Euro 2016 Opponent Watch (Group E - Sweden, Belgium & Italy)

[DeLorean]

These threads are pretty handy, right? Sweden beat Finland 3-0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7CK5lU2qRM) in a strangely timed friendly today. Presumably the vast majority of their usual team were unavailable. Something that I haven't seen mentioned at all, and had kind of forgotten myself, is that Sweden are the reigning UEFA U-21 champions. They'll surely have a gem or two unearthed from that side by the time the Euros come along, if they haven't already? We seemed to take Serbia's underage success far more seriously when the WC qualifying draw was made for some reason.

[paul_oshea]

Yesterday? Are you sure...Whats the young one doing in the black top, she must be freezing!

[DeLorean]

Yesterday? Are you sure...

Yeah, they must be experimenting with some fringe players from their domestic league or something while they're in the off-season. The played Estonia a few days ago also and drew 1-1 (http://ie.soccerway.com/matches/2016/01/06/world/friendlies/sweden/estonia/2180610/).

Some more on the Finland game. (http://ie.soccerway.com/matches/2016/01/10/world/friendlies/finland/sweden/2169646/)

[DeLorean]

Nasty injury for Vertonghen (http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35408690), although you'd imagine he should be okay for the summer.

[Crosby87]

up to 8 weeks for the Vertornater.

[DeLorean]

It seems De Bruyne's injury (http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/10146325/manchester-citys-kevin-de-bruyne-back-after-knee-injury-within-weeks-says-agent) isn't as bad as first feared.

[Deckydee]

Indeed. 6 weeks:

https://twitter.com/HLNinEngeland/status/692723841735475201

[Fixer82]

Indeed. 6 weeks:

https://twitter.com/HLNinEngeland/status/692723841735475201

balls

[The Fly]

Indeed. 6 weeks:

https://twitter.com/HLNinEngeland/status/692723841735475201

Reported as 10 weeks now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35425113

[tetsujin1979]

Confirmed as ten weeks by the player himself: https://twitter.com/DeBruyneKev/status/692818956743229440

Just got back from the specialist. I'll be out for around 10 weeks.

[Deckydee]

I wonder is that 10 weeks and he is back playing or is that 10 weeks and he can resume training?

[DeLorean]

Kilbane: "Ireland as good as Italy" (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/kevin-kilbane-man-for-man-ireland-as-good-as-italy-ineuro-2016-382215.html)

[Crosby87]

Oddly enough, the article is about making tomato sauce.

[Stuttgart88]

Kilbane: "Ireland as good as Italy" (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/kevin-kilbane-man-for-man-ireland-as-good-as-italy-ineuro-2016-382215.html)Enough of the 6 Nations, what does he think about the Euros?

[OwlsFan]

Kilbane: "Ireland as good as Italy" (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/kevin-kilbane-man-for-man-ireland-as-good-as-italy-ineuro-2016-382215.html)

He picks out only two players where we might be stronger: Darmian — he’s not as good as Seamus Coleman and up front, Pelle is not as good as Shane Long (although the Italian has a better scoring record at Soton) but he is silent on the rest. Being better in 2 positions and weaker in 9 doesn't make us as good as them. Strangely enough, the bookies don't agree with him. They're 18/1 for the tournament and we're 125/1

[DeLorean]

I was thinking the same thing myself, two marginal calls in our favour is hardly a significant sample size to enforce his point. One thing is for certain I think, if we were in their qualifying group instead of them, there would have been zero chance of us winning seven and drawing three of our ten games. They aren't the most formidable looking Italian side of all time but they're comfortably better than us. Given Germany's relatively average form since the World Cup and Spain losing their invincibility tag, 18/1 could be fairly decent value.

[DeLorean]

Kompany went off early last night with a recurrence of the calf injury which kept him out for so much of this season. BBC Sport (http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35816868)

Vertonghen is hoping to be involved in Tottenham's trip to Anfield on the 2nd April. Evening Standard (http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-injury-news-jan-vertonghen-could-return-in-time-for-liverpool-clash-a3204441.html)

Benteke not certain of Euro 2016 place. ESPN.com (http://www.espnfc.com/belgium/story/2829954/belgiums-benteke-not-certain-of-euro-2016-spot-wilmots)

[paul_oshea]

http://youtu.be/j1jaw4ICP2U

[DeLorean]

Player ratings (http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/03/player-ratings-italy-1-1-spain/) from Italy's 1-1 draw with Spain last night.

