Lemonade Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 The tattie-munchers seem confident: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 The overwhelming feeling here seems to be that they will beat the Czech Republic with relative ease, draw or even sneak a win against Italy and get pumped by Spain and go through in second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Croatia, not Czech Rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Croatia, not Czech Rep.OMG, WHATEVER MOOSE. They're basically the same anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 OMG, WHATEVER MOOSE. They're basically the same anyway.Haha. Ireland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Go on St. Ledger!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Eire abu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delboy Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 poor defending for the second Croatia goal, has to be said it was coming they look pretty tidy. Mucho second half work to do for the stout lovers. Oh gonna listen to the hilarious ITV half time punditry for a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Modric is looking very good indeed. Terrible defending for the second Croatia goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delboy Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 good to see ITV have their best people on the job... Jamie Carragher??? Oh dear! Agree about Modric having a stormer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Broad Scousers should not be football pundits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 "Sissy at Newcastle" Haha, Carragher you cunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 I think he was told to tone down the accent during the adverts. He seemed really uncomfortable and spoke a lot slower and clearer after them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 It's been talked about to death, but that Spain formation was mental. Not just 6 midfielders, but 6 central midfielders. Alot of comparisons to Barcelona playing with a "false 9". One difference though. The Spain "false 9" formation is missing the Argentinian "false 9" that bundled in nearly 100 fucking goals this season. Lots of very technically gifted footballers, but not a single prominent goalscorer amongst them. Take out one midfielder, and put Llorente in there. Del Bosque does have a record of sticking by Torres always, but Llorente has had a great season, yet is unfairly dismissed as a "big man". He's as technically gifted as just about any striker around. He can certainly play the ball as well as the likes of Rooney, RVP, etc... Play him! Moderate the midfield. Alonso OR Xavi. Iniesta OR Silva. I think Fabregas and Busquets should start, as they are quite unique in what they offer, where as Xavi and Alonso offer very similar approaches, as do Iniesta and Silva. Then again, if it was me in charge, I'd play Jesus Navas all the time, because wingers are awesome, but Spain hates wingers for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 It was an interesting decision and they actually played higher up the pitch and with more intensity than they sometimes did at the world cup. However I do agree that there should be a number 9 to focus movement around, especially as there was no Villa or Pedro type either, running into the centre from out wide.I've said it before but to me there's no reason to have both Alonso and Busquests on the pitch. Good game though and both sides showed enough to suggest they should go through. Spain really shouldn't be troubled by Ireland and could thrash them if they get an early goal. Croatia will be tougher for Italy but I'd still fancy them if they play that well again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I'd be pretty miffed if I was Llorente, tbf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gladstone Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I decided before the match last night that I'm supporting Italy in this tournament because they played the formation of the Gods - 3-5-2. Far superior to the Craig Levein 4-6-0 that Spain adopted. I was desperate for Super Mario to do something amazing and justify his start but he was a little bit shit, especially in the first half where he seemed to do well and hold the ball up and then pass it straight to a Spaniard. His back heel flick to keep the ball in play was super though. Thought his booking was a tad harsh though - I know it was persistent fouling but he committed 3 or 4 pretty soft fouls which isn't bad for a striker. If he hadn't been Balotelli I don't think the ref would have booked him.Ireland were pretty shit. Croatia were better than I expected actually and will give Spain and Italy a bit of a game I think. They'll get a bit of confidence from the Ireland game but I think if they'd played either Italy or Spain first they would have been shitting themselves but they started to knock the ball about a bit in the second half and Ireland couldn't get near them. Ireland should have had a penalty when Keane got wiped out though - that would have made for an interesting finish to the game. Thought the manager got it wrong though taking off McGeady and Doyle - especially Doyle who was looking more of a threat than Keane. The guy that came on for McGeady did look a bit more lively to be fair but I'd have taken off Duff who did fuck all until about the last 5 minutes. But yeah, Ireland will do well not to come away with three losses.England today - fuck knows what will happen. I hope it finishes 10-0 England with Cole getting 5 and Milner getting 5. (Fuck all to do with my Fantasy Football team, I just love Cole and Milner, obviously). