UEFA Euro 2024: Mod Note Added 2/7/24

Grealish ran the show at Villa, then was given a very defined role at City, basically stuck on the left win all the time and he did it successfully. He can play whatever roles he's asked to.

His issue was getting injured this season and when he came back Doku had established himself at his position. That doesn't mean he was out of form. He's playing at City, Matheus Nunes is in a very strong Portugal squad despite spending most of his time on the bench for City, Renato Sanchez wasn't picked. Julian Alvarez will be in a ridiculously strong Argentina forwards squad despite spending a lot of time on the bench at City.

Grealish got an opportunity in a friendly, grabbed it with both hands and he's left at home while Bowen who's unlikely to get any time on the pitch was brought.

They won't win it anyway because Southgate is in charge.

no. You were told you were moving the goalposts after you’d said Foden had never played on the left, trying to make out he’d played right from when he was a kid until being moved central.

Your initial point was that Gordon was the only option to play on the left side. Which has been thoroughly shown to not be the case, with Eze having shone there this season, and Foden having been shown to play there more than anywhere else in his senior career.

I wouldn’t have been particularly surprised if Grealish had been brought, he’s a decent player to come off the bench. But I equally understand dropping him since they’re pretty stacked in the area. Foden will start there, with Gordon and Eze as strong game changers in good goal scoring form.

Would love to see Jack leave City… it always felt a bad fit for a bit of a wildcard player like him, a bit of a waste of three years of his career (though admittedly I’m sure a lot of money!)

Foden played on the left in the FA Cup Final so your whole argument is redundant

Here's three years (20/21, 21/22, 22/23) worth of season-long heatmaps (from the same source you used yourself) showing you exactly what positions Foden was in on the pitch. I'd personally say that would look like a man who spends a lot of time playing on the left, being occasionally used centre and right - which is exactly where I think most of us would have said he played in that period.

Eze's been awesome on the left for Palace since Glasner came in, scoring and creating a tonne of goals there. Him left, Matetta centre forward, and Olise right. He played a good chunk at AM as well, particularly while Olise was out, but his best performances have come from coming inside off the left, in the same way that Grealish, Foden, and Gordon all do, and the way that England will use. All right footed left sided players.

Here's his heat map for the season (again from the source you used yourself), showing exactly that - the vast majority of his time left and centre this season. A lot of work tracking back to left fullback too, which is interesting of a guy we think of as so attacking;

And now here's Grealish's heat map, showing him playing in very similar areas to what Foden does for City when he plays on the left;

I'd look at those five heatmaps, and say they all represent lads who are pretty comfortable attacking on the left.

I agree that Southgate might well cost England, but I don't think their quality on the left will be an issue.

So, any other teams in the Euros ?

yeah, j’know, I’m embarrassed for getting so engaged in it. It’s a lovely day. A quick hurl outside and a pint 👍

Pogba is banned from football so probably is

One game, good man.

I don't think you even know what a goalpost is and I'm talking about real ones as well as metaphorical ones.

Funnily enough, we've never had a final where Italy and Germany have met. Be great to see European footballs two heavweights go at it in the final!

Edit, just one other point on Italy. People are giving them no chance this year and scoff at the idea they'll do anything. Far weaker players than last time etc. No one giving them a chance. But look at it this way, you back a different team to win it. Suddenly they come up against Italy. How confident now would you be of beating them, or would you deem them so poor anymore?

They'll surprise alot of people. Even poor and average Italian players are generally better all round players than anyone else. That suits a two week grind. And they have great craft and game management. And they carry great belief and a winners mentality. This all counts for alot. England by contrast, have none of that, but people don't consider these things

On the topic of Grealish, if I was an England surporter, I'd be tearing my hair out. England seem intent of ostracising what you'd call the traditional number 10 playmaker, and they've done it again. Any chance this talented England squad had, is being destroyed by a completely incompetant management team, and this generation will pass, never getting close to their potential.

Grealish's growth as a player has stunted at City, should of never went there. But his form, lifestyle, dedication or whatever is immaterial for the national team. He's their only player with an actual football brain in his head. If England were to have any hope, the team needed to be built around him. So, they've jettisoned their only hope.

