Euro: Euro 2024: announced squads, pre-tournament friendlies etc.

[Corto]

A squad that was anticipated, and still easily top 3 in the tournament. That being said, some decisions remain disappointing:

Ruben Neves: Not only has he shown throughout his breadth of work on the national team that he does not have the quality to be a difference maker, and is a liability defensively, he still is included despite just becoming worse in Saudi Arabia. Mattheus Nunes needs to be there instead of him, as he offers something none of our other midfielders do outside of Joao Neves, and Mattheus is more physical.

Nunes barely played down the stretch for City though. He got some rotational minutes earlier in the year, but basically got nothing from February onwards.

Neves was good this season. Yes, in SA, but it's not like players who went there forgot to play.
Laporte, Cristiano, Brozovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Mitrovic, etc... All still play for their NTs in the EURO.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Portugal's squad:

View attachment 874190

GK:
Diogo Costa (Porto) / Jose Sa (Wolves) / Rui Patricio (Roma)

Fullbacks:
Joao Cancelo (Barcelona) / Diogo Dalot (Man United) / Nuno Mendes (PSG) / Nelson Semedo (Wolves)

CB:
Pepe (Porto) / Ruben Dias (Man City) / Antonio Silva (Benfica) / Goncalo Inacio (Sporting) / Danilo (PSG)

Midfielders:
Joao Palhinha (Fulham) / Ruben Neves (Al-Itthad) / Joao Neves (Benfica) / Otavio (Al- Nassr) / Bruno Fernandes (Man United) / Bernardo Silva (Man City) / Vitinha (PSG)

Attack:
Rafael Leao (AC Milan) / Diogo Jota (Liverpool) / Joao Felix (Barcelona) / Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) / Goncalo Ramos (PSG) / Chico Conceicao (Porto) / Pedro Neto (Wolves)

Great team. Contenders.

A squad that was anticipated, and still easily top 3 in the tournament. That being said, some decisions remain disappointing:

Ruben Neves: Not only has he shown throughout his breadth of work on the national team that he does not have the quality to be a difference maker, and is a liability defensively, he still is included despite just becoming worse in Saudi Arabia. Mattheus Nunes needs to be there instead of him, as he offers something none of our other midfielders do outside of Joao Neves, and Mattheus is more physical.

Pedro Neto: Incredible when fully fit, yet he has been injured for months and has played 12 minutes. With Chico (Fransisco Conceicao) in the squad to be a 1 v 1 monster with pace, Trincao in the form he's in would be a great addition as a more cerebral talented winger in tight spaces with a great threat from distance.

Nelson Semedo: With Gurreiro injured and not available, Nelson Semedo with his prior appearances was the obvious solution as he performed decently well, and will be 4th choice. However, both Nuno Santos from Sporting and Tiago Santos from Lille had phenomenal seasons. Nuno Santos being an attacking left footed leftback who has a great cross/shot brings a lot of the skillset Gurreiro left in his absence, while Tiago Santos from Lille was maybe the best RB in France in his first season, with AC Milan already manoeuvring to poach him. Nelson Semedo was the "safe" reserve option, but Tiago Santos or Nuno Santos would be more talented.

Pote was always going to find it difficult with both Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes occupying his exact position.

The rest is fine. Hopefully Ronaldo doesn't start most games, and admits it's time to be a supersub. If he starts every match or vs top teams Portugal is done.

Hopefully it's:

Diogo Costa
Cancelo-Dias-Inacio-Mendes
Palhinha-Vitinha-Bruno Fernandes
Bernardo Silva-Ramos/Jota - Felix/Leao

Too many options in attack, maybe drop Vitinha, move Bernardo back into CM, then add an extra attacker.

The form Vitinha is in he has to play. You move the team to fit him in. Would easily have Leao over Felix

 

[Evilo]

Vitinha has to play.
Santos wasn't the best RB in L1 though. He did have a good season.
If Ronaldo starts you're toasted. And you know he will.

 

[Chimaera]

Of course Ronaldo will start. He might fight the manager if he didn't.


