European Championships 2012 Preview
FreeHowdy guys and girls!
I’ve been preparing a lot of information for your good selves regarding the forthcoming European Championships so I hope you find the below useful both for ante-post betting and in-play betting! If not, feel free to go to the next post to view TFT Issue 420!
Group A
Greece:
Goalkeepers – Chalkias, Tzorvas, Sifakis
Defenders – Tzavelas, Malezas, K.Papadopoulos, A.Papadopoulos, Torosidis, Papastathopoulos, Holebas
Midfielders – Maniatis, Makos, Karagounis, Fotakis, Ninis, Katsouranis, Foutounis, Fetfatzidis
Strikers – Gekas, Salpigidis, Liberopoulos, Samaras, Mitroglou
Greece are experienced campaigners and it’s that experience that has got them into this year’s European Championships. Experienced boss Fernando Santos is at the helm and he knows exactly how to make them play in order to get the best out of them. The squad itself is very well-organised because Greece only know how to defend solidly and counter-attack. This side will not be easy to beat at any stage during this tournament and I would not go heavily against them with anyone due to their defensive strength and organisation. They look a big under 2.5 goals candidate, however, as ever.
Their instrumental players are Ninis, Karagounis, Torosidis, Fetfatzidis, and Samaras, for my money. Samaras is their only consistent threat in attack, for starters. The side cannot create anything unless Karagounis is playing unless Ninis demonstrates his extraordinary potential. This side needs Fetfatzidis or Ninis for attacking pace/quality down the flanks and they must have Torosidis at right-back to aid with overlapping runs or the process simply doesn’t work, hence Greece’s restrictions.
Their weak areas are goalscoring, creating chances, and having no “Plan B”. This side has Samaras, who is a half-decent striker, but nobody else of any real quality. I’ve always been a fan of Mitroglou but he’s a Super League striker, through and through – nothing more. Liberopoulos has bags of experience but is just immobile. Gekas and Salpigdinis bring pace to their counter-attacks but lack the require finesse, in my view. Creativity is a big issue for Greece – take Karagounis and/or Ninis out of this side and they’ll be under pressure even more than normal. That leads me into my final point – no “Plan B”. Greece are very good at playing the only way that they know how to. Take them out of their comfort zone by scoring a goal against them very early in the game or by scoring more than once against them and they’ll just fall apart.
As far as strengths go, I doubt you’ll find a better side in the whole tournament when it comes to scoring from set pieces. They’re packed full of big, strong players and will always be a threat in those situations. Defensively, few sides are as well-organised as they are and few sides are as used to defending as they are as they soak up pressure and counter-attack to win games usually. This side has a good level of composure and good cohesion; they’re not easy to beat.
Prediction? I think that they’ll qualify for the next round. I doubt they’ll get beyond that, however.
Poland:
Goalkeepers – Szczesny, Sandomierski, Tyton
Defenders – Perquis, Boenisch, Wojtkowiak, Kaminski, Wasilewski, Wawrzyniak, Piszczek
Midfielders – Murawski, Obraniak, Rybus, Polanski, Matuszczyk, Dudka, Wolski, Grosicki, Mierzejewski, Blaszczykowski
Strikers – Brozek, Lewandowski, Sobiech
It’s hard to know where you stand with Poland as sometimes they show up and sometimes they don’t. The general concensus of Poles is that they baulk under any kind of pressure and there is plenty of evidence over the years to support that theory. Still, you could make a case for Poland currently possessing one of their best squads in some time and as one of the hosts you know that they’ll have plenty of support so I wouldn’t rule them out from causing a few surprises.here. They struggle to break sides down but are good on the counter-attack and love being underdogs. This side has plenty of spirit but not much creativity so be wary when you take them and when you don’t.
Their instrumental players are Lewandowski, Blaszczykowski, Szczesny, and Polanski, for my money. Lewandowski has had a terrific season at Dortmund with his clinical finishing and will be a huge part of any success that Poland have due to his ability to score with his head and his feet. His Dortmund team-mate Blaszczykowski has electric pace and will be essential in creating chances for Lewandowski too. Szczesny has really matured with Arsenal this season and has been a superb ‘keeper in the Premier League this season; it’s just a shame that he has no defence to work with. With no Boruc or Kusczcak in sight for Poland right now, it’s imperative that Szczesny starts each game or Poland’s whole defence is in jeopardy. Polanski isn’t a world-class player but his methods of sitting in front of the back four is very important for Poland because they don’t score many goals so they need to keep their opponents at bay, which is something that he’s largely responsible for. There is no proper replacement for him, in my view.
Their weak areas are breaking sides down effectively/creating chances, playing as favourites, and a lack of depth. Poland has some decent creative players ala Grosicki but lack a proper playmaker, which is why they prefer to play on the counter-attack. That causes them problems with creating chances, thus creating problems with goalscoring and also allowing further issues with no “Plan B”. Poland hate being favourites but love being underdogs. Favourites makes them approach their games incorrectly, nine times out of ten, and they’ll usually be beaten as a result. This side has no depth, incidentally – take their “stars” away and you won’t see them for dust.
