Post by The Quito Diet on Jun 3, 2016 12:26:35 GMT
Fixtures
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10th June - France vs Romania - 20:00 - ITV
11th June - Albania vs Switzerland - 14:00 - BBC
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15th June - Romania vs Switzerland - 15:00 - ITV
15th June - France vs Albania - 20:00 - ITV
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19th June - Switzerland vs France - 20:00 - BBC
19th June - Romania vs Albania - 20:00 - BBC
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10th June - France vs Romania - 20:00 - ITV
11th June - Albania vs Switzerland - 14:00 - BBC
-------------------------------------------------------
15th June - Romania vs Switzerland - 15:00 - ITV
15th June - France vs Albania - 20:00 - ITV
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19th June - Switzerland vs France - 20:00 - BBC
19th June - Romania vs Albania - 20:00 - BBC
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Pointless trivia; France are the only former European champion in this group. Obviously. Have you seen it? Even Albania got here Scotland. Were you even trying?
Here's what constant thinks of his adopted nation France;
Typically in recent memory tournaments held in France have a certain way of ending up as large French parties and it is very easy to see how this year will turn out completely the same with France coming in as the form side and possessing incredible squad depth at almost every position. Of course, France being France, this is necessarily also accompanied by the insane drama of the Benzema blackmail case further proving that even other French players hate French players. That said, however, Deschamps has done a masterful job of holding the squad together throughout that drama and if anything the French go into this tournament a more unified side than any since the early part of this century thanks to the dismissal of a lot of recent French side's problem children and their replacement with young and talented new blood.
On the pitch Deschamps has scrapped his experiments with possession football in favour of a swashbuckling 4-3-3 that moves the ball crisply and quickly out to the glut of creative wide talent that the French possess in Griezmann, Martial, Payet and Coman. Griezmann in particular seems to have everything set up for him to take a starring role this year in his home nation thanks to his tremendous form all season long in La Liga and Deschamps desire to largely build the attack around his strengths. With Pogba joining in with late runs and Giroud doing that thing that he does where he loafs around the area in a tall and dangerous fashion the French attack is truly a thing of beauty when it is humming.
The real question for France is in defense as, match against a terrible pink kitted Scotland aside, the defense has alternated between leaky and downright porous. Dropping the not in form Matuidi for the very much in form Kante in midfield might be a start but there is only so much that you can do when your first choice fullbacks are both well on the wrong side of 30. Lloris might find himself a busy man indeed. There is also the real and pressing question of whether Olivier Giroud can be counted on the finish all of the chances that are likely to come his way in this tournament and the difference between lifting the cup and crashing out early could well come down to the finishing whims of one of the least consistent strikers around.
In the end, France should easily loaf through a group that is clearly set up for their success, although I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Swiss gave them a bit of a challenge in the third game for the group winner's spot, and definitely deserve to be the bookmaker's favourites going into the tournament.
And here's what Liverpool_96 has to say about those bloody Romanians coming over here taking our jobs I mean where do they come from?
Recognise any of them? Me neither, long gone are the days of myself, Chivu, Marica and Popescu tearing shit up. Would give my left nut for a prospect with even half the potential of Gheorge Hagi!
The Gypsies have landed and we’re ready to take over central Europe. This will most certainly be our year and considering the easy group we have, I expect us to at least romp to second place and dump out the useless Swiss. We may have a lot of emigration from our wonderful land, I mean why would anyone want to desert this beautiful country;
Maybe it’s to do with the fact of our poor economy which hasn’t recovered ever since the revolution of 1989 when I was just a schoolboy. The politicians in our country aren’t so hot and corruption is rife. Anyhow let’s talk football!
We were on a decent run of 18 games unbeaten from two years back until bloody Sunday when the Ukraine beat us 4-3 in Italy. It was a poor performance where we conceded 4 goals in the space of 17 minutes and trailed 4-1 before pulling back two consolation goals. We’ve got a decent team with some wonderful Football Manager players including Gabriel Torje, Bogdan Stancu, Nico Stanciu and Razvan Rat. Then we’ve got some decent players out in the real world including Vlad Chiriches and Costel Pantillimon who is a tremendous goalkeeper, ain’t that right sween ? Florin And one is one to watch as he’s pumped the goals in, albeit in the Liga Adelante for Cordoba, scoring 21 in 36 last season. He’ll be our main goal threat.
