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Who Are Going To Be Euro 2024 Champions ?

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It's incredible that England have reached the semi final, they have been totally abysmal in every match. Spain and Germany were the two best teams so far, now Germany are eliminated. There have been a lot of close matches and a lot of their smaller nations like Georgia, Slovenia, Slovakia deserve a lot of credit.

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1663 - 07/07/2024 19:51:20    2557512

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Replying To REDANDBLACK30:  "What other country in the World would support a country that occupies a part of its territory and occupied all of it for over 750 years??"
No need to support them at all. Just cut some of the bs about their 'extraordinary' progress in the tournament would do me, while they're progressing through relatively 'handy ties' like Slovakia and Switzerland.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3829 - 07/07/2024 19:56:22    2557513

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "No need to support them at all. Just cut some of the bs about their 'extraordinary' progress in the tournament would do me, while they're progressing through relatively 'handy ties' like Slovakia and Switzerland."
Yeah they were extremely lucky to win those matches, a goal in the 95th minute against Slovakia with their first shot on target. Switzerland had the better chances to win the match in extra time yesterday.

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1663 - 07/07/2024 20:08:54    2557516

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Replying To REDANDBLACK30:  "Yeah they were extremely lucky to win those matches, a goal in the 95th minute against Slovakia with their first shot on target. Switzerland had the better chances to win the match in extra time yesterday."
They haven't lost their last FOURTEEN games with Switzerland. I'd rather be lucky than good, said Lefty Gomez. Their 'luck' will run out soon v Switzerland, you'd imagine!!

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3829 - 07/07/2024 20:19:17    2557519

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "If you're so consumed with their current form, why don't you accept their current form on penalty shootouts, rather than scrambling back historically for shootout skeletons, just to suit an argument that doesn't hold water.

England were unbeaten in their previous 13 internationals v Switzerland heading into yesterday, and yet you're here saying their progress yesterday was extraordinary."
I'm saying they've played poorly most of the tournament yet scrapped through. This is very un England like. Previous tournaments and far better English teams would have knocked themselves out by this stage. It's beyond an ordinary English side. Erego it's extraordinary..

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3624 - 07/07/2024 20:24:21    2557521

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "No need to support them at all. Just cut some of the bs about their 'extraordinary' progress in the tournament would do me, while they're progressing through relatively 'handy ties' like Slovakia and Switzerland."
You've clearly been unable to grasp what I meant or don't want to.
They've played poorly, and some opposition has been poor yet they've plowed on and made it through. Unlike plenty of other better English teams in the past.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3624 - 07/07/2024 20:27:44    2557522

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Replying To KillingFields:  "You've clearly been unable to grasp what I meant or don't want to.
They've played poorly, and some opposition has been poor yet they've plowed on and made it through. Unlike plenty of other better English teams in the past."
This is a strong England squad, full of top players playing at top clubs. I don't particularly recall any 'better English teams in the past', having missed the '66 World Cup myself.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3829 - 07/07/2024 20:44:34    2557527

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "This is a strong England squad, full of top players playing at top clubs. I don't particularly recall any 'better English teams in the past', having missed the '66 World Cup myself."
Englnd's World Cup1990 squad was better than this one. This one has potential to play better football than it has been doing up to the semi final but that's no guarantee they'd reach a final playing better football. Kane, Bellingham, Foden, Stones, Walker were in a bit of a comfort zone last season for more dominant teams. Possibly they need more returns from players who scrapped for lesser teams like Palmer, Mainoo, Guehi, Eze, Bowen, Toney, Watkins.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7571 - 07/07/2024 21:55:59    2557544

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Englnd's World Cup1990 squad was better than this one. This one has potential to play better football than it has been doing up to the semi final but that's no guarantee they'd reach a final playing better football. Kane, Bellingham, Foden, Stones, Walker were in a bit of a comfort zone last season for more dominant teams. Possibly they need more returns from players who scrapped for lesser teams like Palmer, Mainoo, Guehi, Eze, Bowen, Toney, Watkins."
1990 better? Probably arguable whether they were or they weren't? If they were that good, why didn't they secure better results at euro88 or euro92 with likely similar squads? Gazza was a world class xfactor in '90 maybe, before busting his knee in '91, and not quite recovering fully.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3829 - 07/07/2024 23:23:54    2557571

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "1990 better? Probably arguable whether they were or they weren't? If they were that good, why didn't they secure better results at euro88 or euro92 with likely similar squads? Gazza was a world class xfactor in '90 maybe, before busting his knee in '91, and not quite recovering fully."
Yeah. 1990 better. Not 1988, not 1992.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7571 - 08/07/2024 08:50:50    2557606

