Post by JamesB on Jun 7, 2012 16:04:32 GMT
When the draw for Euro 2012 was first made, my first impression was that Group C, not B as would inevitably be framed, was the strongest group in the tournament. Though Italy are no longer the force they once were, they are still difficult to beat, while Croatia are always underrated by the English media, and Ireland will cause the other three problems. And that's without referring to the reigning European and World Champions. It's probably also my favourite group in the tournament - I honestly I have no idea what is going to happen here, because any of these four could go through
Croatia
As intriguing as ever, Croatia have snuck under the radar of late and could be set to spring a surprise or two in this group. The squad has that ideal blend of youth and experience - the likes of Darijo Srna and Josip "3 Yellow Cards" Simunic sit alongside the early 20-somethings like Ivan Perisic and Domagoj Vida. More importantly, though, they have plenty of options
However, there are one or two issues. Luka Modric, one of best playmakers in the world, is knackered after a long hard season thanks to Harry Redknapp's refusal to rotate his squad. The defence lacks pace and mobility (Simunic is now 34), the wide defenders are both centre-backs, and they also lack a good holding midfielder now that Niko Kovac has retired. Nikica Jelavic is a talented striker but is unproven at international level - Ivica Olic's absence through injury may prove problematic, although Eduardo is an able back-up. So there are plenty of questions that remain, but I wouldn't rule them out of contention, certainly as far as progression to the knockout stages goes
Ireland
This Ireland side is much changed from the last time they qualified for a major tournament in 2002, but the more things change, the more things stay the same. Shay Given, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane remain key figures, and the team remains a defensive counter-attacking side. As the tournament underdogs, they will go in with a lot of neutral support, as well as the usual passionate support from their own green-clad fans. And I think they have a chance of causing some upsets - the underdogs usually do
The team should be familiar to anyone who watches Premier League and Championship football regularly. Alongside Keane in this 4-4-2 is likely to be Wolves' Kevin Doyle. They will be supported by Duff and Spartak Moscow's Aiden McGeady, with the option of introducing Sunderland's young prospect James McClean, though Giovanni Trapattoni has shunned other creative players like Seamus Coleman and Wes Hoolahan in favour of a rigid structured system - Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews are expected to start in the middle. John O'Shea and Richard Dunne are at the heart of an experienced defence and will be vital to Ireland's attempts to "do a Greece/Chelsea"
Italy
The 2006 World Cup victory seems a long time ago, as that golden generation of players has now largely left the stage. However, there are definitely echoes of that side in this one, not only in the likely presence of a couple of familiar figures (Buffon, Pirlo, de Rossi), but also in the formation, with a diamond midfield preferred again. That does leave them with little width but gives them plenty of presence in the middle, which will be key against Spain
Up front, the volatile pairing of Mario Balotelli (we all know about him) and Antonio Cassano, now recovered after his recent heart scare, could make for entertaining viewing, but the question is where the service will come from - there is no Baggio or Totti in this Italian side. Perhaps it will come from the full-backs, who will be given license to push forward, in particular Napoli's excellent right-back Christian Maggio. But this in turn creates another problem - Pirlo sits in front of the back 4 but he is a deep-lying playmaker and isn't particularly defensive. It is unusual to be talking about an Italian side that isn't very good defensively but it could be an issue here
Spain
The best international team in the world? Well, maybe not at the moment. Unquestionably we are still in a glorious era for Spanish football, winning the last two major tournaments and having the best two club sides in the world. However, signs of weakness are creeping in, While Euro 2008 was a procession, the 2010 World Cup was a bit more of a challenge and it required some rather dull, negative football for them to get back on track after an early defeat to Switzerland. The slightly downward trajectory has continued, and Barcelona is key to this
On their day, Barcelona are still the best team in the world, and their players still dominate the Spanish team. However, this year was a disappointment, as fatigue began to set in and Guardiola's strategy began to be worked out. Injuries were also crucial, and will be for Spain - they will be without two key players: striker David Villa, who broke his leg during the Club World Championship last year, and experienced defender Carles Puyol. Without these two, Spain look weaker going forward and at the back, and it's hard to get away from that. Suddenly they are relying on Fernando Torres, currently in infamously bad form, to fire them to a third straight tournament. It is worth remembering that France entered the 2002 World Cup in a similar position, and didn't even win a match. You'd be brave to bet on the same for Spain, but you never know...
