
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Monday, 18 June 2012 22:21 (eleven years ago) link
you're only active if the ball comes/is coming to you or is intended for you?
4-6-0 is the TMFD formation ne plus ultra
― ༼◍ྀ ౪ ◍ི ༽ (cozen), Monday, 18 June 2012 22:25 (eleven years ago) link
tmfd team mother fuckin dominationOur team is so good we're tmfdbuy tmfd mugs & shirtsteam mother fuckin domination tmfdby Jesus Christo Jr. Sep 11, 2007 share this add a video
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Monday, 18 June 2012 22:26 (eleven years ago) link
“We lost because we done too much fanny dangle,” Dave Bassett once fumed
― ༼◍ྀ ౪ ◍ི ༽ (cozen), Monday, 18 June 2012 22:28 (eleven years ago) link
hmmn i don't think it's a bad option to have -- del bosque started experimenting with it when villa was effectively ruled out and torres was might as well have been, leaving a load of strikers either unproven or not quite good enough (soldado) or unsuitable for the team
playing against a side with a lack of collective intelligence and difficulties tracking runners between the lines, it can be quite dangerous
torres presumably did enough vs ireland to start in the quarter final and he should remain first-choice
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Monday, 18 June 2012 22:37 (eleven years ago) link
can't be arsed to scroll back to the discussion of the second worse refereeing of the tournament, but i doubt it wd've altered the outcome. linesman shd be sacked tho but
― Mexès Coleslaw Massacre (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 00:58 (eleven years ago) link
england have simply got to win this group, the fixtures will be dreary as shit otherwise
has eng-ita really not happened in a decade?
http://www.englandstats.com/matches.php?mid=787
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 01:25 (eleven years ago) link
Did anyone see a possession stat for the Spain game?
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 05:16 (eleven years ago) link
62/38 according to http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18181161
― caek, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 05:53 (eleven years ago) link
Spain's unwillingness to go for direct penetration is frustrating. I've seen a lot of people, during last night's game, and two years ago at the World Cup, say they find Spain really boring and stifling, but I find real pleasure in watching their movement patterns, the deftness of touch. Xabi makes no sense in the team though; I'd have Fabregas in ahead of him, play Fab with Silva, just off Torres, and then Xavi, Iniesta, and Biscuits in a revolving triangle in the middle.
Spain are lucky they've got a keeper as good as Casillas; he made two extraordinary saves last night which effectively kept them in the competition.
If we meet them on Saturday, and I have a suspicion that we won't, I think they'll stifle and boss and outclass us, and win 1-0. But I think we might win the group...
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 08:34 (eleven years ago) link
we had a pool at work for dis btw, a $5 pool and a $2 pool
i drew netherlands for the $5 pool and denmark for the $2 pool
in summary, i no longer give a shit about this tournament
― Gentlemen Take Instagram Photos (King Boy Pato), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 08:39 (eleven years ago) link
I thought the linesman's call looked right but I haven't looked at it again since the replay. Didn't make any difference anyway, Croatia needed a goal to put Spain out regardless of whether it finished 1-0 to them or 1-1 and they didn't get it.
Bilic very nearly got his tactics right but if anything Croatia were too disciplined towards the end, they weren't prepared to go for it until very late on, after the goal even.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 08:53 (eleven years ago) link
Am I right in thinking that as long as France don't lose by more than one goal they are definitely through tonight?
― pandemic, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:08 (eleven years ago) link
Think so - the only way France could conceivably in trouble is if Sweden win convincingly and Ukraine win and top the group. England just need to not lose and they're through.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:20 (eleven years ago) link
Jesus was definitely ahead of the last defender when Fabregas played the ball to Iniesta, and was level when Iniesta played the ball to him. Whether he was technically offside, due to being active or inactive or whatever, is one of those things that everyone's going to disagree on. My gut instrinct at the time was that Spain were VERY lucky to be allowed the goal, both for Iniesta's shoulder-control and Jesus being active when fabregas played the ball to Iniesta.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:20 (eleven years ago) link
I think they can lose by one and go out on goals scored if England also lose by one, but otherwise I think that's right.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:21 (eleven years ago) link
they have a better goal diff than england at the moment tho right? By +1?