Different subject, but Ben Doak getting a look in the warmup is interesting. Kid is the goods but injury hurt his season

 

[Ceremony]

 

[Jovavic]

Why does that look like something I could make on a Commodore 64? Were they going for that? Because they nailed it

 

[luiginb]

Why does that look like something I could make on a Commodore 64? Were they going for that? Because they nailed it

Teletext my man

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1793232289939194336

 

[Jovavic]

Teletext my man

I have no idea what that is lol

 

[Jussi]

View attachment 874205

You get a like just for the teletext presentation.

 

[bluesfan94]

Yeah I mean if you are fine with your best players quitting thats you. Odegaard quit last year. Saka quit this year. Good enough for 2nd I guess

Had Saka played and scored 100 goals, we would still be second. Meanwhile, you choked away 14 points and your superstar got in a hissy fit with your legendary one-time champion manager. Speaking of quitting, can’t help but notice once arsenal eclipsed him, Klopp suddenly pulled the plug.

 

[Ceremony]

You get a like just for the teletext presentation.

I can go one better than that and give you Antti Niemi in the video:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1793220315692085702

 

[Savant]

Had Saka played and scored 100 goals, we would still be second.

Yeah, but he didn’t show up. Just like your captain conceding the league last year last year while you were still in first place. If you are going to want to break 90 points and compete with City, you should try to sign some guys with the stomach for it.

Meanwhile, you choked away 14 points

Did they?

and your superstar got in a hissy fit with your legendary one-time champion manager.

Yeah because they are competitive and they give a shit. You should get some guys that give a shit. Might not matter next year if City are weakened by sanction (short odds that they are getting relegated by the betting companies kind of weird) and all the other top teams are in transition. Maybe the other teams will let Arteta pick their lineups again next season. Would be crazy if Arsenal got the same injury luck next season but stranger things have happened. Have fun picking the bones.

Either way being a one time league winner better than being a zero time league winner.

Speaking of quitting, can’t help but notice once arsenal eclipsed him, Klopp suddenly pulled the plug.

I think we have different definitions of pulling the plug. At least Klopp showed up for work. Saka didn’t.

 

[bluesfan94]

Did they?

Went from up 5 to down 9. Doing some quick math, that's a 14 point swing. First to third real quick.

I think we have different definitions of pulling the plug. At least Klopp showed up for work. Saka didn’t.

As though quitting your job isn't pulling the plug? Klopp tried to skip the last two matchdays last year. Didn't even have an injury, just wanted an early start to the summer and was willing to pay 75K for it. Kinda feel for him that the FA suspended his sentence and he had to stay to bottle Champions League.

Yeah because they are competitive and they give a shit. You should get some guys that give a shit. Might not matter next year if City are weakened by sanction (short odds that they are getting relegated by the betting companies kind of weird) and all the other top teams are in transition. Maybe the other teams will let Arteta pick their lineups again next season. Would be crazy if Arsenal got the same injury luck next season but stranger things have happened. Have fun picking the bones.

Why did Salah take a five match holiday if he cared so much? I guess he thought he was going to get the time away with Egypt and then when he disappointed there, just took it anyway. Maybe if he gave a shit, Liverpool's lead wouldn't have evaporated and Klopp could have gone out with a bang rather than a whimper.

 

[Savant]

Went from up 5 to down 9. Doing some quick math, that's a 14 point swing. First to third real quick.

As though quitting your job isn't pulling the plug? Klopp tried to skip the last two matchdays last year. Didn't even have an injury, just wanted an early start to the summer and was willing to pay 75K for it. Kinda feel for him that the FA suspended his sentence and he had to stay to bottle Champions League.

Why did Salah take a five match holiday if he cared so much? I guess he thought he was going to get the time away with Egypt and then when he disappointed there, just took it anyway. Maybe if he gave a shit, Liverpool's lead wouldn't have evaporated and Klopp could have gone out with a bang rather than a whimper.

You are making stuff up now. League was tight at the top all season. Didn’t get reinforcements in January. You are making it sound like they blew a 14 point lead. That’s not what happened.

So you are saying that Klopp showed up even though he didn’t want to be there? I don’t think that is making the point that you think that it’s making

Are we saying Salah took a five match vacation to go to AFCON? Caring too much must have been the reason why your boy Thomas Partey stayed home in that case. We should Google “Thomas Partey Case” to double check

 

[bluesfan94]

You are making stuff up now. League was tight at the top all season. Didn’t get reinforcements in January. You are making it sound like they blew a 14 point lead. That’s not what happened.

