Albino Rover Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 On paper, it's between France and Germany. I know things rarely work out like that, but the last World Cup was quite predictable. Apart from 7-1 And Costa Rica's success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONKMAN Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Apart from 7-1 And Costa Rica's success. I was quite surprised Brazil scored also. An absolute tanking was a foregone conclusion though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergie's no1 fan Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Germany, France and Spain will be the front runners. Never write off Italy no matter how average they may look compared to others. Haven't looked at the map of the draw so don't know who can play who but England and Belgium will have had a great tournament if they reach the semi's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latino Lover Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Sat and looked through run to final today, Spain and France avoid playing other group winners until the last 4 if they both win their groups as expected, however France would probably play Germnay then, it's a bit less clear for Spain but certainly easier on paper. Draws a bit trickier to work out on this occasion with third places going through, not sure if I worked out correctly who France's opponents were in the next round if it's already determined to be 3rd from c if they qualify ( I had NI going out on 2 points so Czechs qualify third in D) or if it's drawn again or depends on who the best runner up is. This is where hibee jibee usually excels himself. I'd take Spain to certainly reach the final and probably meet France or Germany. Giroud and Griezmann look best value top scorers and Spain best value winners from a gambling perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bairn Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Amazed by the confidence in Germany, considering we saw plenty of them in our qualifying group. I've never seen a German side make such a poor show of qualification, up to and including the final match. Possibly the biggest sign that we didn't deserve to qualify (other than Georgia) was that we never looked like taking anything from them, as opposed to the other sides in the group; even Gibraltar had the best of them over 45 minutes at one point. They could always turn it around before the finals, but the Norn will have their fingers crossed that they play to form. Look at some of the German sides they put out in qualifying though, they were experimenting a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBC-91 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Dimitri Payets France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie95 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Germany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 All the teams are shit so I reckon the best player might win it. Portugal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshmallo Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Austria at 40/1 will be my outside bet. Phenomenal qualifying record and they have some very good players in key positions. Germany are strongest on paper but weren't particularly impressive in qualifying. I also reckon Spain, Italy, France are in a transitional phase of sorts, so it could be an unfancied side who win it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Austria at 40/1 will be my outside bet. Phenomenal qualifying record and they have some very good players in key positions. Germany are strongest on paper but weren't particularly impressive in qualifying. I also reckon Spain, Italy, France are in a transitional phase of sorts, so it could be an unfancied side who win it. Diddy countries with strong qualifying records don't seem to carry that through into a major tournament. The likes of Belgium two years ago, Poland when they romped to the 2002 World Cup and were papped out of the easiest group, spring to mind (well I had to Wiki the details of Poland but knew that they flopped). Not sure if it comes down to a lack of major tournament experience or just being found out playing games over a shorter period of time. Agreed that there really isn't a stand-out side in the tournament though; England, for a change, have a modest chance of winning the tournament as a consequence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I think if Vardy and Kane carry on their form they'll take some stopping. I expect they'll just ignore form and pick Rooney instead though. I'd like to see a diddy nation win but, ideally, not one whose fans are likely to make monkey noises or stab anyone though. Who shall I go with, considering Iceland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latino Lover Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Belgium took full points in an admittedly shit group in Brazil and lost 1-0 to eventual runners up Argentina in the 1/4 finals. Thats a decent World Cup really for a first tournament in 12 years, certainly as good as can be expected. Poland were poor in 02 in a group with co hosts South Korea, Portugal and surprise package USA, but not many European teams covered themselves in glory then, also their qualifying group was really bad. Austria are in a favourable group and looking at it second place plays second I'm group b which is possible better than winning it and playing second in group e. