UEFA EURO 2024 (Group Stage) - On Optus Sport

[Bradesmaen]

It’s all irrelevant and academic. Even with a squad comparable to Brazil’s 2002 WC squad in quality, England wouldn’t win.

Rashford is out apparently. Miracles.

 

[darth_timon]

Rashford is out apparently. Miracles.

We could have prime Messi and Ronaldo, backed up by Xavi and Alonso, and still fail.

 

[Bradesmaen]

We could have prime Messi and Ronaldo, backed up by Xavi and Alonso, and still fail.

That's because Gareth would ask Messi to play holding mid.

 

[darth_timon]

That's because Gareth would ask Messi to play holding mid.

Not even that. It’s England, so irrespective of manager and players, they don’t win.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Solanke left out, ridiculous.

 

[Planet14]

Yeah, stupid Southgate. Probably play Harry Kane up front, the fool.

 

[Frank Bunn]

It must suck to be those players who work hard, do well and then get shunned for players who are young, play a couple of games and look "ok". Apparently Quansah is in now as well. Squad of 30 but still...

33 players have been named in the training squad. Jones, Quansah, Trafford and Wharton won't be in the final 26. Luke Shaw is the only LB in the squad but he has a lot of work to do to prove his fitness. Between him and Trippier maybe. Toney will probably drop out. Of the wingers Bowen might be the unlucky one.

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), James Trafford (Burnley).

Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).

Forwards: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Where's our Full Forward? Why isn't Rocca in the squad?

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

SHEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAREEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!!!

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

**** off you campaigners we're winning Euro. 2024 is our year.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Rank The Euro Winners

Germany 96
France 2000
Greece 2004
Spain 2008
Spain 2012
Portugal 2016
Italy 2020

Who would you say are the best of that lot? Rank them in order. Each winner weren't without their struggles. Spain at Euro 2012 after completing the Euro-World Cup-Euro rode their luck as all winners so often do. That's football for you. Italy in the group could have got them, as Portugal should have did in the Semis. Ronaldo missed some great chances before they went down on pens. Croatia and Rakitic I think were robbed of a penalty or two in that final group game.

France 2000 went down to Holland in the final group game, survived a missed pen by Raul in the QF tie, downed Portugal with a GG winner from the spot then survived 2 scoffed Del Piero chances which would have killed the final off against Italy. Equalized in 90+4 and won in Golden Goal Extra time again. Did the World Cup-Euro double.

I believe Germany 96 to be a very good team but gee us English should have got them at home in The Semis. A very good German team nonetheless. Smacked Czech's and Russia in the group before drawing with their bogey team Italy after Zola missed a pen. Beat Croatia 2-1 in The QF, their first ever major tournament. That famous Semi against us which they won on penalties then the Czech's in their first ever tournament named as The Czech Republic. Oliver Bierhoff scored the equalizer and the first ever Golden Goal winner after Patrick Berger put the Czech's up from the spot.

Spain 2008 were a very good team demolishing surprise packet Russia 4-1 in the group and 3-0 in the semis. Late Villa winner against Sweden which sealed their passage into the Quarter Finals and beat Greece in the dead rubber. Got Italy on penalties luckily imo in the fact they played them without star play maker Pirlo who copped a suspension after getting a yellow vs France in the final group game. Gattuso and Cannavaro who missed the tournament. Dominated the game and thoroughly deserved to win but I feel if Pirlo was playing that game might have been different. Regardless a great team who beat The World Champs in the QF's a side which had been their bogey team and played Germany off the park in the Final.

Italy in 2020 had a great group campaign but also rode their luck in the Knock Out Phase beating Austria 2-1 after extra time, Belgium 2-1 in the QF's, Spain on penalties and England also on penalties. Spain outplayed them in the Semi and were the better team and Belgium also were desperately unlucky in the quarter finals. England well **** we suck at penalties. Can't begrudge Italy in any game except for the Semi imo. Still a very, very good team.

Portugal and Greece very, very lucky winners but I feel the Portuguese were owed something from previous tournaments, especially 2004.

If I have to choose one, it's very hard. France 2000 they beat some great, great sides. The quality of football they played was also up there on par with Spain 2012. Even Spain 2008 just for the fact they were the best side in every single game they played. They're my pick actually. Spain 2008. But all the teams mentioned I feel aside from Greece and Portugal were very, very good teams.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

33 players have been named in the training squad. Jones, Quansah, Trafford and Wharton won't be in the final 26. Luke Shaw is the only LB in the squad but he has a lot of work to do to prove his fitness. Between him and Trippier maybe. Toney will probably drop out. Of the wingers Bowen might be the unlucky one.