As far as strengths go, they’re playing at home, which means that they’ll have passionate and very loud support. They’ve got a lethal finisher in Lewandowski and plenty of capacity to spring surprises. This side has a good level of belief but the balance is quite fine as it can become over-confidence in the blink of an eye. They’ve got a good manager in Smuda and should be able to cause an upset or two here, if they play it right.
Prediction? I’d like to see them progress to the next stage but I don’t think that they’ve got the consistency, unfortunately.
Czech Republic:
Goalkeepers – Cech, Lastuvka, Drobny|
Defenders – Rajtoral, Limbersky, Sivok, Hubnik, Suchy, Kadlec, Selassie
Midfielders – Plasil, Rosicky, Hubschman, Petrzela, Pilar, Kolar, Jiracek, Darida
Strikers – Baros, Necid, Rezek, Pekhart
The Czech Republic are an experienced name in this tournament but don’t really have a squad good enough to compete at this level, in my opinion. Their glory years are dying with only a handful of good players remaining and the fact that most of their current squad ply their trade in the Gambrinus Liga speaks volumes, really. This is a very overrated side and they may well fail to make it out of the group.
As far as their instrumental players go, we can’t look beyond Rosicky, Plasil, Cech, Hubschman, and Baros. Cech is the mainstay of the Czech defence as he’s arguably the best goalkeeper that they’ve ever had. Hubschman provides experience and good positional sense whether he’s deployed in defence or as a holding midfielder and there’s no replacement for him whatsoever. Baros is the only striker of any credibility in the Czech squad and usually tends to produce his best displays at this level whilst normally faltering at club level, which is no doubt a result of the injuries that he never seems to be far away from. The remaining two are the “must have playing” players in the team in Rosicky and Plasil as this side cannot create a bean without their say so. Rosicky is the main one but they’re both extremely important for the Czechs to do anything in the final third. Without them, they’re a cabbage team!
The Czechs are vulnerable at the back, with their depth, with goalscoring, with quality, and with experience this time around. Apply pressure to this largely inexperienced side and I don’t see them getting anything from the encounter because they will ship goals but they won’t score many without assistance and/or scintillating displays. Additionally, it’s very hard for them to create and score chances with a limited midfield capacity and a very limited attacking capacity at their disposal so I just don’t see them managing to do much in a group containing very strong defensive units. Experience is a big concern for the Czechs here, incidentally – just under half of their squad has less than ten caps to their name. They’ve got too many average players in their squad, players that haven’t made it when the opportunity was theirs, such as Lafata, Limbersky, Petrzela, for example; they’re just not good enough.
I think a clear strength of the Czechs is their Germany-esque ability to grind out results against the odds and their ability to frustrate opponents. They’re looking weak this year though so I find it hard to find more positives for the Czechs.
Verdict: The Czechs may surprise me and produce some amazing displays but I just don’t think they’re going through with this squad at their disposal.
Russia:
Goalkeepers – Akinfeev, Shunin, Malafeev
Defenders – A.Berzeutskiy, Granat, Nababkin, Ignashevich, Zhirkov, Sharonov, Anyukov
Midfielders – Denisov, Arshavin, Izmailov, Zyryanov, Shirokov, Kombarov, Dzagoev, Glushakov, Semshov
Strikers – Pavlyuchenko, Kerzhakov, Kokorin, Pogrebnyak
Ah, speaking of overrated – here they are, in all their glory; Russia! Fuse the defence of Serbia with the attack of Slovakia and we have…Russia! The absolute kings of predictable! I rate Russia for what they are, which is essentially a strong defence with quick wide men and good finishers. They’re not a creative nor impressive side, however, so it’s hard to know how to approach them, especially in a group of like-minded teams.
As far as instrumental players go, I don’t think that we can possibly look beyond Akinfeev, Ignashevich, Zhirkov, Arshavin, Anyukov, and Kerzhakov or Pavlyuchenko, depending on which one of them plays. Akinfeev is an excellent goalkeeper and it’s important that a low-scoring side like Russia keep clean sheets or they jeopardise any chance they have of winning games. The withdrawal of Alexey Berzeutskiy makes the roles of Akinfeev and Ignashevich that bit more important as they’re going to have to deal with less able and less experienced players so either of those two being absent would concern me, irrespective of the quality of Malafeev. Zhirkov and Anyukov are essential to the Russian process as Russia have to play a wide game to get their strikers the chances that they need to score goals and those two are terrific with their pace and overlapping runs. That also makes the roles of Kerzhakov and/or Pavlyuchenko very important too as they must take their chances. I would probably edge with Kerzhakov over Pavlyuchenko purely because this allows the possibility of the old Arshavin-Kerzhakov partnership being rekindled and those two were unplayable at Zenit St.Petersburg when they played together. That leaves Russia a great chance of surprising their opponents and compensation for their lack of creativity in midfield.
