Congratulations to Italy on Winning Euro 2016

Don't call me James wrote:Lmao the farthest this team can hope to make is Quarters if they are really lucky. My bet is they get knocked out in Round of 16 by Croatia or Spain.

Why are you "laughing your ass off"? Most of us agree that it is a mediocre Italian team. What's your problem?

Laughing at this thread congratulating Italy winning this tourney. It's laughable.

S wrote:@Luca,if Italy top the group,they face Spain/Croatia in the R16 and Germany in the QF

If they finish 2nd in the group,they'll most likely face Portugal in the R16.

All these teams are no walk in the park and comfortably better than Belgium.

I'll be pretty surprised if they go very far in this tournament especially if they finish as group winners.Its actually better to finish 2nd than 1st in this group

I hear you S, to be honest, I don't think anyone has high expectations for this Italy team
But at the same time, anything can happen in these tournaments
And you know exactly what you'll get from a Conte team, relentless effort like today so it's admirable, as an Italian, to watch them go out swinging

Today I feel great pride, seeing our Juventus boys play a great game and the performance in general. Far from flawless, but positive and purposeful

I'm really impressed with this Euro, no real weak teams. This top 2 team and top 3 for the 4/6 teams has made quite an impact because every team has a chance it seems to proceed from the group

Don't call me James wrote:Laughing at this thread congratulating Italy winning this tourney. It's laughable.

Yeah, kinda like declaring Liverpool the winners of the EL (:

Don't call me James wrote:Lmao the farthest this team can hope to make is Quarters if they are really lucky. My bet is they get knocked out in Round of 16 by Croatia or Spain.

I was a skeptic on this thread until this post. Now it's ****ing confirmed. Italy 2016 Euro champions!

God damn it James.

McAgger you lad i'm gonna stick 20 quid on Italy now.

Didnt see the game. Really struggling with the timings as work and all. I really wonder how you guys are making time to watch the Euro and the Copa amidst work and all.

But of the teams I have seen, Poland impressed me the most followed by Spain and Croatia.
Havent seen the qualifiers so cant comment in general but the Polish team looked very fast, very direct and very scary. I doubt many teams can cope with the high tempo style Poland plays. I did notice a chink though. Their game plan is almost entirely wing based. Relies on Kyrchowiak switching the play and supplying the wingers and fullbacks in space. He isnt a particularly great passer, especially under pressure. Put him under pressure and close him down early and the supply to the wings can be cut. The Irish manager didnt do it and Kyrchowiak had all the time and space in the world. Any team playing them should ask the striker or the number 10 to pressure Kyrchowaik as soon as he gets the ball. This will hamper their play.

Will watch the Italian game today and make up my opinion. My bet is on Spain winning once more. France didnt impress me and looked downright average. Spain just have the pedigree and the winning mentality.

Belgium pretty much showed as well as I expected them to. They're not a fast team in the midfield so they will always be susceptible to counter attacks. Once Italy scored, they were always going to be exposed as Conte is very capable.

Good game by Italy who can win games as long as they control the context. If the context gets away from them and they have to improvise... they don't have the players.

alexjanosik wrote:Didnt see the game. Really struggling with the timings as work and all. I really wonder how you guys are making time to watch the Euro and the Copa amidst work and all.

But of the teams I have seen, Poland impressed me the most followed by Spain and Croatia.
Havent seen the qualifiers so cant comment in general but the Polish team looked very fast, very direct and very scary. I doubt many teams can cope with the high tempo style Poland plays. I did notice a chink though. Their game plan is almost entirely wing based. Relies on Kyrchowiak switching the play and supplying the wingers and fullbacks in space. He isnt a particularly great passer, especially under pressure. Put him under pressure and close him down early and the supply to the wings can be cut. The Irish manager didnt do it and Kyrchowiak had all the time and space in the world. Any team playing them should ask the striker or the number 10 to pressure Kyrchowaik as soon as he gets the ball. This will hamper their play.

