The Euro 2012 Thread

[Southampton Gull]

LMAO !!

I'd have thought the wink at the end would have made it clear the post was tongue in cheek. If I wanted to be derogatory I have much better words to use than "dimwit"

[Aussie]

LMAO !!

I'd have thought the wink at the end would have made it clear the post was tongue in cheek. If I wanted to be derogatory I have much better words to use than "dimwit"

Typical northern hemisphere, too scared to invite southern hemisphere teams!
I`d have thought that the lol at the end of my post would have made it clear that my post was tongue in cheek! Does this mean we`re both dimwits? Hey at least I didn`t call anyone names!

[stevegull]

I agree with the head to head system, think it the fairest way to decide who goes through, and my reasons are simple, the could have asituation where team A plays team B , team A has 2 men sent off , team B goes on to win 4.0 because of that, team D then beats team B 1.0 and finish level, but team D goes out on goal difference because of what happened in the first match where team B won 4.0 aganst a team with only 9 men, how fair on team D who beat team B would that be.

Russia and Greece finished level, Greece won against Russia, so only right and fair Greece go through, and the subject of Russia, it's their own fault they have not gone through, it does not matter one bit whether they were the best team in that group or not, that group was a gifthorse for Russia possibly the easyest in the competition , no Spain,Italy,Holland,France,Germany, and to a lesser extent England, and few others who have looked useful, how easier did Russia want it.

I think it's part of the game that some teams get lucky breaks in games where others don't. Who's to say that in your situation Team B's tactics meant that Team A got men sent off. They played to a weakness in their teams and exploited it to the tune of 4 goals. Team D fails to exploit the same weaknesses and scores less goals, due to their tactical ineptness, but still manage to emerge as leaders ahead of Team B. Everyone plays against the same teams in the group, so everyone has the same tactics to analyse and exploit. I just think that the reward of going through should go to those that managed their squad better over the three games.

And you're completely right about Russia. A team of their standing shouldn't have found themselves in that situation in the first place and in all honesty they should have walked that group, even though the Russians aren't exactly world class. It was essentially the easiest group of the lot as it would be fair to say none of the teams in that group could really harbour realistic ambitions of winning the tournament, and yet, the better side, on paper at least, is on their way home.

And Aussie and Dave; you're making something of nothing there!

[Dave]

I see were your coming from Stevegull, I actually think there is a strong argument for both systems, goal difference would force teams to come out and attack more, with head to head we have seen more tatical games, and with most groups tight we are going to see a lot more tatical final games.

For me the situation with Greece /Russia they finished level on pts, and if Greece had been then knocked out after beating Russia, because of what happened in agame they had no control over , just does not seem right to me.

[stevegull]

I see were your coming from Stevegull, I actually think there is a strong argument for both systems, goal difference would force teams to come out and attack more, with head to head we have seen more tatical games, and with most groups tight we are going to see a lot more tatical final games.

For me the situation with Greece /Russia they finished level on pts, and if Greece had been then knocked out after beating Russia, because of what happened in agame they had no control over , just does not seem right to me.

I can also completely see where you were coming from. It would have seemed weird last night had Greece beaten Russia and ended level on points but the Russians started celebrating.

However personally I don't really see why the rule should be different to how the league tables across the world are ordered. I suppose it would be possible that in a league the teams at the top finish level at the top but the team with plus 40 goal differences misses out because they lost to their competitors with a goal difference of plus five.

[Jerry]

Head to head records are used in Italy before goal difference. In fact until recently they used to play tie-break games!

[Plymouth Gull]

What would happen though if, tonight, Holland beat Portugal? And Germany beat Denmark? Denmark, Portugal and Holland would all be on 3 points, Holland would have beaten Portugal, Portugal beat Denmark and Denmark beat holland. It's like rock-paper-scissors where nobody wins?!?

[AustrianAndyGull]

A Bender has just scored for the sausage munchers!!!

[stevegull]

Head to head records are used in Italy before goal difference. In fact until recently they used to play tie-break games!

Well if Italy do it then the world should do it. We all know how well-respected and corruption-free their league is.

In all seriousness, I didn't know that, and I thank you for telling me. Call me stubborn but i maintain that if 'most' of Europe's elite divisions are ordered on goal difference then the tournament for that region should maintain the same system.

[happytorq]

Call me stubborn but i maintain that if 'most' of Europe's elite divisions are ordered on goal difference then the tournament for that region should maintain the same system.

Also, La Liga use the record between the two teams concerned to break a 'tie'. GD over the course of the season only counts when that's level (such as when both games were drawn). So you've said 'most of Europe's elite divisions', yet 2 of those - in Italy and Spain use a different method.

[Jerry]

Also, La Liga use the record between the two teams concerned to break a 'tie'. GD over the course of the season only counts when that's level (such as when both games were drawn). So you've said 'most of Europe's elite divisions', yet 2 of those - in Italy and Spain use a different method.

Portugal use the head to head system as well! ;P

[happytorq]

Portugal use the head to head system as well! ;P

yeah, but he said 'top leagues'

[AustrianAndyGull]

Just like to congratulate all you England fans on making it through to the next round. Italy v England should actually make for a very intriguing game and even though i dread it when England play as they're so dull, i think this game will be an entertaining one.

[Southampton Gull]

You're right, Andy. England have been much less exciting in this tournament than Austria

[AustrianAndyGull]

Stop it Dave, i'm trying to be nice.