Euro2012

I don't think it was 'class', more a case of method. Wenger's best Arsenal teams play the same game as most international sides, as are Man City beginning to do. Not enough home grown talent is brought up to play 'keep ball'. Too many foreigners in the English game, there should be a cap on overseas players and f*ck what the EU says.
Young players unable to make PL first teams are farmed out to lower league clubs like Argyle and play hoofball, which is what Hodgson had to resort to against the Wops.

Czarcasm wrote:

The strange thing is, as mediocre as we have undoubtedly been down the years, if somehow we could learn how to take f*cking penalties under pressure, there's a fair chance we'd have actually made quite a few semi-finals and indeed finals.

If you are half-decent to begin with, then you can win the big prizes on the back of not bottling it in penalty shootouts.

It's f*cking annoying.

I agree, I did hear that we were practising penalties in a big way when we got to the quarters, who the feck says to a player who shoots the ball low down and about 4 feet inside the post at about 4 miles an hour, "yeh nice one, you go third?"

Spain are looking decidedly ordinary tonight. Could be a surprise on the cards.

Shit game. Portugal are a one man team and they can't get the ball to Ronaldo. Spain have changed a winning team and formula for some reason, serve them right if it finishes 0-0 and goes to penalties.

Greenjock wrote:

Shit game. Portugal are a one man team and they can't get the ball to Ronaldo. Spain have changed a winning team and formula for some reason, serve them right if it finishes 0-0 and goes to penalties.

The commentator seems to think it's been a 'fascinating' 1st half.

Czarcasm wrote:

Greenjock wrote:

Shit game. Portugal are a one man team and they can't get the ball to Ronaldo. Spain have changed a winning team and formula for some reason, serve them right if it finishes 0-0 and goes to penalties.

The commentator seems to think it's been a 'fascinating' 1st half.

That's because he's a cnut.

Greenjock wrote:

Czarcasm wrote:

Greenjock wrote:

Shit game. Portugal are a one man team and they can't get the ball to Ronaldo. Spain have changed a winning team and formula for some reason, serve them right if it finishes 0-0 and goes to penalties.

The commentator seems to think it's been a 'fascinating' 1st half.

That's because he's a cnut.

Talking of which, Balotelli's just put Italy 1 up.

I thought Italy were better against England than anyone gave them credit for. Long way to go but Italy aren't renowned for letting leads slip.

That boy is special

Italy 2 nil up!

Geddon Merv!!

I have to hold my hands up and say that at the beginning of the tournament I thought Italy were useless, and weren't even interested in taking part. How wrong can you be!

Balotelli has been superb. His runs beat the offside trap time after time, and both finishes tonight have been awesome. Pirlo is class and Cassano is also playing out of his skin.

They deservedly drew with Spain, and made England look pedestrian.

The group match against Spain was very open and entertaining, and Spain will do well to contain the Italians if they don't go back into their shell and play defensively.

It just goes to show how reputations of invincibility are heaped all too easily on some groups.
Great to see one of the PIGS giving it some welly to the invincibles of Germany. Not over yet though. I hope the Italian weakness doesn't come out now and they retreat to a back nine.
All things are possible when you believe. Never, ever go onto the pitch thinking you'll lose, or you will. Are you listening Luggy ?

Greenjock wrote:

I have to hold my hands up and say that at the beginning of the tournament I thought Italy were useless, and weren't even interested in taking part. How wrong can you be!

Balotelli has been superb. His runs beat the offside trap time after time, and both finishes tonight have been awesome. Pirlo is class and Cassano is also playing out of his skin.

They deservedly drew with Spain, and made England look pedestrian.

The group match against Spain was very open and entertaining, and Spain will do well to contain the Italians if they don't go back into their shell and play defensively.

Prior to the semi's you could get Germany at 7/4 to win the tournament. The way they were playing they looked invincible, and I was going to pile on at those odds.

Glad I bottled it now. Phew....

Italy shocked me tonight and totally outplayed the Germans. Not something I was expecting to have as an opinion. I wanted Germany to win tonight to make the final worth watching. If Italy play in the final like they did tonight then it should be a cracker but how often do they go back to normal and defensive. I'm just praying they don't. Pirlo is the player of the tournament for me. His passing and control is outstanding and is head and shoulders above anyone else I've seen. Whatever happened to the German machine? Vort Sprung Technic's wheels came off this time.

Czarcasm wrote:

Greenjock wrote:

I have to hold my hands up and say that at the beginning of the tournament I thought Italy were useless, and weren't even interested in taking part. How wrong can you be!

Balotelli has been superb. His runs beat the offside trap time after time, and both finishes tonight have been awesome. Pirlo is class and Cassano is also playing out of his skin.

They deservedly drew with Spain, and made England look pedestrian.

The group match against Spain was very open and entertaining, and Spain will do well to contain the Italians if they don't go back into their shell and play defensively.

Prior to the semi's you could get Germany at 7/4 to win the tournament. The way they were playing they looked invincible, and I was going to pile on at those odds.

Glad I bottled it now. Phew....

If you want to win big on the footy just ask me for a prediction and then weigh heavy the other way, totally infallible. And as for us, we are better than the germans, FACT!!! Italy couldn't score against us so, if they win that means we would have come second.

Italy may just stop the Spanish juggernaut.
Wont be a classic mind.

What a team this Spanish side is. Not had to get out of 2nd gear to get to the final. A touch fortunate in the penalties lottery in the semi's, but showing their true class again tonight.

European Champs - World Champs - European Champs, consecutively.

Rightly lauded as the best team ever.

There's been some great international sides (Brazil 1970) but this Spanish team has to be contender for the best ever.

I actually thought Germany were going to win Euro 2012

Worse news for the Italians:

BREAKING: Spain's & Italy's governments agreed before the game that the loser will pay off the winner's national debts.

Spain play without a Centre forward and win the Euros


Argyle play without a centre forward worthy of the name and just avoid dropping out of the league.


The dividing line between success and failure is so narrow these days

Best Championships ever overall? Barely a duff game in 3 weeks

All of that starting 11 are young enough to go to Brazil in two years and do it all again too.

Frightening really.

That will be a thing of the past when it goes to 24 teams the next time around.

More money, more games, but lower quality, without doubt.

We'll look back fondly on 2012 then.