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Sunday 10 June 2012

EURO 2012: Group C Analysis

Unlike the other groups, where there are several contenders who could possibly claim first place, there only seems to be one possible winner here. Group C contains current holders Spain, Italy, Croatia and the Republic Of Ireland. Although we all expect a certain team to progress (no clues here) we know that the Euros does like to throw up a few surprises, so watch this space!

SPAIN
Spain are the best team in the world. Full stop. The current holders of the Euro Trophy and World Cup seem unstoppable with the amount of excellence they have in their squad, so much so that only Xavi and Iniesta are guaranteed places in the starting XI (excluding defenders and goalkeeper). But can Spain really carry this momentum into the Euro 2012 to win their third title in four years? Luckily for the Spanish, most football pundits now expect the wonderkids of Germany to be victorious in the tournament come July 1st, which has perhaps taken a small amount of pressure off Del Bosque's side. In a group that contained Litchenstein, Lithuania, Scotland and Czech Republic, Spain were rarely challenged throughout the qualifying  phase (apart from a 3-2 win at Hampden Park against the Scots, where a late Fernando Llorente goal spared any blushes). It was in the friendlies against stronger teams were Spain began to struggle. They played four friendlies against sides in the top twelve (rankings correct as of June 10th) and lost every single one of them, conceding eleven goals in the process. This seems to suggest that the defence of 2008 and 2010 that frustrated many a striker is beginning to show cracks. Nevertheless, they are more than capable of controlling a game, proved during the recent friendly against China where they had no less than 79% of the possession. It would be one of the all-time greatest upsets if Spain fail to progress past the group stages, so surely they are destined to play in the quarter finals... right?

ITALY
World champions six years ago, one might have expected the Azzurri to progress to dizzying heights in international football. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the case. Crashing out in the quarter finals in Euro 2008 and then being humiliated during the last World Cup has shown that 2006 was probably the peak for the ageing Italian side. Luckily for them, manager Cesare Prandelli decided to wade in to save the sinking ship, and he has done a pretty good job of doing so. A successful qualifying campaign that has seen them concede the fewest amount of goals out of any team in Europe (2) whilst the introduction of new players who don't require a zimmer frame to access the pitch has shown that the national side is moving onwards and upwards. There are some major concerns however. The latest Italy match fixing scandal has meant that a dark cloud has descended over the national side, as their reputation has yet again been tarnished by certain individuals in the Italian league. On the field, Italy have lost their last three friendlies, the most recent one being a 3-0 defeat to fellow Euro 2012 participants Russia. Whatever problems they face, at least they are now in a better position than the disastrous outfit of 2010. As long as the tight defence can be maintained, progression from this group won't seem too difficult.


REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
A team that once languished in international wilderness, the Republic Of Ireland have been rejuvenated by Giovanni Trapattoni since his arrival after Euro 2008 (which they failed to qualify for). Cruelly denied the chance to compete in the 2010 World Cup courtesy of the hand of Thierry, the Irish will no doubt be hungry to make up for opportunities missed two years ago. Unbeaten in 14 games coming into the tournament, including a shock 2-0 over group opponents Italy, it seems that the luck of the Irish is finally showing. They missed out on top spot during qualifying after too many draws, but hammered Estonia 5-1 over two legs to progress to the group stages. Their key player here is probably Robbie Keane who, despite the fact he is now in his thirties, hit seven goals during the pre-tournament campaign (only Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Miroslav Klose scored more). But apart from him, like Croatia, the Irish also lack quality of players (particularly in midfield) which allows other teams to dominate the game. Hopefully the experience of the Irish squad will help them in this group, and they might be able to pull off a cheeky second placed finish. Then again, maybe they won't...