Their vulnerable areas are creativity, no “Plan B”, and not much mobility in attack. They’ve got some great wide men and great finishers but mobility is not a strong point of any of their strikers, perhaps with the exception of Kerzhakov. That makes them predictable, which makes them easier to play against. Additionally, this side has no “Plan B” so if Arshavin isn’t producing the goods then it’s going to fall down to set pieces and little else in order for Russia to be able to score, which is a problem.
As far as strengths go, this side is very strong physically and mentally. They’re well-organised and usually hard to break-through although with no Alexey Berzeutskiy to help form that strong defence for Russia this year, they may not be as a strong as usual. They’ve got threats from range with powerful shots and good movement in the box so set pieces makes this side dangerous.
Verdict? I think that Russia will progress with Greece to the latter stages. In a group where all the sides are very similar in style and strengths/weaknesses, I do think that Russia can finally showcase their abilities.
Group B
Netherlands:
Goalkeepers – Stekelenburg, Vorm, Krul
Defenders – Vlaar, Schaars, Willems, Boulahrouz, Bouma, Mathijsen, Heitinga, van der Wiel
Midfielders – Strootman, Robben, van der Vaart, Sneijder, van Bommel, Afellay, N.de Jong
Strikers – van Persie, Kuyt, Narsingh, Huntelaar, L.de Jong
The Dutch are being touted as potential winners of the European Championships this time around and I couldn’t disagree with that, given the quality at their disposal. I don’t think that they will win it, to be honest, but I would be surprised to see them not make at least the semi-finals. They’ve got a wealth of attacking options but they’ve also got a vulnerable defence so they look a very over 2.5 goals side to me in this tournament.
Looking at instrumental players in this squad will take some time, I’m sure! I mean, we have to consider Sneijder, van der Vaar, and Robben as the mainstays whilst van Persie, Huntelaar, van Bommel, and Nigel de Jong cannot possibly be out of that list. Sneijder has had an awful season with Internazionale for varying reasons but his ability to make things happen and to score free-kicks from anywhere is very useful to the Dutch. Van der Vaart has superb movement, composure, and finesse and thus his role behind the front man is very important to the Dutch for the games where van Persie and/or Huntelaar are heavily marked. Robben – well, he’s simply a world-class winger that can do anything he wants to, especially when cutting inside on that left foot of his. The other two are instrumental in winning the ball back and breaking up attacks for the Dutch. Van Bommel isn’t as mobile as he once was but he’s a clever player and is very good positionally – oh, and he loves to wind his opponents up, which he does very effectively. De Jong is the legs that van Bommel no longer has so he’s important to the process too, really, especially when you consider how vulnerable the Dutch defence actually is.
This Dutch side has just one weak area; defence. They’re worse at defending than they have been for some years. It’s not just one player, though – it’s all of the back four. Their full-backs are too adventurous and their centre-backs have questionable placing at best. Their goalkeepers are good but none of them are a van der Sar, for example, so that could hurt them here too. Their biggest problem in defence is left-back, incidentally – that’s why youngster Willems is in the squad; they don’t have a good left-back nowadays.
I’m not sure I need to go into strengths with you all as you should know the Dutch really well by now. They can score goals from anywhere at any time and boast an enviable wealth of attacking talent in every position. No side in this tournament can contain them, basically. They believe in themselves and they have a very good manager too.
Prediction? Most people think they can win it and I agree that they can. I doubt they will, though, not with that defence. I’d say semi-finals and after that we’ll see how they fare.
Denmark:
Goalkeepers – S.Andersen, Lindegaard, Schmeichel
Defenders – Okore, Bjelland, Wass, Kjaer, Agger, Jacosen, S.Poulsen
Midfielders – C.Poulsen, Krohn-Deli, J.Poulsen, Zimling, Kahlenberg, Kvist, Eriksen, Silberbauer, Schone
Strikers – Rommedahl, Bendtner, Mikkelsen, N.Pedersen
Calm down, Danish friends – it’s not 1992 and the goalkeeper in your squad is not Peter Schmeichel but Kasper Schmeichel, his son. Indeed, Kasper has been called into the squad to replace the injured Sorensen. Overall, this Denmark side is probably the weakest in the group with little quality in each area of the field and I think they’re going to find life very hard in the current tournament.
Their instrumental players would be Eriksen, Rommedahl, Bendtner, Agger, and Christian Poulsen. Eriksen is Denmark’s hope of unlocking defences and despite his youthful age, he still has the capability to do so and boy do Denmark need him to do it. Schone has had a good season with NEC Nijmegen but is he ready for this level? It’s hard to say. For Eriksen to operate, Denmark need the ball, hence Poulsen’s importance to the team as he’s a defensive monster in the middle of the park who never stops working. Agger holds the defence together whilst Kjaer sulks in a corner about how he has to go back to VfL Wolfsburg amongst other things but the defence doesn’t operate without Agger. Up front, Bendtner makes the right moves but his finishing can be wayward, which is where veteran Rommedahl steps in. Together they form a half-decent attack but either without the other makes Denmark a lot easier to defence against.
Vulnerability; where to begin? Lack of depth, lack of quality, lack of attacking options, lack of creativity, and lack of experience. This side has issues all over it and if they can present any kind of unified front in their games then they should be pretty content.