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Italy's 3-5-2 understandably looked pretty comfortable when Spain played THE CRAIG LEVEIN, but looked like it could be tested when Spain brought Torres on and played him where an actual striker plays.May have just been the case they had settled into playing vs the six in midfield and it would have taken them a bit of time to adjust so will be interesting to see if they play the 3-5-2 in their next game and if so, how they cope with a striker for the full 90 mins. Unless it's Jonathan Walters, in which case I know how they'll cope. Very easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gladstone Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 To be fair - it's always difficult to adjust during a game when the opposition changes formation. The back 3 were a bit lost at the start of the game with nobody to pick up but settled in to the match then it all changed when Torres came on. He did get in behind the defence a couple of times and it's probably a good job that Llorente didn't come on because he would probably have caused more problems. If I was the Spain coach having started with that stupid formation (which I wouldn't have...), I would have chucked on both strikers instead of just one - the Italy defenders wouldn't have known what the fuck to do after 60-70 minutes of marking nobody to then marking Torres and Llorente! Balotelli's going to score a hat-trick against Croatia by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 To be fair - it's always difficult to adjust during a game when the opposition changes formation. The back 3 were a bit lost at the start of the game with nobody to pick up but settled in to the match then it all changed when Torres came on. He did get in behind the defence a couple of times and it's probably a good job that Llorente didn't come on because he would probably have caused more problems. If I was the Spain coach having started with that stupid formation (which I wouldn't have...), I would have chucked on both strikers instead of just one - the Italy defenders wouldn't have known what the fuck to do after 60-70 minutes of marking nobody to then marking Torres and Llorente! Balotelli's going to score a hat-trick against Croatia by the way.Yeah, would have been interesting to see.Balotelli's miss was incredible. It's like he fell into some kind of a trance - watch the replay in this video that's from behind the goal.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruBSRDZzplU[ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 The only football I have a chance of seeing today is the second half of Ukraine - Sweden zonal marking obviously loved the spain italy game, with all the formation talk. http://www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/10/spain-1-1-italy-spain-start-with-no-striker-italy-use-a-3-5-2/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gladstone Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Yeah, would have been interesting to see.Balotelli's miss was incredible. It's like he fell into some kind of a trance - watch the replay in this video that's from behind the goal.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruBSRDZzplU[ Fuck - I actually forgot about that Balotelli chance. What the fuck was he doing? He should have been absolutely charging towards goal for a 1 on 1. I take back what I said - I hope he doesn't start the next game... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 that was such a weird moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I've said it before but to me there's no reason to have both Alonso and Busquests on the pitch.I think it depends on what formation they go with. If they played 4-2-3-1, Alonso and Busquets would be a good partnership to sit deep behind a narrow 3 of Silva/Fabregas/Iniesta or whoever. Spain probably don't need to have 2 sitting deep, but they offer different qualities. Alonso is a much better passer and a great striker of the ball. Busquets, despite being a raging fanny, has an understated positional awareness. His "tidying up" is incredibly underrated. He makes it look easy, but he's just always in the right place to collect a stray pass. Then there's Xavi, who is the king. Where does he go? Yesterday, it looked like Del Bosque already knew this, and didn't know who to pick, so he picked everyone.Llorente has to play though. Are there many better strikers than him at the tournament? Rooney, Gomez and RVP have had good goalscoring seasons, and Ronaldo too obviously. Apart from Ronaldo, I don't think any other striker is as well rounded as a player as Llorente. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I think it depends on what formation they go with. If they played 4-2-3-1, Alonso and Busquets would be a good partnership to sit deep behind a narrow 3 of Silva/Fabregas/Iniesta or whoever. Spain probably don't need to have 2 sitting deep, but they offer different qualities. Alonso is a much better passer and a great striker of the ball. Busquets, despite being a raging fanny, has an understated positional awareness. His "tidying up" is incredibly underrated. He makes it look easy, but he's just always in the right place to collect a stray pass. Then there's Xavi, who is the king. Where does he go? Yesterday, it looked like Del Bosque already knew this, and didn't know who to pick, so he picked everyone.Llorente has to play though. Are there many better strikers than him at the tournament? Rooney, Gomez and RVP have had good goalscoring seasons, and Ronaldo too obviously. Apart from Ronaldo, I don't think any other striker is as well rounded as a player as Llorente.I could play Busquets and Alonso as the deep midfielders in my FM formation pretty easily...Busquets as the ball winning midfielder on defensive duty and Alonso as the deep lying playmaker in support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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