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "Yeah. 1990 better. Not 1988, not 1992."
One might expect international squads to be of a similar standard over any 4 year period. 88 90 92 is just 4 years, why would they be 'great' in 90, and 'not great' in 88 or 92? Spain for example 2008 2010 2012 - champs champs champs.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3829 - 08/07/2024 11:26:30    2557653

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "1990 better? Probably arguable whether they were or they weren't? If they were that good, why didn't they secure better results at euro88 or euro92 with likely similar squads? Gazza was a world class xfactor in '90 maybe, before busting his knee in '91, and not quite recovering fully."
Considering the players they had at the time, England's performance in 88 was a catastrophic failure when they had the likes of Barnes, Beardsley, Bryan Robson, Lineker and Hoddle. You can't underestimate the effect of the ban on English clubs from Europe at that time and its effects were probably felt for a bit after. The consistency of the modern Spanish team is from a different era of professionalism really (along with being one of the greatest teams of all time). Boozing was still part and parcel of the set up in the late 80's early 90's. A far cry from the high performance set ups in more recent times! Getting to that semi in 1990 was probably a really good achievement for England considering the low point their club set up was in at the time.

MachaireConnacht (Roscommon) - Posts: 999 - 08/07/2024 12:26:07    2557676

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1992 England squad was completely different from 1988 one

Malonemagic (Laois) - Posts: 797 - 08/07/2024 13:06:10    2557683

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Replying To Malonemagic:  "1992 England squad was completely different from 1988 one"
Which probably means that 88 and 90 were similar. Remarkable that one was 'great' and the other apparently wasn't, and lost to Ireland and Holland and the Soviet Union to get zero points in the group.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3829 - 08/07/2024 14:21:51    2557707

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Replying To REDANDBLACK30:  "It's incredible that England have reached the semi final, they have been totally abysmal in every match. Spain and Germany were the two best teams so far, now Germany are eliminated. There have been a lot of close matches and a lot of their smaller nations like Georgia, Slovenia, Slovakia deserve a lot of credit."
Germany have being muck. Lucky to beat Denmark, average against Hungary and lucky to draw with the Swiss in group stage. I hope Spain or the dutch win it. France have being boring, as have England. Quarter finals were terrible.

Biffo21 (Offaly) - Posts: 10 - 08/07/2024 14:56:55    2557713

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "This is a strong England squad, full of top players playing at top clubs. I don't particularly recall any 'better English teams in the past', having missed the '66 World Cup myself."
I don't really care that much to be honest, but their 2002 squad was unbelievable. They had some of the best players in the world in every position.

Seaman,Ferdinand, Campbell, scholes, Gerrard, Beckham etc.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3042 - 08/07/2024 15:00:19    2557714

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I reckon the England squad arund 2004 was the best they had in my memory anyway. Perhaps just lacking a real top quality goalkeeper. When you consider they had the likes of Gary Neville, Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Campbell, Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Rooney, Owen etc. They also had the same problem back then in that they didn't have a naturally gifted left-footed wide player and also Sven tried to shoe horn too many of his big names in his starting 11s.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9449 - 08/07/2024 15:31:14    2557723

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "One might expect international squads to be of a similar standard over any 4 year period. 88 90 92 is just 4 years, why would they be 'great' in 90, and 'not great' in 88 or 92? Spain for example 2008 2010 2012 - champs champs champs."
ImI was talking about the 1990 England World Cup squad, comparing it their 2024 Euros squad. 2 squads, not other years. I think 1990 was a better squad.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7571 - 08/07/2024 18:23:47    2557801

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "I reckon the England squad arund 2004 was the best they had in my memory anyway. Perhaps just lacking a real top quality goalkeeper. When you consider they had the likes of Gary Neville, Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Campbell, Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Rooney, Owen etc. They also had the same problem back then in that they didn't have a naturally gifted left-footed wide player and also Sven tried to shoe horn too many of his big names in his starting 11s."
It's gas to think that the England team who failed to qualify for euro 2008 had several players who would go on to play in that years champions league final, as well as Gerrard and carragher who played in the semi.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1942 - 08/07/2024 21:02:09    2557851

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This thread has gone down a bit of a rabbit hole, but on the point made, was it extraordinary that England beat Switzerland? No, of course it wasn't. They were favourites before the game kicked off, with every single bookmaker.
It was a very close game, the Swiss probably edged it in general play, but the one missed Swiss penalty cost them in the end.
The draw has been very kind to them, with all the best teams taking each other out on the other side, but they're taking advantage of it (just about so far).

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2147 - 09/07/2024 10:43:32    2557961

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