How can the Netherlands be out whereas Northern Ireland is qualified??

When you lose twice to Iceland you don't deserve to qualify, but if you finish top of your group you defiantly do.
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/qualifiers/season=2016/standings/round=2000446/group=2002428/index.html
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/qualifiers/season=2016/standings/round=2000446/group=2002433/index.html

If you think De Gea, Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Fàbregas, Isco, Morata, Diego Costa If you think De Gea, Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Fàbregas, Isco, Morata, Diego Costa (just to name any random Spanish possible squad), all highest-level players

I would agree with you on most of them, Fabregas has been terrible this season and Chelsea has been playing Hazard, a winger who hasn't scored all season, up front ahead of Costa in their last few game. In fact, the entire Chelsea squad have been playing dreadful. Even we can beat them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgU6Ot8eeB8

We miss you Master Zidane, you were so wise... oh well excepted when you insult his mother, then you get this:
(gif of Zidane's head-butt)

Well, he cost you the World Cup, not that you would have been in the final without him, but he still cost you the final.

He cost us the 2006 world cup but without him France would have never reached the final (remember 2002 when Zidane was injuried and the poor results after he was removed from the team?), he also gave us one world cup (great final 3-0 against Brazil in 98) and another Euro in 2000. Zizane was definitely the best world player during this period, we were very lucky to have him.

Also funny Pablo to see that in your list almost half of them could play for the Catalonian team ahah, nevertheless your Spanish team did not proved to be as good as it used to be. For now I am very sceptical about the Spanish abilities to reach the final stages of the next Euro.

Edited 12/9/2015 13:07:51

I would agree with you on most of them, Fabregas has been terrible this season and Chelsea has been playing Hazard, a winger who hasn't scored all season, up front ahead of Costa in their last few game. In fact, the entire Chelsea squad have been playing dreadful

I know, Fabregas was much better at Arsenal and somewhat Barcelona (he lacked minutes due to a great midfield Barcelona level that time) but now it's not that good. Replace him by Silva, playing in Manchester City, I somehow forgot him. And Diego Costa is not that bad, but when he plays for Spain he is completely gone... But well, I won't complain about him because he played for my city's team for a year or two (Albacete Balompié, 2nd Tier). Anyway he is really aggressive, but well, you can always replace him by Alcácer (Valencia's newbie), Pedro (another Chelsea man) or Cazorla (Arsenal, he would be another midfielder). As you see, our biggest problem is the lack of top forwards, Villa was awesome but now he is really old, and Torres... Meh, he sucks right now. As long as our midfielder score goals, I hope we can deal with that.

Also funny Pablo to see that in your list almost half of them could play for the Catalonian team ahah, nevertheless your Spanish team did not proved to be as good as it used to be. For now I am very sceptical about the Spanish abilities to reach the final stages of the next Euro.

Yeah hahaha there are many good Catalans, yet it used to be more. And if I tell you the truth, we have had better times, but that is what people thought in 2012 and we scored a 4-0 to Italy in the final match. Also, at least now we have a young, better goalkeeper than Casillas... He has been the best in Spanish history, but damn now he is really clumsy, he made us lose in 2014 World Cup... Anyway, he is still the Captain, and we respect him for that. I hope we can succeed again in France this summer.

Oh and I didn't know Deschamps was Basque, he is a good trainer for France I think.

Yep, he is born in Bayonne (like me), a French Basque like Bixente Lizarazu or Philippe Bergeroo (goolkeeper of France during the Euro 84 victory), all of them also played once for the Basque Country National Football team (Euskal Selekzioa).

Spain could achieve their goal to the final stages, Germany seems weakened (for what I saw during their last game against France for example the very day terrrorists attacked in Paris), in the contrary England could also make some good scores, they played not that bad lately, but again it's been ages that England did not reach the final in international competitions.

in the contrary England could also make some good scores, they played not that bad lately, but again it's been ages that England did not reach the final in international competitions.

We won't win, our squad is no way near the finished article. There's lots of promising young players, but they're not good enough to reach a final of a major tournament yet.

