Euro 2024

[Scipio Africanus]

Germany are just too well oiled, they are one scarily well organized machine. Our German-Naija boy is balling his socks off as usual.

Yup. Looks like the stereotype is back. Machine.

I don't think it is just that Scotland sucks. Germany is forcing them to play poorly, although Scotland need to soul search on such an implosion.

This is the result one expects when you have Kroos, Musiala, and so. Scotland has nobody on such levels. The best Scotland could have hoped for is heroic resistance and being competitive...but they aren't.

German midfield and defense is class. We will see if forwards however can do it vs tier 1 opposition, which I think is the only relative weak part. But even 45 minutes suggest Germany is a hot favorite now.

I would love to see Germany against a team with a strong midfield like Croatia or Portugal. We’ll see what level Germany is really on then. Scotland are doing their best but they aren’t very good.

I fancy our midfield over anybody else. World class defense too. Finally decent, but not great forwards...which might be the different. There are many tier 1 European teams right now and the results go could any way between them.

I had France and England as a 2 pack slight tier1+. I now add Germany. Again, any 1 of about 10 European teams are capable of beating each other.

Yeah Croatia’s midfield is up there. I would add Spain and Italia as threats to win it all too.

[mate]

Germany are just too well oiled, they are one scarily well organized machine. Our German-Naija boy is balling his socks off as usual.

Yup. Looks like the stereotype is back. Machine.

I don't think it is just that Scotland sucks. Germany is forcing them to play poorly, although Scotland need to soul search on such an implosion.

This is the result one expects when you have Kroos, Musiala, and so. Scotland has nobody on such levels. The best Scotland could have hoped for is heroic resistance and being competitive...but they aren't.

German midfield and defense is class. We will see if forwards however can do it vs tier 1 opposition, which I think is the only relative weak part. But even 45 minutes suggest Germany is a hot favorite now.

I would love to see Germany against a team with a strong midfield like Croatia or Portugal. We’ll see what level Germany is really on then. Scotland are doing their best but they aren’t very good.

I fancy our midfield over anybody else. World class defense too. Finally decent, but not great forwards...which might be the different. There are many tier 1 European teams right now and the results go could any way between them.

I had France and England as a 2 pack slight tier1+. I now add Germany. Again, any 1 of about 10 European teams are capable of beating each other.

Yeah Croatia’s midfield is up there. I would add Spain and Italia as threats to win it all too.

Interesting psychology Italy and Croatia share in common: they play better out of spite when underrated than when favorites and it gets to their heads.

The pundits are showing Croatia and Italy disrespect, especially us. Calling us old, when it's just not true. Rating us outsiders and overachievers, ignoring past results and continuous production of world class players.

I sure hope Croatia punches them in the mouth.



I'm nervous for tomorrow. I hope we bring our best against Spain.

[Tobi17]

My top favorites: Germany, Croatia, Portugal

I fear that France will self-imolode and flatter to deceive: the curse of being too good for your own good. England will do an England as usual, Spain are my outside shots for favorites as well. Italy are one decent #9 away from sneaking into the favorites, which they unfortunately lack right now.

[Tobi17]

4-0...Germany are just stream-rolling the Scots at this point. Not looking pretty for them.

[mate]

My top favorites: Germany, Croatia, Portugal

I fear that France will self-imolode and flatter to deceive: the curse of being too good for your own good. England will do an England as usual, Spain are my outside shots for favorites as well. Italy are one decent #9 away from sneaking into the favorites, which they unfortunately lack right now.

Our strength is also our weakness: mental composure.

Even after all these days, all the professionalism, sport science, training, and exposure in the best leagues...we still have a bit of that tribal and village mentality. It confounds robotic raw professional discipline, giving us a bit of xinga. On a roll, we outplay and outthink, knowing we're that good.

But when it goes south, as sometimes happens with us, we lose composure and can be downright bad. We played so badly in home games vs Turkey and Wales in qualifying, coming in 2nd to Turkey. Team was transitioning, bad formation and player selection...which now has been course corrected, so we should be ok.

We will see.

[danfo driver]

Am I the only one who does not like Sane as a player, at all?