CROATIA
Like Italy, Croatia have also managed to turn their fortunes around after a miserable 2010, where they did not even qualify for the group stages of the tournament. This was not as easy as it was supposed to be though. After being denied automatic qualification when they dropped points against Greece and lowly ranked Georgia, they secured their place through a 3-0 aggregate win against Turkey. Slaven Bilic's side are infact the highest rank team in the competition to have competed in the play offs, suggesting that preparations for the tournament were not exactly smooth, and one win in the last four friendlies against average opposition has only confirmed this. It is infact hard to see where the strengths are in the Croatian side. Apart from Luka Modric and possibly Niko Kranjcar (top scorer throughout qualifying), the team lacks a top quality match winner who can make their mark upon a game. The loss of Olic to injury was inconvenient for the national team, but the emergence of on-form Nikica Jelavic could bolster moral, despite the Everton striker not scoring an international goal since August 2010. Overall, I feel that this Croatian side lacks the quality in order to progress past this group.

PREDICTION:

1. Spain
2. Italy
----------------------------
3. Republic Of Ireland
4. Croatia

Friday 8 June 2012

EURO 2012: Group B Analysis

Most European championship seems to have an infamous 'Group of Death', and this would definitely be it! Germany, Holland, Denmark and Portugal have five Euro Championships between them and all four teams sit in the top ten of FIFA World Rankings. With that being said, Group B is one full of unpredictability and it is a four-horse race to see who tops the group. The only thing certain is that two of the tournament's heavy-hitters will be knocked out of the competition come July 17th.

GERMANY
Germany surprised the world during the 2010 World Cup when they reached the semi finals with a squad that had very little international experience. Now that players like Ozil, Muller, Khedira and Boateng have had time to mature over the last two years, one can expect them to play some devastatingly-good football during the championships. Qualifying was a breeze for the Germans - 10 wins out of 10 and 34 goals scored made the other teams in their group look like a bunch of pub outfits, but the friendlies afterwards highlighted some potential problems. Joachim Low's side cannot seem to establish the correct balance between attack and defence, evident in their 3-3 draw with Ukraine and a 5-3 loss against Switzerland (both teams sit outside the top 20 in the FIFA World Rankings). No doubting that they have attacking prowess, but the defence does need tightening. Once their defensive vulnerabilities have been amended, there is no doubt that they will be able to progress far in this competition again (just like they did in 2008, only to be stopped by the magnificent Spaniards in the final). Germany are runaway favourities with many bookies, but the question is, who can stop them?

HOLLAND
Like the Germans, Holland made mincemeat of their qualifying opposition (bar the 3-2 defeat to Sweden suffered at the end of the campaign) which included an 11-0 thrashing of lowly San Marino. Top goalscorer Klass-Jan Huntelaar has been in inspired form, averaging a goal every 57 minutes during the eight matches he featured in. Add to that players such as Van Persie, Van Der Vaart, Sneijder and the returning Arjen Robben (who did not feature at all during qualifying), then you have yourself a formidable attacking force that would be capable of penetrating any defence worldwide. Northern Ireland certainly found this out the hard way as the Flying Dutchmen hit six past them in a friendly last week. There are some defensive frailties however. In three games against Bulgaria, Hungary and Sweden, the Dutch conceded eight goals, not the sort of display you'd expect from a team ranked fourth in the world. Due to injuries to key defenders Erik Pieters and Joris Mathijsen, manager Bert Van Marwijk has been forced to play two rather inexperienced defenders; Jetro Willems and Ron Vlaar. Even though these two were largely untested in the previous friendly, they will face a bigger challenge against their fellow group opponents. Nevertheless, Holland are in a very strong position to advance with the amount of talent at their disposal.

DENMARK
The Danish haven't got many big star names amongst their ranks, but the fact that they play well together as a collective has meant that they topped their qualifying group, ahead of group opponents Portugal. Similarly to Holland, they have strength in defence exploitation (since facing England last February they have only fired blanks in one game against Russia) but their defence itself is shaky, with captain Daniel Agger the only recognisably stable centre back. On a brighter note, playmaker Christian Eriksen has emerged as one of the players to watch throughout the tournament. Aged just 18, he was named man of the match for his performance against England, a clear indication that Eriksen  has more to offer, and what better stage to boast his talent than at a major tournament. Aswell as their playmaker, the Danes have the goalscoring threat of Bendtner and the pace of Dennis Rommedhal... remember him from his Charlton days? Even though this side is expected to become the Group B whipping boys, the unity of their squad could make them a surprise contender for qualification, now that would be something!

