Board 8 > 2024 Premier League (Football General) Topic II

(+) Yeah! (+)

Yes, it requires third place in this group to be better than Hungary. They will get Slovakia instead.

If Georgia and/or Czechia win their matche(s), then yes, England would face Slovakia in the RO16 instead. They could still meet Netherlands in the Semi-Finals, however. If neither of them win, England will face the Dutch on sunday.

It is specifically Czechia winning by less than two goals England needs to avoid Holland.

Czech's are down to 10 men so we're relying on Georgia hanging by the looks of it.

So far Ronaldo has gotten a yellow for complaining about not being given a penalty.

Like, they won the group, it's stupid af. If you were in doubt about him being in due to own interests.

He's probably gone listen we're only playing Georgia i'm defo playing because it's easy goals.

Antonio Silva has been awful tonight.

As it stands

Spain v Georgia
Portugal v Slovenia
Romania v Holland
England v Slovakia

Also, thank goodness England aren't facing this Georgia in the R016, because that would've had "Lose to Iceland" vibes all over.

paulg235 posted...

Also, thank goodness England aren't facing this Georgia in the R016, because that would've had "Lose to Iceland" vibes all over.

This does as well tbh

Holland being given Romania for playing awful against Austria and Denmark being thrown to the wolves for fouling less makes you laugh.

No way that was a free kick

Pleased for Georgia. Spain are probably the worst team they could've drawn but their fans will never forget it.

The draw for the next round of Asian qualifying for the World Cup happened earlier. Japan got the Aussies again in qualifying and the first 2 groups look incredibly average. A reminder that 8 of these team are guaranteed a place so whoever finishes 3rd in group C will almost certainly grab one of the final 2 auto spots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification#Current_stage_(third_round)

Knockout stages begins today with Italy vs Switzerland and Germany vs Denmark. I want to do another round of predictions for the knockouts since they're fun (and surely can't be as bad as Serbia winning their group).

Germany 3-1 Denmark
Spain 3-0 Georgia
France 3-1 Belgium
Portugal 2-0 Slovenia
Switzerland 1-1 Italy (1-1 at ET, Italy win on penalties)
England 0-2 Solvakia
Romania 1-1 Netherlands (1-2 at ET)
Austria 2-1 Turkey

All the favorites move on except England, who despite winning their group, somehow are accomplishing the incredible task of looking WORSE than they did in 2016. I truly believe Southgate has gotten stale as manager and we need to replace him after this tournament. The decision to continuously start both Foden and Bellingham while not giving Gordon, Palmer or Mainoo more playtime is wasting this squad. Shaw is still not ready to play apparently and now Trippier is a doubt too. I don't see anyone really pulling the trigger on them losing, so I am. Slovakia are going to embarrass England tomorrow. Also, people are overreacting to France not winning the group. They'll beat Belgium without much issue (Lukaku will probably get his goal though). Italy and Switzerland is a tossup.

Germany 2-2 Spain (2-2 at ET, Germany win on penalties)
France 0-0 Portugal (0-1 at ET)
Italy 1-0 Slovakia
Netherlands 1-2 Austria

Germany and Spain should be good. While I don't thnk France have been too poor, they've yet to show that they can win the tournament. Despite the Georgia loss, Portugal have looked good and I can them pulling it off. Italy coast to the Semi-Final. Netherlands already lost to Austria and I don't see that changing here.

Germany 1-1 Portugal (1-1 at ET, Portugal win on penalties)
Italy 0-2 Austria

I had my doubt on Austria heading into this tournament, but I think the group stage has shown they are legit this year. I think they might pull a Greece/Denmark and go all the way to the final (and perhaps win it all). I also think when Germany will go out, it'll be a close loss.

Portugal 0-1 Austria

Yeah, sure, let's go with a lone goal for the final.

Think Spain has looked the best rather easily. I don't think Portugal has looked too great other than the Turkey match where Turkey also looked horrific, but they have the material to get better for sure.

Can't see us losing to Slovakia but we'll lose to Italy or Switzerland. Been hearing Journos saying we should make the final. Sure it's the easier side of the draw but i don't consider those teams plus Holland and Austria as an easy draw.

It's an easy draw comparatively speaking is the point. But yeah regardless of talent England definitely haven't looked anywhere close to the best on their side of the draw. Closer to looking the worst than the best

This England team in recent years has lucked out massively with draws. Even the ones they didn't capitalize on and ended up the bad side because they bungled their group.

I know the golden generation gets a lot of grief for underachieving but they never got the draws the following generation did. If they had then they would have probably won something

Shattered posted...

I know the golden generation gets a lot of grief for underachieving but they never got the draws the following generation did. If they had then they would have probably won something

We had no luck in the dram form 98-04 coz we were allergic to topping the group.
In 2006 they had a piss easy run to the QFs where they came up against a Portugal team that was missing 2-3 players due to suspension.
They failed to qualify in 2008.
They then finished 2nd in a group consisting of USA, Slovakia and Algeria and got embarrassed by a very young (but talented) German side.

2018 was the only noticeably easy run to the semi, coz we finished 2nd and ended up on the easier side of the draw. 2021, 2022 and 2024 were all easy coz we did our job in the groups of topping it.

2010 was a fairly easy QF path that was fucked the moment Capello played Rob Green. Laughable not to win that group with those players, which would have meant Ghana and then Uruguay and then Netherlands. Capello, a better manager in theory, underachieved with England on a level way beyond what Southgate has done. His utter failure to manage the loss of Ferdinand was a horrendous sin.

