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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.Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
Yes Belgium are well stocked for centre backs, less so at full back where Toby and Jan have been playingQuote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Good point, kind of forgot Alderweireld plays full back for them too.
Darmian gone off injured early on at Carrow Road.
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.
Can something fizzle off?
Belgium captain Vincent Kompany had been ruled out of Euro 2016 with thigh injury. #EURO2016
What's happened to him in the last few years? - http://www.transfermarkt.com/vincent...n/spieler/9594
Swedish squad announced: http://svenskfotboll.se/landslag/her.../trupp-em2016/
Quote:
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)
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.
Belgian squad announced: https://twitter.com/BelRedDevils/sta...01484317376512
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CiP5IJzVAAAkwll.jpg
(posts moved)
Sweden's Kujovic aims to step out of Zlatan's shadow at Euro 2016: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soc...-idUKKCN0Y3105
Italian squad will be name in 2 steps:
Training camp 18 - 21 May 2016
Monday, 16th May 2016
Announcement of the called-up players in the evening
(This first phase will not see the participation of players involved in domestic cup finals (players from AC Milan, Juventus, Paris Saint Germain, Manchester United and Anderlecht)
Pre-European Championship training camp and ITALY vs. SCOTLAND friendly
Monday, 23rd May 2016
Announcement of the called-up players in the evening
(to be clear, all the players that will play in coppa italia final or other finals around the globe, are not in the list, it's a provisional list used also to evaluate possible surprises for the 23 going to the euros)
KEEPERS: Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Antonio Mirante (Bologna), Marco Sportiello (Atalanta).
DEFENDERS: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Armando Izzo (Genoa), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham), Lorenzo Tonelli (Empoli)
MIDFIELDERS: Marco Benassi (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Napoli), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria), Davide Zappacosta (Torino).
FORWARDS: Fabio Borini (Sunderland), Citadin Martins Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), Graziano Pellè (Southampton).
i defo think we should be looking to get something out of the italy game. decent side but nothing brilliant. el shaarawy has been in good form the last few months upfront, Candreva at Lazio aswell. Insigne from napoli, all nice tidy players but i'd be looking for at least a point in this game. Nothing upfront that should have us shaking.Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
look at all the different clubs spread over euope in the swedish squad. would love to see a bit more of that in our own other than the usual england.
Belgium came from behind to beat Switzerland 2-1.
There was some comical defending for the Swiss opener: https://streamable.com/aubl
Lukaku with the equaliser: https://streamable.com/juho
de Bruyne with the winner after the Swiss had a man sent off: https://streamable.com/quua
Seven minute highlights here. They are vulnerable at the back but lethal on the break.
http://sportyhighlights.com/switzerl...um-highlights/
Italy playing Scotland tonight in a friendly in Malta. Strachan looking to play a lot of inexperienced players, so it might not be the best game to judge the Italians
Carrasco looked scarily good off the bench for Atletico last night. I didn't know he was Belgian. Dammit.
He was actually discussed briefly on the previous page on this thread. Geysir not phased. :)
He's got ice in his veins has Geysir.
Carrasco has four caps, the manager seems to prefer Lukaku, Benteke or Origi up front in a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 formation
I suppose Italy see Scotland as a good test ahead of playing us in France.
He's a winger though, right? His stock is surely higher now than it would have been at the end of qualifying. Can't imagine he'd be too far off the likes of Mertens and Mirallas in the pecking order.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Edit- I see Mirallas didn't even make the squad. I suppose Carrasco still has the likes of Hazard and De Bruyne to compete with.
Sweden and Slovenia have just kicked off. 0-0 at the minute with a stream here if anyone's interested: http://crichd.co/update/ch1.php
Finished 0-0
Lombaerts and Boyata out of the Belgium squad: http://www.the42.ie/belgium-euro-201...96750-May2016/
We have them on the racks, lads.
Was a pretty uneventful game. Ibrahimovic didn't play.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
Sweden are poor. Take away Zlatan (34 years old btw) and there is little there. The back four doesn't inspire confidence and Isaksson in goals always gives a nervy impression, has a eager tendency to punch and parry catchable balls.
Vermaelen has barely played all season.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
It was reported that Zlatan didn't play against Slovenia because of concerns over his sore calf.
He was still the star of the night, every time his mug came on the stadium screen ( every 10 minutes or so) the Malmo crowd broke into loud cheers.
Belgium playing Finland tonight
finished 1-1 - Lukaku came off the bench to score a late equaliser for Belgium
Belgium playing tonight.
Good article and videos here: http://www.espnfc.co.uk/belgium/stor...--marc-wilmots
Sweden v Wales on at 3pm on Setanta 1
Nice goal.
3 now. We're doomed.
Wales looked extremely soft through the middle for the first and last goal, the kind of goal Glenn Whelan would prevent.