Team of the tournament

I guess it's time to pick your team of the tournament. I saw Garth Crooks' team and it's a joke. Here is mine.

Casillas

Selassie
Ramos
Hummels
Alba

Pirlo
Iniesta
Xavi
Ronaldo

Ballotelli
Dzagoev

I don't think his team is a joke. I think people are forgetting the poor performances from Balotelli in most of the games bar the Germany one. He failed to make his mark in any of the other games.

Buffon

Johnson
Hummels
Kjaer
Alba

De Rossi
Pirlo
Iniesta

Ozil
Gomez
Ronaldo

Not bad-
Not sure anyone really shone at right back, and the Italian central defenders were both solid.

The main change I'd make is changing Ballotelli out and bringing in Xavi Alonso - Spain's success relies very much on the play of their two deeper midfielders (Alonso and Busquets) and how they provide cover and an easy 'out' pass for the more adventurous midfielders, and I think Alonso is the better of the two of them.

dummy_half wrote:Not bad-
Not sure anyone really shone at right back, and the Italian central defenders were both solid.

The main change I'd make is changing Ballotelli out and bringing in Xavi Alonso - Spain's success relies very much on the play of their two deeper midfielders (Alonso and Busquets) and how they provide cover and an easy 'out' pass for the more adventurous midfielders, and I think Alonso is the better of the two of them.

I would go further than saying Alonso is the better of the two of them, I'd go as far as to say Busquets isn't even needed. I don't see what he offers Spain, he's not a feisty midfielder making lots of tackles, he isn't a player who can cut a team open with a pass or thunder in a shot from range. He seems to do very little all game, surely he could be sacrificed for a more creative midfielder like say...Fabregas, and play a striker because you can have Alonso covering, Xavi next to him playing the balls, Iniesta, Fabregas and Silva ahead of him and a central forward as well.

Casillas

Alba
Terry
Ramos
Arbeloa

Busquets
Xavi
Iniesta
Alonso
Pirlo

Silva

Seems ridiculous to have only 2 non-Spain players, but they are so far ahead of everyone else that it's true.

Having Busquets and Alonso means they have double cover. It is no coincidence that they concede so few goals.

lorus59 wrote:Having Busquets and Alonso means they have double cover. It is no coincidence that they concede so few goals.

But my point is that you could perhaps have a more creative player than Busquets doing the job Busquets does as well as something more. Alonso does the same job but is also a creative outlet and can change the direction of play in an instant...I'd say Alonso is the better tackler of the two as well, about equal in terms of reading the game.

People often point at Arbeloa as the weakness in Barcelona's side, but I think it's Busquets.

UEFA's official 23 man squad of the tournament is this:

Buffon
Casillas
Neuer

Pique
Coentrao
Lahm
Pepe
Ramos
Alba

De Rossi
Gerrard
Xavi
Iniesta
Khedira
Busquets
Ozil
Pirlo
Xabi Alonso

Balotelli
Fabregas
Ronaldo
Ibrahimovic
Silva



Most of that I agree with, but I have no idea how Busquets is considered one of the best players of the tournament, did nothing of note (which is what he tends to do all the time). Also no Mario Gomez?

Gerrard?
What on earth is he doing in there?

super_realist wrote:Gerrard?
What on earth is he doing in there?

Three assists. England's best player. Was superb for the group games, but Italy's midfield overran England and he couldn't keep the form up in the quarter final.

Turd polishing on a grand scale and placating the English media rather than a merited inclusion I think.

He was breathing out his backside in the QF and looked like a geriatric.

Not sure why UEFA pick 23 players, a "team" is only 11 + 3 subs.

super_realist wrote:Turd polishing on a grand scale and placating the English media rather than a merited inclusion I think.

He was breathing out his backside in the QF and looked like a geriatric.

Not sure why UEFA pick 23 players, a "team" is only 11 + 3 subs.

Yeah, because UEFA has a history of placating the English media. Don't be ridiculous. He was picked because he had a good tournament.

Because each squad was 23 players.

Here goes:

Casillas

Lahm(forgive me moving him from LB)
Ramos
Pepe
Coentrao

Iniesta
Pirlo
Alonso
Xavi
Fabregas

Ronaldo

For this tournament XI, Alba richly deserves a place in the starting XI.

Crimey wrote:

super_realist wrote:Turd polishing on a grand scale and placating the English media rather than a merited inclusion I think.

He was breathing out his backside in the QF and looked like a geriatric.

Not sure why UEFA pick 23 players, a "team" is only 11 + 3 subs.

Yeah, because UEFA has a history of placating the English media. Don't be ridiculous. He was picked because he had a good tournament.

Because each squad was 23 players.

Why don't they call it squad of the tournament then? He'd have no chance of making the "Team" of the tournament.

super_realist wrote:

Crimey wrote:

super_realist wrote:Turd polishing on a grand scale and placating the English media rather than a merited inclusion I think.

He was breathing out his backside in the QF and looked like a geriatric.

Not sure why UEFA pick 23 players, a "team" is only 11 + 3 subs.

Yeah, because UEFA has a history of placating the English media. Don't be ridiculous. He was picked because he had a good tournament.

Because each squad was 23 players.