Prediction? I just can’t imagine the scenario whereby Denmark get out of this group alive as they’re the weakest side in it and they’ve not got the “x factor” required to surprise their opponents.
Germany:
Goalkeepers – Neuer, Wiese, Zieler
Defenders – Boateng, Mertesacker, Lahm, Badstuber, Hummels, Howedes, Schmelzer
Midfielders – Gundogan, Khedira, Ozil, Schweinsteiger, Muller, Bender, Kroos, Gotze
Strikers – Gomez, Reus, Schurrle, Klose, Podolski
Speaking of potential winners, here we have the eternal Germany. This side has such tremendous belief and potential in its ranks that they could conceivably lose every game preceding the tournament and still win it. They’ve got bags of ability all over their squad and they’re more than capable of winning this competition, in my view.
Instrumental players? I’ve no idea where to begin, really. I think I’d have to roll with Schweinsteiger, Klose, Podolski, Khedira, Ozil, Muller, and Lahm. Schweinsteiger is the leader of their midfield and roams from box to box with that striking confidence. His ability to lead from the front makes him very important to this German squad as it inspires those around him and allows them to do their jobs better than ever because they have every faith in him doing his. Muller and Ozil get to be the men that link up the midfield and the attack and with their dangerous movement and smart thinking, they’re very much integral players in this Germany side. Besides, anyone named “Muller” must be integral to any German side, surely?! On top of that, we have Klose and Podolski, who have no less than 209 caps between them. Unlike Gomez, Klose not only makes all the right runs but he actually knows how to find the net, which makes him very important here. Podolski is the legs that Klose and Gomez don’t really have and has a habit of popping up in the right place at the right time. Khedira is essential to this team as they need the ball and he’s the one to win it back for them (if Low decides to use him and Schweinsteiger in the same team) and captain Lahm is essential both from an attacking perspective with his driving runs and from a defensive perspective as he’s a very committed player.
I find it hard to isolate weaknesses in this Germany squad, really. I think you could say that their finishing is often frustrating, hence the importance of Klose. Germany also have a nasty habit of making a mess of things when they’re dealing with sides that they’re clearly better than whilst showing up in the big games, which is why I fancy them to do well in this “group of death”. It’d be just like Germany to lose against Denmark and to batter Portugal and Netherlands, you know? Defensively, their positioning can be questionable when put under pressure but it’s hard to keep the ball away from them for long enough for that to happen. Apart from that, this Germany side looks very strong indeed.
Prediction? I think the Germans will win the tournament. At the very least they should make the final. If not, they’ve only got themselves to blame.
Portugal:
Goalkeepers – Eduardo, Rui Patricio, Beto
Defenders – Ricardo Costa, Rolando, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Miguel Lopes, Joao Pereira, Fabio Coentrao
Midfielders – Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Micael, Raul Meireles, Hugo Viana, Custodio, Miguel Veloso, Ricardo Quaresma, Varela
Strikers – Helder Postiga, Nelson Oliveira, Hugo Almeida
And now we move onto the overrated Portugal. Despite boasting a wealth of household names, Portugal lack the quality and consistency to do well in tournaments like this, in my view. They like to show up against the bigger nations and prove themselves but they’re horribly inefficient at breaking through sides and beating teams that they’re better than.
Instrumental players? Well, Ronaldo would top the list for obvious reasons. He’s basically the best player in the world, for my money, and can make anything happen at any stage. Who else? Nani, Quaresma, Coentrao, Pepe, and Bruno Alves. Alves and Pepe are essential to this team because they must keep clean sheets if they’re to have any chance of beating anyone and those two are the defensive leaders with their power, aerial strength, and tackling, not to mention the threat that they pose from set pieces. Coentrao, Quaresma, and Nani are all important as they form lethal threats down the flanks and the ability for something to happen from nothing, which Portugal desperately need to assist their average strikers.
This side is vulnerable in a number of places. The first has to be their lack of a good striker, which subsequently means that they really struggle to score goals. They can create pretty well but they’ve not got a good striker to make the right moves and to take their chances, which underpins Portugal’s whole attacking plan. They’ve got too many loose cannons in the side that are likely to be dismissed, the most notable of which is Pepe, although Alves and Meireles aren’t far behind him. They don’t have a particularly good goalkeeper to select and they really struggle to break sides down if they have any degree of defensive composure.
Strengths, though – this side has a fabulous midfield from an attacking perspective. There are a lot of good passers and wingers with skill so their midfield is easily the strongest area of the team. They have good threats from set pieces and they’re never short of belief. They also have a good leader in Ronaldo – not many sides in this tournament have someone to inspire them if things aren’t going well but he can and will do that for Portugal.
Prediction? I don’t see Portugal going through on the basis that both Germany and The Netherlands are stronger sides than they are overall. Portugal may surprise me but I think the two afore-mentioned sides will score more goals and win more games than the Portuguese will.
