Dullest Tournament

[Lex]

Yeah the format is a nonsense and has diluted the quality of the games. Basically means if you win your first game you can play for a draw in your second game and get through. If you lose your first game you can play for a draw in your second game to keep your hopes alive. If you draw your first game a draw is fine in your second game too. No surprise therefore, that we saw a lot of boring draws. The group stages where 16 teams from 24 get through is always going to be dull as dishwater.

For teams that move into the last eight you've played an additional game than you would have at a 16 team tournament and players just look knackered now. We are seeing a lot of attrition and teams just grinding each other down or settling for a draw. 

Both England and France have been absolute gubbins all tournament, but with their combined experience and shit-festing know how no one would be surprised if they played each other in the final.  France may well win the whole thing without scoring a single goal from open play.

 

[Red Kite]

All of the above points are contributory factors.  Kids are being coached patterns of play, at academy level in England.  If you don't play to instructions, you get dropped.  It must be hard to go from the regimented approach to taking the initiative   I am supposed to be going to watch local cricket with an auld lad I know.  Massive knowledge of amateur football and he has no interest in this tournament.  Is the football likely to be exciting enough to make me leave live sport early to watch my national team, when I can follow the game updates?

[tarapoa]

I think France have distorted this one - their matches have been purgatory and sadly it has been successful so far for them. I can understand Greece in 2004 playing that way, but sad when a selection of the most elite players on the continent decide to do so.

Other than that, there will be a few stinkers in all tournaments, but in my adult years this has been one of the more enjoyable ones.  I think the games being in Germany with good supports and many in the evening under the lights always helps.

Edited July 6 by tarapoa

[Jacksgranda]

4 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

The first week of the tournament was pretty good for the most part.

The third group games were garbage and the knock out stages have been patchy with most of the media attention going to the worst performing teams.

With the exception of Spain and Germany all the big guns have been very poor.  France, England, Portugal, Italy.

The dominate style of football at the elite level is lacking.  Teams are defensively coached to the nth degree but players cannot cross a ball, play an incisive pass, shot, etc, etc.  There's been a lot of goals from outside the box but I think that says a lot about the lack of penalty box strikers in the game right now, it's almost a lost art.

Something is badly wrong when two teams like France and Portugal basically go out in a quarter final to play for penalties.

Probably hasn't helped that Scotland were dismal and got papped out first and England have been dismal and somehow get through.

While players are over worked I feel like tactics and a lack of real talent is a bigger issue.  Most of the big names are in their 30's and on the downslope.

Also expanding the tournament just hasn't worked. 

I agree.

Having said that, I've enjoyed it, even yesterday's games.

[Sergeant Wilson]

13 hours ago, Richey Edwards said:

International football is shite and largely pointless IMO.

It's time to scrap it.

I'd have league internationals. I used to wonder, for a second, why Messi never got picked for Spain before remembering why. A big league international tournament, 8 teams.

[HibeeJibee]

5 minutes ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

I'd have league internationals. I used to wonder, for a second, why Messi never got picked for Spain before remembering why. A big league international tournament, 8 teams.

There was a championship for the inter-league matches after the war involving the Football League, Scottish League, Irish League and League of Ireland. It went biennial from early 1960s after FL and SFL started playing more exotic opponents like Italian Lega Nazionale and Belgian Professional League.

For many years it had no trophy... but then somewhat bizarrely an American with a name like Hiram Hackenbeck presented silverware called "The British Empire Cup" which I'm somewhat amazed the Eire delegates were content to accept.

So you're saying revive "The British Empire Cup"?

[VictorOnopko]

14 hours ago, Arch Stanton said:

USA 1994 was much worse than this.

I hope that was meant as a joke as WC94 was one of the best ever. The only turgid game I remember was the final.  The group stages had plenty of good games and the Romanians and Bulgarians both had teams full of talent which added something extra to the usual contenders. 

World Cup 90 on the other hand was dreadful, and this Euros is quite reminiscent of it in terms of cagey games lacking goals (although Austria - Turkey and Germany - Spain livened things up).

[Scary Bear]

14 hours ago, FK1Bairn said:

Gary Lineker I think it was said something about players being tired at the end of a long hard season. 

I think he has a point but that can't be properly judged on one tournament. If the World Cup in 2026 is the same then fine. I have no idea how Copa America is going to compare them.

I'm done now with this tournament. I've seen 1 good game (Austria v Turkey), everything else has been turgid, boring and two teams just out not to lose. Seen better kids games! I reckon Turkey v Holland could be decent tomorrow but I'm not up for finding out. 

