I think England might win it this time. Even with Southgate feels like the first 11 is close to perfect now.
Who wins euro 2024?
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
France or England
Slovenia
Denmark
Serbia
England
Odds are England will win the group
Getting through the round of 16 shouldn't be all that difficult, but then they have to play whoever wins the match between 2nd place Group A and 2nd place Group B. Group B is fairly strong with Spain, Croatia, Italy and Albania, so you expect England to play either Italy and Spain, both can be problematic.
Win that one and they are very likely to play the winner of Group D, which is Poland, Netherlands, Austria and France. You'd expect France to come out on top of that one.
Denmark
Serbia
England
Odds are England will win the group
Getting through the round of 16 shouldn't be all that difficult, but then they have to play whoever wins the match between 2nd place Group A and 2nd place Group B. Group B is fairly strong with Spain, Croatia, Italy and Albania, so you expect England to play either Italy and Spain, both can be problematic.
Win that one and they are very likely to play the winner of Group D, which is Poland, Netherlands, Austria and France. You'd expect France to come out on top of that one.
England aren't winning it. The left side is shite unless Shaw is genuinely fit.
Sounds like second in the group is the preferred option long term.
I know England fans (understandably) hate on Southgate a lot, but the players in the squad looks pretty strong this year in every attacking position.
Many players are peaking or close to: Foden, Kane, Bellingham, Mainoo, Palmer, Rice, Saka. Even Maguire is in decent shape. Only looking a bit light on the backs imo. England, France and Portugal looks the strongest of them all imo. Spain could of course surprise, as they play like a unit.
Second in the group means likely route to be Germany, then Spain/Italy, then someone from Group D: Maybe France get an unlucky draw and end up finishing second in their group.
I think both paths are problematic, while England have been very lucky with the draws in the two previous tournaments.
But yeah, if France are emerging as dominant in their group then it's going to be a lot better to finish second
We need a poll
So which team has the easiest way to the semis/finals from the other groups and avoids all that? Any group/team that stands out?
Edit: Probably Portugal. Looks like an easy way to the semis meeting no 2s from the weakest groups. (ukraine/netherlands)
Nice to see Ukraine having an “easy” path to the quarter finals. Netherlands/Poland/Austria is a decent match for the 1/8th if Ukraine finish second in their group after Belgium.
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It depends heavily on how the favourites in D and C perform, England and France. If they win their groups, winning group A and B will mean that you don't have to face England or France until the final.
In theory, i would say that Group A and B have advantage up until final.
Group B winner plays best ranked 3rd team A/D/E/F. Group D is the standout group with Poland, Netherlands, Austria and France.
Whoever wins that match has to play the winner between winner Group A and runner up Group C: In theory you'd expect it to be Germany.
Winner of that match will play semi final against whoever wins between winner group F and 3rd group A/B/C: Group F is Turkey, Georgia, Portugal and Czech.
Whoever comes third in
England's attack is clearly high class and we do have alot of players approaching their peaks.
I just think though our defense is clearly weaker as a unit which I think is a big problem in tournament football.
I just think though our defense is clearly weaker as a unit which I think is a big problem in tournament football.
In short: Spain/Germany and Portugal has a route where they have to beat each other if they win their groups as expected.
Out of those teams I think Portugal is currently the best team, but there isn't much between them.
England will finally win it. The Mainoo effect.
Is England's attack really that impressive?
On paper I'd say so, you've got o e of the best goalscorers out there, Foden, Saka and Palmer coming off great seasons and all capable of scoring goals, Bellingham coming off a barnstorming Madrid season. Even Rice has improver considerably in terms of attacking play.
That the likes of Bowen who has scored 16 goals in the prem and been.very goid indeed will probably not make the flight shows how deep and strong the attack is.
The big question really though is will Southgate set us up.in a way that means we can't take advantage of that wealth of attacking talent. That'd be my concern
Didn’t we finish 2nd in one of the previous tournaments for the easier route when we had to come up against Croatia and lost. Or was that if you finished 1st you got the easier route. Think we had Belgium in our group. I just remember us taking the easier route and still losing.
You finished 2nd in 2018 and played Colombia - Sweden - Croatia in semis.
Belgium finished first in their group and played Japan - Brazil - France
Finishing second was better than finishing first in that group.
Ye I thought that was the case. Also depends on other groups and who finishes 1st/2nd to decide if you get an easier knockout game.
Southgate probably won’t start him in many games. Will most likely be Rice, Bellingham and Foden.
Ofcourse, there's obviously going to be surprising results, but on paper the groups in the 2018 WC were fairly obvious in terms being better to finish second rather than first in Englands group.
This year, on paper, Group A and Group B winners have theoretical advantage. Obviously, if England and France cock up and finish second in their groups, it changes everything
Foden can replace Rashford/Sterling in the front three. Kane, saka, foden with Mainoo, Rice, Bellingham behind. Wouldn't put it past Southgate to feck it up though.