― pandemic, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:35 (eleven years ago) link
this is handy
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3284/euro-2012/2012/06/19/3184870/euro-2012-group-d-permutations-england-france-close-in-on
― Number None, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:41 (eleven years ago) link
thx mate
― pandemic, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:44 (eleven years ago) link
MINI-LEAGUE
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:45 (eleven years ago) link
i was convinced last night was going to be spain 2 - 2 croatia .. at 15-1 was worth a pop? or was i a fool?
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:46 (eleven years ago) link
i was deffo a fool when at 43 mins i put £2 on the same score thinking i was getting 240-1, then realised after betting it was for half-time score.
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:47 (eleven years ago) link
Wait, UEFA dropped the hammer on Bendy to the tune of £80,000! Didn't realize their fines went that high, or is that only when they're dealing with Associations rather than players?
― pandemic, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:50 (eleven years ago) link
fwiw my call for tonight
england draw with ukrainefrance beat sweden.
― PSOD (Ste), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:50 (eleven years ago) link
(zzzz)
― PSOD (Ste), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:51 (eleven years ago) link
they reckon paddy power will foot the bill for n.b. anyway
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:52 (eleven years ago) link
240-1 for four goals in two minutes isn't very generous! You want to change bookies imo. That Victor seems like a smashing fellow, he'd see you right.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 10:00 (eleven years ago) link
that's how i'd call it
― Mexès Coleslaw Massacre (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:10 (eleven years ago) link
figure England would have a marginally better shout against Italy than against Spain if they get thru. wouldn't even be slightly shocked if Ukraine win tonight tho.
― Mexès Coleslaw Massacre (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:13 (eleven years ago) link
Italy were so bad last night
― Number None, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:15 (eleven years ago) link
although i guess Spain weren't great either
this is all relative tho
― Mexès Coleslaw Massacre (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:16 (eleven years ago) link
i think England will beat Ukraine though
― Number None, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:16 (eleven years ago) link
Goal of the tournament so far - the Balotelli one? Theo?
― send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:18 (eleven years ago) link
hoping he drops Carroll and plays Rooney off Wellbeck. Ukraine's backline looks pretty porous but our midfield is still o_O. tbf, having Young on the left and Milner on the right mightn't be as limiting with Rooney who won't rely on having proper wingers the way Carroll does.
― Mexès Coleslaw Massacre (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:20 (eleven years ago) link
definitely not Walcott. It was a deflection/fluke
― Number None, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:20 (eleven years ago) link
gott - Ronaldo's second v Netherlands
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:21 (eleven years ago) link
Just trying to think of shots from outside the box that have actually gone in. xp
― send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:21 (eleven years ago) link
Mario's was v. nice, that second Gomez goal against the Netherlands was pretty tasty too.
― Mexès Coleslaw Massacre (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:21 (eleven years ago) link
I think i liked Di Natale against Spain the best. Or Ronaldo the other night
― Number None, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:22 (eleven years ago) link
The Polish one v Russia was a screamer
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:23 (eleven years ago) link
Kuba's for Poland vs Russia was a good thump.Gomez first vs Holland my fav, tho RVP/VDV both got nice goals this tourney, shame they didn't get more of them mind.
― pandemic, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:23 (eleven years ago) link
The Polish's guy's left-footer on the run was very sweet.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:25 (eleven years ago) link
Debating whether to bother watching the games live tonight. I've been having to split my sleep in 2 sections for the duration of the Euros so far and it's really not working. Feel like tonights games will be routine. Still I'd hate not to witness bonkers events live should bonkers events happen.
― pandemic, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:26 (eleven years ago) link
I liked wellbeck's flying aerial backheel, that's gotta be top 10. xp
― give me back my 200 dollars (NotEnough), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:27 (eleven years ago) link
England are winning in two categories though - best header and best improvisation
― Number None, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:28 (eleven years ago) link
There's potential for a French and/or English meltdown. Recommended viewing tonight imo.
― give me back my 200 dollars (NotEnough), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:29 (eleven years ago) link
Given wins best header surely?xp
― pandemic, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:29 (eleven years ago) link
haven't we suffered enough?
― Number None, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 11:30 (eleven years ago) link