Quite simply, England have no other player that has the technical qualities or vision that Grealish possesses, that they'll need against the likes of Germany, France et all for their game management. I don't think Grealish is generally living up to his potential, but I think this tourament would of suited him. He's England's most naturally gifted player in terms of his vision, football IQ, and playmaking. As I said, the team should of been built around him, and he was the missing piece to bring it all together for England, as a cohesive team unit

I'm done with you after this and hope the mods step in at some point because you're derailing the whole forum.

Anyway you're point that I replied to is that Foden didn't play LW at all this year. He played LW 3 weeks ago. You are wrong, again, and just won't admit it.

I don't think Germany can win it, they are missing an out and out goalscorer. France are the heavy favourites for me, their squad is just ridiculous. Depth all over the park. Next after France is Portugal IMO their attacking and midfield options rival France. Its maybe defence where we'd see the difference.

I think it'll be a cracking tournament and my outside bet is that England don't make it out of the group

I'm not derailing anything, I've been talking about squad selection for Euro 2024. Thus is the Euro 2024 thread.

I put up Foden's season heatmap which backed up my comments about where Foden played. You then put up a lineup for the FA cup final, you don't even say how long he spent on the left in that match. Did you watch the match?

I'm done with you and your ridiculous arguments and unwarranted accusations.

We need to look at the draw. I had a quick look at it the other day and Portugal seem to have a nice route to get deep in the tournament. They play a third placed team in the last sixteen and then the winner of a runners up match between France's group, likely Netherlands, and Belgium's group which is hard to call. So maybe the Dutch in the last eight.

Portugal and England won't have to face another group winner before the semi-final.

Portugal have Germany and Spain as potential semi-final opponents. England have Belgium and France.

I'd guess Rice and Mainoo as double 6s, Bellingham at AM, Foden left, Saka right, Kane CF. That way, you get all four of England's best attackers all playing in positions they're incredibly comfortable in. After years of trying to shoehorn Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes in together, this is perhaps the most natural balance of fitting their best players in that they've had in a long time - a real threat, as long as their defensive side can hold up.

Germany can't win it, what are you smoking lad? It's more a question of who can stop them, buoyed on by the home crowd. Germany at their very worst, like Italy, can still win these tournaments, that's why Italy and Germany are consistent winners, with only Brazil at their level.

And that's Germany at their worst. This is a competitive Germany team with the home crowd behind them. It will take something special to stop them. And the only one proven team to regularly beat them in major tournaments is the other heavyweight, Italy. History doesn't lie. There's a reason those two have an unmatched consistency. They work out ways, to do what needs to be done, when it matters most, regardless of their individual players. Germany and Italy play chess, the rest don't, that's the difference!

Deschamps was a great and promising manager. What he did with Monaco in 2003/04 was remarkable. Went to Juve in big trouble after, and worked wonders

But he has stagnated as a manager, taking the wrong roles and positions since, and like Lowe has started to stagnate France. It's only downhill here for them

People have their favourites and fancied teams. Some will have a cycle here and there, like Spain or France. But when it comes down to it, Italy and Germany have it sown up. They're the only two nations, that knows what has to be done, to win.

History doesn't lie, proven winners. Italy played a fancied Belgium in the last euros. Everyone thought Belgium were stacked with winners and individual talent. They beat Italy in a friendly before. But when it mattered, Italy battered them out the gate, gave them an absolute lesson. That's what Italy and Germany do in knock out football.

England beat Italy recently in the group stages. England play Italy in the knock out rounds, forget about it from an England point of view. Italy are a special national team, they'll do what needs to be done when it matters. Never underestimate them, they love that!

Only an absolute idiot would put a team like England ahead of Italy to win this tournament!

" But when it comes down to it, Italy and Germany have it sown up. They're the only two nations, that knows what has to be done, to win"

Is this the Italy that failed to qualify for 2 successive World Cups?

Or the Germany that went out of the 2022 WC at the group stage?

Italy when they get to the finals, are a different beast. I thought someone as knowledgeable on football as you, would of known that. If your judging Italy on their qualifying, it shows nothing in terms of what they'll bring to a major tournament

Anybody playing the UEFA Match predictor game ?