EURO 2024

[FunkMonk]

I totally thought this game wasn't until later in the week.
And I missed France scoring a goal.

Is it just me or has this euros just been one big cripple fight? Bar Spain and Germany basically everyone is either on a good day Meh (normal) or meant to be good but playing shit.

How internationals have fallen. International football peaked in the late 90s and it's just been a slide towards irrelevance since.

It's you.  There were a lot of entertaining pool games.

You may have been watching too many games involving France and England.  Those were mainly terrible to watch.

Eh there's a lot of truth in what he is saying. Club football has surpassed international football in quality, tactics, and narrative.

You are still right. There have been some great games and exciting teams in the Euros. Same thing with Copa America. But they honestly suck huge assholes compared to the champions league or top tier league football in general.

[FunkMonk]

So Lamine Yamal was uh 12 years old when Covid struck. 

[Sheilbh]

Eh there's a lot of truth in what he is saying. Club football has surpassed international football in quality, tactics, and narrative.

Although, I think the real reason Jos is absolutely right that international football peaked in the 1990s is because that is, coincidentally, when I was a kid.

[Duque de Bragança]

Eh there's a lot of truth in what he is saying. Club football has surpassed international football in quality, tactics, and narrative.

Although, I think the real reason Jos is absolutely right that international football peaked in the 1990s is because that is, coincidentally, when I was a kid.

Having watched Italy '90 back then, I disagree.

[FunkMonk]

True 

[Josquius]

Good thing Fifa are starting a brand new competition in the club world cup. These players need less rest and more fatigue.

To be honest, I don't mind this to an extent. It helps level the playing field at home if the top teams have extra competitions to juggle.
We see this fairly often where not playing in the champions league is a big financial blow so it's not something to cheer for at all, but ignoring all that side of things, your attractiveness to signings et al, it does give you a bit of a boost. Hence the top 4 being challenged a little sometimes rather than being completely unshakable.

I totally thought this game wasn't until later in the week.
And I missed France scoring a goal.

Is it just me or has this euros just been one big cripple fight? Bar Spain and Germany basically everyone is either on a good day Meh (normal) or meant to be good but playing shit.

How internationals have fallen. International football peaked in the late 90s and it's just been a slide towards irrelevance since.

It's you.  There were a lot of entertaining pool games.

You may have been watching too many games involving France and England.  Those were mainly terrible to watch.

Involving the top teams?

[Tamas]

I am struggling a bit to sympathise on the exhaustion front, even though I understand it to a degree. A lot of people need to put up with jobs which are stressful and demanding on the level they are at, without any sort of break or letup, for a helluva less compensation.

[Sheilbh]

Sure - it's not pleading sympathy for them. Though I'd add that footballers have very, very weird employment situations. I can leave my employer - I'm not locked in for a five year contract to be traded to another company anywhere else in the country or world. But as you say, at the top level, they are very well-compensated.

But, they are athletes - it's physical. As I say with Mbappe or Kane, for example, they're playing about 50 games in, say, 40 weeks for their club - plus international breaks through that and, when there's a tournament and they go deep, another 8 at the end of the season. My point isn't stress or that it's demanding, or asking for sympathy. It's simply that it is physical, they're elite athletes and you can't just keep adding more and more games that they have to play in without that having an impact on performance levels in those games. And I think it's why we do tend to see it in international tournaments at the end of the season. And why, for all that was wrong with it, the winter World Cup had some of the best international football (and certainly the best final) I've ever seen.

[crazy canuck]

I totally thought this game wasn't until later in the week.
And I missed France scoring a goal.

Is it just me or has this euros just been one big cripple fight? Bar Spain and Germany basically everyone is either on a good day Meh (normal) or meant to be good but playing shit.

How internationals have fallen. International football peaked in the late 90s and it's just been a slide towards irrelevance since.

It's you.  There were a lot of entertaining pool games.

You may have been watching too many games involving France and England.  Those were mainly terrible to watch.

Eh there's a lot of truth in what he is saying. Club football has surpassed international football in quality, tactics, and narrative.

You are still right. There have been some great games and exciting teams in the Euros. Same thing with Copa America. But they honestly suck huge assholes compared to the champions league or top tier league football in general. 

I agree with your points entirely.

I disagreed with the characterization that the tournament was a bunch of "cripple fights".

[celedhring]

The issue with international football - besides the lack of team cohesion - is the fact that the single-leg format in the tournament knockout stages makes coaches extremely cautious, and has been like that for decades now.

[crazy canuck]

Thankfully Spain won.  There is still hope for teams adopting exciting play styles.

Waiting for threviel to confirm.

He holds a grudge, but acknowledges current realities

A Guardian writer described it best

By the end as Spain's young players danced on the touchline it was impossible not to see this as a win for something freer, more geared towards individualism and improvised moments; and a significant event in a sport that is increasingly encased within its own iron mask of systems, athleticism and control. Spain's football is essentiality optimistic in nature. They have been a candle at this tournament.

[Threviel]

Thankfully Spain won.  There is still hope for teams adopting exciting play styles.

Waiting for threviel to confirm.

He holds a grudge, but acknowledges current realities

Yeah, Spain is playing entertaining this time around, perhaps it can like '06 when my view on Italy took a turn around.

I didn't watch yesterday's game, quite bored with this cup really.

[HVC]

Thankfully Spain won.  There is still hope for teams adopting exciting play styles.

Waiting for threviel to confirm.

He holds a grudge, but acknowledges current realities

Yeah, Spain is playing entertaining this time around, perhaps it can like '06 when my view on Italy took a turn around.

I didn't watch yesterday's game, quite bored with this cup really.

Watch the highlights, if only for the kids goal

[HVC]

I want a Scottish announcer for the English game

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9MmwhBuwx9/?igsh=bTk1MXEzNzA1cG05

[Duque de Bragança]

So tonight, we are all Batavians, even HVC. 

Hopefully, we don't jinx them.