Why don't they call it squad of the tournament then? He'd have no chance of making the "Team" of the tournament.

It is called the squad of the tournament...

Squad of the Tournament is a daft idea really??

It's typical UEFA "PC" trying to appease as many countries as possible......

John Cregan wrote:Squad of the Tournament is a daft idea really??

It's typical UEFA "PC" trying to appease as many countries as possible......

They didn't put that many countries in the squad though...

It doesn't really mean anything, it's just trying to give praise to the players they feel deserve praise and sometimes it's too difficult to do so in only 11 people.

Goalkeeper:Buffon(just scrapes it over Cassillass as he made some great and important saves, not taking anything away from Iker, just thought Gianluigi was better)
RB:Abatte(Speedy player, beats Arebeloa,probably was a better RB in the tornument, can't remember though)
CB:Sergio Ramos(A rock, need I say more)
CB:Pique(again can't think of anyone else)
LB:Fabio Coentrao(just beats Lahm and Alba with his overall ability)
RM:Iniesta(Vital as usual for Spain, beats Nani by a fair bit)
CM:Xavi(Not his best tornument but shined in the final)
CM:Pirlo(My Player of the tornument)
CM:Fabregas(Tempted to put him as a striker in the team but I know better, had a good tornument)
LM:Ronaldo(Tough on Silva but hey... it's Ronaldo, again can't really remember anyone)
ST:Mario Gomez(Had a good tornument but I guess you might have to give it to Torres as he won the Golden boot)

John Cregan wrote:Squad of the Tournament is a daft idea really??

It's typical UEFA "PC" trying to appease as many countries as possible......

Even the most generous of UEFA officials couldn't find a spot for any of the Irish though, truly the worst team I've seen in years at a Tournament.

super_realist wrote:

John Cregan wrote:Squad of the Tournament is a daft idea really??

It's typical UEFA "PC" trying to appease as many countries as possible......

Even the most generous of UEFA officials couldn't find a spot for any of the Irish though, truly the worst team I've seen in years at a Tournament.

Worse than North Korea 2 years ago?

Perhaps not that bad, but the Euro's normally has more depth than crap like T&T and NZ, North Korea etc.

Mind you in 4 years time there'll be 24 teams and then we could see some real dross like Scotland and Wales in there. (and England if they qualify)

-----------------Buffon------------------

--Johnson--Ramos----Hummels---Alba---

--Ronaldo---Ozil----Pirlo------Inisesta---

----------------------Fabregas-------------------

------------------Gomez------------

How the feic did Ibra get in there? He played well against France and did alright against the Ukraine but was never a standout. Busquets was never great, would have had Montolivo ahead of him.

Thomond wrote:How the feic did Ibra get in there? He played well against France and did alright against the Ukraine but was never a standout. Busquets was never great, would have had Montolivo ahead of him.

Im not Ibra's biggest fan, but i can't think of any striker apart from Ronaldo who was better......thought he was good against England & Ukraine and v.good against France............

Gomez just doesn't have a good enough all round game.....................

I thought hw as muck against England, got on the ball a lot was selfish, and wasteful, if he was a team mate I would have hit him. He was arguably at fault for Carroll's goal as he could have stopped the corss but didn't he gave up on the play.

Casillas

Alba
Ramos
Hummels
Perera (Portugal - dont know how to spell)

Xavi
Iniesta
Pirlo

Ronaldo

Gomez
Ballotelli


subs:

Buffon
Marchisio
Gerard
Ozil
Shcewinsteiger
Dzageov
Ibrahimovic

SR you going off on one again lol.

Personally i think terry was the only english player to deserve a place- gerarrd was ok, but didnt do a thing in the knockout game- which in all honesty terry did

Buffon

Selassie
Ramos
Pepe
Alba

Pirlo
Xavi
Iniesta

Ronaldo
Balotelli
Silva

Subs:

Casillas
Abate
Hummels
Marchisio
Ozil
Dzagoev
Ibrahimovic

Buffon

Alba
Ramos
Pique
Coentrao

Xavi
Pirlo
Iniesta

Ronaldo
Fabregas
Torres

Shay Given

Debuchy
Rami
Van der Weil
Poulsen

Cabaye
De Jong
Milner
Parker

van Persie
Rooney

Coach: Leff

leff thats a team and a half- do you know what jokes apart i reakon it would do spain

Didnt watch every game by any stretch so this is just going off what I watched.

1. Hart

2. Lahm
3. Terry
4. Pepe
5. Johnson

6. Pirlo
7. Iniesta
8. Xavi
9. Gerrard
10. Ronaldo

11. Rooney

Gordy, you have 4 English players in your team of the tournament, did you forget to take your medication?

Gordy wrote:Didnt watch every game by any stretch so this is just going off what I watched.

1. Hart

2. Lahm
3. Terry
4. Pepe
5. Johnson

6. Pirlo
7. Iniesta
8. Xavi
9. Gerrard
10. Ronaldo

11. Rooney

Didn't watch much then did you Gordy?

How you could have a single England player in there is unbelievable. I know it's opinion, and only based on what you saw but that is a bit silly.

Rooney was appalling and showed himself to be the average player he is.