Dex - you speak a lot of sense. Spain will be difficult to beat as always because of the way the play. They still have an absolutely superb side, and even if Xavi/Iniesta et al were 40 next week I'd still have them in my side. Top, top players. One team I have liked for a while is the Dutch. Good, strong side and always seem to perform on the big stages. If I were to have a bet they would be it. Top Scorer for me would be Andy Carroll....................if teams played with no back 4. Even then thinking about he'd still struggle. I'd be tempted by a little bit of Mario Gomez. That boy certainly knows where the net is, and will get chances a plenty in that German side. No idea of a price though.
The Euros are all about this bloke http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b5mJop_HMw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea6t_FCQ6Vc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfgNoxymiyA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSzH_z7MAZQ&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfwdITiVIW8&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rXHFrgXrgk&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXebSyxdbLw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PEmOyJZtU8&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXsXdaNjd5I&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ca6Vk19LvU&feature=related LEGEND !!!!
Spain are currently available at 3/1 with WillHill according to Oddschecker. Germany are the same price. That doesn't make sense to me. I'd imagine the Bayern players will be shells. I'm interested in Russia at 25/1 and Holland at 7/1.
I don't think Bayern's end of season disappointments will affect Germany too much, they have enough ability to bounce back in this - it's not like winning trophies ever filled English players with confidence when a major tournament began!
As i can see from your under comment your a blue nose, i wont hold that against you Dancin, but your right about Henderson... Youve also missed out about Downings short comings at club and international level...!!! Both shouldnt be in the squad... For a team that had such a bad season last year Liverpool could end up with supplying half the team... Gerrard, Johnson, Downing, Henderson, Carroll...!!! And even i have to question that...
Can't be having Germany lads, the backbone of their team is from Bayern Munich and they will still be reeling from losing the Champions league, the culmination of a disappointing season for them after failing to win the league. They will, of course, as always be the best prepared and luckiest team but I think they'll find 1 or 2 too good. I watched a bit of France v Serbia last night and was impressed by les bleus. They seem to have found some of their old swagger after the Domeneche nightmare and I'm pretty confident they'll top out Group D. If Holland can get the better of Germany in their group clash it will give them a lot of confidence and they must also be on the shortlist. But France get my vote this time - Laurent Blanc is a shrewd operator
France are a very good side . I have paid close attention to all football this season for the first time in ages and I have been so impressed by individuals from that squad and also when they have played together. I think I am correct in stating they are unbeaten in 20 games now (Including wins over England, Brazil and Germany) and it is foolish people are still writing them off. They are a changed team from the 2010 World Cup. They knock the ball around well and have a few decent flare players. Laurent Blanc has made a big difference and I love how he dropped Gourcuff from the squad. He has had a poor poor season and he is not having him there just because of his reputation. France are my shout as well. And I think England will do well to get anything from them. Obviously hoping they do though
Top scorer I would go for Klose rather than Gomez - he has a much better strike rate for the national team and I can imagine they might bang a few soft goals in in the group matches
I agree Gomez is incredibly overrated, his strike rate may have beengood this season, but he has a tendency to put in a shocker in the big games
chaps i see some you are also shouting france like myself-i think bezaman is a good shout for top scorer at 16/1-not the toughest of groups and should bag 2 or 3 whereas the germans have a tougher group.
Roy does seem to have a thing for Liverpool players. This from Sporting Life: "After Jordan Henderson's call-up last week, the inclusion of Kelly means England will leave for Poland and Ukraine with over a quarter of their squad made up by Liverpool players whose performance was so bad last season that manager Kenny Dalglish ended up being sacked." Also Liverpool's worst league finish since 1954 or some such. I wonder what Roy sees that we don't ..................
Im not just saying this because im an Evertonian,but i know L'pool supporters who are shocked by the inclusion of their players(Even Gerrard, who is clearly way past his best)I thought Henderson in the squad was taking the piss,but now the dire Martin Kelly!!. Roy is clearly going for the worst squad imaginable hoping that it may have the opposite effect.
Very harsh that Rio Ferdinand has to suffer because his brother was racially abused by Terry,i know you may argue he's too old/not enough game time in him etc., i'd rather have him play 1 or 2 games and be a leader in the camp than bring a guy who is not yet up to standard. Treated very poorly imo. The Euros will be open for a suprise winner this year, i'm not going to decide my bets until nearer Friday, I quite like Russia though having watched them destroy us twice albeit we made 1 result respectable and the other managed a draw thanks to Richard Dunne. Be looking for the teams who have a striker who will score 5-8 goals and can set up well defensively and not many actually qualify for that, Holland are top of that list to me, then Germany are always a good tourney side, France are terrible defensively and i wouldn't be relying on their strike force so i rule them out along with Italy at this stage and i'm still not convinced Spain are the force of 2 -4 year ago, albeit capable of demolishing any team on the day. All in all it's shaping up to be a good tournament, i'll be hoping ze Irish squeeze outta the group so we can get a week long public holiday!!
Spreadex has a very interesting market - spread on number of goals for individual players (whole tournament including extra time but not including pens AET). I have selected some of the interesting prices below. Would be great to hear your opinions: RVP - 1.6/1.9 goals - seems like cracking buy to me? Thinking of putting on a huge bet..... Ronaldo - 1.3/1.6 Benzema - 1.4/1.6 - Llorente - 1.45/1.75 - will he be first choice for Spain? If so seems like a good buy? Balotelli - 0.85/1.15 - might not be worth the risk? Jelavic - 0.7/0.9 - surely worth a go given the end of season he had? Ribery - 0.7/0.9
the don - what's the quote on Klose ?? He'll be going all out to bang a few in and become Germany's record goalscorer, as this is likely to be his last tournament
mate - sorry for being a bit thick, but how does this particular spread work - intellectual curiosity only as I don't intend to have a punt, I'm just struggling to get my head around the numbers. Ta
Hi Oddy, so basically if you chose to buy Klose goals for say £100..... I f he didnt score at all you would lose 1.9 x 100 so £190. If he were to score 2 goals you would win 0.1 (2-1.9) x £100 so £10. If he were to score 5 goals and get the record would be 3.1 (5-1.9) x 100 so £310 profit.