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Diddy countries with strong qualifying records don't seem to carry that through into a major tournament. The likes of Belgium two years ago . Well in Brazil Belgium won their group, got to the quarter finals and lost narrowly to Argentina. A pretty decent tournament really. The less fashionable nations seems to do relatively well at the Euros. Recently we've seen Denmark and Greece win it, Portugal and Czech Republic make the final, Turkey and Russia make semi finals. No doubt there will be another unfancied side that comes from nowhere to make the latter stages. Think Wales have got as good a chance as being that side as anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Well in Brazil Belgium won their group, got to the quarter finals and lost narrowly to Argentina. A pretty decent tournament really. The less fashionable nations seems to do relatively well at the Euros. Recently we've seen Denmark and Greece win it, Portugal and Czech Republic make the final, Turkey and Russia make semi finals. Belgium won a crap group while playing unconvincingly, and continued to do so until they lost to a misfiring Argentina side in turn. They underperformed, which is why question marks have surrounded Wilmots' ability in charge ever since then. An awful lot of revisionism on display here. Portugal in particular as well as the Czech Republic were both entirely 'fashionable' footballing sides with recognised world-class players when they actually made the final. Probably with greater or at least more recognised quality than Belgium now, and certainly more so than Austria. Of course lesser sides can win the tournament (though turning it into a 24 team, extended tournament reduces that prospect) but no-one is tipping Albania or Hungary to win it for good reasons. There's a clear grading of quality going into the finals as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMMjag Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Can't remember the top European nations looking so mediocre in a while; none of Germany, Spain or Italy had standout qualifying campaigns. If Kane, Vardy and Alli can maintain their form until the end of the season, and if Hodgson has the balls to drop a plodding Wayne Rooney if necessary to accomodate such form players, then England have a much better chance than usual in a major tournament - especially without chief bottler Steven Gerrard. I expect they'll be bumped out around the quarter final stage with some sob story or other though. Germany would be my bet assuming they step up a gear from a fairly poor qualifying campaign; they certainly have the best squad. Guys like Lewandowski or Bale could be enough to give the smaller nations an outside chance though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Belgium won a crap group while playing unconvincingly, and continued to do so until they lost to a misfiring Argentina side in turn. They underperformed, which is why question marks have surrounded Wilmots' ability in charge ever since then. An awful lot of revisionism on display here. Portugal in particular as well as the Czech Republic were both entirely 'fashionable' footballing sides with recognised world-class players when they actually made the final. Probably with greater or at least more recognised quality than Belgium now, and certainly more so than Austria. Of course lesser sides can win the tournament (though turning it into a 24 team, extended tournament reduces that prospect) but no-one is tipping Albania or Hungary to win it for good reasons. There's a clear grading of quality going into the finals as usual. I don't think many were realistically expecting Belgium to do better than win their group and get to the quarter finals. Czech Republic were 'fashionable' in 1996? They hadn't even qualified in 92 or 94 and they didn't qualify in 98 either. They weren't expected to get out the group in 96, never mind make the final. Portugal were hosts but had never made a final before and haven't since. Obviously there's a grading of quality and favourites, but 16 teams out of 24 will make the knock out stage. When you get there a bit of luck in one game or winning a penalty shoot out in another and you can quickly find your side in the semi final. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cults_sheep Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Wales would be a decent shout as an outside bet if their keeper (Hennessey, not Danny, Danny Ward) wasn't mince. Spain are playing some good stuff now, reckon they'll retain. Guffs have no chance, they'll bottle it in the groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menzel Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Czech Republic were 'fashionable' in 1996? They hadn't even qualified in 92 or 94 and they didn't qualify in 98 either. They weren't expected to get out the group in 96, never mind make the final. Portugal were hosts but had never made a final before and haven't since. A bit unfair on 1992 because the Czech Republic didn't exist, but as an independent state they've qualified for every Euros. Gone are the teams with recognisable players such as Nedvěd, Šmicer, Koller and so on but the Czechs could possibly have a good go this campaign, especially in the same group as Turkey who were hit and miss during the qualifying campaign (one win each in the qualifying). It's a more domestic team, the squad likely to be dominated by Viktoria and Sparta players, but David Lafata has been banging them in domestically and there's still some experience in Čech, Rosický and David Limberský who's having a good season. I think there could be a potential surprise in Slovakia, despite the group they're drawn in. They tend to be a team that's either excellent or completely falls apart but they had a good qualifying campaign and feature far more European players than merely the domestic league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menzel Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 As for actual winners, I like the look of France, should qualify from their group with ease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 They really wouldn't be. I'd say of the "unfashionable" sides they're the best. Bale propels them quite high up and they also have Ramsey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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