BarrileteCosmico wrote:so a few months into this competition, does anyone really care about how their country does for in it?

Yes. 100 times better than friendlies.

Watching Italy vs Portugal, Poland, Netherlands, Bosnia in competitive matches is better than Italy-Moldova, or totally rotated lineups.

Its also the second edition of the completion already btw

Didn't anyone see the friendly match between France and Finland? Another assist for Pogba on the wrong side of the field

rincon wrote:

BarrileteCosmico wrote:so a few months into this competition, does anyone really care about how their country does for in it?

Yes. 100 times better than friendlies.

Watching Italy vs Portugal, Poland, Netherlands, Bosnia in competitive matches is better than Italy-Moldova, or totally rotated lineups.

Its also the second edition of the completion already btw

toni kroos disagrees with you. Could be that losing something like 8 games in a row is clouding his judgment tho

Hapless_Hans wrote:

BarrileteCosmico wrote:so a few months into this competition, does anyone really care about how their country does for in it?

I would be surprised if anyone cares, and I would be surprised if anyone is able to explain how it works without looking it up.

Awful 'competition', nothing more than a money grab from UEFA to get a hold of the friendlies money

Get rid

That was my opinion for a while so i totally understand and agree your points. I don't even know the parameters of the competition and can't care less

But in the end it gives us better games during those senseless autumn breaks. So it's 50-50. The expansion of Euros/World Cup killed the magic of international football anyways.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

rincon wrote:

BarrileteCosmico wrote:so a few months into this competition, does anyone really care about how their country does for in it?

Yes. 100 times better than friendlies.

Watching Italy vs Portugal, Poland, Netherlands, Bosnia in competitive matches is better than Italy-Moldova, or totally rotated lineups.

Its also the second edition of the completion already btw

toni kroos disagrees with you. Could be that losing something like 8 games in a row is clouding his judgment tho

Toni Kroos probably doesn't watch the games

Italy-Estonia was yesterday. A friendly game that should probably not even have been played if we are being sensible. Nation League matches >>>>>>>> Italy-Estonia

This is some beautiful football going on. Completely erased Poland from the match this half.

rincon wrote:This is some beautiful football going on. Completely erased Poland from the match this half.

Not seen the game but looking at the myestatistics I'm quite glad I didn't

So awful. Also congrats @Robes, there was hype after a couple of good games but you showed what our level truly is

yes yesterday the match was a mix between very good Italy and poor Poland.
And this match has been a spot pro VAR (there is not on Uefa Nations League) : some decisions by ref were awful

I cannot emphasise how much I have been surprised by Mancio for Italia.

He is a winner no doubt and always has been and can create some interesting teams but never quite aesthetically pleasing nor focusing on youth but his Azzurri is focused on the exact duo he usually does not.


That 27 pass goal last night summed it up and its happened quite often in the last 5 games for Italia. And this was Poland who are quite an impressive team not to mention the best striker in the world in Lewandowski.

If one player had to personify Mancini's team it would be Barella, who not only is industrious and complete but extremely skilled. Has to be the best Italian player at the moment.

Bastoni was quite impressive. Ive seen little of him, anyone have thoughts on him as a whole?

But still #9s for Italia must begin to perform sooner or later or there will be huge problems in the Euros.

Either way nothing to complain about so far from his team though it means little until he big stage.

IMO, for the #9, at this point go with Caputo.

Immobile can be incredible for Lazio but is still, years later, lacking for Italy. The national team plays most similarly to Sassuolo, and Caputo shines in this system. I hope Mancini would give him a run leading up to the euros to see if he can be the striker we need.

Belotti is playing at an excellent level too, somehow playing well in a terrible Torino. He has a goal per game and Torino has still only won 1 match. He was doing better than Immobile with Mancini but then got injured during a few call ups.

Bastoni was very impressive, he usually is for Inter. Basically became their 2nd CB in front of Godin and Skriniar.

