The nightmare team of Euro 2012: failures

gerd

gerd

Retired Footballer
8 January 2002
Over the moon
KRC Genk, Spurs
We have a thread about players to watch out for and players we saw and liked, but inevitably there are also players who are less good than we thought.

I've made a team of the (relative) failures in this tournament.

GK: Sczcesny
CB: St Ledger
CB: Perquis
LB: Holebas
RB: Van Der Wiel
DMF: Van Bommel
SMF: Milner
AMF: Eriksen
Winger: Arjen Robber (captain of the team)
CF: Van Persie
SS: Robbie Keane

Other players who could have done better: Rasmus Elm, Heitinga, Kerzhakov, Milan Baros, Mc Geady, Oxlade Chamberlain, Ibrahimovic.
 
Nice thread Gerd and some nice selections.

I'd put Chalkias as starting goalie and Kerzhakov should surely be starting line up striker! 13 shots, 0 on target! New record! :D :LOL:

Was :LMAO: about Robben being CAPTAIN of the team! :D
 
Oxlade-Chamberlain shouldn't be there, he did alright, not great, but looked lively and threatening. Well let's see how he does next.

Kerzhakov was one of the biggest disappointments, should be in the 1st team.
And I'd definitely add Milevsky to the first team as well.
Oh, and Shay Given.
 
Yeah Ox and a couple others shouldn't be there in my opinion. Especially as they are still in it and may end up in the 'other' thread soon!
 
4-4-2:-


GK - Sczcesny Hawkes (mind you the hype surrounding Hart of England was way over the top and I honestly believe he's been very poor, looked shakey, but I do think he's a good goalie).
RB - Van der Wiel
LB - Willems
CB - Heitinga (one game was enough)
CB - St Ledger
MID - Meireles
MID - Whelan
MID - Robben
MID - Young
FOR - Kershakov
FOR - Van Persie


Worst single performance:- Van Persie v Denmark


FD
 
I put the Ox in it not because he was so disastrous, but because at the moment he is so overrated by Arsenal fans. I think Theo Walcott showed in this tournament that he is by far the better of the two (which is logic considering their age). But Walcott isn't lovend anymore because he turned out to be "just" a very good player and not the next Maradonna or Best. In a couple of seasons people will speak in the same terms about Oxlade Chamberlain.

IMO it is silly to give a young guy a starting place in a national team on the basis of (roughly) 7 good performances in his first season in the EPL. Nobody did him a favour by selecting him. He should have stayed home, taking a break from football and preparing for what may be the most important season of his carreer. Don't get me wrong, i quite like him as a player (just as i liked and still like Walcott), but it his absolute nonsense to see him as the next big thing whereas Walcott is already sees as a failure. Theo Walcott is underestimated seriously, as a Spurs fan i'm well aware of his qualities...
 
A little unfair, Gerd. I don't think anyone expected Walcott to be the next Maradona, but the potential to be a quality player was there from an early age. Same with the Ox. I think he will turn out to be another Walcott, or maybe better. Many Arsenal fans think he is more talented than Walcott was at 18.

Walcott himself was taken to the World Cup in 2006 and everyone was saying the same things as you. Perhaps they see the potential in these players and like to give them some tournament experience (even if that is mostly sitting on the bench).
 
I sometimes think that calling up really young players that haven't been playing regularly runs the risk of killing the dream/excitement for playing for the national team in something like the World Cup. I think people too easily assume that it gives them 'experience', but imo that's overrated especially since they play in the CL so regularly.

It's almost like they're there without earning the spot.
 
I thought Ibra had a pretty good tourney. Probably had the goal of the tournament. Don't think he could have done much better with the current Sweden squad.
 
gerd said:
I put the Ox in it not because he was so disastrous, but because at the moment he is so overrated by Arsenal fans. I think Theo Walcott showed in this tournament that he is by far the better of the two (which is logic considering their age). But Walcott isn't lovend anymore because he turned out to be "just" a very good player and not the next Maradonna or Best. In a couple of seasons people will speak in the same terms about Oxlade Chamberlain.