[geysir]

Sweden lost 2 -1 to Turkey, somewhere away from Istanbul.
FFs to the Swedes for going there despite possible security issues.
Not much to report (as Zlatan did not play) the Swedes were rearguardish from the turkish tv highlights I saw. They started with 3 relatively new senior internationals, including Guidetti who is pushing Marcus Berg for a starting spot.

[thischarmingman]

How Belgium and Italy might shape up:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/mar/28/euro-2016-england-france-spain-germany-belgium-italy-starting-xi

[DannyInvincible]

No wins for our group opponents tonight either; Sweden drew 1-1 with the Czech Republic, Portugal beat Belgium 2-1 and Germany beat Italy 4-1.

[DeLorean]

I see Lukaku scored though, I feel like we're getting Belgium at a fairly good time and Lukaku at a very bad time.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I see Lukaku scored though, I feel like we're getting Belgium at a fairly good time and Lukaku at a very bad time.

I feel like Given got injured at a fairly good time and Elliot at a very bad time.

[Deckydee]

Good report on the Belgian team: http://www.itsroundanditswhite.co.uk/2016/03/31/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-belgium/?

[SkStu]

Conte to Chelsea...any potential impact to the Italian prospects at the Euros? More likely to see a slump or a desire to send the manager off with a bang? Or will it just be business as normal? Finding it hard to tell if there would be any difference if the same happened with MON taking up a role prior to a championship but if I had to, I'd lean slightly towards it having a potentially negative effect on their performance...anyone agree, disagree?

[Charlie Darwin]

I can't imagine it would have any real effect - international players are used to coaches moving on fairly regularly. I reserve the right to pretend I never said that if they turn out to be a shambles, and in true POS-style say I'd suspected it'd affect them all along.

[geysir]

The early announcement means than Conte is unlikely to be plagued by media questions about his new club while with Italy at the Euros.
Unlike Van Gaal at WC 2014, with english hacks plaguing the Netherland's press conferences, with questions about his Man U appointment.

But possibly the english hacks had little to occupy themselves with after England got knocked out so early and had to make up stories :)

[DeLorean]

This Carrasco fella looks very useful for Atletico, can't say I know anything about him. A threat in the Euros maybe? De Bruyne hit the ground running on his return at the weekend too.

[geysir]

This Carrasco fella looks very useful for Atletico, can't say I know anything about him. A threat in the Euros maybe? De Bruyne hit the ground running on his return at the weekend too.
We are looking at 2 likely defeats and a 50/50 chance of beating Sweden. Anything that looks better for Belgium or Italy is just another plus to their favoured position, rather than a threat to us. We are already at threatened status. Possibly now we are at a slightly deeper but more menacing red level threat status.

[DeLorean]

Anything that looks better for Belgium or Italy is just another plus to their favoured position, rather than a threat to us.

Surely any plus for them is a minus (or threat of a minus) for us. Anyway I wasn't really going down that road, was just curious if anybody knows more about him than I do. He ended up being the fall guy for the Torres red card anyway shortly after I posted.

[BonnieShels]

Surely any plus for them is a minus (or threat of a minus) for us. Anyway I wasn't really going down that road, was just curious if anybody knows more about him than I do. He ended up being the fall guy for the Torres red card anyway shortly after I posted.

I couldn't believe he was taken off. Well I could believe it and had thought he might be but Griezman became ineffective without him on the pitch.

Torres was looking like getting sent off all night, he was too up for it. Rager I didn't bet on first sending off.

I assumed Carrasco was Uruguayan, Colombian etc. before I heard him being called "the Belgian" last night. I got worried. More worried.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Marchisio out.

http://www.the42.ie/claudio-marchisio-injury-euro-2016-2720551-Apr2016/

[tetsujin1979]

nasty looking ankle injury for Origi last night, Funes Mori saw a straight red for the tackle

[DeLorean]

I think they suggested it may have been badly sprained, so maybe not as concerning as first feared.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Marco Verratti ruled out of the Euros.