Yesterday Barella was great, as always. But was he the best midfielder? Locatelli and Jorginho played similarly great. Midfield is the strength of this team. Locatelli is a complete midfielder and Jorginho is playing in exactly the setup that allows him to dominate. Barella is a necessary player for every team. What Juve has been missing since Vidal.

A technically gifted English player.

Onyx wrote:A technically gifted English player.

Video removed... was this that Grealish flick where he touched the ball over his shoulder to turn? Very nice stuff.

Anyway

Spanien:
Unai Simon - Sergi Roberto, Ramos, Pau Torres, Gaya - Rodri, Canales - Olmo, Koke, Ferran Torres - Morata

Deutschland:
Neuer - Ginter, Süle, Koch, Max - Goretzka, Kroos, Gündogan - Sané, Werner, Gnabry

Referee: Andreas Ekberg (SWE)

Spain's team looks proper mediocre, lightyears apart from the 2010 team. Where is Thiago anyway?

Myesyats wrote:Spain's team looks proper mediocre, lightyears apart from the 2010 team. Where is Thiago anyway?

Was injured by Richarlison in the Merseyside derby AFAIK

Spain destroying Germany, loving it

Löw is a clueless scrub, even the last fool has now understood the success s of the German NT was down to Hansi Flick being assistant, all along.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
GOL GOL GOL GOL GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL 5-0

@Bill why not?

rincon wrote:IMO, for the #9, at this point go with Caputo.

Immobile can be incredible for Lazio but is still, years later, lacking for Italy. The national team plays most similarly to Sassuolo, and Caputo shines in this system. I hope Mancini would give him a run leading up to the euros to see if he can be the striker we need.

Belotti is playing at an excellent level too, somehow playing well in a terrible Torino. He has a goal per game and Torino has still only won 1 match. He was doing better than Immobile with Mancini but then got injured during a few call ups.

Bastoni was very impressive, he usually is for Inter. Basically became their 2nd CB in front of Godin and Skriniar.

Yesterday Barella was great, as always. But was he the best midfielder? Locatelli and Jorginho played similarly great. Midfield is the strength of this team. Locatelli is a complete midfielder and Jorginho is playing in exactly the setup that allows him to dominate. Barella is a necessary player for every team. What Juve has been missing since Vidal.

Caputo I have no thoughts on as usually the big fish in small pond type players usually do not succeed for Azzurri.

I want Immobile above all to succeed because on his day he can be so far ahead of the rest a comparison is fruitless but mentally if he isn't in line he wilts and does for Italia too often now.

Belotti isn't too prolific for Italia but his general play I admire for the team yet isn't used the way he would like.


By best I mean Barella is the best Italian midfielder as a whole at the moment. Locatelli it has taken me long to admire him as I did in Milan for us but he truly has progressed into a very dynamic midfielder no doubt.

Regardless of whether Mancini fails in the Euros or not the experience for the youth will be huge for the coming years. Either way at least we will not see another gutless Ventura defeat and see what is possibly the most entertaining national team at the moment.

Torres has ripped Germany by the seams.

Unreal to imagine Löw winning Die Mannschaft the World Cup to this.

I am over the moon seeing this for us

LMAOOOOOOOOOO

OYARZABAL

6-0

state TV commentator having trouble keeping up the official line of promoting the product "Die Mannschaft", everytime he says something negative he feels like he has to qualify it with "as of now", "just today"

6 -0

I have a funny funny feeling

that for the first time in almost 15 years there might be serious doubt about Löw in the media going forward

thank you dear @futbol_bill

futbol_bill wrote:Not bad for such a mediocre team as Myesyats called them. And @Hans don’t call me Dear!

You should be thanking me for the jinx work, this one's on me!

Can't wait to get manita'd by y'all in the EUROs group stage. #reversejinx

Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff:

"We still trust Joachim Löw, no question."#ESPGER pic.twitter.com/gtj0y3eY7l

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) November 17, 2020