[Sleaky72]

Scotland: disgrace of a home nation.
Yikes

[Sleaky72]

My top favorites: Germany, Croatia, Portugal

I fear that France will self-imolode and flatter to deceive: the curse of being too good for your own good. England will do an England as usual, Spain are my outside shots for favorites as well. Italy are one decent #9 away from sneaking into the favorites, which they unfortunately lack right now.

Our strength is also our weakness: mental composure.

Even after all these days, all the professionalism, sport science, training, and exposure in the best leagues...we still have a bit of that tribal and village mentality. It confounds robotic raw professional discipline, giving us a bit of xinga. On a roll, we outplay and outthink, knowing we're that good.

But when it goes south, as sometimes happens with us, we lose composure and can be downright bad. We played so badly in home games vs Turkey and Wales in qualifying, coming in 2nd to Turkey. Team was transitioning, bad formation and player selection...which now has been course corrected, so we should be ok.

We will see.

Mate,
Hope I’m wrong for your sake but I think this is the least talented Croatian squad in recent memory.

[danfo driver]

Scotland: disgrace of a home nation.
Yikes

See this mentally unstable thing. Scotland? Home nation? Please go and take your meds

[Scipio Africanus]

Scotland: disgrace of a home nation.
Yikes

See this mentally unstable thing. Scotland? Home nation? Please go and take your meds

Can you do us all a great favor and fork off out of this thread? Everyone was having a great time until you showed up. Your presence is like someone spraying dog diarrhea at a nice picnic in the park on a beautiful day. Seriously, fork off!

[bret- hart]

This is how you deal with minnows. If na nigeria now we go dey struggle . This new coach needs to come I quick and get my Eagles flying again.

[Scipio Africanus]

The bushman doesn't realize that Scotland is one of 4 UK "home nations". He thought Sleaky was referring to Scotland as his home nation! Soon he will be here regaling us with fairy tales about how he is in Italy one day to sell cheap Chinese knock off goods, in Germany the next and in Kafanchan on yet another day! Bush, ill-mannered bumpkin In the name of God, please leave this beautiful thread!

[mate]

My top favorites: Germany, Croatia, Portugal

I fear that France will self-imolode and flatter to deceive: the curse of being too good for your own good. England will do an England as usual, Spain are my outside shots for favorites as well. Italy are one decent #9 away from sneaking into the favorites, which they unfortunately lack right now.

Our strength is also our weakness: mental composure.

Even after all these days, all the professionalism, sport science, training, and exposure in the best leagues...we still have a bit of that tribal and village mentality. It confounds robotic raw professional discipline, giving us a bit of xinga. On a roll, we outplay and outthink, knowing we're that good.

But when it goes south, as sometimes happens with us, we lose composure and can be downright bad. We played so badly in home games vs Turkey and Wales in qualifying, coming in 2nd to Turkey. Team was transitioning, bad formation and player selection...which now has been course corrected, so we should be ok.

We will see.

Mate,
Hope I’m wrong for your sake but I think this is the least talented Croatian squad in recent memory.

Not really. Who do think is not talented? The entire defense is talented: Gvardiol(Man C), Sutalo(Ajax), Pongracic(Lecce), and Stanisic(Bayer Leverkusen) are backed by Juranovic(Union Berlin), Erlic(Sassuolo) and Sosa (Ajax).

The midfield is Modric(RM), Kovacic(Man C), Brozovic(Al Nasr). All these are great players. Modric can go 65 mins while the other 2 prime, know for fitness as well as talent. Backed by young talents Baturina(Dinamo) and Sucic(RB Salzburg), all 20.

As I posted, up front we have in form Kramaric and Budimir. I've not even named the 2 Pasalic's, Ivanusec, and Majer. These are not bad players at all.

Don't get me wrong, we can bomb. But it won't be for a lack of talent or age. But rather mentality. These guys are capable of laying an egg as beating England, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Portugal...who have we not scalped?



We shall see.

[mate]

This is how you deal with minnows. If na nigeria now we go dey struggle . This new coach needs to come I quick and get my Eagles flying again.

It's cyclical. You saw how Germany has gone out in round 1 of recent tournaments. They are back.

