Euro 2012

[rhymes450]

Pirlo's penalty was a reflection of the match he played...pure class

[Jimmydeicide]

Who the f*** decided it was a good thing to put Ballack in an analyst's seat? He gets more unintelligible as the tournament progresses. Thank goodness for a shootout on this occasion. Some matches just need to end.

I think he didnt know who Lalas and Twellman where and he is the only pro they could get
Even Martinez stayed away from the studio this time. Shame for Bob lee he deserves a better show.

[pk500]

Who the f*** decided it was a good thing to put Ballack in an analyst's seat? He gets more unintelligible as the tournament progresses. Thank goodness for a shootout on this occasion. Some matches just need to end.

He's the classic pawn to attract female viewers. Vapid, but handsome. The Oscar de la Hoya of Euro 2012 broadcasters.

[Jimmydeicide]

Vapid Never does one word describe a person better.

[XXXIV]

Vapid Never does one word describe a person better.

[wco81]

Both Ashleys are big stars in the UK, no?

Just goes to show you where the EPL would be without foreign players.

Rooney got a couple of good chances but didn't convert. Buffon wasn't happy about those chances.

[Feanor]

Ashley Cole is a very good LB, but is not a known penalty taker even though he scored one in the CL final for Chelsea.

Anyone who plays fantasy football could tell you horror stories about Ashley Young's history of penalty misses. Given the pressure of the occasion, I would have been shocked if had had scored.

[Macca00]

For you, Jimmy;





Pirlo and De Rossi aside that isn't a very good Italian side but Uncle Roy did a great job of making them look like Barcelona. Can't wait for the World Cup Qualifiers!

[Jimmydeicide]

Thanks Macca, hope you enjoyed todays latest entry as much as i did.

[JRod]

Blame Hodgson all you want BUT...

The England players just look like the world has lapped them in soccer AGAIN. It's like Hungary v England 50 years ago.

No real midfield to speak of. John Terry is showing his age and lack of speed. And the wingers have no ability to serve up the ball or attack defenders with the ball.

Have to give Hodgson credit here. He kept them in the game. Any other manager might have thought England could attack and we'd be looking at 4-2 Italy. The only way they could stay in the game was to pack the box. Not brilliant managerial skills but good enough.

[10spro]

The thing about Italy is that they are missing someone that understands Pirlo's language. He's a tireless midfielder that had the ball on his shoestrings but lacked a companion of a caliber of another former great Azurri midfielder in Roberto Baggio. You just can't waste all that talent. England was fortunate several times that super Mario was so wasteful with his chances and despite what people say about J. Terry, he was a wall for the British as his team were very successful at blocking shots directed straight at Hart.

When it comes to forwards, Italy also misses someone like former great Paolo Rossi to convert along Balotelli, as Cassano is not the answer. I woud rather keep Diamanti in along Pirlo and De Rossi to control the midfield. If they continue to miss their chances against Germany, it'll be the end for them but if #9 can convert at least one of his dangerous runs, J. Loew could have his hands full in the semis.

Still, the Germans are the favorites at this point.

[XXXIV]

Blame Hodgson all you want BUT...

The England players just look like the world has lapped them in soccer AGAIN. It's like Hungary v England 50 years ago.

Thank you again Paul Gardner. Puskas too.

[Naples39]

Pretty dreadful game to watch IMO. It's bad news when you are relying on the Italians to provide the spark and attack in a game.

Also, why not bring on di Natale? Guy is a goal machine in Serie A, and he might have been a useful change of pace when the italy attack looked so aimless and out of ideas today.

[RobVarak]

That was one awful football match. Hodgsonball...catch the fever!

[dougb]

I really miss Ormondroyd at a time like this...

http://football.guardian.co.uk/Games/Ca ... 90,00.html

Doug

[10spro]

Good summary on Roy's team.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1234 ... -euro-2012

[FifaInspected]

After reading some of these posts i'm wondering if I was watching the same match. As was mentioned in the broadcast, this was the 10th match of the tournament that was scoreless at the half. In my opinion majority of the matches of this Euro have been dull, safe, conservative and well.. boring. Yesterday the game opened with great scoring chances on both ends and at times was wide open. As much as I can't stand Italian football (due to the cheating scandal of a number of years ago) the Italians played with some style, flair and creativity. They were not afraid to shoot the ball which seems to be a common theme for this tournament. Despite England looking like my U12 team I give both teams credit for playing like men. I saw less rolling around on the pitch and more getting up quickly and getting back into the play than any match in recent memory. For the first time ever I was pulling for the italians, they played the better game and are were actually fun to watch.