Group C
Spain:
Goalkeepers – Casillas, Valdes, Reina
Defenders – Jordi Alba, Ramos, Juanfran, Pique, Albiol, Arbeloa
Midfielders – Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta, Silva, Navas, Cazorla, Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Mata, J.Martinez
Strikers – Pedro, Llorente, Torres, Negredo
If it’s not Germany who win it then you have to fancy the Spaniards to be the side that does. When it comes to keeping the ball, there simply isn’t a better side in European football and that’s a pretty dangerous weapon. They’ve got an unbelievably strong midfield and a very good attack whilst also possessing three of the best goalkeepers in the tournament so Spain are well-equipped to do very well in this tournament.
Spain have a number of instrumental players in the form of Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Silva, Casillas, and Ramos. I’d probably have to put Torres in there too, actually. With Villa out, it’s Torres or nobody to put the ball in the net for Spain in this tournament because as much as I adore Llorente, he’s got to be absolutely knackered from an excruciatingly long season and despite Negredo having a good season, I’ve yet to be convinced with him at this level. Torres has improved over the last few months with Chelsea but he’ll need to be at his best here. Xavi and Iniesta are instrumental for obvious playmaking reasons and Busquets is because he sweeps up the mess behind them if they miraculously lose the ball. Casillas is one of the top goalkeepers in the tournament and has bags of experience to help out his defence, which is quintessential with Puyol ruled out of the tournament through injury. Ramos is essential to the team because his work-rate and passion is infectious and sometimes you need someone like that to inspire the team if things aren’t going your way.
As far as vulnerability goes, you have to question their defence. Puyol is their best defender by a mile and he’s not fit enough to play in this tournament. Pique hasn’t been good in the most recent campaign so who will Del Bosque put in the centre of defence? Ramos? I love Ramos but he’s a lunatic! He’ll get sent off in that position in no time at all and he’ll be caught out of position so easily. Who does that leave – the unconvincing Albiol? Or perhaps converted playmaker Javi Martinez? It’s not convincing, is it? Jordi Alba and Arbeloa are good at going forward for their respective clubs but not at defending! This Spanish defence looks very, very leaky indeed. Their other potential weak area is putting the ball in the net, which will be a huge issue if Torres is misfiring. We’ll see how that goes, though.
Strengths – well, they’ve got an absolutely amazing midfield with lots of depth. This side can pass their way around anyone and that makes them incredibly dangerous. There’s a lot of experience in the team and they’ll rarely give the ball away, which helps a lot in winning games. They believe in themselves and they’re more than capable of winning the tournament as a result.
Prediction? I think the Spanish will be runners-up. With Puyol, I’d have taken them to win it but their defence scares me a lot with him not at the heart of it.
Italy:
Goalkeepers – Buffon, De Sanctis, Sirigu
Defenders – Barzagli, Bonucci, Abate, Balzaretti, Chiellini, Ogbonna, Maggio
Midfielders – De Rossi, Montolivo, Giovinco, Pirlo, Nocerino, Marchisio, Thiago Motta, Giaccherini
Strikers – Balotelli, Diamanti, Borini, Di Natale, Cassano
You know, until this fresh wave of match-fixing reared its ugly head, I was dead set on laying Italy in every way possible. They’ve brought a largely unfamiliar squad to this tournament and they lacked the ability to score goals on a regular basis and also seemed to be struggling to keep sides out. They were very predictable, to be blunt. However, now I just don’t know what to think of them! There’s nothing the Italians love more than being backed into a corner or hated by the world because they emerge all the stronger for it so I’m a bit nervous about the Italians here.
As far as instrumental players go, I think it’s the experienced guys and the promising players that bear the burden this time around, namely Pirlo, Buffon, Chiellini, Balotelli, De Rossi, and Nocerino. Buffon is instrumental to this side as their defence is rather inexperienced and unfamiliar with many of the old names out of the squad nowadays. He has to tell his defenders where to be etc. and there are few in this tournament with more experience than Buffon. Chiellini at the back is a hot-head but he’s a good defender. He’ll lead from the front and Italy need that right now at a time of crisis. Indeed, that’s precisely why De Rossi is so important to them, too – he leads from the front, wins every ball, and is one of the few remaining box-to-box generals, as I call them. Italy really should play Nocerino alongside him for precisely the same reason as Italy need to accept that they’re not the best side in the world nowadays. They need to break up attacks before deciding how to start there own and the tenacious Nocerino is good at that, not to mention actually being the catalyst for the attacks. Pirlo is one of the most gifted playmakers of all time and can pick out any player on the field so that makes him pretty damn important to Italy. The last one is Balotelli, who is Italy’s best striker, for my money, but also the player most likely to erupt and get sent off. They need him to be at his best here to have any chance of doing well but if he does then Italy will be a threat.