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), James Trafford (Burnley).

Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).

Forwards: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

No Rashford and No Sancho. No redemption. Missed their pens in 2020 Final. We'll beat Italy should we meet them this time we got em twice in qualifying they're not the same anymore. Bellingham will get player of the tournament and Saka will get redemption, unlike Rashford and Sancho.

It's our time. We're going to roll France and either Germany or Portugal in the final.

 

[RPCB]

Rank The Euro Winners

Germany 96
France 2000
Greece 2004
Spain 2008
Spain 2012
Portugal 2016
Italy 2020

Who would you say are the best of that lot? Rank them in order. Each winner weren't without their struggles. Spain at Euro 2012 after completing the Euro-World Cup-Euro rode their luck as all winners so often do. That's football for you. Italy in the group could have got them, as Portugal should have did in the Semis. Ronaldo missed some great chances before they went down on pens. Croatia and Rakitic I think were robbed of a penalty or two in that final group game.

France 2000 went down to Holland in the final group game, survived a missed pen by Raul in the QF tie, downed Portugal with a GG winner from the spot then survived 2 scoffed Del Piero chances which would have killed the final off against Italy. Equalized in 90+4 and won in Golden Goal Extra time again. Did the World Cup-Euro double.

I believe Germany 96 to be a very good team but gee us English should have got them at home in The Semis. A very good German team nonetheless. Smacked Czech's and Russia in the group before drawing with their bogey team Italy after Zola missed a pen. Beat Croatia 2-1 in The QF, their first ever major tournament. That famous Semi against us which they won on penalties then the Czech's in their first ever tournament named as The Czech Republic. Oliver Bierhoff scored the equalizer and the first ever Golden Goal winner after Patrick Berger put the Czech's up from the spot.

Spain 2008 were a very good team demolishing surprise packet Russia 4-1 in the group and 3-0 in the semis. Late Villa winner against Sweden which sealed their passage into the Quarter Finals and beat Greece in the dead rubber. Got Italy on penalties luckily imo in the fact they played them without star play maker Pirlo who copped a suspension after getting a yellow vs France in the final group game. Gattuso and Cannavaro who missed the tournament. Dominated the game and thoroughly deserved to win but I feel if Pirlo was playing that game might have been different. Regardless a great team who beat The World Champs in the QF's a side which had been their bogey team and played Germany off the park in the Final.

Italy in 2020 had a great group campaign but also rode their luck in the Knock Out Phase beating Austria 2-1 after extra time, Belgium 2-1 in the QF's, Spain on penalties and England also on penalties. Spain outplayed them in the Semi and were the better team and Belgium also were desperately unlucky in the quarter finals. England well heck we suck at penalties. Can't begrudge Italy in any game except for the Semi imo. Still a very, very good team.

Portugal and Greece very, very lucky winners but I feel the Portuguese were owed something from previous tournaments, especially 2004.

If I have to choose one, it's very hard. France 2000 they beat some great, great sides. The quality of football they played was also up there on par with Spain 2012. Even Spain 2008 just for the fact they were the best side in every single game they played. They're my pick actually. Spain 2008. But all the teams mentioned I feel aside from Greece and Portugal were very, very good teams.

I was once told by someone on a different forum that we (Greece) only won the Euro’s because all the big sides collapsed. Specifically England and Germany.

World Rankings from June 9th 2004 (3 days before the tournament), France 2nd, Spain 3rd, Czech Republic 11th, Portugal 22nd. We get a bad wrap for the “negative” tactics but it’s easy to forget we won a qualification group containing Spain and the defensive tactics were the only way we could have won it and even then, it’s Greece. We were basically the International tournament Leicester City. Prime Sir Alex Ferguson could have been the manager and everyone would have still expected fourth in the group.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

I was once told by someone on a different forum that we (Greece) only won the Euro’s because all the big sides collapsed. Specifically England and Germany.

World Rankings from June 9th 2004 (3 days before the tournament), France 2nd, Spain 3rd, Czech Republic 11th, Portugal 22nd. We get a bad wrap for the “negative” tactics but it’s easy to forget we won a qualification group containing Spain and the defensive tactics were the only way we could have won it and even then, it’s Greece. We were basically the International tournament Leicester City. Prime Sir Alex Ferguson could have been the manager and everyone would have still expected fourth in the group.

