Martin Wood gives his thoughts on England's potential future opposition
as he takes a look across the European Championships and into Group F.
With
England opening the Euro Champs this year with a disappointing draw
against Russia, so now all eyes to Thursday's Home Nations tie against
Wales - plenty are hopeful for knockout stage qualification - and should
that happen fans will be making their assumptions about future
opponents and Martin doesn't believe there's much to worry about in this
group.
-----
For me Group F is the weakest Group at Euro
2016 and has the potential to serve up some stinking games. They'll
probably all be 4-3 thrillers now I've written that.
TODAY 10-06-2016 to 22-06-2016 1OO% SURE-BET.
#GET_Filtered_Soccer_Match with 1.70-1.75 ODDs Daily.
Deposit or Fund your account with a total of $10(N3,300),$5(N1,650) AND $3(N990) RESPECTIVELY and ROLL-OVER your winning without withdrawal TO EARN Atleast $410(N135,000),$205(N67,650) AND $123(N40,624) RESPECTIVELY in Every 7 days.
This is a 100% STREAMS Of INCOME You Can Trust. Call +234 7046498734 Now. Terms & Conditions Apply.
#These_match_starts_by_2pm
EUFA Euro 2016:
Russia - Slovakia
X-10min@ 1.14
Romania - Switzerland
X-10min@ 1.13
France - Albania
X-10min@ 1.18
England - Wales
X-10min@ 1.15
Ukraine - Northern Ireland
X-10min@ 1.14
Germany - Poland
X-10min@ 1.18
Italy - Sweden
X-10min@ 1.13
Czech Republic - Croatia
X-10min@ 1.14
Spain - Turkey
X-10min@ 1.16
Belgium - Republic of Ireland
X-10min@ 1.16
Iceland - Hungary
X-10min@ 1.14
Portugal - Austria
X-10min@ 1.15
Switzerland - France
X-10min@ 1.16
Romania - Albania
X-10min@ 1.15
Slovakia - England
X-10min@ 1.17
Russia - Wales
X-10min@ 1.15
Ukraine - Poland
X-10min@ 1.15
Northern Ireland - Germany
X-10min@ 1.22
Croatia - Spain
X-10min@ 1.16
Czech Republic - Turkey
X-10min@ 1.16
Hungary - Portugal
X-10min@ 1.17
Iceland - Austria
X-10min@ 1.15
Italy - Republic of Ireland
X-10min@ 1.15
Sweden - Belgium
X-10min@ 1.16
Odd 32.50
Amount ₦20,000
Potential winning 650,031.91 ₦
BOOKING NUMBER for bet9ja.com only and available for residence in NIGERIA only.(PCVNFS)
Portugal
Portugal are known for a number things such as Ronaldo (who must surely soon try and get a law passed where you can marry yourself), never having good strikers at international tournaments, and of course Real Madrid's pantomime villain Pepe ('He's behind you, rolling around on the floor pretending you've shoved an elbow in his phizzog' shouted the children).
Talking about Pepe, the big question for anyone watching a Portugal game this summer is "Have you gone through the three stages of Pepe?". This is the scientifically proven cycle humans go through.
Phase 1: Disgust. Repulsed by Pepe`s general nastiness, lack of sportsmanship, cynicism and play-acting the natural response is rage and a call for the authorities to 'do something about it.`
Phase 2: Accept. You know what to expect, you accept that it will happen, you hope a referee will 'do something about it.`
Phase 3: Embrace. You look forward to seeing what Pepe can do, a part of you genuinely admires it and if a referee 'does something about it`, you don`t mind either way. This is performance art, at its finest. As this is a cycle, there is chance you can see so much of Pepe that you can return, in an instant, back to Phase 1.
Personally, I`m more repulsed by Ronaldo. But each to their own.
Defensively, Portugal have further problems thanks to Bruno Alves' dunderheaded challenge in the recent friendly with England leading to his suspension. Ricardo Carvalho, at 38, still makes the squad in a backline that can lack dynamism.
In midfield there's been a fair amount of noise for wonderkid Renato Sanches who has recently signed for Bayern Munich from Benfica. While I may not look forward to Portugal's games, the intrigue in watching this potential world star is enough to get me tuning in.
Upfront the Portuguese seem to have given up in playing strikers and so Ronaldo is lilkely to nominally be 'the striker'. And it'll be interesting to see how he gets on. Clearly knackered at the end of the Champion's League final, and after a long season in Spain that went to the wire, is he 100% fit? He will at least be supported by Nani after a career resurrecting year at Sporting Lisbon.
Portugal clearly should win this group but give me a similar 'meh' as Ukraine, and that's really saying something. Normally I positively don't enjoy watching them but think I may need to until the quarter finals.
Hungary
Hungary qualified for Euro 2016 off the back of a third place finish. Behind Romania. And Northern Ireland. If anyone wants to torture Michel Platini more about the expanded tournament, they should just walk up to his house with a picture of this Hungary squad and say 'Look, look what you've done.'
I'm assuming UEFA.com has it wrong as their site lists Hungary as having seven, yes, seven forwards in their squad. Can you imagine England with Rooney, Kane, Vardy, Sturridge, Walcott, Berahino and Rashford? Most likely to lead the line is Legia Warsaw's Nemanja Nikolic though chances are likely to be at a premium.
Hungary will line up with a comfortably past his best Gabor Kiraly (over 100 appearances for Crystal Palace, 2004 - 2007) in goal. Ahead of him is a largely domestically based defensive unit.
In midfield, 37 year old former West Brom star Zoltan Gera will sit deap while the only 'one to watch' in the team could be Werder Bremen's Laszlo Kleinheiser.
Hungary are likely to drop deep to stifle games and try to make the most of breakaways and set pieces but for me this will be nowhere near enough. They may get a point out of Iceland, but that'll be that.
Iceland
Forget the romance of Northern Ireland and Wales' qualification of Euro 2016, as the real romance the biggest achievement is surely Iceland's? The country has a population of less than 325,000. Seriously, that's like Bristol qualifying for the Euro's using only players from Bristol. And Bristol has a bigger population than Iceland.
They qualified behind the resurgent Czechs but ahead of Turkey and that Holland nightmare. Highlights included home victories over each of those teams.
Most of the Iceland squad play their club football in Sweden and Norway but there are a smattering a players from around Europe's bigger leagues. Most familiar will be Swansea's freekick and assist machine, Gylfie Sigurdsson - likely to be key if Iceland are to spring a surprise and get out of the group in third place or as runners up. One to watch could be the Krasnador centre back Ragnar Sigurdsson; key at organising the defence and with 50 caps worth of experience.
The squad itself seems the perfect blend of youth and experience for tournament football with the legendary Eidur Gudjohnsen heading that 'experience' category. Now playing for Molde is Norway, the veteran of Premier League, La Liga and Champion's League titles still provides vital know-how when given playing time, even though that playing time is likely to be limited to substitute appearances here.
Gudjohnsen, however isn't the real star of the show any more. I've mentioned Sigurdsson and he has strong defensive cover from midfield in the shape of Aron Gunarsson (now of Cardiff) and creatively from Birkir Bjarnason of Basel.
Iceland should qualify if they beat Hungary in their opening game. The match is likely to be tight with Hungary knowing that avoiding defeat will put them in with a shout of going through. Iceland however have greater quality and should win, with a chance of at least a further point from Austria or Portugal. I'd pick qualification from third place and a second round exit.
-----
For Austria thoughts, Pepe proved a distraction!
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your contribution