Nigeria also will be back. And to be sure, just like with Croatia, we're starting late in terms of opportunity, development, and freedom really. Germany has competed forever. Nigeria and Croatia only really in the 90s.

I have one CORE way I rate my team: how many big time players are at big roles at big clubs?

Only then is anybody a serious consistent contender. Sure, a disciplined team with less than this can occasionally make a run: Turkey, Japan, Bulgaria, Morocco...but having elite players means you can make such runs often and with conviction.

We're all football fans. We know with enough eye tests if we have the footballers. If they're contenders or less than that or minnows.

[danfo driver]

This is how you deal with minnows. If na nigeria now we go dey struggle . This new coach needs to come I quick and get my Eagles flying again.

I dey tell you. Straightforward a55whopping! But they will be telling us "there are no more minnows in African football." intead of them to admit that we are now minnows.

[Scipio Africanus]

This is how you deal with minnows. If na nigeria now we go dey struggle . This new coach needs to come I quick and get my Eagles flying again.

Nigeria's problem is that we overcomplicate things in the attacking phase. Take several touches to take the ball to the flank, take several more touches trying to beat the man at the flank, take several more touches trying to advance into the box from the flank, ... etc. Meanwhile the opposition has used this time to position themselves perfectly to defend you.

When Germany see space, fiam! the ball is sent there immediately! They take the ball to the flank, fiam! it is slammed across the goal mouth immediately! The ball is whizzing across the goal mouth and if there is a German player there, you know a hot shot is coming! No faffing about!

[mate]

This is how you deal with minnows. If na nigeria now we go dey struggle . This new coach needs to come I quick and get my Eagles flying again.

Nigeria's problem is that we overcomplicate things in the attacking phase. Take several touches to take the ball to the flank, take several more touches trying to beat the man at the flank, take several more touches trying to advance into the box from the flank, ... etc. Meanwhile the opposition has used this time to position themselves perfectly to defend you.

When Germany see space, fiam! the ball is sent there immediately! They take the ball to the flank, fiam! it is slammed across the goal mouth immediately! The ball is whizzing across the goal mouth and if there is a German player there, you know a hot shot is coming! No faffing about!

My take is the Super Eagles have attackers. It's the midfield and defense that seems to have fallen off the standard. I haven't watched too many games the past few years, but I keep seeing some pretty bad errors leading to bad goals.

I look up the midfielders and defenders thread every now and then to see how this is developing. Again, I think Nigeria is in a down cycle, especially in those vital components. I also will briefly repeat what I said a ways back on our forum here: Nigeria will find it harder to develop top footballers without a strong league.

Natural talent as well all incessantly discuss is not enough.

[ohsee]

And dem dey call am Marc "Gay."

[ohsee]

The competition is about to kick off and already I am dreading Fox Sport commentators here in the US.
Please if someone has a web link please share it.

Ma fren, get an IPTV subscription and watch it on Canadian TV, UK, Australian, and anybody you want who speaks English and watches footie. Throw away your regular TV channels and go IPTV. It's cheaper, and gives you waaaaaaaaaaaaay more international options than regular TV in one country.

[ohsee]

Am I the only one who does not like Sane as a player, at all?

He was good when a certain Spanish coach was his Oga.

[ohsee]

Germany is looking like a serious contender. Yes, it is Scotland, but this is a great display.

[wiseone]

Fox’s “football commentators” (if a bunch of guys droaning like punters at the pub deserve the name) are utterly appalling. The only saving grace is that since this is the European Championships, we will not have to listen to a 90 minute monotone of them repeatedly describing an African team with 5’5 tall players as “powerful” and “athletic”.

The competition is about to kick off and already I am dreading Fox Sport commentators here in the US.
Please if someone has a web link please share it.

[Sleaky72]

The bushman doesn't realize that Scotland is one of 4 UK "home nations". He thought Sleaky was referring to Scotland as his home nation! Soon he will be here regaling us with fairy tales about how he is in Italy one day to sell cheap Chinese knock off goods, in Germany the next and in Kafanchan on yet another day! Bush, ill-mannered bumpkin In the name of God, please leave this beautiful thread!

If I actually say what I want to say we know the corrupt politburo here will react. Thanks Chief