Coulthard's Jaw Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Who looks spicy? Who is going to fail? Have you changed your top tips now? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo7 Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Turkey could be Dark Horses Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 I think only Italy have convinced completely. Belgium not bad either. And purely result based Oranje are up there but I still think we'll be cannon fodder for any of the usual suspects. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnterUsernameHere Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Still think France will win. Missed most of their game vs Germany and they were unimpressive for a lot of today, but think they’ll do just enough to win without blowing teams apart. Italy by far the best performers so far though, not even close. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajw10 Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 1 minute ago, DJ said: I think only Italy have convinced completely. Belgium not bad either. And purely result based Oranje are up there but I still think we'll be cannon fodder for any of the usual suspects. Yeah this. Think round 2 has shown that there are no outstanding side. France's balance is all wrong. Almost like they brought back a striker at the last minute Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
georginho_juventusygr Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Big move incoming for Isak. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haguey Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 My big take is that no-one looks unbeatable and everyone has flaws, some bigger than most. Italy look good but I don't think they have enough overall quality to win the whole thing, though a good team usually can do well anyway. They're definitely well drilled. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VamPook Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Can Spain get a striker? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
skybluedave Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Do Spain struggle producing strikers? Not had a world class one in years. Since Villa and Torres? Diego Costa was naturalised. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazzaj Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Netherlands have been... surprisingly competent so far! Aside from de Boer's attempts at self-sabotage in the Ukraine game they've offered more or less a consistent threat, they could have won by a couple more v Austria and de Ligt and de Vrij have done well at the back. Also Wales, might just be Turkey having a stinker but that performance in the second game was great. If they can give Italy a game then who knows, maybe they can make another run to the last four. A few obvious surprise disappointments - Turkey and Switzerland both been poor but also Portugal I expected a lot more from, given both the influx of talent and the calibre of manager. I know losing Cancelo and having to field Semedo is a massive downgrade, and he was at fault a lot today, but you can't put all the blame on him. Bruno Fernandes has done next to nothing so far [not quite so easy to score when you don't have PL refs to give you a penalty every other game is it?], and the attack in general looks poorly co-ordinated. Italy look the best so far but they've yet to play a fellow contender, so still all to play for going into the last week of the groups. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnterUsernameHere Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 1 minute ago, skybluedave said: Do Spain struggle producing strikers? Not had a world class one in years. Since Villa and Torres? Diego Costa was naturalised. Moreno is good. Iago Aspas is good (not called up). No world class ones for a while though yeah. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Albrighton Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Italy have been the best so far, Turkey by far the worst. Don't think anyone has looked unbeatable though which should make for an intriguing knockout stage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjericho Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Spain somewhat disappointing, their past generation would have easily beat Sweden and Poland. Germany a lot better today than vs France. Belgium seems more of the same, great players but they have moments of weakness that might keep them from reaching a final. All in all, I have no idea who'll win Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigcwwe Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 (edited) Italy clearly have been the team of the tournament so far, although granted we're only two games in. They've been the standout side. Turkey have been the worst side of the lot. France haven't been as impressive as I think most thought they would but in fairness to them they are in the toughest group of the lot and they do still have four points out of a possible six. Portugal were very poor defensively today against Germany and had to play the entire game on the counter attack. Germany were a bit unfortunate to not score against France in their first game but looked so much better overall today and took their chances. Netherlands don't have the quality in comparison to the other top nations at this time but have two wins from two albeit in a relatively straightforward group. Won't be a threat to the better teams deeper into the tournament. Spain have huffed and puffed and drew both their games so far. Dominated both matches but have Morata up front so not much you can expect there. Could well be heading home next week. Any of the major nations would fancy taking them at this point. Belgium should've been two or three goals down after the first 20 minutes in their second game vs Denmark but hung in there, subbed on KdB and won the game. Defensively not great with an ageing and poor defence but can beat anyone on their day, Lukaku is back to his best and no CB will want to face him. England haven't played particularly well in their first two games but have 4/6 points and two clean sheets. Started really well against Croatia and had them penned back in the opening 20 minutes before letting up. Didn't get going at all in the second game vs Scotland and arguably should've lost based on the chances both teams had. Occasion got to them and they didn't play their game which is a huge concern if we are to make the KOs and come up against a fellow favourite. It's wide open. Edited June 19, 2021 by craigcwwe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Amazing Dale Watkins Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Italy obviously the star of the tournament so far, but I think they may be peaking too early. Conversely, France, Spain and Belgium have been rather pedestrian but they're the kinda teams who can bring it up a notch in the knockout round when it matters. Germany looked good today, but I don't see them getting a clean sheet in this tournament and that's probably going to be their undoing. England have once again not shown anything to justify the pre-tournament forum hype. Definitely not coming home, folks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pukey Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Italy by far the best team of the tournament. Netherlands good. Everyone else has had periods of absolute garbage, though you've got Belgium who showed with their big hitters can turn it on at a moment's notice, Germany looked very good today, and France while a very disappointing performance and result are still France and have more than enough quality to win it. Would say as well that Italy and Netherlands opposition have been truly awful as well, but still, they've definitely been the better teams, especially Italy. Such a difficult tournament to call at this moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 I still think France will win it and yes I watched their match today. Mbappe might be on 0 goals as of yet, but he's doing things I'm not seeing anyone else doing. Benzema is clicking well with him. They've got quality all over that pitch. Yes they're still beatable and not perfect, but there's something extra the other teams don't have. Italy are the form team so far, but what happens when it's a tighter game against a tougher opponent, and they get fewer chances, because I think that will happen. I don't trust Insigne-Immobile-Berardi to put those chances away as much as I do Mbappe-Benzema-Griezmann. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astafjevs Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 The 'not getting tested' and 'tougher opponent' thing is bizarre because, while I agree with it in general, nobody outside of France, Portugal or Germany is 'getting tested' in the groups. So you might as well level that at every team who looks good. Such a weird thing to say at this point - of course you're not playing top opposition, it's the group stage of a 24 team competition. If Spain were trouncing teams and looking great, you wouldn't claim they'd had tough opposition. Ditto Holland, Belgium, England et al 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTHerringbone Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 8 hours ago, skybluedave said: Do Spain struggle producing strikers? Not had a world class one in years. Since Villa and Torres? Diego Costa was naturalised. Don't forget Diego Tristan. One of the greatest strikers of his generation IIRC. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrazT Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 Based purely on the games so far, Italy and Belgium have been the ones to watch- you don't win tournaments, however, in the qualifying rounds, so I doubt that France and Spain will be far away at the end, despite their slow starts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 7 hours ago, Astafjevs said: The 'not getting tested' and 'tougher opponent' thing is bizarre because, while I agree with it in general, nobody outside of France, Portugal or Germany is 'getting tested' in the groups. So you might as well level that at every team who looks good. Such a weird thing to say at this point - of course you're not playing top opposition, it's the group stage of a 24 team competition. If Spain were trouncing teams and looking great, you wouldn't claim they'd had tough opposition. Ditto Holland, Belgium, England et al Why is it a weird thing to say? It's just factual. It's not Italy's fault (or any other team's fault), they're doing the best they can against the opposition that are put in front of them, but you'd expect different dynamics in matches against teams that attack you, or matches against teams that sit back and defend with lesser quality. You're just being defensive for no reason. Everyone agrees Italy are playing well and looking good, no need to be insecure. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArsenalFan7 Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 I think the main thing I have learned is that Mancini is the only manager I rate in this competition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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