Our first game is obviously a massive one and may well dictate just how well we do in this competition. As a former player, all I want to see is hunger and belief in the players eyes. If we are to lose I want to see us attack France with all we have and not slump to a defeat where we appear lifeless. If we can score against France it will serve us well and we’ll have the belief of knocking out both the Swiss and those rough Albanians. We have the quality to do well in this competition.
you give me rrrroad rrrrage 's views on major underdogs Albania;
Shqiperia, Land of the Eagles (or just plain Albania to you and me). The momentous achievements of its sons and daughters outnumber even the stars in the sky. Bona fide saint and wrinkly person Mother Teresa single-handedly revived a flagging tea towel industry in the mid 90s. Actress Eliza Dushku’s starring role in cheerleading epic ‘Bring It On’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest performances ever committed to celluloid. Perhaps surpassing all these, a certain songstress and part-time talent show judge even managed to get her kebab stuffed by none other than Mr Beyoncé Knowles (allegedly).
In footballing terms, Albania has, until recently, been a something of a mass exporter of talent to other nations, from Adnan Januzaj, through Xhedran Shaqiri and right back to one Shefki Kuqi, but it seems they have finally cottoned to the fact they may need to keep some half-decent players for themselves if they want to get anywhere.
Second place in a qualifying group containing Serbia, Denmark and Portugal ensured automatic qualification to their first major tournament, with an away defeat of the latter hammering home the fact that these are no mugs. A particular highlight of their campaign was the flying of a drone carrying a flag of their greater lands over (including the hotly disputed Kosovo) over the Belgade stadium hosting their match with Serbia. If the last quarter of a century has taught us anything it is that the Serbs generally take open challenges to their territorial integrity with light-hearted bonhomie so the ensuing mass brawl and match abandonment came as a surprise to everyone.
Veteran Italian manager Gianni de Biasi has managed to craft a solid, hard-working side employing a 4-3-3 formation, with ex-Sundlerland centre-back Lorik Cana donning the captain’s armband and anchoring the back four, and Taulant Xhaka (elder brother of recent Arsenal recruit Granit) adding steel and dynamism to the midfield. Goalscoring duties will fall to the likes of Shkelzen Gashi, who one hopes will not be by nature as he is by name.
Here's what constant thinks of his adopted nation France;
France
Manager: Didier Deschamps
Captain: Hugo Lloris
Key Man: Paul Pogba
Question Mark: Olivier Giroud
Manager: Didier Deschamps
Captain: Hugo Lloris
Key Man: Paul Pogba
Question Mark: Olivier Giroud
Typically in recent memory tournaments held in France have a certain way of ending up as large French parties and it is very easy to see how this year will turn out completely the same with France coming in as the form side and possessing incredible squad depth at almost every position. Of course, France being France, this is necessarily also accompanied by the insane drama of the Benzema blackmail case further proving that even other French players hate French players. That said, however, Deschamps has done a masterful job of holding the squad together throughout that drama and if anything the French go into this tournament a more unified side than any since the early part of this century thanks to the dismissal of a lot of recent French side's problem children and their replacement with young and talented new blood.
On the pitch Deschamps has scrapped his experiments with possession football in favour of a swashbuckling 4-3-3 that moves the ball crisply and quickly out to the glut of creative wide talent that the French possess in Griezmann, Martial, Payet and Coman. Griezmann in particular seems to have everything set up for him to take a starring role this year in his home nation thanks to his tremendous form all season long in La Liga and Deschamps desire to largely build the attack around his strengths. With Pogba joining in with late runs and Giroud doing that thing that he does where he loafs around the area in a tall and dangerous fashion the French attack is truly a thing of beauty when it is humming.
The real question for France is in defense as, match against a terrible pink kitted Scotland aside, the defense has alternated between leaky and downright porous. Dropping the not in form Matuidi for the very much in form Kante in midfield might be a start but there is only so much that you can do when your first choice fullbacks are both well on the wrong side of 30. Lloris might find himself a busy man indeed. There is also the real and pressing question of whether Olivier Giroud can be counted on the finish all of the chances that are likely to come his way in this tournament and the difference between lifting the cup and crashing out early could well come down to the finishing whims of one of the least consistent strikers around.
