Pretty much none of that is true IMO. Firstly, they are an incredibly strong team, and are not exposed or easy to attack at all.In my opinion their team gets severly overrated. Sure, they've got a lot of good names out there but their (defensive) balance looks off to me. Especially in transitions -when they got dispossessed teams could have a proper go at them.
Personally, i wouldn't trust them fullbacks to defend (Cancelo isn't playing as a fullback for Guardiola and didn't start in the CL final for a reason), they don't have a good no.6 (Neves is slow as feck) and because most of the balls have to go through Ronaldo, they seem to be a bit predictable when it comes down to attacking.
Moutinho is already 34 years old playing for Wolves. He is decent but no longer anywhere near top class. (ranked 9th avg rating in his team)Pretty much none of that is true IMO. Firstly, they are an incredibly strong team, and are not exposed or easy to attack at all.
Nelson Semedo and Joao Cancelo is not some sort of weak RB option - it is amongst the best in the tournament.
They have a number of good midfielders. Neves is obviously not too slow to play football, he will be fine, but they also have Moutinho, Danilo and Carvalho.
In attack, they have far more than just Ronaldo. They have Jota and Felix too, then there is Bruno and Bernardo Silva. They have quality all over the pitch.
Don't the footballers get vaccinated ?Cancelo tests positive for covid. Replaced by Dalot
They have the choice to... many of them are superstitious and many haven't.Don't the footballers get vaccinated ?
Well if my expectations were already bad related with our midfield dynamic, now with this one I cannot really see how things will work out.That’s horrible news given Semedo had a bad season at Wolves. Calling Dalot instead of Cedric is also something I’m sure Santos didn’t want to do but Cedric is most likely out of form so he had to call Dalot who just played the U-21 Euros.
Can’t believe this happened
Losing Cancelo is not a reason for Portugal not getting out of the group stage, even losing Ronaldo would not have been a valuable reason for that.Well if my expectations were already bad related with our midfield dynamic, now with this one I cannot really see how things will work out.
Semedo was terrible for Wolves (don’t expect nothing from Dalot).
Even against Hungary it will be bad, from an offensive point of view Cancelo offers a lot to the team, it’s really bad news.
And let’s see if it stays like this. From now on won’t be surprised if we don’t get out of the group stage, 2 games in Hungary and Germany, and the last 1 is France.
Ffs.
I read that Cancelo is out of the tournament? why not leave him in the squad and let him return for the knockouts when he'll test negative?That’s horrible news given Semedo had a bad season at Wolves. Calling Dalot instead of Cedric is also something I’m sure Santos didn’t want to do but Cedric is most likely out of form so he had to call Dalot who just played the U-21 Euros.
Can’t believe this happened
He'd only be able to come back for the quarter finals. If Semedo got injured or suspended in that time then we'd have noone to play there.I read that Cancelo is out of the tournament? why not leave him in the squad and let him return for the knockouts when he'll test negative?
Don't get me wrong but that's complete nonsense.Losing Cancelo is not a reason for Portugal not getting out of the group stage, even losing Ronaldo would not have been a valuable reason for that.
Even without Cancelo, Portugal still has one of the three best teams on paper, though he was the best RB Portugal had.
You do realise Pep fecked up his tactics and team selection in the CL final and cost his side.Personally, i wouldn't trust them fullbacks to defend (Cancelo isn't playing as a fullback for Guardiola and didn't start in the CL final for a reason),
Spot on.Don't get me wrong but that's complete nonsense.
First of all NT football isn't only adding well known players to make a great team. Second, and those who follow closely the team know that at least from the games played at Serbia or at Spain that our midfield combination behind Bruno Fernandes doesn't work.
Third, we play 2 games against teams who have home advantage. It happens one of those actually happens to have a lot of Bayern players who are used to play together. Last, Semedo is a massive downgrade on Cancelo, actually Cancelo combinations with Bernardo Silva are one of the few good things who actually work from an offensive point of view.
And by the way, the game at Hungary already would be difficult with Cancelo on the starting 11. And let's stop with the nonsense we are a top 3 team, this is about collective performances, and on that matter we are far from being the perfect team, only because a few of them play on the Premier League means nothing in International Football.
Portugal is not the team who's gonna walk over any opponent, but they are a hard team to beat. Football is finding good combinations, Ronaldo Felix for example doesn't work, Ronaldo in the team is one player less to defend, I doubt if Ronaldo Bruno is a good combination against strong squads because defending is not the best quality of Bruno, so Santos wants players who can run on the midfield and forgets that you also need players on the midfield that can actually pass the ball well. If he gets midfield right then Portugal will compete if he doesn't then Portugal won't will make a impact. William, Neves, Pote (unexperienced at that level) maybe would be the best choice. William as a 6 and the other 2 as boxSince I've been using football forums (around 2000/2001). I don't think I've known a more pessimistic country than Portugal. Even though Portugal's record sees them with 1 Euro win, a couple of semi finals and another final. Even at the World Cup they've made it to a semi final. But every Portuguese I've seen post over the years makes it seem like they're San Marino
Thank God a guy from Belgium who happpens to support the most difficult club in the world knows how things work there.Portugal is not the team who's gonna walk over any opponent, but they are a hard team to beat. Football is finding good combinations, Ronaldo Felix for example doesn't work, Ronaldo in the team is one player less to defend, I doubt if Ronaldo Bruno is a good combination against strong squads because defending is not the best quality of Bruno, so Santos wants players who can run on the midfield and forgets that you also need players on the midfield that can actually pass the ball well. If he gets midfield right then Portugal will compete if he doesn't then Portugal won't will make a impact. William, Neves, Pote (unexperienced at that level) maybe would be the best choice. William as a 6 and the other 2 as box
RB is clearly the worst position, I don't like Semedo, maybe that Sanches - he played some games there at Lille is an option -.
Hungary is a must win, don't understand why some here fear that game, if Portugal play like they can that should be a win, and then you need a draw against Germany or France. 3rd of F plays probably against Belgium in the first knock out round, at that moment you need to have your team at full gas.
thats harsh man. Didn’t that guy win you the euros and nations league trophies. When the dust settles, they are only going to remember the result, nobody will remember how you got there.Thank God a guy from Belgium who happpens to support the most difficult club in the world knows how things work there.
Everytime I see the ridiculous hype surrounding the team I always remember 2002 WC where Antonio Oliveira our former coach then remembered to play against the USA with a lineup of Figo/Rui Costa/João Pinto/Conceição/Pauleta, where Costa and Figo had serious physical problems during the season.
So as he wasn't brave to bench any of them he thought the USA was an Andorra. After half an hour we were already losing 3:0. No way we are favourites for this one, and would say the same if this didn't happened with Cancelo.
But you're right, if we don't beat Hungary Santos should be sent on a plane after the game. Fed up of his excuses, I can see him using Covid and Cancelo as an excuse if things don't go right.
Santos? He was useful for 2016 but I have serious doubts about the quality of his training sessions and his technicall staff. It's my opinion based on following closely the team over the years.thats harsh man. Didn’t that guy win you the euros and nations league trophies. When the dust settles, they are only going to remember the result, nobody will remember how you got there.
He should be surely starting over Jota next game?Wonder where Felix' career is going. Was supposed to be a great talent and perhaps still is but I almost forgot he even existed.