Mate I had you's pegged as The Dark Horse and I do recall you knocked off Spain in Spain and so close to beating us in that final qualifer for World Cup 2002 where we needed Beckham's miracle free to send us straight to Japan and Korea. You had the makings of a good side for a while and I love lads Like Charisteas, Karagounis, Nikopolidis, Basinas, Giannakopoulos etc

I just feel you were far too defensive for mine. Rode your luck and got through on goal difference with that goal against Russia. Glad you won it I was rooting for ya as I have no love for the French or the Portuguese, The Czech's were hard done by in Silver Goal. Good that you beat Portugal in the first and last game of that cup on their home soil but 7 goals for in 6 games wasn't my cup of tea ( bare in mind Spain got 8 in 7 as World Champs in 2010 )

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

BTW mate wanted you at this Euro too would have been great to re-match Portugal after all these years and would much rather games against Turkey and Czech's too as opposed to ****ing Georgia!

 

[darth_timon]

heck off you campaigners we're winning Euro. 2024 is our year.

No, we’re not.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

No, we’re not.

Who then? France? I'm sick of our pessimistic bs support base. You can be forgiven for choosing others as the power is strong with Les Bleus, Portugal and Germany look set to emerge on home soil. But come on man too much of our support base are too negative.

The weather in Oz isn't like it is in England. Dull and gloomy back home. More sunshine over here campaigner. Be more positive.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Bellingham will win The Euros and The Ballon D'or.

 

[darth_timon]

Who then? France? I'm sick of our pessimistic bs support base. You can be forgiven for choosing others as the power is strong with Les Bleus, Portugal and Germany look set to emerge on home soil. But come on man too much of our support base are too negative.

The weather in Oz isn't like it is in England. Dull and gloomy back home. More sunshine over here campaigner. Be more positive.

Forgive me, but I have spent years watching England offer up false hope to me, again and again and again. From the semi-finals of Italia 90 and Euro 96, through to the early falls in South Africa and Brazil, and of course the Iceland game in 2016, I am cynical where England are concerned. Whether they fail early, or fail late, the one constant in all the tournaments I can remember is failure. I have literally grown up with England failing, so it is what I expect. To be honest, it is a means of protecting myself.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Anyone but England for me. Hopefully Italy but don’t mind Germany ..or anyone else for that matter.

As for greatest champions can’t go past two Spanish teams ..‘12 ahead of ‘08 and of course great Dutch team of ‘88

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Forgive me, but I have spent years watching England offer up false hope to me, again and again and again. From the semi-finals of Italia 90 and Euro 96, through to the early falls in South Africa and Brazil, and of course the Iceland game in 2016, I am cynical where England are concerned. Whether they fail early, or fail late, the one constant in all the tournaments I can remember is failure. I have literally grown up with England failing, so it is what I expect. To be honest, it is a means of protecting myself.

Mate we got rorted against Germany in 2010 Lampard's shot clearly crossed the line and after being 2-0 down we would have had all the momentum at 2-2. That tournament for me we get a pass. 2014 however and 2016 we don't. We were shit full stop so you have a point there. Euro 96 and 2020 were definitely one's that got away but come on man we lost on penalties and 96 especially against The Germans we were the better team and had golden chances that we missed. Even in 2020 the shootout Pickford saved two. Donnaruma got all the credit but what about Pickford? He saved the same amount as pens as Donna. Italy were the better team but not by a long way and they never really created any meaningful chances aside from that Chiesa one which Pickford saved while we were still up 1-0. Spain and Portugal were the biggest chokers in the World before their Euro wins and we still have won a World Cup something which Spain have done only once obviously in 2010. I really feel this is our moment and we're going to grasp it with both hands and get the German's like they got us back in Euro 96. We'll beat them should we meet them and as for France their gettable we outplayed them back at The 2022 World Cup and now that Bellingham is on song we're going to do it. Saka will made amends too. Foden is in form, we're in good stead.

It's our time.

 

[RossFC]

The Telegraph Euro 2024 predictor: Simulator and wall chart

Select your group and knockout winners to find your European champion.

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Into $3.50 now the Poms!

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

England U/17's go out in the quarters to Italy on pens. Portugal-Italy Final I believe will happen as Portugal play Serbia and Italy play Denmark. I have a feeling the Portuguese may win it.

But I like our team to go all the way in the big one. I reckon we may get revenge on Italy along the way too.

 

[Frank Bunn]

England have defensive problems. Shaw hasn't played since February, Maguire not since April. It sounds like both won't be available for the friendlies against Bosnia & H and Iceland, but Maguire has a better chance. If not Quansah might keep his place. Gordon and Saka have knocks but don't sound to be too bad.