De Ligt hopping around like a cartoon character.
Day 7: Ukraine vs North Macedonia | Denmark vs Belgium | Netherlands vs Austria
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Just watching the end of the Netherlands v Austria match and I bet Austria wish they could have started with Marko Arnautovic or at least brought him off the bench.
I'm puzzled - he got a one match ban following the first game, but for what exactly? It wasn't a racist slur, that would have been ten games.
Yet I see players (I'm quite good at lip-reading) abusing the referees week in, week out and also one another.
So what is different about this incident, or is it a case of his 'reputation' preceded him?
The fact is, a one-game ban in a three-match 'mini-league' is equivalent to missing 12 games of a Premier season!
I'm puzzled - he got a one match ban following the first game, but for what exactly? It wasn't a racist slur, that would have been ten games.
Yet I see players (I'm quite good at lip-reading) abusing the referees week in, week out and also one another.
So what is different about this incident, or is it a case of his 'reputation' preceded him?
The fact is, a one-game ban in a three-match 'mini-league' is equivalent to missing 12 games of a Premier season!
Doom-fries!
I think so too! But PSG can really use him as well, and for Barcelona it's good for Pedri I guess.
Really can't make much of that, I have no clue. Read something that he didnt even have an assist in the PL in years. He was good against United the previous encounter though.
He used a derogatory slur against Albanians which he apologized for because it was heat in the moment. 1 game is fine.
Austria been a bit pathetic today.
Malen too selfish, this could have been 3-0.
Could have made a bit of a difference. Very good player once every 6 games in the Premier League, and I don't even mean that as an insult as he can be genuinely very good and this is probably the type of occasion. His power and ability is probably exactly what has been missing from this rather limp effort.
Boring boring Holland.
This was really a boring game imo.
But at least we got Belgium - Denmark today.
But at least we got Belgium - Denmark today.
Solid win for the Dutch and that's them through.
I just think it should be 10 games or none.... I wonder what Cavani would make of this, or that City player whose name I can't recall, who got done for sending something offensive to his mate?
Netherlands don't look bad at all. Very decent team on paper too.
Dutch never looked troubled at all. Very comfortable win and that’s them through.
Austria massively missed Arnautović. Now sets up a winner qualifies for the last 16 tie with Ukraine.
Austria massively missed Arnautović. Now sets up a winner qualifies for the last 16 tie with Ukraine.
Honestly think so far the level of the matches has been better than 2016 . Let’s see if on the knockout stage teams will take less risks. Anyway still liked more the 16 team format, but it is ok for teams like Macedonia to have the chance to play a tournament.
We're not bad, but we're not a top team either.
In the wise words of English philosopher M. Owen
'Footballers these days often have to use their feet'.
'Footballers these days often have to use their feet'.
And Scotland!
Oh Gary, you are so smooth:
"Everyone wants a piece of Depay"
"Everyone wants a piece of Depay"
Forgot about them, honestly their fans deserve it. Oh, and I hate Orban but so far for me the best home support show was done by the Hungarians, whether we like some of their supporters or not. Would have said the same if we had lost the game.And Scotland!
You’re right in a sense that one is very clearly done in an offensive/aggressive way, the other was clearly not intended to be offensive. It’s not really as cut and dry as using the n word though.
Either way, he didn’t even start the last game, so it feels like the commentators only kept bringing it up because he’s played in the Premier League and they know him.
I dunno, i think netherlands are frauds actually. Think they were just made to look good by really crap opponents. They were all over the place, it just didn't matter. First good team they play will expose them
Frauds is a little bit strong innit
Agree. I think they're really poor and will get exposed in the upcoming rounds. This was just Austria really, they were fortunate with the group.
We're mostly just boring now. I agree that any of France, Italy, Belgium or Portugal will knock us out, but frauds.. We're hardly claiming to be great, we missed the last 2 tournaments alltogether.
Bar a few games this Euros has been a snooze fest
It's 2021 mate. You're either awesome or a fraud
Just waiting for you to go full on Northern Ireland if you draw France in round 16.
