Euro 2016

[irishfan86]

More teams in it means more potential for upsets....

The "poor" teams in this tournament haven't let anybody down.

South Africa beating France. Serbia beating Germany. New Zealand tying Italy. North Korea making Brazil work for its victory. Algeria tying England.

I don't see how having more teams has reduced the quality of the matches. Personally, I blame the terrible ball and the altitude, the combination of which means the players can't keep the ball down when shooting. Given the fact that the games are being played at higher altitude, Adidas should have tried to make the ball a tad heavier to counteract the effect a higher altitude has on the ball. With the lower air density at that height, the ball just flies.

[endabob1]

More teams in it means more potential for upsets....

The "poor" teams in this tournament haven't let anybody down.

South Africa beating France. Serbia beating Germany. New Zealand tying Italy. North Korea making Brazil work for its victory. Algeria tying England.

I don't see how having more teams has reduced the quality of the matches. Personally, I blame the terrible ball and the altitude, the combination of which means the players can't keep the ball down when shooting. Given the fact that the games are being played at higher altitude, Adidas should have tried to make the ball a tad heavier to counteract the effect a higher altitude has on the ball. With the lower air density at that height, the ball just flies.

You're either English or French, which is it?

These guys can't control a football and peddle every excuse under the sun, train with the f--king thing for a couple of weeks and then see how hard it is to control. Every world cup you get this rubbish. The ball has been commercially available for almost a year, why is it now a shock to highly paid professional players?

[ArdeeBhoy]

To be honest there's far far too much football, internationals (including Ireland)....rather a World Cup every three years or something.

[Charlie Darwin]

You're either English or French, which is it?

These guys can't control a football and peddle every excuse under the sun, train with the f--king thing for a couple of weeks and then see how hard it is to control. Every world cup you get this rubbish. The ball has been commercially available for almost a year, why is it now a shock to highly paid professional players?
It's been used as an excuse but the ball is rubbish - you don't have to be a physicist to see that. It's good in the sense that the players will delicate technique (mainly the south Americans) are benfiting while those with a tendency to leather it are struggling. I think it has contributed overall to a lack of accuracy in the tournament and I really hope it's destroyed come the end of the tournament.

[SkStu]

To be honest there's far far too much football, internationals (including Ireland)....rather a World Cup every three years or something.

that would be two international tournaments every 6 years instead of three in the same period (just counting european championships). The more the better in my opinion. You cant beat the buzz of the finals of a major tournament.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Yeah, but all these Finals are just perpetuating mediocrity, especially in the opening stages.
I love football/soccer but these WCF and the last few major championships have been largely a yawnfest certainly in their opening stages.
40% of games minimum are instantly forgettable.

Again, far far too much unnecessary stuff. At all levels.

[irishfan86]

You're either English or French, which is it?

These guys can't control a football and peddle every excuse under the sun, train with the f--king thing for a couple of weeks and then see how hard it is to control. Every world cup you get this rubbish. The ball has been commercially available for almost a year, why is it now a shock to highly paid professional players?

How many free kicks have we seen hit the target? I think I can count on one hand the shots that have actually hit the keeper from direct free kicks. Everything else has soared miles over. How many cross field balls, corners and crosses have we seen totally "overhit?"

These are world-class players that score tonnes of free kicks in domestic football. All of a sudden they're in South Africa and not one player can score a free kick goal that doesn't involve a slice of luck?

Call the players whiners all you want, but it's pretty clear to me that the ball is absolutely brutal. It's a balloon.

[back of the net]

How many free kicks have we seen hit the target? I think I can count on one hand the shots that have actually hit the keeper from direct free kicks. Everything else has soared miles over. How many cross field balls, corners and crosses have we seen totally "overhit?"

These are world-class players that score tonnes of free kicks in domestic football. All of a sudden they're in South Africa and not one player can score a free kick goal that doesn't involve a slice of luck?

Call the players whiners all you want, but it's pretty clear to me that the ball is absolutely brutal. It's a balloon.

have to be honest here - originally i very much had the opinion that endabob has about the ball but as the tournament has progressed and the more ive seen of the ball, im starting to come around to irishfans way of thinking.