As far as vulnerability goes, Italy are short of a few things, really. The first is temperament as it’s just as likely that both Chiellini and Balotelli will be sent off as they would be to save the day, which is always a dangerous game to play. The second is defensive composure in general due to the lack of cohesion at the back, something that a fairly impotent Russia side exploited very easily indeed a few days ago. The third is that a lot of their experienced players are no longer in the squad and Italy need experiences in tournaments like these. The last one is the desperation of coach Prandelli in his squad selection. I mean, seriously – why is Cassano in this squad? He’s a terrific forward but he’s not played regularly for months and months due to the horrendous illness that he encountered so there’s no way on earth that he’s fit enough to compete at this level. Why is Diamanti in this squad? Why is Borini, Giaccherini, and Ogbonna? It smarts of desperation to me and I think they’ll come unstuck because of it.
As far as strengths go, Italy have that mentality of winners and they always arise strongly from situations where they’re backed into a corner. They work harder than ever and spring a lot of surprises in those instancess. It’s in the games that they’re expected to waltz through that they tend to struggle in. They’ve got some magnificent players in their squad and lots of leaders all over the park, which is very important. Italy have plenty of match-winners; they just need to make sure that they win now!
Prediction? Well, on paper, and based on the Italian mentality, you have to expect Italy to go through. I don’t go off names, though – I go off displays and with that in mind, I think Italy will exit this tournament in the group stages.
Croatia:
Goalkeepers – Pletikosa, Kelava, Subasic
Defenders – Schildenfeld, Pranjic, Corluka, Buljat, Simunic, Strinic, Vida, Srna
Midfielders – Dujmovic, Kranjcar, Perisic, Modric, Vukojevic, Badelj, Ilicevic, Rakitic
Strikers – Eduardo, Mandzukic, Kalinic, Jelavic
If any side is to be the “dark horses” then it’s Croatia for me. This side has the perfect blend of everything that it needs to do well and I like everything about them. They play good football in an efficient way and they’re not easy to beat at the same time.
Their instrumental players are Modric, Kranjcar, Eduardo, Simunic, and Srna, for my money. Modric and Kranjcar make this Croatian side tick and create a lot of chances and although there are alternatives in Badelj, Rakitic, and Perisic, those two are the top dogs and they’re both very good at what they do. Eduardo adds class and finesse to what is already a good attack and with Jelavic alongside him, Croatia have the potential to score a lot of goals. Captain Srna is important as he leads from the front and is lethal with his set piece deliveries and Simunic is the old hand that holds the Croatian defence together. This is one of the more youthful Croatian defences that you’ll have seen over the past few years so experience in that area is really rather crucial.
The only weakness that I can really identify with this Croatian side is their youthful defence, really. Previously they had Robert Kovac and a whole host of others to lend a hand at the back and Croatia’s defence was absolutely superb then. Only Simunic remains from that batch and they need to keep their cool back there to hold leads, something that they didn’t do on their recent trip to Norway but they need to do so going forward.
Prediction? I think Croatia could make it out of the group and possibly beyond that, depending on who they’d face in the quarter-final. They look a very talented and frankly underrated side this time around.
Republic of Ireland:
Goalkeepers – Given, Forde, Westwood
Defenders – O’Dea, O’Shea, Kelly, McShane, Dunne, Ward, St Ledger
Midfielders – Gibson, McGeady, Hunt, Green, McClean, Duff, Andrews, Whelan
Strikers – Cox, Long, Keane, Doyle, Walters
It might be against my country as I am English but I really want Ireland to do well in this tournament. I think they were amazing during the qualifiers and you’d do well to find any side that works harder than they do, both with and without the ball. They’re very well-regimented and they are a realistic threat to every side that they’ll face, in my view.
As far as their instrumental players go, I don’t think we could look beyond Keane, Duff, Given, O’Shea, Hunt, and McGeady. Ireland’s strength is their pace and skill down the flanks so Duff, Hunt, and McGeady are very much key members in this squad. Robbie Keane is arguably the best striker that Ireland have ever had and the experience of world-class goalkeeper Given and Premier League regular O’Shea lends this Irish side a lot of composure, which is essential against some tough sides. Ireland have a lot of players that lead from the front and they will not lie down and die against any opponent, which makes them a force to be reckoned with.
As far as vulnerability goes, I think Ireland’s biggest problem area is quality, as harsh as it sounds. They sometimes lack that killer touch in front of goal and could do with a proper playmaker in the centre of the park. Aside from that, I do like the balance of this Ireland squad and the only question mark would be over their actual quality level.
As far as strength goes, you simply won’t find a side that believes in themselves more or works harder than Ireland do. If you think that Spain, Italy, and Croatia are going to stroll to victory against Ireland then you’ve got another thing coming. Ireland are a very well-organised and united squad and I think that’s their best characteristic.
Prediction-wise, I’d love to envision Ireland progressing here but I just can’t. I think it’ll be Spain and Croatia that make it through but I’d certainly not mind Ireland going through as I’m damn sure that they’ll earn it with their displays.
Group D
Ukraine:
Goalkeepers – Koval, Pyatov, Horyainov
Defenders – Shevchuk, Kucher, Khacheridi, Selin, Mykhalyk, Rakitskiy, Butko
Midfielders – Rotan, Aliev, Tymoschuk, Garmash, Husyev, Nazarenko, Konoplyanka
Strikers – Voronin, Shevchenko, Devic, Seleznyov, Yarmolenko, Milevskiy
Joint hosts Ukraine still have a lot to prove ahead of this tournament. On one hand, they’re a convincing attacking side but on another they’re horribly ineffectual as they concede goals far too easily. They’re capable of springing the odd surprise but they’re not an especially good side but I don’t know how well they’ll do here as they’ll have a lot of support.
