England

[Kaizero]

England... major nation..... ok. Not a world class player in the team. Barely any of the players have top level CL experience. Over the last 3 tournaments, done no better than Greece.

 

Yay, you're back after the cup final. Let's celebrate.

 

 

I love how his head looks pasted on like in one of Kaspers gifs

[triggs]

 

 

How many of the teams at the Euro's contain world class players? Besides, that's a not a sensible way of measuring the ability of a team, see City, Leicester.

 

Portugal. France. Wales. Spain. Germany. Poland. Switzerland. Belgium. Italy (surely a defender?). Croatia.

 

Fair point about being a team but we haven't shown that team ability in yonks either.

 

Wales.

 

So you're saying Gareth Bale is "world class", yet no-one in the England team is near his level?

 

You're also using this point to make out they're somehow better than England.  They've named two strikers from fucking Walsall in their provisional squad, man.

 

Gareth Bale is way better than any English player like. Not that I'm agreeing with his viewpoint

[The College Dropout]

How many of the teams at the Euro's contain world class players? Besides, that's a not a sensible way of measuring the ability of a team, see City, Leicester.

 

Portugal. France. Wales. Spain. Germany. Poland. Switzerland. Belgium. Italy (surely a defender?). Croatia.

 

Fair point about being a team but we haven't shown that team ability in yonks either.

 

Wales.

 

So you're saying Gareth Bale is "world class", yet no-one in the England team is near his level?

 

You're also using this point to make out they're somehow better than England.  They've named two strikers from f***ing Walsall in their provisional squad, man.

I'm not saying Wales are better than England.

 

I'm saying there's nothing to suggest England are a major European nation. Not past performances, nor star power.

 

And no - there isn't an English player near the level of Bale either. Think in time Kane will show it.

[Kaizero]

England has been fairly shit for a while tbf. But you've also not had a good manager in fucking ages so I don't really think the players are the main issue. At least not this time around.

[Deuce]

Don't think he means anyone, tbh.

 

He put Italy down then just guessed a position where they might have someone ffs.

 

Does Italy even have any "world-class" players anymore? Buffon the only name that sticks out in their Euro squad, but I dunno if he's still on that level.

 

edit: was looking at their squad from the March friendlies

 

[The College Dropout]

Got the Swiss mixed up with Austria.

[ilikenewcastle]

England has been fairly s*** for a while tbf. But you've also not had a good manager in f***ing ages so I don't really think the players are the main issue. At least not this time around.

 

I don't really see any evidence to suggest Hodgson is holding back this group of players. We should make the quarter finals with ease, before our defence costs us. Anything less would be a failure on Roy's part.

 

TCD, I'm still interested in knowing who Switzerland have who is better than every single English player

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

How many of the teams at the Euro's contain world class players? Besides, that's a not a sensible way of measuring the ability of a team, see City, Leicester.

 

Portugal. France. Wales. Spain. Germany. Poland. Switzerland. Belgium. Italy (surely a defender?). Croatia.

 

Fair point about being a team but we haven't shown that team ability in yonks either.

 

Wales.

 

So you're saying Gareth Bale is "world class", yet no-one in the England team is near his level?

 

You're also using this point to make out they're somehow better than England.  They've named two strikers from f***ing Walsall in their provisional squad, man.

I'm not saying Wales are better than England.

 

I'm saying there's nothing to suggest England are a major European nation. Not past performances, nor star power.

 

And no - there isn't an English player near the level of Bale either. Think in time Kane will show it.

 

Well who are major European nations? Are the Netherlands in your list?

[mozy]

Christian Fuchs has just won the league tbf.

[Kaizero]

England has been fairly s*** for a while tbf. But you've also not had a good manager in f***ing ages so I don't really think the players are the main issue. At least not this time around.

 

I don't really see any evidence to suggest Hodgson is holding back this group of players.

 

By being a careful defensive minded manager he will hold you back. You, for once, have quite the creative group of players. Hodgson is not the right manager to get them to play at peak ability. Hodgson would've fit the mid-00s team quite well I think, late 00s as well even. The fact he will most likely start Rooney is pretty much evidence of the main issue regarding Hodgson. You guys need a creative minded manager that puts together a team, not just individuals.

[The College Dropout]

Italy I was thinking Verratti, Marchisio.. perhaps one of the Juve defenders.

[Deuce]

England has been fairly shit for a while tbf. But you've also not had a good manager in fucking ages so I don't really think the players are the main issue. At least not this time around.

 

Gonna be scraping the barrel if they insist on replacing Hodgson with another Englishman when it's time.

[Kaizero]

England has been fairly shit for a while tbf. But you've also not had a good manager in fucking ages so I don't really think the players are the main issue. At least not this time around.

 

Gonna be scraping the barrel if they insist on replacing Hodgson with another Englishman when it's time.

 

 

[Klaus]

England has been fairly s*** for a while tbf. But you've also not had a good manager in f***ing ages so I don't really think the players are the main issue. At least not this time around.

 

Gonna be scraping the barrel if they insist on replacing Hodgson with another Englishman when it's time.

 

[Disco]

Don't think he means anyone, tbh.

 

He put Italy down then just guessed a position where they might have someone ffs.

 

Does Italy even have any "world-class" players anymore? Buffon the only name that sticks out in their Euro squad, but I dunno if he's still on that level.

 

 

Bonucci although his standard of world class probably isn't on par with past Italian CBs

[Kaizero]

How many of the teams at the Euro's contain world class players? Besides, that's a not a sensible way of measuring the ability of a team, see City, Leicester.