In the end, France should easily loaf through a group that is clearly set up for their success, although I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Swiss gave them a bit of a challenge in the third game for the group winner's spot, and definitely deserve to be the bookmaker's favourites going into the tournament.
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And here's what Liverpool_96 has to say about those bloody Romanians coming over here taking our jobs I mean where do they come from?
Recognise any of them? Me neither, long gone are the days of myself, Chivu, Marica and Popescu tearing shit up. Would give my left nut for a prospect with even half the potential of Gheorge Hagi!
The Gypsies have landed and we’re ready to take over central Europe. This will most certainly be our year and considering the easy group we have, I expect us to at least romp to second place and dump out the useless Swiss. We may have a lot of emigration from our wonderful land, I mean why would anyone want to desert this beautiful country;
Maybe it’s to do with the fact of our poor economy which hasn’t recovered ever since the revolution of 1989 when I was just a schoolboy. The politicians in our country aren’t so hot and corruption is rife. Anyhow let’s talk football!
We were on a decent run of 18 games unbeaten from two years back until bloody Sunday when the Ukraine beat us 4-3 in Italy. It was a poor performance where we conceded 4 goals in the space of 17 minutes and trailed 4-1 before pulling back two consolation goals. We’ve got a decent team with some wonderful Football Manager players including Gabriel Torje, Bogdan Stancu, Nico Stanciu and Razvan Rat. Then we’ve got some decent players out in the real world including Vlad Chiriches and Costel Pantillimon who is a tremendous goalkeeper, ain’t that right sween ? Florin And one is one to watch as he’s pumped the goals in, albeit in the Liga Adelante for Cordoba, scoring 21 in 36 last season. He’ll be our main goal threat.
Our first game is obviously a massive one and may well dictate just how well we do in this competition. As a former player, all I want to see is hunger and belief in the players eyes. If we are to lose I want to see us attack France with all we have and not slump to a defeat where we appear lifeless. If we can score against France it will serve us well and we’ll have the belief of knocking out both the Swiss and those rough Albanians. We have the quality to do well in this competition.
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you give me rrrroad rrrrage 's views on major underdogs Albania;
Shqiperia, Land of the Eagles (or just plain Albania to you and me). The momentous achievements of its sons and daughters outnumber even the stars in the sky. Bona fide saint and wrinkly person Mother Teresa single-handedly revived a flagging tea towel industry in the mid 90s. Actress Eliza Dushku’s starring role in cheerleading epic ‘Bring It On’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest performances ever committed to celluloid. Perhaps surpassing all these, a certain songstress and part-time talent show judge even managed to get her kebab stuffed by none other than Mr Beyoncé Knowles (allegedly).
In footballing terms, Albania has, until recently, been a something of a mass exporter of talent to other nations, from Adnan Januzaj, through Xhedran Shaqiri and right back to one Shefki Kuqi, but it seems they have finally cottoned to the fact they may need to keep some half-decent players for themselves if they want to get anywhere.
Second place in a qualifying group containing Serbia, Denmark and Portugal ensured automatic qualification to their first major tournament, with an away defeat of the latter hammering home the fact that these are no mugs. A particular highlight of their campaign was the flying of a drone carrying a flag of their greater lands over (including the hotly disputed Kosovo) over the Belgade stadium hosting their match with Serbia. If the last quarter of a century has taught us anything it is that the Serbs generally take open challenges to their territorial integrity with light-hearted bonhomie so the ensuing mass brawl and match abandonment came as a surprise to everyone.
Veteran Italian manager Gianni de Biasi has managed to craft a solid, hard-working side employing a 4-3-3 formation, with ex-Sundlerland centre-back Lorik Cana donning the captain’s armband and anchoring the back four, and Taulant Xhaka (elder brother of recent Arsenal recruit Granit) adding steel and dynamism to the midfield. Goalscoring duties will fall to the likes of Shkelzen Gashi, who one hopes will not be by nature as he is by name.
"Brrr... it's cold in here. There must be some Kuq e Zinjtë in the atmosphere!!!"