We had our best chance in 2006, but Sven-Goran Eriksson was obsessed with playing 4-4-2, even when that meant playing loads of players out of position (Jamie Carragher at right back, Joe Cole on the left wing, Owen Hargreaves in every single position). That was the same problem in 2002 and 2004. In the qualifying for Euro2008, trying to work out the reasoning behind any of team selections, tactics, substitutions, etc was just nonsensical. In 2010, it didn't help that Fabio Capello could barely speak English, although even if his English was better, he shared many problems with Sven, obsessed with 4-4-2 and playing players out of position. I still for the life of me can't see what he saw in Emile Heskey. Euro2012 was a throw-away, given we didn't have a manager until 1 month before the tournament started. In 2014, we didn't have anyone at the peak of their career, only old players on their way down or young players with potential, but didn't have enough quality yet.

Since the World Cup, we've been playing better, especially with young players improving, but they still don't look like they've got enough quality. Reaching the semi-final is possible but unlikely. I think we'll go out in the quarter final.

Edited 12/9/2015 22:37:47

Well, I can't predict who will win, but I'm sure this year format will be interesting, I bet a "small" team like Belgium, Switzerland or Sweden could reach semifinals, at least.

It's the day of the draw :o

My picks to win the Euro are this, I'll also give a little bit of an explanation.
Belgium:Young, powerful team, supported by Hazard, De Bruyne and Kompany to name a few. If they can get Courtois back in time. Well you're quite shit out of luck. (I'm also a hardcore Chelsea supporter so, sorry.)

Germany:God damn, Do I have to say much more? Quite literally, this team as long as they're healthy, can win just about whatever they want.

Italy:If they can pull out of the group stages and continue through without injury, I can see them being a serious contender for the final spot.

France: (If they make it out of the groups) Losing Benzema (Probably gonna face jail time, for his actions.) Means they're gonna have to be a hell of a lot more patient, using players like Pogba a LOT more.


I didn't choose england for multiple reasons. 1) I highly doubt they'll play Rooney outside of the ST or CF position. If they play him as a CAM in a 4-1-2-1-2 and use Sterling, Kane, Sturridge and maybe Oxlade-Chamberlain? Maybe, just maybe they'll pull through out of the groups. Regardless, I don't see England using much more than a 4-3-3 (2 CM's and a CDM)

Spain has a lot of talent, but I haven't seen them use it effectively.


And I like Wales. If they used Bale.

Edited 12/12/2015 03:15:07

Group A
France
Romania
Albania
Switzerland

Group B
England
Russia
Wales
Slovakia

Group C
Germany
Ukraine
Poland
Northern Ireland

Group D
Spain
Czech Republic
Turkey
Croatia

Group E
Belgium
Italy
Ireland
Sweden

Group F
Portugal
Iceland
Austria
Hungary

It looks like group E is the group of death then.

Edited 12/12/2015 18:14:46

It looks like group E is the group of death then.

Group D also isn`t to bad.

Some groups are hard to predict imo.

This is how I would place them though:

Group A:
France
Switzerland
Romania
Albania

Group B: (England vs. Wales sounds like its going to be interesting...)
England
Russia
Slovakia
Wales

Group C:
Germany
Poland
Ukraine
N-Ireland

Group D:
Spain
Czech
Croatia
Turkey

Group E:
Belgium
Italy
Sweden
Ireland

Group F:
Portugal
Austria
Iceland
Hungary

Edited 12/13/2015 19:43:45

Group E looks like it'll be the hardest imo. I can't wait for the Belgium vs Italy matchup tho...#Hype!

@Min34, you do know the difference between Slovakia and Slovenia, right?

Group E looks like it'll be the hardest imo.

Yes, and Ireland are fucked.

My predictions for the 2 teams that will leave each group (I'm not predicting the order)

Group A - Albania (come on Elseid Hysaj) and France
Group B - Wales and England
Group C - Ukraine and Germany
Group D - Spain and Turkey
Group E - Belgium and Italy
Group F - Austria and Iceland (LOL this is more me just hoping it happens)


Also I think Group D is pretty clear cut. I don't see Ireland or Sweden as real upset threats. The swedish team is just Zlatan, Wernbloom, and Toivonen. They're pretty 1-Dimensional and their keeper situation is a big liability.