Will watch the Italian game today and make up my opinion. My bet is on Spain winning once more. France didnt impress me and looked downright average. Spain just have the pedigree and the winning mentality.

Poland looked pretty good, but you have to take it with a pinch of salt, don't you? They played against Northern Ireland, arguably the weakest team in the entire tournament. It's difficult to judge these teams after one game, I'll reserve judgement on how I think the teams will do until after the second round of group stage games, personally.

True. Didnt help either that the Irish played 3 at the back so there was space out wide which the Irish exploited. But Ireland also parked the bus so there was less space. Against a more open team, Poland might get more space. But then they might also be doubled up on the wings by a standard 4-4-2 defensive formation(which the Irish couldnt as they played 3 at the back). So kind of a tradeoff.

You are right that we need to watch the entire group stage.

Euro matches start at 9am, 12pm and 3pm respectively and considering my work can be a bit lax to say the least, I can catch at least 2 outta 3 (today was 3 outta 3). I also get to see Copa America games in the night (if I choose to watch it) due to the time difference.

I would not have that same luxury for Russia or Qatar (or wherever they put the next one).

So how do you watch the games when they are mostly during the day for you?You work night shift or something?

Don't call me James wrote:Lmao the farthest this team can hope to make is Quarters if they are really lucky. My bet is they get knocked out in Round of 16 by Croatia or Spain.

Bookies have stopped taking bets on Italy. Coincidence? I dnt think so.

Italians love people underestimating them tbh. They are doing to make it far IMO. Probably semifinals

Yeah, essentially, America's got it made atm. If you're not working through euros (in school and it's summer for me) then you catch all the games in the morning and early afternoon and then all of the evening for Copa

Really living it atm

Wouldn't watch copa even if it was being broadcasted in primetime hours

Cruijf wrote:

Don't call me James wrote:Laughing at this thread congratulating Italy winning this tourney. It's laughable.

Yeah, kinda like declaring Liverpool the winners of the EL (:

Savage.

Saying Italy will get destroyed by second hand and full talent no experience teams is same like saying England is a great team and will win anything this decade...stupid biased shit.

The things is that Italians are the mastermind technicians and other teams don't even come close.
They shut down Belgium playing Parolo and Eder....Eder ffs.Even Albania has better strikers than him.

Imagine if Italy had Marchisio and Verrati,they basically miss their best mids.

I always have fun when others are surprised by Italy being at it lowest on mid and attack talent but still being able to top the group.

I can't believe some people haven't yet figures out the tacticall brillance italians bring,they are dangerous when they are not favourites.With Juve's back line they can shut down any team in this Euro,unless they somehow bring MSN from Barca.

I think they will go at semis at least.
I'm getting more and more sure that they shit all over overrated EPL players...Giaccherinho rubbing his ... all over overrated Hazards and De Bruyne ahahahah

P.S i really liked Conte not bothered to even play Insigne and SES or even Zaza.
He is saving the mass destruction weapons for more serious opponents.

Can't wait to see Zaza destroying some overrated team like he did with Napoli....Zazaaaa remember this name folks

juvealbanian wrote:P.S i really liked Conte not bothered to even play Insigne and SES or even Zaza.
He is saving the mass destruction weapons for more serious opponents.

Can't wait to see Zaza destroying some overrated team like he did with Napoli....Zazaaaa remember this name folks

I don't know any Zaza. I only know ZAZA.

ES wrote:Wouldn't watch copa even if it was being broadcasted in primetime hours

So true. 0 interest in that terrible tournament.

CBarca wrote:Yeah, essentially, America's got it made atm. If you're not working through euros (in school and it's summer for me) then you catch all the games in the morning and early afternoon and then all of the evening for Copa

Really living it atm

Get a job you bum

They have the Defense to get all the way up there. Greece did it why can't Italy?

Lord Awesome wrote:They have the Defense to get all the way up there. Greece did it why can't Italy?

So are you saying that the final will be between Belgium and Italy?

Easily the best peformance by a " big team " so far .