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And last and certainly least, @djed 's musings on Switzerland;
Switzerland, land of chocolate, cheese, watches, Roger Federer and the Alps
Population; 8,211,700
Capital; Ironically enough given their no-interference policy - Bern
Languages; German, Italian, French
So here we go, I feel for you having to read through this, but let's see how Granit Xhaka Can lead Switzerland to European glory. Here's what the Guardian reckon will be our probable line-up;
In goal, Yann Sommer is a pair of safe hands, and he needs to be with the Swiss team still somehow relying on Johan Djourou at CB. Yes, he may once have started as Arsenal beat Barcelona 2-1 so I wonder if he's viewed as the Swiss Wilshere. Schär partners him at the back, and he must be good because he has an umlaut in his name and they don't just give those to anybody you know. Lichtsteiner seems to have been around forever and has been a key part of Juventus' solid defence this year. It's also worth keeping a close eye on left back Ricardo Rodriguez as Arsenal are rumoured to be interested in him.
The Swiss midfield is the strongest part of the team, as although Xhaka Can be a destructive ball winner, he's more likely to be employed as their playmaker with Behrami and Dzemaili either side of him as a protective shield. The faith shown in these three is made clearer by the exclusion of captain Gokhan Inler, although that's also partly to do with how Kante has kept him out the Leicester side, although it's mainly a physical thing.
There's not a whole load of talent on offer up front however, with Shaqiri's steel calves joining Mehmedi's lack of goalscoring prowess to support Seferovic, the great replacement to Alexander Frei who has managed only 21 goals in his entire career to date. To be fair to Seferovic, even after such a poor season there's ain't nobody, that is better, ain't nobody, that makes me feel this way.
There's a lot of expectations at home and us Swiss will be hoping that Xhaka Can carry the team on his shoulders the way he's done at club level. With a front three lacking in goals, there'll also be added pressure on the back four to keep clean sheets, something they've been able to do quite well in recent tournaments.
Looking at the group, it would be realistic to expect Switzerland to have qualified by the time they face France in the last round of matches. I hope so, anyway, because that's not a nice position to be in going into the last game.
Only two sides actually out-scored the Swiss in qualifying for the tournament, however half of our goals did come against San Marino. Might be worth keeping an eye on the impact Embolo will have, the 19 year old being linked with clubs across Europe after a beginning to his career that's seen him net 30 times in 81 games for Basel.
Capital; Ironically enough given their no-interference policy - Bern
Languages; German, Italian, French
So here we go, I feel for you having to read through this, but let's see how Granit Xhaka Can lead Switzerland to European glory. Here's what the Guardian reckon will be our probable line-up;
In goal, Yann Sommer is a pair of safe hands, and he needs to be with the Swiss team still somehow relying on Johan Djourou at CB. Yes, he may once have started as Arsenal beat Barcelona 2-1 so I wonder if he's viewed as the Swiss Wilshere. Schär partners him at the back, and he must be good because he has an umlaut in his name and they don't just give those to anybody you know. Lichtsteiner seems to have been around forever and has been a key part of Juventus' solid defence this year. It's also worth keeping a close eye on left back Ricardo Rodriguez as Arsenal are rumoured to be interested in him.
The Swiss midfield is the strongest part of the team, as although Xhaka Can be a destructive ball winner, he's more likely to be employed as their playmaker with Behrami and Dzemaili either side of him as a protective shield. The faith shown in these three is made clearer by the exclusion of captain Gokhan Inler, although that's also partly to do with how Kante has kept him out the Leicester side, although it's mainly a physical thing.
There's not a whole load of talent on offer up front however, with Shaqiri's steel calves joining Mehmedi's lack of goalscoring prowess to support Seferovic, the great replacement to Alexander Frei who has managed only 21 goals in his entire career to date. To be fair to Seferovic, even after such a poor season there's ain't nobody, that is better, ain't nobody, that makes me feel this way.
There's a lot of expectations at home and us Swiss will be hoping that Xhaka Can carry the team on his shoulders the way he's done at club level. With a front three lacking in goals, there'll also be added pressure on the back four to keep clean sheets, something they've been able to do quite well in recent tournaments.
Looking at the group, it would be realistic to expect Switzerland to have qualified by the time they face France in the last round of matches. I hope so, anyway, because that's not a nice position to be in going into the last game.
Only two sides actually out-scored the Swiss in qualifying for the tournament, however half of our goals did come against San Marino. Might be worth keeping an eye on the impact Embolo will have, the 19 year old being linked with clubs across Europe after a beginning to his career that's seen him net 30 times in 81 games for Basel.
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