Hexus Euro 2004 Thread.

[Nemeliza]

England are lucky that magitian Davor Suker is now old!
The group stages alone will be a battle!

[Stewart]

Fair point actually. Croatia are weak, and Switzerland always have been, so England and France only have each other to worry about.

[Nemeliza]

But done count out the 'weaker' said teams when it comes to intenational tournaments.

[monkeyville]

Having said all that I support Forest

Damnnnnn Straight. Next season we'll be there.

More on topic. My tip would also have to be france as they have a stunning team and only problem being they could concede a few at the back. You can never write off germany they always seem to get the best draws and pull out performances when they need them most. Reminds me off england in a way. Anyway heres hoping we do good no sunday.

[Stewart]

Last few posts editied.

On Topic please lads. Euro 2004; the discussion of.

Many thanks.

[faisal_uk]

I really hope France and Germany get knocked out in the groups or second round - it would really open the competition out and make things a bit more 'even' - France and other big teams got knocked out in World Cup 2002 so you never know!

So who do you guys think can realisticly win the competition?
I think maybe Spain (if they ever get their act together - even though they have the talent) or France

[Stewart]

Realisticaly, there are between 5 and 7 teams that can win, depending on where you stand on the Germans and the Czechs.

France, Italy, Holland, Spain, England and Portugal can win it, the Germans you either write off or you don't. The Czechs, I don't think are strong enough to win, but they can give anyone a game on their day and they 'can' win it, although I doubt it very much.

France wont go out at the group stage... no chance. Can't really see how Germany going out would 'open the competition out' as if they went out, Holland and the Czechs go though, who are both arguably stronger than the Germans.

I think 7 teams can win it.

Not letting the heart rule the head, I put England in the second group of teams, after France and Italy. I think they have a bit more class and have done it before.

Then comes Holland, Spain, England and Portugal, the teams who are strong, but seem to underachive at major tournaments.

Then Germany and the Czechs, who would do very well to reach the final, and then everyone else.

[M@rco]

I love it the way peopke underestimate Coratia, fair enough they are not one of the big teams, but they have huge character.

[Stewart]

Enough character to get out of a group with England and France? I'd have them as the third best team in that group, and if they finish third, they go home early.

No-one is underestimating them, just saying that they will do well, very well, to get out of that group. Also, lets not forget that they finished 2nd in their qualifying group behind Bulgaria, and then just made it past Slovenia in the play-offs.

Do those facts give you reason to assume Croatia can do well, character or not?

[Stewart]

John Terry now a doubt for the France game, it seems lads. So what do we reckon?

Jamie Car or King in his place? Looking a bit thin at the back now, if Terry can't make it, with Rio being banned and everything...

[TiG]

I'm a pretty big fan of jamie car, for a couple of reasons, One i don't believe defenders should be mentioned much, if they aren't mentioned much that generally means that they are doing things consistently well, personally thats what i want for our back 4, i'd rather have someone solid and dependable like sol campbell was 5 years back and like rio was last world cup.

I'm more worried about James as a keeper myself.

TiG

[GreenPiggy]

I would say King given that he plays in that position way more regularly than Carragher.
We need to boost the post count as we've been overtaken by the antithread

[Stewart]

No 'boosting' the post count please. Spam is spam. And most of the posts in the Anti-Thread are mine.

You are right to worry about James TiG, he is not called callamity James for nothing, still who do the French have in goal? The master of the cock-up himself, Fabien Bartez. Both keepers are dodgy.

I'd go with Carragher myself, as I've not seen enough of King, and Carragher seems the more solid player, paticulary as he can take his lead from Sol.

Anyone else wishing that Desailly is fit for the game? If he is, the French look as though they are going to take the amazing step of playing him. Can you imagine how badly Owen will be able to skin 96 year old Desailly for pace? I don't know what they see in him, he is well past his best.

[RoGuE|SaBeR]

As a liverpool fan im biased to say jamie but he does have just that bit more experience than ledley in that Liverpool do have European football of a sort basically every season and he has had more international experience.

Any read that Henry himself said Sven should pick Lampard!? First I thought that was possible mind games but apparently theiry is a fan of Franky!

[GreenPiggy]

Yeah is is a tad on the crinkly side.
I'm not saying we spam, just more top quality footy discussion
And Vaul, stop posting in the other one, it only encourages them.

[Stewart]

Well, I would mention the rather bizare fact that from next season, the 1st division is being renamed 'The Championship' with Div 2 and Div 3 being called 'League One and League Two', but that woudlbe be off-topic, so I will simply say - bizare. All go in the world of football at the moment.

I've a feeling Sven with go with Terry, even at 80% fit. Can't see him feilding a weakend side and risking a hammering from the French which will cast a cloud over the whole group phase. If he can play, I believe Terry will start. I fhe can't, my choice would be Jamie Car, but I'd feel a lot better with Terry next to Sol.

They are going up against Henry remember. I mean, he's only the best striker in the world at the moment.