Very very unlikely to get them but no way can you go toe to toe with them in basketball style match and leave the midfield empty otherwise you'll get badly exposed.Ukraine and Austria are limited but they've actually played through Netherlands a fair bit in both games, just had nothing once both reached final third so think competant CF and wide player would give Holland so many issues.
Think Holland bit like Argentina in last world cup.
Ukraine sure, but Austria created nothing. Did they even have a shot on goal?Just waiting for you to go full on Northern Ireland if you draw France in round 16.
Ukraine and Austria are limited but they've actually played through Netherlands a fair bit in both games, just had nothing once both reached final third so think competant CF and wide player would give Holland so many issues.
Think Holland bit like Argentina in last world cup.
It's funny, I think the exact same about Italy.
It was only half chances really, one just wide from a corner and thought Alaba shot was flying into top corner but just went past the post.
What I mean and what Giorno is saying is it dosen't take much intricate play to get through Holland midfield and end up on the edge of the box so that's going to result in many shots on target v an Mbappe, Ronaldo, Gnarby I think so actually interested if Holland would tweak their formation if they get one of those in next round.
I doubt it. De Boer isntvery creative and as soon as we face a properteam we're out. Chances are, at least the round of 16 will be easy.
I was about to say, they literally didn't do shit until we were 2-0 up. No idea why people are saying we were all over the place? Maybe against Ukraine who got two flukey goals but I feel today there was extra focus on not letting that happen again and being even more compact which worked well.
Also, somehow I kind of feel bad for Frank de Boer. Well not really that bad because in the end the word 'dour' was specifically invented for his personality and demeanor. But almost exactly like during his time at Ajax, this Dutch NT has excellent options for defense and midfield (just like at Ajax with Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Blind, Eriksen, Klaassen), but very inferior attacking quality upfront (Boerrigter or whatever he was called, Sigtorsson? Sana?).
Any team with poor forwards is boring as feck to watch, and somehow the fans always blame him for that. But when Memphis isn't playing his best game there's no one with even above average quality, compare that to the options France or England have and the difference is bizarre. Not sure what you can do as a coach there.
De Boer even made good and logical subsitutions today I think, but people were still hating on him. Blind had ankle surgery like 9 weeks ago and is barely fit, immediately when Austria started playing a higher defensive line he brought on Malen which led to the 2-0. Van Aanholt didn't do much of anything so it's not weird to take him off. Ultimately I don't think he's a bad coach at all, but if he ever wants another club job at a decent level he needs to knock out at least one big country this tourney it seems
You have got to respect the way the Dutch often perform above expectations in major tournaments. This far from their greatest ever squad, but they have won two from two and will be very happy.
To an extent it's true as well. But we're actually really fecking good at least
Yep I agree. Don't mind it at all and have enjoyed it. Helps that all the big nations have the best team they've had in ages. France, Portugal, England, Netherlands, Italy are all far better than they were in 2016. Germany are improved from 2018, as are Spain IMO (even if on paper they are a completely new team, it gives them a wildcard look IMO). Belgium the only one that is on the downturn with their squad of the 8 main nations, but Lukaku and De Bruyne are still excellent players and they have a solid supporting cast too.
I understand he went into the N Macedonia dressing room & apologized to the whole team.
Very poor from Austria, we created zero. The game was dead after the pen and the Netherlands cruised through the remaining 79 minutes without too much effort.
Doesn't help that Memphis decided to be fecking atrocious so far this tournament. He just wants to do too much. On the other hand he scores a pen and sets up the 2-0, but if he finds his form and De Boer replaced Weghorst with Malen we can just properly set up as a counter machine and go quite far.
Shame we don't have Van Dijk. A back 3 of Van Dijk, De Vrij, De Ligt is like playing FIFA.
Yeah I really hope that during this tourney at least we are laying the foundations for the World Cup (for which preparations start in a little more than 12 montsh I think?). If Virgil recovers well from injury, Malen is another year older and maybe someone fast like Bergwijn or even Gakpo plays more we could have a pretty strong first 11 on paper and maybe be an interesting outsider. But knowing our luck some other players will probably get injured, but then in defense and midfield we are so stacked we can actually afford some injuries.