So you are saying that Klopp showed up even though he didn’t want to be there? I don’t think that is making the point that you think that it’s making

Are we saying Salah took a five match vacation to go to AFCON? Caring too much must have been the reason why your boy Thomas Partey stayed home in that case. We should Google “Thomas Partey Case” to double check

Right. They blew a five point lead and ended up 9 points back. Hence choking away 14 points.

He only got to skip one match instead of two. Poor guy.

No, he took a five match break after AFCON. Do try to keep up.

 

[Savant]

Right. They blew a five point lead and ended up 9 points back. Hence choking away 14 points.

That’s not how it works

He only got to skip one match instead of two. Poor guy.

And there he was

No, he took a five match break after AFCON. Do try to keep up.

Because he was injured (not minor) during the tournament.

 

[bluesfan94]

Because he was injured (not minor) during the tournament.

Oh so your sole quibble is the fact that our manager, who speaks English as a second language, used the word minor to describe the injury? I apologize, I somehow didn't predict something that dumb would be an issue.

 

[Savant]

Oh so your sole quibble is the fact that our manager, who speaks English as a second language, used the word minor to describe the injury? I apologize, I somehow didn't predict something that dumb would be an issue.

Please.

Arteta went to Rangers in 2002 and has been in the UK as a player and manager for what, 20 years? He doesn’t exactly need a translator

Stop

 

[bluesfan94]

Please.

Arteta went to Rangers in 2002 and has been in the UK as a player and manager for what, 20 years? He doesn’t exactly need a translator

Stop

If an injury keeps a player out for three weeks, would you consider it minor or major?

 

[hatterson]

This is legitimately one of the dumbest arguments I've seen in a while.

It boils down to the claim that a player "quit" on his team because he missed a game due to injury, but will be healthy within a month.

Obviously such a thing could only apply to Saka and definitely would never apply to Salah who missed games despite being back to healthy 2 weeks later while Liverpool was leading the title race.

 

[cgf]

We all know both of your feeder clubs are just there for City to beat up on, so could you please take this to the EPL thread where it belongs?

Some of us don’t speak farmer.

 

[Savant]

This is legitimately one of the dumbest arguments I've seen in a while.

It boils down to the claim that a player "quit" on his team because he missed a game due to injury, but will be healthy within a month.

Obviously such a thing could only apply to Saka and definitely would never apply to Salah who missed games despite being back to healthy 2 weeks later while Liverpool was leading the title race.

Yeah, I mean the H in HF stands for hockey, where people are playing with torn labrums. So no, you can’t tell me Saka didn’t quit. You guys don’t have to agree, but he cried out of a title deciding game. That is incredibly weak to me. Maybe it’s just me, but that’s never been a problem for me before

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

i'm old enough to remember diego costa getting injured right before the UCL final, opting to 'play through it,' and - through sheer bravery, machismo, courage, and willpower - he scored an amazing goal that won the match

wait no

atletico had to waste a substitution in the 9th minute because he was too hurt to play, and the game eventually went to extra time and they lost after going down to 10 men because juanfran got hurt and they had no substitutions left

and, in order to make the comparison even more direct, costa was fit enough to start the first match of the world cup less than a month later

 

[Savant]

i'm old enough to remember diego costa getting injured right before the UCL final, opting to 'play through it,' and - through sheer bravery, machismo, courage, and willpower - he scored an amazing goal that won the match

wait no

atletico had to waste a substitution in the 9th minute because he was too hurt to play, and the game eventually went to extra time and they lost after going down to 10 men because juanfran got hurt and they had no substitutions left

and, in order to make the comparison even more direct, costa was fit enough to start the first match of the world cup less than a month later

Yeah? Didi Hamann played Istanbul with a broken foot, and scored in the penalty shootout. There’s examples on both sides. Some players have the stomach for it. Some don’t. I’d be mad if my player didn’t want to play the last game of the season, in a title decided, so they’d be healthier for an international tournament. That’s it.