[Naples39]

After reading some of these posts i'm wondering if I was watching the same match. As was mentioned in the broadcast, this was the 10th match of the tournament that was scoreless at the half. In my opinion majority of the matches of this Euro have been dull, safe, conservative and well.. boring. Yesterday the game opened with great scoring chances on both ends and at times was wide open. As much as I can't stand Italian football (due to the cheating scandal of a number of years ago) the Italians played with some style, flair and creativity. They were not afraid to shoot the ball which seems to be a common theme for this tournament. Despite England looking like my U12 team I give both teams credit for playing like men. I saw less rolling around on the pitch and more getting up quickly and getting back into the play than any match in recent memory. For the first time ever I was pulling for the italians, they played the better game and are were actually fun to watch.

I didn't think the Italians played a terribly exciting game, they had a lot of looks because England simply forfeited 2/3rds of the field. Most of the game was Italy advancing the ball to the attacking third unchallenged, then stopping and looking at each other, "now what?"

They did shoot more as the game went on, but I think that's because they didn't know what else to do, and were getting too tired to run off the ball and get guys forward.

[10spro]

While the game was mediocre at best, it was still better than the Spain-France snooze fest because the French team just never came close to Casillas. Italy held ball possession even more than the Spaniards if you can believe that, you have one team that wanted the ball while another was happy to just let them have it. The Azurri wanted to dictate an outcome in regular time while the Englishmen counted on the kind of things you can never really count on at this stage of a football event. Sit back, have 9 men back, count on lucky bounces and lucky breaks. And it almost worked for them as Welbeck and Johnson were really close. The game should have been way over in regulation if Balotelli didn't waste his chances and Pirlo had a partner to dance with.

Although I can't blame Hodgson for his team's demise he better find an identity for his team soon if they want to make it to the next WC. You just can't win a match if you don't have the ball and find yourself constantly reacting to what the other team is doing.

[FifaInspected]

Who the f*** decided it was a good thing to put Ballack in an analyst's seat? He gets more unintelligible as the tournament progresses. Thank goodness for a shootout on this occasion. Some matches just need to end.

I think he didnt know who Lalas and Twellman where and he is the only pro they could get
Even Martinez stayed away from the studio this time. Shame for Bob lee he deserves a better show.

Agree. Ballack is a mouth full of marbles.. However, it's a toss up between him and Eric Wynalda for being completely un-watchable. If it were me, i'd put Alessandro Ambrossia in the booth

[RobVarak]

If rolling around on the pitch is the price I have to pay to watch two teams play attacking football, I'm happy to do so.

Getting up quickly isn't really a desirable attribute if you're just dusting yourself off to play Hodgsonball.

You can play a reactive game tactically, but that implicitly means that sometimes you will "act" instead of hoofing the ball vertically and hoping for a band of angels to intervene on your behalf.

I can think of at least 6-8 matches from the group stage that were more entertaining. In fact, having seen almost ever game of the tourney, I don't think there was a duller game overall at any point.

As masterful as Pirlo was, nobody on the end of any of those passes seemed particularly worthy of the effort. They were more attacking than England, but this is damning with faint praise indeed.
They were nowhere near the class of the other semi-finalists, IMO.

You know it's been bad when the Sounders-Timbers game that follows it just kicks its ass as a viewing experience. That game was played with pace by two teams looking to take matters into their own hands rather than waiting for a lucky break or PK's.

England should be embarrassed, although as someone already said, not surprised. This is exactly what hiring Roy is going to get you.

That game was also, in my mind at least, a huge "F--- You!" to the pundits who have called Spain dull. England-Italy is what dull really is. If you can't appreciate the technical and tactical brilliance of the Spanish team, and differentiate it from the lackadaisical, pedestrian efforts put forth by those teams yesterday, I don't know what to tell you.