 

Portugal. France. Wales. Spain. Germany. Poland. Switzerland. Belgium. Italy (surely a defender?). Croatia.

 

Fair point about being a team but we haven't shown that team ability in yonks either.

 

Wales.

 

So you're saying Gareth Bale is "world class", yet no-one in the England team is near his level?

 

You're also using this point to make out they're somehow better than England.  They've named two strikers from f***ing Walsall in their provisional squad, man.

I'm not saying Wales are better than England.

 

I'm saying there's nothing to suggest England are a major European nation. Not past performances, nor star power.

 

And no - there isn't an English player near the level of Bale either. Think in time Kane will show it.

 

Well who are major European nations? Are the Netherlands in your list?

 

Argentina, Spain, Germany, Uruguay, Chile and Italy I'd say are the top tier teams currently. And Italy only because they just don't fucking know when to get beaten, even when they're filled with retirement home players.

 

Below them I'd say it's pretty much a free for all in the England, France, Brazil, Holland, Columbia and Belgium bracket, followed by a massive bracket consisting of the rest of (the non-minnow) Europe/South America + South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Australia and the US.

[The College Dropout]

How many of the teams at the Euro's contain world class players? Besides, that's a not a sensible way of measuring the ability of a team, see City, Leicester.

 

Portugal. France. Wales. Spain. Germany. Poland. Switzerland. Belgium. Italy (surely a defender?). Croatia.

 

Fair point about being a team but we haven't shown that team ability in yonks either.

 

Wales.

 

So you're saying Gareth Bale is "world class", yet no-one in the England team is near his level?

 

You're also using this point to make out they're somehow better than England.  They've named two strikers from f***ing Walsall in their provisional squad, man.

I'm not saying Wales are better than England.

 

I'm saying there's nothing to suggest England are a major European nation. Not past performances, nor star power.

 

And no - there isn't an English player near the level of Bale either. Think in time Kane will show it.

 

Well who are major European nations? Are the Netherlands in your list?

 

Think the criteria is past performances and/or top players.

 

You have: Spain, Germany, Belgium, France.

 

After that any winne would be a surprise. Italians, Portuguese.

 

Traditionally Netherlands are a major European nation, for the last few decades they've gone to finals and semis of international tournaments but right now there's a dearth of talent and identity. Bad team with no star power for the first time in decades.

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

How many of the teams at the Euro's contain world class players? Besides, that's a not a sensible way of measuring the ability of a team, see City, Leicester.

 

Portugal. France. Wales. Spain. Germany. Poland. Switzerland. Belgium. Italy (surely a defender?). Croatia.

 

Fair point about being a team but we haven't shown that team ability in yonks either.

 

Wales.

 

So you're saying Gareth Bale is "world class", yet no-one in the England team is near his level?

 

You're also using this point to make out they're somehow better than England.  They've named two strikers from f***ing Walsall in their provisional squad, man.

I'm not saying Wales are better than England.

 

I'm saying there's nothing to suggest England are a major European nation. Not past performances, nor star power.

 

And no - there isn't an English player near the level of Bale either. Think in time Kane will show it.

 

Well who are major European nations? Are the Netherlands in your list?

 

Think the criteria is past performances and/or top players.

 

You have: Spain, Germany, Belgium, France.

 

After that any winne would be a surprise. Italians, Portuguese.

 

Traditionally Netherlands are a major European nation, for the last few decades they've gone to finals and semis of international tournaments but right now there's a dearth of talent and identity. Bad team with no star power for the first time in decades.

 

Do the Belgians (who were quarter finalists at the last World Cup - their first since 2002) really have substantially better players than the Dutch, who were finalists in 2010 and semi-finalists in 2014?

[Nobody]

Kane is clearly a world class striker based on the last couple of seasons.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Belgium are overrated as hell, both in the talent department and the actual performances department. They basically rely on Lukaku for goals who as of right now hasn't proven anything at international level with a bad 12 goals in 43 games, have no fullbacks or decent CMs and basically are relying on Hazard and De Bruyne to have the tournaments of their lives which in all likelihood won't happen.

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

Belgium are overrated as hell, both in the talent department and the actual performances department. They basically rely on Lukaku for goals who as of right now hasn't proven anything at international level with a bad 12 goals in 43 games, have no fullbacks or decent CMs and basically are relying on Hazard and De Bruyne to have the tournaments of their lives which in all likelihood won't happen.

 

if we played them this summer I'd expect us to beat them.

[The College Dropout]

Yes... clearly.

 

The 2014 team was a last hoorah of the last Dutch Golden generation. RVP, Sneijder & Robben played in the 2010 final - they are now all in their 30s, injury prone and/or finished at the top European level. The rest of the Dutch squad is nothing special and vastly inferior to Belgium. That 2014 the team was the first tournament of their golden Generation. You've got a number of players in their early to mid 20's in that side, you expect them to be contenders fro the next couple international tournaments at least.

 

I mean.. this is clear and common sense.

[joeyt]

Naingolan and Dembele are pretty decent CMs aren't they?

 

[triggs]

Kane is clearly a world class striker based on the last couple of seasons.

Depends on your definition of world class

[Mole_Toonfan]

Naingolan and Dembele are pretty decent CMs aren't they?

 

Dembele is good for Spurs i suppose, but like a lot of the Belgium team he hasn't proven anything at international level. Probably because he actually has to play with some semblance of intelligence defensively. Nainggolan i'll give you though, but even so he alone isn't going to make or break them. He's just one of the many necessary pieces to the puzzle one of which has a long way to go until it's filled.