 

I think he has a point too. For instance, McGinn looked done after a long season. The likes of France and England haven’t managed to hit the heights at this tournament, despite the two of them notionally being the best teams. Apart from Spain, Germany the major nations have been misfiring.

The World Cup in Qatar was probably decent cause the players were in better shape mid-season.

I’m not done with the tournament though. For all you know the games today could be decent. 

[Barry Ferguson's Hat]

Who would have guessed that the wokest tournament so far is also the worst.

[Bad Wolf]

16 hours ago, Arch Stanton said:

USA 1994 was much worse than this.

I have an almost pathological dislike of the dullest ever Brazil team that won it, but other than that it was pretty enjoyable. Bulgaria's goals against Germany were both things of unfussy beauty, in particular.

[Bad Wolf]

I enjoyed most of the group games but the knockouts have not been up to much so far, Austria-Turkey, Romania-Netherlands and Spain-Germany being the exceptions. Even if the latter result wasn't to my taste as I'm similarly unforgiving of Spain's tedious tiki-taki shite as I am of '94 Brazil.

[Venti]

17 hours ago, Arch Stanton said:

USA 1994 was much worse than this.

Diana Ross wasn't that bad...

Baldy Letchkov's diving heider vs Germany was class.

 

[Ya Bezzer!]

5 minutes ago, Venti said:

Diana Ross wasn't that bad...

Baldy Letchkov's diving heider vs Germany was class.

 

That goal literally gave me a nose bleed.  I think that's the only time I've ever had one.

[Sergeant Wilson]

3 hours ago, HibeeJibee said:

There was a championship for the inter-league matches after the war involving the Football League, Scottish League, Irish League and League of Ireland. It went biennial from early 1960s after FL and SFL started playing more exotic opponents like Italian Lega Nazionale and Belgian Professional League.

For many years it had no trophy... but then somewhat bizarrely an American with a name like Hiram Hackenbeck presented silverware called "The British Empire Cup" which I'm somewhat amazed the Eire delegates were content to accept.

So you're saying revive "The British Empire Cup"?

I was at one of the old league internationals in the 70s. The fixture calendar is way to crowded to fit it in these days and I've a good idea what the big clubs would think of it, but I still think there would be public interest in it. Maybe more so than the club world cup. Although I also know that's more popular away from Europe.

[Central Belt Caley]

Teams need to get back to playing wingers, two up front (a big lump and a wee quick guy preferably) and crosses into the box and players regularly trying 30+ yard thunder b*****ds. 
 

The woke mob have taken this from us 

[FalkirkBairn2021]

It's been absolutely fucking awful. I enjoyed the first 3 days but since then..brutal. Can't end quick enough.

[Monkey Tennis]

I'd class this tournament as OKish.

Thanks for listening.

[Chripper]

The people who are saying that International football is worse than it used to be are essentially saying that football isn't what it used to be.

The players are selected from club football, believe it or not.

Barcelona aren't what they used to be. Italian football isn’t what it used to be. Real Madrid aren't. Manchester United aren't. Liverpool aren't what they used to be, etc.

It's ironic. The more professional and richer football has gotten, the lowering in quality It's become.

Personally, I've enjoyed the defending in Euro 24.

[Chripper]

5 hours ago, Central Belt Caley said:

The woke mob have taken this from us 

Woke?

You believe in racial prejudice and discrimination?

Good for you.

[forameus]

Largely tedious tournament.  You're always going to get the odd game that rises above, but I suspect there were even some good games during the 2010 World Cup, which I remember as being particularly insipid.  I don't remember this many of the big sides ever being this awkward looking before.  You always get a handful that get papped out early to create a story, but this time around they couldn't even muster up the excitement to do that.  Germany looked like they might click, but never quite hit top gear (although had they not come up against Spain, who knows).  Italy were the 2nd best team in the group easily, but then were absolute dogshit in the next round.  England have been uniformly rancid.  France can't even be arsed to do anything but defend and are sleepwalking their way probably to another final (for all the talk of easy sides of the draw, at least France's behaviour meant they ended up there.  Still winning though).  Austria looked like they could be a surprise package who quickly got sent packing.  Netherlands don't look that up to much.  Belgium continue to be utterly pointless.  Portugal were set up to be a tribute act to a sad ghost.  Yet most of those made it through at the expense of the smaller sides anyway.

When the tournament is done, what are we really thinking those storybook moments are going to be?  Georgia getting scudded off Spain?  Turkey being mad?  Both those sides have done really well, but that's probably your lot unless we see something truly amazing in the final 3 games.