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| Shunyata |
 Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:08 am |
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Joined: 23 Jul 2009
Posts: 1435
Location: Let's get fucked up
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His assist stats are inflated by the team he's in and the people around him - Maradona had the same sort of vision people credit Xavi with, and the range of Alonso, Messi isn't in that class.
Here, watch him blatantly outclass everyone else - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--ACUzCCza8 |
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| Padre Pio |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:08 am |
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Joined: 25 May 2007
Posts: 6796
Location: The great omnipotent goat sits on the pentagram
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What do people think of Platini's idea of Euros being held across Europe rather than in individual countries or pairs of countries? I thought it a crackpot idea at first, but I've actually thought of a way it would be good.
I think the key thing would be not to give it to countries/cities that get big events regularly: i.e. don't hold it in Rome, London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, etc.
But it would be cool to decide to award it to a few countries that love football but are too small to host these things alone. It would be an idea to have a Western European one and then a Eastern European one and then hand the tournament back over to big countries for a while.
I would propose having the tournament in 6 countries, with each country hosting a group (spread over two cities) and at least one knock-out match. The fact of hosting one group per country would allow at least some tournament fever to develop and not spread things out too much.
The Western European finals could be shared between Ireland (incl. NI), Scotland, Wales, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, while the Eastern European finals could be shared between Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Serbia.
Of course, all hosts could not be allowed in without qualifying, but they could arrange that any host that did qualify could play in its own country. |
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| Shunyata |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:14 am |
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Joined: 23 Jul 2009
Posts: 1435
Location: Let's get fucked up
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Perhaps 6 years ago, but now cheap flights are rapidly becoming a myth unless booked miles in advance (forget about it, prices will be boosted for host destinations), hotels are never cheap during these things, and continental rail prices are not cheap if you're traveling long distances outside the main cities.
I think it's more a scheme to get rid of the "host qualifies automatically" system without being too blatant, but to be honest 2-3 countries getting in (and being seeded in pot 1) via the hosting route is already taking the piss.
[edit] In addition, part of the appeal is the exuberance of the locals and the mixing with other foreigners in host cities, and that will be somewhat reduced or diluted if it becomes a spread out system. |
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| Padre Pio |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:19 am |
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Joined: 25 May 2007
Posts: 6796
Location: The great omnipotent goat sits on the pentagram
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Shunyata wrote: Perhaps 6 years ago, but now cheap flights are rapidly becoming a myth unless booked miles in advance (forget about it, prices will be boosted for host destinations), hotels are never cheap during these things, and continental rail prices are not cheap if you're traveling long distances outside the main cities.
[edit] In addition, part of the appeal is the exuberance of the locals and the mixing with other foreigners in host cities, and that will be somewhat reduced or diluted if it becomes a spread out system.
For the top paragraph, transport from Poland to Ukraine wasn't either cheap or easy, and inside Ukraine it wasn't easy (though perhaps it was cheap).
I don't think transport would be a terribly tough issue in my proposed scenarios.
About the 2nd point, I agree that it is important, but I think ensuring each country 6 group games and at least 1 knock out match would allow an atmosphere to develop. I mean Poznan had only 3 games and it seems to have become an historic event there.
I wouldn't advocate doing it all the time, but occasional multi-country tounrnaments would be good I think to allow smaller countries a chance to host it. |
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| BotS |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 1:30 pm |
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Joined: 10 Sep 2008
Posts: 1786
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I hate the idea of a tournament been staged across cities...
I think Platini has made a balls of the tournament by expanding it, and by doing so bidders needs at least 8 4 star stadiums to host...
The Euros and the World Cup are perfect they way they are, if its not broken, then dont fix it! |
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| Caller of the Black |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 1:48 pm |
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Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 3088
Location: in cold water with disinfectant
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| Expanded format will only make it worse. Ireland were the last team to qualify this time and were shite, so there'll be 8 even worse teams now. |
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| Padre Pio |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:16 pm |
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Joined: 25 May 2007
Posts: 6796
Location: The great omnipotent goat sits on the pentagram
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| Yes, expanding the tournament is definitely a very bad idea. |
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| thejuice |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:27 pm |
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Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Posts: 3295
Location: Dena Lagu
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Is it true Eamon Dunphy criticised the Catalan players for not singing the Spanish anthem?  |
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| Mongreled |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:52 pm |
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Joined: 26 Oct 2007
Posts: 732
Location: halls of assessment
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thejuice wrote: Is it true Eamon Dunphy criticised the Catalan players for not singing the Spanish anthem?
if i recall he was praising the spirit of the team in that no members of the team sang the words...
edit:
Dunphy spewed the following post-Euro 2012 claptrap.
There’s a unity between the Catalans and the Spaniards which is very important… Traditionally Spain have underachieved because the players of Barcelona, and the Basque country indeed, and the Castilians don’t get on. But that rift has been healed by this generation of players.
And notably, when the [Spanish] national anthem was being played no Spanish player sang it. I think that was a recognition that [the players] say nothing, the players subscribe to that, and keep quiet. For the purposes of football, they have left a culture and their politics in the dressing room and played for their nation.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/this-is-what-bullshit-sounds-like-eamon-dunphy-says-spains-silence-during-the-national-anthem-showed-unity/ |
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| TemplarOfSteel |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:09 pm |
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Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Posts: 7200
Location: High Above The Rolling Waves, In Labyrinths Of Coral Caves...
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 He looks like a bigger ass now. |
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| Padre Pio |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:24 pm |
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Joined: 25 May 2007
Posts: 6796
Location: The great omnipotent goat sits on the pentagram
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Christ almighty, hahahahahaha.
For the sake of fairness, perhaps Spain should be broken up for footballing purposes, like the UK. Or would it just lead to years of Catalonia v Castile finals, with the Basque Country occasionally appearing? |
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| Caller of the Black |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:34 pm |
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Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 3088
Location: in cold water with disinfectant
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| Have there been any regional players of note who have refused a call-up for the Spanish team on political grounds? |
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| i am 138 |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:35 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2008
Posts: 788
Location: rathgWar
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| Clearly doesn't listen to George Hamiltons commentery either, im almost certain he repeatedly mentioned there were no words every single time Spain played. |
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| Pinhead |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:47 pm |
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Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Posts: 3480
Location: Dundalk
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Padre Pio wrote: Pinhead wrote: Balotelli played great again hah..
looked like a boy surrounded by men.
Decent tournament to watch anyway.
You could say that about the entire Italian team. Balotelli is obviously a good player.
yes but him in particular, everytime he got the ball he either
gave the ball away or blast it over.whatever skill/talent he has i have yet
to see it myself. Bit like Robbie Keane, he may bang in a few goals
now and then but overall hes useless. |
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| BoobC |
| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 7:28 pm |
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Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 11802
Location: at the gates...
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TMTC wrote: it makes it nearly impossible to compare the Brazil team (for example) in the late 60/70's to the Spanish team of today.
I think you can. No team has ever retained possession like Barcelona/Spain. Other great teams were blessed with great individuals, but no team has ever done what the Spaniards are doing. This is also being done in an age of disciplined intelligent defending, which was not the case in the past. I'm not saying there weren't great defenders in the past. |
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