IMO it is silly to give a young guy a starting place in a national team on the basis of (roughly) 7 good performances in his first season in the EPL. Nobody did him a favour by selecting him. He should have stayed home, taking a break from football and preparing for what may be the most important season of his carreer. Don't get me wrong, i quite like him as a player (just as i liked and still like Walcott), but it his absolute nonsense to see him as the next big thing whereas Walcott is already sees as a failure. Theo Walcott is underestimated seriously, as a Spurs fan i'm well aware of his qualities...
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Yeah mate, but it´s not Oxlade Chamberlain´s fault he was called up.. Once he was, nobody was expecting him to be next Maradona or Rooney for England, but maybe a super sub or someone who can get something out of last few minutes of the game..he did quite ok for his age and the fact it´s his fir major tournament..i think Arsenal bought a real gem in him for future..but that´s just my opinion ;)
 
Review said:
I thought Ibra had a pretty good tourney. Probably had the goal of the tournament. Don't think he could have done much better with the current Sweden squad.
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He could have walked less, or alternatively walked in a more appropriate area for a striker. I know he was supposed to be a trequartista or second striker for Sweden in this tournament, but at times he acted like a ball watcher defensively and defensive midfielder in attack. (I.E. Full time ballwatcher) If he was tired, he should seriously rethink his current schedule, because he's beaten by two keepers in the "distance ran" category in the group stages. (Overstatement.. I think)

He did not have a very good tournament, but he had glimpses of greatness. Especially after they were already knocked out.
 
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Exactly.

He lacked effort and walked around too much instead of actually pressuring opposition defenders/midfielders which undid a lot of his other team-mates hard work and running while ironically he was bitching and moaning at them half the time.

He showed glimpses of his enormous talent but only a few times unfortunately.

And let's not forget, the most important goal Sweden condeded which was the 2nd and losing goal against Ukraine in their very first match which nearly ended all hopes was a certain Zlatan marking the much smaller Shevchenko. Andriy easily got free of him and delivered that crucial blow!
 
Yeah Sifakis was poor yesterday.

I thought Ibra was quite good, but he defo strolls about like a king on the park.


FD
 
goalgerd said:
can Trappatoni be the manager....
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Who were you supposed to have the squad strength to compete with, realistically?

A draw vs. Croatia was the best you could ever hope for in this tournament. Italy and Spain will walk over Ireland on any given day, and can sport 3-4 teams that will beat Ireland 9 out of 10 matches.


EDIT:
Benzema - Which part of "you're the striker" does he not get?

No wonder this guy hasn't scored much in the National team lately, he's never where he's supposed to be. He even takes other players' job, and does it fairly good, but he can't cross to himself...
 
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Ashley Young was far worse than James Milner. A hopeless effort.

Also, Willems - 18 years old or not - had the worst tournament I have ever seen. Ever. Anywhere. Ever.
He was absolutely diabolical.
 
There are people here who are convinced he'll be a world-class left-back.

He may or may not become that but it's certainly way too early to tell and he could easily end up just another decent player and nothing more.
 
After the build up, for me Rooney has to be in here.. Far from the god sent hope he was supposed to be, this tournament has been the first time he's look completely average in comparison to his England team mates.
He's IMO the only world class player England have left, and he was dissapointing.. Far from game changing, simply a letdown.

Also for world class player arguments, Ashely Cole is the best left back in the world for me, but not a world class player. My logic seems lacking but in comparison to other left backs there's no real competition left for him so he's not hard pressed to be the best.


Oh and settle an argument, Joe Hart v Italy I thought he played crap yet a few of my mates thought he was the best player on the pitch, which for me was Pirlo by a mile.
Agree or disagree I trust you guys more than my mates!
 
Wayne Rooney is over-rated that's for sure. On his day he can be a match-winner but that day rarely comes when he's in an England shirt. I don't totally blame him as he is feeding off scraps due to the terrible service he receives, but even so, truly great players can lift their team and drag them forward. Rooney isn't that kind of player.

Trouble is, when he's fit/not suspended he's a guaranteed starter and I sometimes think England look better without him.
 
Ahead of the likes of Kerzhakov or Baros who lead the line for their country but didn't even score?

And unlike Rooney, were actually fully match fit.
 
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