Euro 2016 Thread

[Pepe the Horseman]

Why the fook is Ramos on pens?!

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Very soft penalty/ not a penalty to Spain

Ramos misses, but goalie miles off his line to make save

Justice served tbf.

Awful pen and keeper would have saved it even if he hadn't been so far off his line.

No sympathy for pen takers when they slow and stagger their run and the keeper ends up miles off his line

[Pepe the Horseman]

Go on Croatia!

[sandman]

Awful keeping.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Full strength Spain team too. Sweet

[Pepe the Horseman]

Italy v Spain in the second round then. Northern Ireland through as well now.

[Stranded]

Italy v Spain in round 2 then with the winner to play Germany. Suddenly England's potential run doesn't seem so bad.

[Stranded]

Italy v Spain in the second round then. Northern Ireland through as well now.

N.Ireland likely to play France unless the groups tomorrow both produce 3rd place teams then they will play Wales.

[double d]

2-1 and Croatia top the group! They are my dark horses in this (threw away 2 stupid points in the last game but have looked tidy so far).

With this dumb format I have no clue who anyone plays anymore.will be interesting to see who Spain get.

[Silver Fox]

Well I'm quite pleased I'm off to St. Denis on Monday, Italy v Spain should be decent

[Sanguine]

Italy v Spain in round 2 then with the winner to play Germany. Suddenly England's potential run doesn't seem so bad.

Yep - so only one of Italy, Spain and Germany in the semi-finals. Spain's defeat has opened the draw up.

On the other side of the coin, one of the semi-finalists will be from Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, and a third placed team.

[Stranded]

Italy v Spain in round 2 then with the winner to play Germany. Suddenly England's potential run doesn't seem so bad.

Yep - so only one of Italy, Spain and Germany in the semi-finals. Spain's defeat has opened the draw up.

On the other side of the coin, one of the semi-finalists will be from Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, and a third placed team.

On the showing so far, I can see Croatia getting to the final.

As I said England's run doesn't seem as bad after last night, but winning the group really would have given then a fairly decent shot at the final the way things are shaping up.

[Sutekh]

Aren't France also in the same half of the draw so Italy v Spain winners play Germany winners play France meaning France or Germany playing in the final against some "weak" opposition - perhaps Croatia - or Wales!

Therefore England will get done by France in the QFs (assuming they can overcome the might of Hungary or Iceland or Austria or Portugal of course)

[Sanguine]

Will be interesting how it pans out and the affect that has on the format in 2020 (or is it already set?).

First clear impact of this almost redundant group stage is teams parking the bus to secure a minimum third spot.*
Second is that where one top seed fcuks it up (Spain), you end up with a skewed draw - although I guess that happened to a slightly lesser extent in the old format anyway.

*Difference in reporting between dull Slovakia and 'brave' Northern Ireland noted, even though both teams approached their games the same.

[Hoop Blah]

Will be interesting how it pans out and the affect that has on the format in 2020 (or is it already set?).

First clear impact of this almost redundant group stage is teams parking the bus to secure a minimum third spot.*
Second is that where one top seed fcuks it up (Spain), you end up with a skewed draw - although I guess that happened to a slightly lesser extent in the old format anyway.

*Difference in reporting between dull Slovakia and 'brave' Northern Ireland noted, even though both teams approached their games the same.

So far it's two top seeds that have messed the draw up (England and Spain) and potentially a third tonight if Portugal don't win. Italy/Belgium from Group E is a of a rock and a hard place, although I'd rather draw Belgium.

I hadn't really considered the effect of the 3rd place team qualifying being more negative tactics but I think you're right. It's a daft system but unless they expand to 36 teams is there much they can do to improve it?

[Sanguine]

Not really - alternative would be group winners and two best second placed sides straight into the quarter finals, but that would skew everything in favour of the seeded teams and create lots of dead rubbers.

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

Italy v Spain in round 2 then with the winner to play Germany. Suddenly England's potential run doesn't seem so bad.

Yep - so only one of Italy, Spain and Germany in the semi-finals. Spain's defeat has opened the draw up.

On the other side of the coin, one of the semi-finalists will be from Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, and a third placed team.

Given that you want to be in the top half of the draw, a Portugal Win and a Belgium draw seem absolute locks tonight.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Aren't France also in the same half of the draw so Italy v Spain winners play Germany winners play France meaning France or Germany playing in the final against some "weak" opposition - perhaps Croatia - or Wales!

Therefore England will get done by France in the QFs (assuming they can overcome the might of Hungary or Iceland or Austria or Portugal of course)

France are shite. Would fancy us to beat them.

[stealthpapes]

Italy v Spain in the second round then. Northern Ireland through as well now.

The moment when the Norn Iron fans here worked out that they were probably through was great.

Just heading back from Marseille.

Hungarians are frightening. Poles love their naval flares. There was a bunch of Norwegians who bought tickets sure that they'd beat Hungary. Not quite sure how England didn't beat Slovakia, regretting that one now. Think there will be machinations tonight to avoid that half of the draw.

And my swim was cancelled.

[stealthpapes]

Will be interesting how it pans out and the affect that has on the format in 2020 (or is it already set?).

First clear impact of this almost redundant group stage is teams parking the bus to secure a minimum third spot.*
Second is that where one top seed fcuks it up (Spain), you end up with a skewed draw - although I guess that happened to a slightly lesser extent in the old format anyway.

*Difference in reporting between dull Slovakia and 'brave' Northern Ireland noted, even though both teams approached their games the same.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Championn ... tball_2020

Yup, 24 teams and all over Europe.

Park the Shambles Bus chaps