As far as instrumental players go, you have to name Shevchenko, Milevskiy, Tymoschuk, Aliev, and Husyev. Shevchenko is the most gifted striker that Ukraine have ever had and despite his advancing years, if you put him in front of goal then he will score. Milevskiy is the legs that Shevchenko no longer has and he’s the attitude that Shevchenko never had too. He’s a skilful player but needs to play as a team player to play to the best of his ability. Tymoschuk has a vital role with winning the ball back as Ukraine aren’t a great possessive side and there’s no good replacement for him in this side. Aliev’s long-range free-kicks and the runs of both he and the tireless Husyev from midfield make Ukraine’s midfield a lot more workmanlike and improves the mobility of the side, which is important because Ukraine aren’t an especially creative side.
As far as vulnerability goes, Ukraine are weak at the back, fire and foremost. The injury to Chygrynskyi means that Ukraine lack composure and organisation in defence. The absence of Shovkovskyi makes the goalkeeping situation at Ukraine interesting, to say the least, as they’re all either inexperience or not very good. Pyatov is a prime example, really – he’s prone to regular blunders. Ukraine aren’t the strongest mentally and are liable to collapse if they fall behind. They don’t like pressure, either!
As far as strengths go, Ukraine are a clinical side, which is intriguing. They may not create many chances but when they get them, they do tend to score. Ukraine are a bit of a hit-and-miss side with that in mind but they’re big and physically strong so they’ll be a threat from set pieces.
Prediction? I think it’s between Ukraine and Sweden as to which side goes through with France but I’d probably side with Sweden as I rate them a slightly more consistent side than Ukraine, despite Ukraine being one of the hosts.
Sweden:
Goalkeepers – Isaksson, Wiland, Hansson
Defenders – Safari, Mellberg, Antonsson, J.Olsson, M.Olsson, Granqvist, Lustig
Midfielders – Svensson, Wernbloom, Holmen, Bajrami, Wilhelmsson, Kallstrom, S.Larsson, R.Elm
Strikers – Toivonen, Ibrahimovic, Rosenberg, Hysen, Elmander
I like the attacking approach of this Swedish side and I think that they could do well with it. They’ve got some cracking players, from an attacking perspective, and they’re good at fashioning chances from nothing. They need to be focused though, or they’ll concede way too many goals and achieve nothing.
As far as instrumental players go, I don’t think you can realistically look beyond Ibrahimovic, Toivonen, Svensson, Wernbloom, and Mellberg. Ibrahimovic is an obvious one, really – he scores goals, he makes goals, he has a lot of composure, and he has an awful lot of experience. He’s looked good in his new role behind the front man too. Svensson is a superb playmaker and Sweden need him to be at his best for obvious reasons, assuming that he gets the nod over Kallstrom, which he really should. Toivonen needs to give 100% here as he’s pretty much the only fit striker in the Swedish squad with Elmander having been out for a month and Rosenberg currently injured. Hysen hasn’t really been in-form either. Sweden’s defence is a bit vulnerable this time around, especially with the somewhat erratic Isaksson in goal, which is why the experience and organisation of Mellberg at the back is essential and why battleaxe Wernbloom is needed to break up opponents’ attacks.
As far as vulnerability goes, it’s far too easy to break through the Swedish defence. A bit of pace and smart movement and they fall apart, especially at left-back. Sweden lack communication at the back, which is a problem. They also lack fitness, which boss Hamren has eluded to pre-tournament, slandering the Swedish FA for playing too many Allsvenskan games at once, which has left Hysen and Svensson complaining of tiredness. Sweden also lack striking options from a fitness perspective.
The strength that Sweden now has is their new-look attacking approach, which has surprised a few sides and has seen them score plenty of goals as a result. They have a lot of attacking options with a nice mixture of experience, skill, finesse, and composure.
Prediction? I think Sweden will edge through the group alongside France as they look good enough to score more goals than most sides in the group with them.
France:
Goalkeepers – Lloris, Mandanda, Carrasso
Defenders – Reveillere, Koscielny, Clichy, Rami, Evra, Mexes, Debuchy
Midfielders – M’Vila, Ribery, A.Diarra, Ben Arfa, Martin, Malouda, Matuidi, Nasri, Cabaye, Valbuena
Strikers – Menez, Benzema, Giroud
Speaking of sides that will progress from Group D, now we look at France, who really should win this group. Under Laurent Blanc, France have looked very good indeed and full of belief. There’s a great amount of ability in their side and they look like they’re able to score goals nowadays, which is refreshing. I wouldn’t be surprised to see France have a very good tournament, to be honest.