Keepers seem to have a real problem with it and it isnt just a few.....ive seen so many problems with it.

the latest been mark scharwzers error for the serbia goal tonite.

Its still a difficult call to make - as my mate says " a ball is still a ball no matter how fancy it is made" but there just seems to have been an awful lot of mistakes made in the tournament so

Anyway weve gone off topic a bit i think
Guess we will be able to give a better verdict on it as the tournament progresses

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't think Schwarzer's was related to the ball - he just took his eye off it.

[bennocelt]

If ever their was a good argument for not increasing the Euros its this world cup. Just after watching Denmark in the Wcup. Pure muck. European teams arent really doing the business - not yet anyway.
For me its always quality over quantity

[endabob1]

How many free kicks have we seen hit the target? I think I can count on one hand the shots that have actually hit the keeper from direct free kicks. Everything else has soared miles over. How many cross field balls, corners and crosses have we seen totally "overhit?"

These are world-class players that score tonnes of free kicks in domestic football. All of a sudden they're in South Africa and not one player can score a free kick goal that doesn't involve a slice of luck?

Call the players whiners all you want, but it's pretty clear to me that the ball is absolutely brutal. It's a balloon.

Same excuses every 4 years from keepers & players with poor technique, zero sympathy
Japan don't seem to have a problem with it....

[Charlie Darwin]

Japan had a few problems too, to be fair. They skied a couple of shots when it didn't really look like the player had got under the ball all that much.

[Wolfie]

Bring back the footballs with either 32 or 24 "panels" on them.

It was the stitching around the panels of the ball that allowed players to bend, curve and back spin the ball.

The stitched panels also allowed some aero-dynamic "drag" as the ball travelled in the air which reduced the ball becoming effectively a torpedo.

Anyone who has played the game from schoolyard football updwards should recognise all of this.

[irishfan86]

Same excuses every 4 years from keepers & players with poor technique, zero sympathy
Japan don't seem to have a problem with it....

Okay, so two Japanese players scored two free kicks in quick succession in one match. Who else scored from an intentional free kick from distance in this tournament? There have been 48 games played, you should be able to find a few, right?

[elroy]

Y last few major championships have been largely a yawnfest certainly in their opening stages.
40% of games minimum are instantly forgettable.



I would argue that Euro 2008 was one of the best tournaments in a long time. Germany 2006 wasnt bad either. This WC so far has largely failed to ignite, alot is riding on the knock out section.

[Riddickcule]

Although France will be perfect hosts for this I really would've liked to give Turkey a shot.

Oh and, Ireland to win the whole thing :)

[Junior]

I think there is no question the ball (Jubelani sp?) has played a factor, to what degree is obviously up for debate.

For me though, the bigger issue is....

How can you have WC Qualifiers over a 2 year period in order to get the best international teams from across the globe in to the biggest tournament in world sport. Then when you get them there, you throw them a new ball and say play with this, its nothing like the ball you've been using to get here but adidas (or whoever) have made it and we need to make a big deal about it.....................

Its fcuking ludicrous really - Blatter doesnt want technology to play a part in football but what is this if it isnt 'technology' changing the game? The only difference is it isnt improving the quality of performances or decisions.

[OwlsFan]

Interesting reading this thread from 5 years ago with people worrying about the tournament being devalued because of the size of it and one person suggesting that we should give up football if we can't qualify for it. Don't hear too many of those voices now as we struggle for third place...:)

[DeLorean]

Well I make it there are 18 non-European Countries ranked above us (41st) in FIFA so that makes the 23th best country in Europe!!
(assuming I counted correctly), so we are right on the cusp of qualifying, however having said that one would think we would qualify,
however take a look at the European teams ranked above us and it is clear that it will not be a formality.

There was no tricking the trickster though!

[Cymro]

My opinions have changed from 5 years ago. I think the expansion has been a good thing. It has noticeably coincided with an improvement of the competitiveness of small countries. In nearly every group there is one major story with a small team punching significantly above its weight, be that Wales, NI, Albania, Iceland, etc. Even the 'minnows' have had some great results.