Further info:
Croatia: www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/06/euro-2012-preview-croatia/
Ireland: www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/06/euro-2012-preview-ireland/
Italy: www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/06/euro-2012-preview-italy/
Spain: www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/06/euro-2012-preview-spain/
Croatia
As intriguing as ever, Croatia have snuck under the radar of late and could be set to spring a surprise or two in this group. The squad has that ideal blend of youth and experience - the likes of Darijo Srna and Josip "3 Yellow Cards" Simunic sit alongside the early 20-somethings like Ivan Perisic and Domagoj Vida. More importantly, though, they have plenty of options
However, there are one or two issues. Luka Modric, one of best playmakers in the world, is knackered after a long hard season thanks to Harry Redknapp's refusal to rotate his squad. The defence lacks pace and mobility (Simunic is now 34), the wide defenders are both centre-backs, and they also lack a good holding midfielder now that Niko Kovac has retired. Nikica Jelavic is a talented striker but is unproven at international level - Ivica Olic's absence through injury may prove problematic, although Eduardo is an able back-up. So there are plenty of questions that remain, but I wouldn't rule them out of contention, certainly as far as progression to the knockout stages goes
Ireland
This Ireland side is much changed from the last time they qualified for a major tournament in 2002, but the more things change, the more things stay the same. Shay Given, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane remain key figures, and the team remains a defensive counter-attacking side. As the tournament underdogs, they will go in with a lot of neutral support, as well as the usual passionate support from their own green-clad fans. And I think they have a chance of causing some upsets - the underdogs usually do
The team should be familiar to anyone who watches Premier League and Championship football regularly. Alongside Keane in this 4-4-2 is likely to be Wolves' Kevin Doyle. They will be supported by Duff and Spartak Moscow's Aiden McGeady, with the option of introducing Sunderland's young prospect James McClean, though Giovanni Trapattoni has shunned other creative players like Seamus Coleman and Wes Hoolahan in favour of a rigid structured system - Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews are expected to start in the middle. John O'Shea and Richard Dunne are at the heart of an experienced defence and will be vital to Ireland's attempts to "do a Greece/Chelsea"
Italy
The 2006 World Cup victory seems a long time ago, as that golden generation of players has now largely left the stage. However, there are definitely echoes of that side in this one, not only in the likely presence of a couple of familiar figures (Buffon, Pirlo, de Rossi), but also in the formation, with a diamond midfield preferred again. That does leave them with little width but gives them plenty of presence in the middle, which will be key against Spain
Up front, the volatile pairing of Mario Balotelli (we all know about him) and Antonio Cassano, now recovered after his recent heart scare, could make for entertaining viewing, but the question is where the service will come from - there is no Baggio or Totti in this Italian side. Perhaps it will come from the full-backs, who will be given license to push forward, in particular Napoli's excellent right-back Christian Maggio. But this in turn creates another problem - Pirlo sits in front of the back 4 but he is a deep-lying playmaker and isn't particularly defensive. It is unusual to be talking about an Italian side that isn't very good defensively but it could be an issue here
Spain
The best international team in the world? Well, maybe not at the moment. Unquestionably we are still in a glorious era for Spanish football, winning the last two major tournaments and having the best two club sides in the world. However, signs of weakness are creeping in, While Euro 2008 was a procession, the 2010 World Cup was a bit more of a challenge and it required some rather dull, negative football for them to get back on track after an early defeat to Switzerland. The slightly downward trajectory has continued, and Barcelona is key to this
On their day, Barcelona are still the best team in the world, and their players still dominate the Spanish team. However, this year was a disappointment, as fatigue began to set in and Guardiola's strategy began to be worked out. Injuries were also crucial, and will be for Spain - they will be without two key players: striker David Villa, who broke his leg during the Club World Championship last year, and experienced defender Carles Puyol. Without these two, Spain look weaker going forward and at the back, and it's hard to get away from that. Suddenly they are relying on Fernando Torres, currently in infamously bad form, to fire them to a third straight tournament. It is worth remembering that France entered the 2002 World Cup in a similar position, and didn't even win a match. You'd be brave to bet on the same for Spain, but you never know...
Further info:
Croatia: www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/06/euro-2012-preview-croatia/
Ireland: www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/06/euro-2012-preview-ireland/
Italy: www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/06/euro-2012-preview-italy/
Spain: www.zonalmarking.net/2012/06/06/euro-2012-preview-spain/