As far as instrumental players go, we have to look at Ribery, Benzema, Lloris, Evra, Nasri, and Mexes. Ribery can produce something from nothing and is basically a class act when it comes to match-winners. Nasri is a similar play with a similar impact effect but to a lesser extent, although is still very important to France for obvious reasons. Benzema is France’s proven goalscorer and after a good season with Real Madrid, you have to expect him to produce the goods here and France really need him to do so. Hugo Lloris is a top-notch goalkeeper and if France’s defence in recent weeks is anything to go by then he’ll have to be at his brilliant best to keep their opponents out. With France’s defence looking as vulnerable as it is (despite an absolute defensive mastermind at the helm), the experience and tenacity of Mexes and Evra in defence are invaluable assets for France in this tournament or they’ll concede too many goals to win games, in my view.
As far as weaknesses go, I think France’s mentality has to be listed as a big issue. They’ve got a great manager at the helm but the French media has a habit of piling pressure on the French players and slagging them off, which is something that they never react well to. Their defence is vulnerable and can be exposed by the right side.
As far as strengths go, they have a very skilful midfield and will create plenty of chances if deployed correctly. They’ve got at least two very good goalkeepers and also have some very able forwards. This side should score plenty of goals in this tournament and look good as dark horses.
Prediction? I think France will cruise through the group but after that, I just don’t know. It depends who they face, really, but they could make the semi-finals.
England:
Goalkeepers – Hart, Green, Butland
Defenders – Jagielka, Jones, Lescott, Baines, Terry, Kelly, A.Cole, G.Johnson
Midfielders – Gerrard, Young, Henderson, Milner, Parker, Downing, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott
Strikers – Carroll, Welbeck, Defoe, Rooney
And last but not lea…no, wait – they are usually last to some degree – England! I’m English and I like to think that I have an open mind regarding England’s chances but I can categorically state that I will be amazed if England progress. England lack quality in key areas of the field and lack leadership, which is a real problem.
As far as key players go, you have to highlight Terry, Gerrard, Hart, Parker, Rooney, Carroll, and perhaps even Oxlade-Chamberlain. Terry is the defensive leader at the back; if Lescott is ever in that position, England will concede a lot of goals as he is a very naive defender. Gerrard is a proper captain who will lead from the front and England desperately need someone like that as motivation and belief are two rare things to be found in the England camp. Hart is the best goalkeeper that England have had for years and he’ll be instrumental in keeping England in games when they inevitably gift chances to their opponents. Parker is instrumental in breaking up the attacks from opposing sides as England aren’t good enough with their usual back four to keep sides out as things are. Rooney – when not suspended – is the best forward that England have and thus he’s key here, especially after a good season. I’ve listed Carroll, which will probably amaze most people, but I do believe that he’s essential to the plans of Hodgson. He’s the best target man in England right now for my money as he’s unplayable on his day and I think Hodgson will play a style that suits him and we’ll see how good he is then. I’ve added Oxlade-Chamberlain because England don’t have anyone on the flanks (barring the hit-and-miss Young) that can beat another man but Oxlade-Chamberlain definitely can. Despite his youthful age, he’s already an important part of the team, in my eyes – England need players like that to succeed.
Vulnerabiliies? Oh, they’re everywhere! There’s no defensive organisation, even with Terry at the back. There’s no belief and little motivation in the squad. There’s not enough creativity nor dribbling skills, hence England not making many chances. England’s media love to lambast the team and that will demoralise them if they don’t win their first game and it’s a rocky road downhill after that.
Prediction? I think England are going out in the group stages. Hodgson is a very good manager and he’s making England play the only way that they can to be successful in this tournament but I just don’t think there’s enough quality for England to succeed.
Ante-post betting
With the above preview in mind, the following ante-post value bets interest me (all found on Bwin):
Germany to win the tournament at 14/5.
Italy to receive a red card in this tournament = yes at 13/10.
Top goalscorer from Serie A at the Euros = Miroslav Klose at 2/1.
Top goalscorer for Czech Republic = Milan Baros at 4/1 (wtf? he’s the only one that can score goals for them!)
Top goalscorer for Poland = Robert Lewandowski at evens.
Top goalscorer at the Euros = Miroslav Klose at 18/1.
Croatia to be eliminated in the quarter-finals at 57/20.
England to be eliminated in the group stage at 27/20.
France to be eliminated in the semi-finals at 4/1.
Greece to be eliminated in the quarter-finals at 39/20.
Italy to be eliminated in the group stage at 5/4.
Group B to see the most goals scored at 7/4.
To score more goals in the group stages – Italy vs France = France at evens.
To score more goals in the group stages – Sweden vs Denmark = Sweden at 9/10
Will Nicklas Bendtner score in the European Championships = yes at 6/5.
Will Jakub Blaszczykowski score at the European Championships = no at 11/10 (stupid odds – he’s a winger of a hit-and-miss side that are facing a lot of good defensive sides)
Wayne Rooney to score at the European Championships = no at 17/20 (I doubt England will make the quarter-finals, which means Rooney has one game to score in as he’s suspended for two of them)
Will Robbie Keane score at the European Championships = yes at 11/10.