PORTUGAL
The only country in this group that hasn't got a European title to their name, Portugal will probably be more eager than most to replicate their achievements of 2004 and reach the final. Unluckily for them, they have been drawn into the hardest group possible. The current side do lack a certain consistency needed to win the tournament though. A 5-3 win against Iceland was followed by a 2-1 defeat to Denmark in the final two games. They then went on to play Bosnia & Herzegovina in the play offs, drawing the first leg 0-0 before a spectacular 6-2 victory sent them to the championships. On the other hand, Paulo Bento's side contains two of the best wingers in world football, Ronaldo and Nani, with the dangerous looking Helder Postiga on hand to supply a portion of the goals in attack. The defence and midfield also look fairly solid, but there are some question marks over the quality of the performance the team gives, evident in their pre-tournament goalless draws with Poland and, more embarrassingly, Macedonia. If Portugal want to make it through to the next round, they will have to step up their performances considerably.

PREDICTION:

1. Germany
2. Holland
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3. Denmark
4. Portugal

Thursday 7 June 2012

EURO 2012: Group A Analysis

With Euro 2012 quickly approaching and only one day left until it all kicks off, BeeTeeSports is going to be analysing each group for you. Hopefully, this will help you win lots of money at the expense of your local Ladbrokes or assist you with your Euro Fantasy League (if you have one). We start off with Group A, which is probably the weakest group in the Championship, but this doesn't mean it won't be exciting for your average football fanatic. Group A consists of co-hosts Poland, Russia, Czech Republic and Euro 2004 winners Greece.

POLAND
I have half jokingly suggested that Poland would win the tournament come July, and even though this may seem like a ludicrous prediction, there are some reasons to suggest that Franciszek Smuda's team could do surprisingly well. Firstly, they are hosts, and will be playing each of their group games with a massive home following that could prove vital for moral. We have seen how important this advantage can be during such tournaments as the 2002 World Cup with South Korea and 2004 with Portugal, who both successfully reached the semi finals (but whether the case will be the same for Poland remains to be seen). Furthermore, they do have some high pedigree players in their ranks. Bundesliga winning duo Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski have played impeccably during the season. Lewandowski finished third highest goalscorer with 22 goals and Blaszczykowski netted six times and assisted eight strikes throughout the campaign. They also carry strength in defence aswell with Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny between the sticks, who has arguably been one of their best players this season. They have conceded not a single goal in the last five games, whilst scoring seven in the process, which is no small feat since they have played the likes of Portugal and Bosnia & Herzegovina during that period. I believe that Poland can shock Europe to top this group, and possibly go on to surprise a Group B side in the quarter finals.

RUSSIA
Being the highest rank side and the most successful team during the 2008 campaign in the group, you would think that the Russian squad would be the most likely to be Group A victors. They clearly have attacking strength with Arshavin, Pavlychenko and exciting youngster Alan Dzagoev in their ranks, and this was evident during their last match of the qualifying stage; a 6-0 demolition of Andorra. Dick Advocaat's team is one full of experience: eight of the starting XI that lost the Euro 2008 semi final to Spain are still regularly included in the team, so they'll know what it takes to reach that stage once again. However, the way they topped their qualifying group didn't show signs of brilliance. Excluding the match mentioned earlier, they have scored eleven times in nine games, in a group that contained European minnows such as Armenia, Slovakia and Macedonia. Their recent 3-0 win over Italy however shows that they are going to be a threat, and should be able to progress past the group stage.

GREECE
Greece's international team will always be remembered for their spectacular tournament win in 2004, that no doubt would have left a few bookies grumbling when their pre-tournament odds were around the 60/1 mark. Unfortunatley, that was eight years ago. Greece have never really lived up to those standards since and a first round exit in 2008 only illustrates that. On a brighter note though, new manager Fernando Santos has restored faith in the Greek public that their current team is one that can progress slightly further in the championships than they did in Austria/Switzerland. They have lost just one of the last 18 games and remained undefeated through qualifying to top their group (which consisted of high-flying Croatia, currently ranked eigth in the world). This is due to a very defensive style of play, which doesn't allow the opposition very many oppurtunities to score, but they are also very capable of attacking. With the tough opposition that are in their group, advancing this time around may prove slightly too hard for Santos's men, but they will give it a good go.