The achievement, assuming Wales do make it, doesn't feel as devalued as I thought. At the end of the day, we look set to qualify by finishing either first or a close second in a group containing Belgium, who are as good as any European team right now, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, who qualified for the last World Cup. In the case of the Republic, you would have to come out of a group containing the World Champions, a top Polish team with world class talent, and a decent Scottish team. Iceland will qualify from a group in which the Netherlands are contesting 3rd place with Turkey. Alright, so there are a couple of easier-looking groups, but every team that will be at the finals deserves it and will have had to beat decent teams to get there.

[DeLorean]

Yeah, I don't have any posts on this thread to look back upon but I think I was happy enough that we'd have a better chance of qualifying, while also seeing the quality of the tournament being jeopardised. The bottom line from our point of view is who cares though, I'd prefer to be present at a rubbish tournament than absent from a great one, if it does transpire that way. With the WC being so difficult for middle ranked European teams to qualify for it's no harm that they're afforded a more reasonable opportunity to take part in their own continent's major tournament.

[OwlsFan]

The World Cup also features many sides who would struggle to make third place in European Groups and that tournament has never been devalued as a result of their presence. However, there is no doubt that the Euro Championships of old are a far cry from the present tournament (e.g. Euro 88 had 8 teams with Germany, Italy, Holland, England, The Soviet Union, Spain, Denmark and little old us) but Europe was a much exclusive club in those days before the break-up of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.

[Yard of Pace]

every team that will be at the finals deserves it and will have had to beat decent teams to get there.

Absolutely agreed.

How many years has the "no easy games in international football these days" cliché been doing the rounds for, sure?

As someone else mentioned elsewhere, the expansion to 24 and the spreading out of matches has been a huge success, imo.

(My Ireland v Germany ticket dropped on the mat this morning. I absolutely can't wait. )

[Wolfman]

Why? We wont win.

[Charlie Darwin]

Agreed, I only anticipate games when the result is guaranteed to go our way.

[geysir]

Dundalk fans just anticipate games, the guarantee goes without saying.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's the only thing they have to anticipate in Dundalk, to be fair.

[OwlsFan]

It's the only thing they have to anticipate in Dundalk, to be fair.

What about the Cooley Whiskey Visitor Centre :) ?

[geysir]

Talking about spirits in Dundalk, there's also a very interesting place in Dundalk called the Spirit Store, a place for the ages.
But generally speaking, the only dubs that make it this far north are not so interested in culture and education but rather out to rob you blind.

On the Euro format, it's premature to claim that the finals format is a step backwards. The qual format has been a resounding success. And as Patrick Kavanangh might opine in poetic fashion, football is not just about the elite teams, but is equally (if not more) alive in more humble environments. The sight of a a half full stadium at the finals wouldn't be of concern to me, more important are the fans and players of each team having their day out. If a discerning tv viewer wants to wait until the last 16 or the last 8, then so be it. The euro finals format are a great boost to football in the backwaters.
Then there is the important matter of income distribution to the lesser countries and this is probably just as important as a more humble team getting to the finals. Eur12m just for turning up and that's coming after a more rational distribution of the qualifier tv income.
Small countries just can't compete against the big countries, just on the basis of sheer weight of player numbers alone, never mind all the other disadvantages but where they can compete is to have similar academy facilities for the young players that do exist in their own country and similar facilities for their senior squad, as the bigger countries have.

[Crosby87]

Talking about spirits in Dundalk, there's also a very interesting place in Dundalk called the Spirit Store, a place for the ages.
But generally speaking, the only dubs that make it this far north are not so interested in culture and education but rather out to rob you blind.

So the spirit store Is full of ghosts?

[tricky_colour]

Agreed, I only anticipate games when the result is guaranteed to go our way.

Must have been great when the Gibraltar tickets dropped through the letterbox then!!

[colonelwest]

So the spirit store Is full of ghosts?

Well you'll certainly see a few apparitions staggering down the pier out the front door of the place at all hours anyway!!