[DeLorean]

Marco Verratti ruled out of the Euros.

Very big blow (http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/06/italy-midfielder-marco-verratti-out-of-euro-2016-groin-surgery)

[Charlie Darwin]

That's a killer for them. They have other good midfielders but nobody near his class, akin to us losing Hoolahan.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Vincent Kompany: Man City captain to discover fitness for Euro 2016 on Monday

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36230490

[Closed Account]

Vincent Kompany: Man City captain to discover fitness for Euro 2016 on Monday



http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36230490

Two Things:

1: TheOneWhoKnocks is now the bearer of good news, and I for one welcome.....yadda.. Fair play, I was always a fan.

2. Kompany on the pitch makes any team immeasurably better. Like 10-20% better, sorry immeasurably.

[DeLorean]

Kompany on pitch makes anytime team immeasurably better.

Is that still the case though? Obviously he still makes Man City immeasurable better because they only have Mangala or Demichelis to fall back on, but Alderweireld and Vertonghen's standard of defending this season has been far superior to anything Kompany has produced since pre-2013/14 season I would say.

[Closed Account]

Is that still the case though? Obviously he still makes Man City immeasurable better because they only have Mangala or Demichelis to fall back on, but Alderweireld and Vertonghen's standard of defending this season has been far superior to anything Kompany has produced since pre-2013/14 season I would say.
Yes Belgium are well stocked for centre backs, less so at full back where Toby and Jan have been playing

[DeLorean]

Good point, kind of forgot Alderweireld plays full back for them too.

Darmian gone off injured early on at Carrow Road.

[paul_oshea]

Get them all injured!!! De bruyne has really fizzled off again. Hopefully it stays that way.

For anyone wanting to get even mroe excited about the Euros and who are already fairly disenchanted with the big leagues club football look at the video on the Guardian website. Totally reaffirms my great respect and admiration of billic too. Even if he as arrogant about Ireland during the Euros.

[Stuttgart88]

Can something fizzle off?

[Closed Account]

Belgium captain Vincent Kompany had been ruled out of Euro 2016 with thigh injury. #EURO2016 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/EURO2016?src=hash)

[NeverFeltBetter]

What's happened to him in the last few years? - http://www.transfermarkt.com/vincent-kompany/verletzungen/spieler/9594

[tetsujin1979]

Swedish squad announced: http://svenskfotboll.se/landslag/herrar/arkiv/landslag/2016/05/trupp-em2016/

Patrik Carlgren (AIK Fotboll AB)
Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa SK)
Robin Olsen (FC København)
Ludwig Augustinsson (FC København)
Andreas Granqvist (FC Krasnodar)
Pontus Jansson (Torino FC)
Erik Johansson (FC København)
Mikael Lustig (Celtic FC)
Victor Nilsson Lindelöf (SL Benfica)
Martin Olsson (Norwich City FC)
Marcus Berg (Panathinaikos FC)
Jimmy Durmaz (Olympiakos FC)
Albin Ekdal (Hamburger SV)
Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig)
John Guidetti (RC Celta de Vigo)
Oscar Hiljemark (US Palermo)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain FC)
Emir Kujovic (IFK Norrköping FK)
Kim Källström (Grasshoppers Club Zürich)
Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland AFC)
Oscar Lewicki (Malmö FF)
Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moskva)
Erkan Zengin (Trabzonspor AS)

[TheBoss]

One of the weakest Swedish squads to enter a tournament imo. They always had good strength over the years but that seems to have gone. Analyzing them, they look weaker than Poland and Bosnia. I saw both of their playoff games against Denmark, they looked pretty average in truth but Ibra was essentially the reason they went through, his quality compared to the others was clear to see. On seeing that squad, I think Ireland will win the game if not draw but certainly can't see that Sweden side win against Ireland.

[tetsujin1979]

Belgian squad announced: https://twitter.com/BelRedDevils/status/730701484317376512
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CiP5IJzVAAAkwll.jpg