[Jimmydeicide]

And to top of about Pirlo, i could look like that on the field if i had that much time. Its not hard to put some curl on a cross or pass to begin with so without any pressure ...
It was a torrid match and i had a vested interest, I cant believe we as a nation are gonna put up with this boring lets just hope crap.
You can say we are not technical you can say the game has past us by, i disagree.
England have some good young talent with great technique.
There may be teams with overall more technique but outside of Germany Spain and Brazil they pretty much all end up like England.
English players dont handle pressure well, too scared to make a mistake until that mindset is erased then we will be where we will be. Ill tell you one thing, Hodgeson will do nothing to help this football nation, Im impressed he speaks 6 languages , hes coached throughout Europe , on paper it seems a good fit but with all his experience this is how his teams play, this is what he came up with with all that knowledge.
Ill take losing to Germany 4-1 at least the game was watchable.
Its got little to do with talent or technique its a mindset and its all ours thank you very much.

[rhymes450]

Maybe I'm easy to please but I enjoyed the match yesterday. Of the quarter finals, it was the only match that really turned out to be a contest. The tournament has definitely lost a bit of momentum after the very good matches in the group stages. I don't really subscribe to the notion that this is a bad Italian team. They have a number of good players IMO and Pirlo really makes them gell. Not only does he behave like a leader, you also get the impression that nobody questions his leadership, not even rebellious, individualistic types like Cassano and Balotelli. I think the Germans will do well to beat them. I'm actually surprised by Cassano's workrate and commitment. Maybe he's beginning to realise that time is running out. Very talented player.

[Macca00]

I'll echo the same sentiments as Jimmy and Rob.

I've long said that I don't think England's players are as good as the media thinks they are but now the pendulum has swung completely the other way and now suddenly they're crap and lacking skill! As if suddenly England are Greece (no offence XXXIV) - and so bereft of talent that they have to play every game not to lose otherwise they'll be blown out. Hart and Lescott play on a team that could buy pretty much any player they wanted and yet both still hold down a spot. I can't stand Rooney but also am not foolish enough to suggest that he wouldn't earn a spot on any other top team in Europe. Ashley Cole is a wanker but has also been one of the best left backs in Europe for years. And, while I may be accused of bias on this one, I still think Steven Gerrard is a damn good player - just not in central midfield where he is long past it.

Hodgson bollocked the tactics and the mindset - after half-time England were playing for penalties which may have been a viable option if they were any other nation than ENGLAND!! Any fan who thought England had a chance once the 120 minutes were up clearly hadn't been paying attention the past 50 years.

He should have played 4-2-3-1 with Carrick (the guy he left at home since the media doesn't fancy him) playing deep protecting the front four and Parker sent out to foul old man Pirlo every time he gets the ball (his instructions would be "play as you usually would"). Of course, anything other than vanilla 4-4-2 makes Uncle Roy anxious and causes him to get nose-bleeds.

Then again, who am I to question a man who has managed Neuchâtel Xamax and Halmstads? No one will be more happy at the notion of England's lack of quality than Roy as it fits in with the lowering of expectations he so clearly thrives on - that's part of the reason Liverpool fans disliked him so much. England may not be Spain when it comes to developing footballers but their players aren't so bad they need to put 10 men behind the ball.

[Jimmydeicide]

Whats classic is he rubs his face off in frustration , what is he thinking about at that time? why are they not doing anything? i dont have an answer to this offensive Italian juggernaut?
Gerard got cramp not from sprinting forward to help out an attack on an island but to get back in defensive shape because scott parker passed it to Pirlo.

Milner did nothing right? he was in the team only because he does his job defensively , works his balls off actually, Ronaldo wouldnt do what Milner does, theyre all on Roys leash.

Defoe looked the sharpest forward ive seen put on a england shirt in a while , didnt get a sniff or would he had he played 90 mins.


I dont get into anything other than what i see on the pitch, dont care about all the gossip, all the talk about tactics, i stop following whatever sport im into once the event is over its all bullshit to me. The espn panel is hideous but i dont care really im not listening to them.

We are not s*** but we are not good enough either. Roy has to go now im sorry Brazil seems a million miles away if thats where the next world cup is.

Ok im done