I have a bad feeling that this is going to be England's year. I guess goalkeeper, left-back and centerback to partner Stones are the question marks. The rest looks super strong.
I'll be interested to see how Southgate lines up the front six. Probably he doesn't have the balls to start Mainoo, but to me this would be really strong:
Only downside here is that Foden is less effective off the wing. There are so many options to tweak this as well. Palmer on the right if Saka isn't performing, Gordon on the left to provide more pace, Grealish to provide more control, etc.
I'll be interested to see how Southgate lines up the front six. Probably he doesn't have the balls to start Mainoo, but to me this would be really strong:
Rice - Mainoo
Saka - Bellingham - Foden
Kane
Saka - Bellingham - Foden
Kane
Only downside here is that Foden is less effective off the wing. There are so many options to tweak this as well. Palmer on the right if Saka isn't performing, Gordon on the left to provide more pace, Grealish to provide more control, etc.
I don't think England will win. Just can't see us up against a top side and Southgate being able to adjust tactically. Partly because he's not good enough, and partly because a lack of options in CM. Good sides will play 3 centre mids, either from the start or at some point in the game, and we'll be chasing shadows. Like the games vs Croatia and Italy in recent competitions. Mainoo is the only ball-playing #8/deep lying playmaker England have, and Rice is a good defensive mid/box to box, but to win an international competition I think you need more options there to manage games and make adjustments. Too many #10s. Mainoo is also a kid so expecting him to single-handedly solve our midfield problem is optimistic.
LB/LW also an issue.
LB/LW also an issue.
France vs Portugal
France take home the spoils
France take home the spoils
Yeah, in general, I'm comfortable betting on a team with a strong defensive base and just hoping some mercurial or inexperienced attacking player hits a bit of form, than a team with Trippier-Maguire on the left side of defence.
I don't like saying this but I think England should win it. My only hope is that Southgate, once again, manages to grab failure from the jaws of success.
England and imo comfy.. they have the best squad best players maybe not the best manager.
They should have won the last Euros and imo World cup as well... there is no international team that has Quality through the squad.. Southgate is having a wobble on lefts backs.. Well I'm sure there's enough English left backs who can play there...
If England don't win this then Southgate should go .. Name 4 players that will be England team for years ... Bellingham, Mainoo, Rice, Foden..
They should have won the last Euros and imo World cup as well... there is no international team that has Quality through the squad.. Southgate is having a wobble on lefts backs.. Well I'm sure there's enough English left backs who can play there...
If England don't win this then Southgate should go .. Name 4 players that will be England team for years ... Bellingham, Mainoo, Rice, Foden..
I think Southgate is just the man to do that.
That said, England has enough quality in the squad to win despite him.
England won’t win.
France favourites given the depth of quality in their squad, but I think people are underrating Portugal. I could see them being in the final together.
France favourites given the depth of quality in their squad, but I think people are underrating Portugal. I could see them being in the final together.
Didn't know where to put this. Goosebumps
The last group game was against Belgium and neither team really gave a shit. England lost, finished 2nd and landed the 'easier' route, went on to lose to Croatia in the semis and played another game against Belgium in the 3rd place playoff that neither team gave a shit about. Phil Jones started both games, which I think says everything.
Nice song, though that product placement
Haha yeah. It wasn't subtle at all.Nice song, though that product placement
I don't think Portugal are going far at all. They score a lot of goals and play impressive against Andorra, Luxembourg and Liechenstein, but they are far from impressive against decent sides, and also play inconsistently.
I think it'll be England and France in the final, and France will win because of Gareth Southgate.
I think it'll be England and France in the final, and France will win because of Gareth Southgate.
People are sleeping on Germany. They're by no means a classic quality German side and have on paper a lesser squad compared to England and specially France. But I still think they have to be a leading candidate to win this. Nagelsmann has them playing well again and they're at home. They have some decent young talent too.
England or Portugal
I'm not sure they'll win it but I wouldn't be surprised if Turkey do very well. They are going to have fantastic support there.
I think people don't really know how to rate the new German team as now for the first time after almost 15 years it's not "Mix the cores of Bayern and Dortmund and then put some fillers around it". Instead the central axis mostly comes from Real and Leverkusen (who got a lot of attention this season, but still aren't as known as Bayern and Dortmund in Europe) while Bayern still has the most players in Germany's squad but their starters most likely will only be on the wing (+Neuer) and not be the heart of the team. And behind them Stuttgart has the second most players included, a club nobody knows about as they have been completely irrelevant in the last decade.
It's a valiant approach by Nagelsmann and can go either way.
England won't win. Southgate will freeze in big games like always.
Georgia to win it in one of footballs biggest fairytale stories