Even Portugal in two QFs is also not an awful draw by any means. They are not really a world power on a level of Brazil, Germany, etc (no world cup). 04 Portugal were hosts though which is hard but 06 Portugal was perfectly winnable.

shane15 posted...

Can't see us losing to Slovakia but we'll lose to Italy or Switzerland. Been hearing Journos saying we should make the final. Sure it's the easier side of the draw but i don't consider those teams plus Holland and Austria as an easy draw.

Which journos specifically? Anyone who's watched England expecting a win over Italy when we've won one knockout game against a previous WC-winning nation since 66 is fully delulu and shouldn't be in the job

We beat Italy twice in qualifying pretty comfortably and they're probs the only big side who have looked as crap as us at this Euros, most people seem to have us over them as favs.
You are right tho, even if we were playing well we're such mentality midgets in matches like that you still wouldn't be surprised.

Make no mistake, beating them would be huge for us regardless of the way they're currently playing. If it happens expect Southgate to get no credit whatsoever though even though he's the best manager England have had (apart from Ramsey obv).

We had an easy draw at Italia 90 as well after the group stage but we deserved that for topping the group. We should've won the group in 2002 but it made no difference really as we were always gonna meet one of the best Brazil teams ever because of how stupid the knockout draw was laid out. Also as mentioned we had an easy path in 2010 but Capello messed the group stage up.

XIII_Rocks posted...

Which journos specifically? Anyone who's watched England expecting a win over Italy when we've won one knockout game against a previous WC-winning nation since 66 is fully delulu and shouldn't be in the job

Loads of them on talksport have been saying it.

shane15 posted...

We had an easy draw at Italia 90 as well after the group stage but we deserved that for topping the group. We should've won the group in 2002 but it made no difference really as we were always gonna meet one of the best Brazil teams ever because of how stupid the knockout draw was laid out. Also as mentioned we had an easy path in 2010 but Capello messed the group stage up.

That Brazil team was a great side but still think we should've beat them tbh. 35 mins of them with ten men we were way too passive. Think England was the only side Brazil played in that world cup where Brazil actually had more possesion than the other side, which just completely sums us up during that era of football.
A midfield consisting of Kleberson and Denilson ffs, Butt, Scholes, Hargreaves, Beckham, Dyer should've ran circles around them.

Next topic should be named something with Euros

This song has been stuck in my head for days. Quality fans and country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLfKJS3VHh4

2010 was one of the most egregious fumblings I was actually thinking of but I don't really class that as the golden generation anymore due to it basically being the changeover period where they were all on their last legs. I did also think it was a little later than 2010.

Kinda crazy how much sports health/nutrition/esport science/etc has come on in the last 10-15 years. Now players are still playing great well into their 30s. Back then 30 was practically a death knell.

Edit: Although failing to qualify for 2008 was probably worse than the 2010 shit show

McClaren thought he was being clever leaving people like Beckham out and adding in crap like Bently. Pretty much mirrors Graham Taylor's era with him picking people like Carlton Palmer and Nigel Clough. Saying that though i actually think McClaren would've done better in South Africa than Capello.

shane15 posted...

We had an easy draw at Italia 90 as well after the group stage but we deserved that for topping the group. We should've won the group in 2002 but it made no difference really as we were always gonna meet one of the best Brazil teams ever because of how stupid the knockout draw was laid out. Also as mentioned we had an easy path in 2010 but Capello messed the group stage up.

Bobby Robson's entire reputation as England manager is based on 3 things

-We were fucked over by the Hand of God
-SF run in 1990 which was the result of beating Belgium and Cameroon
-Very nice and loveable chap

Accounts of his history as manager don't ever take into account his two Euro championship failures. Southgate is so, so clear of him.

Switzerland is knocking the defending champions out.

the Swiss are legit.

ExThaNemesis posted...

the Swiss are legit.

Multiple victories against Italy including today, infamously beat France last euros, took Spain to penalties, almost got a draw against Brazil, just drew with hosts Germany.

Yeah, these guys good, and if England meet them next round, the British media will be delusional to think England should easily win that matchup this year.

Switzerland was the team that won Italy's WC qualifying group too.

Yeah, good dark horse choice.

Yeah we're screwed. We might get lucky and do the classic England defending for pens then lose.

I'm not convinced England get past Slovakia and so you're damn right I think they're heavy underdogs against Granit Xhaka and friends

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/44a34fc2.jpg

Match interrupted by thunder.

We're cricket now apparently.
Utterly pathetic that.

Huge hail as well.

If the pitch isn't flooded their is genuinely no excuse for postponing the match.
Utterly pathetic this, and would be interested to know if this is given to anyone but the host.

It's just heavy rain FFS

Game has unironically gone if we're pausing a game for rain.
This is worse than state ownership.

Look at your f***ing screen instead of calling it rain, these hail drops are goddamn huge.

Thunder and hail is not just heavy rain.

ctesjbuvf posted...

Look at your f***ing screen instead of calling it rain, these hail drops are goddamn huge.

Lmao oh yeah those hail drops are a fucking hazard they could kill someone.
We're in the day after tomorrow apparently

You go stand in the middle of a grass field in heavy thunder and call it safe

Like there has literally been accidents caused by thunderstorms like this in the past. If someone is pathetic it's someone who would look at their screen of such weather and act like it's just rain.

ctesjbuvf posted...

You go stand in the middle of a grass field in heavy thunder and call it safe

Lol I play Sunday league, it's not every Sunday but training/a match isn't uncommon during such conditions.
Pretending heavy rain or even HAIL?! is something new to euro 2024 is stupid.

Yes, it is uncommon. You don't think weather forecasters for these things know what they are doing? We have had plenty of heavy rain without pausing.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80800214