CZECH REPUBLIC
Once one of the most prolific teams in world football during the late 1970's and again during the mid-noughties, the Czechs have seen a rapid decline in the quality of players the country produces in recent years. Tomas Rosicky, Milan Baros and Petr Cech still survive from the team of 2004, but all are now past their peak, whilst they also lost their most talented midfielder of the generation, Pavel Nedved, to retirement in 2006. Qualifying wasn't a massive challenge for Michal Bilek's squad. Apart from Spain, they were easily the best team in the group, which consisted of Lithuanian, Litchenstein and Scotland. The only side in Group A who got to the final via the play-offs, they manage to overcome Montenegro 3-0 on aggregate, and then lose to Hungary in the pre-tournament friendly. Overall, the odds of the current side progressing from this group seem slim, but on the plus side, the under 21's are looking like that could be a dominant footballing force in the future with their current success

PREDICTION:

1. Poland
2. Russia
--------------------------
3. Greece
4. Czech Republic






Tuesday 5 June 2012

England Destined For Failure?

So... one new manager, countless injuries and many dubious decisions later, and England seem in a worse position for Euro 2012 than they did before the departure of one Fabio Capello. Since then, Roy Hodgson has been selected as the man to lead England onwards and upwards towards continental glory. However, this is now seeming like a distant dream after the final squad was selected a few weeks ago...

Firstly, there seemed to be a real lack of depth in quality compared to other sides in the competition. For example, if players like Scott Parker, Ashley Young or Glen Johnson were to get injured, then an adequate replacement would be hard to find with the squad members at Hodgson's disposal. In contrast, Spain could easily suffer injuries to six players in their team and still play a world class starting eleven, something that England wouldn't be able to do. The Three Lions have already suffered a major blow months before the first match has even begun; the fact that Rooney won't be available for the first two matches. This means Hodgson must select an inexperienced striker to lead the attack against the French and Swedish defences, a fate that would not be envied by even the most prolific of forwards.

Moreover, there has been an obvious emission of good footballers who should've been given a chance to represent England during this tournament. No Aaron Lennon, Grant Holt, Adam Johnson, Micah Richards, Rio Ferdinand and countless other names that have been mentioned. Instead, Hodgson appears to have chosen a squad that is not very adventurous in the slightest (maybe the decision to bring Oxlade-Chamberlin was one with a certain risk element that looks likely to pay off, but apart from that, the squad looks bland compared to the one of the Capello era). It is also strange to see that there is a Liverpudlian sextet in the squad, including Gerrard, Kelly, Johnson, Henderson, Downing and Carroll, despite the side finishing mid-table in the league. Only one of those players (captain Steven Gerrard) deserves a place in the side based on seasonal form, whilst the others have had very average season at best.

England now have a new tactic which has been evident in the last five games (excluding the 3-2 loss to Holland) and that is to score a lucky goal and proceed to 'park the bus'. They have initiated this against teams such as Norway, Belgium, group opponents Sweden and most impressively,  the mighty Spanish. On this evidence, it may seem like a great tactic to use, despite the tedious football being played, but what happens if we concede? I doubt that England have the mentality that would allow us to switch from ultra defensive to a plan of attacking intent. Essentially, if the other team draw level with England, they will need a whole tactical rethink.

In conclusion, progression from the group stages is not going to be as inevitable as the bookies and press have made it seem in previous tournaments . Infact, if we do manage to win Group D and progress to play Italy/Croatia in the quarter finals, it would certainly be a great achievement. With both the French and the Swedish showing the threats they carry in the pre-tournament friendlies and Ukraine having the advantage of being a host nation, Roy Hodgson's new side face a stern test at Euro 2012.