The 24 teams Euros is a terrible system

It has been a really boring tournament. I was so excited to be off work and able to watch games, but bar very few, it’s been pretty mind-numbing, from the format to the way teams set-up.

Just want it to be over now.
 
This tournament is the international football equivalent of the Europa League.
We all know its shit, really shit, but unlike the Europa League, we still gonna watch it.
 
Maluco said:
It has been a really boring tournament. I was so excited to be off work and able to watch games, but bar very few, it’s been pretty mind-numbing, from the format to the way teams set-up.

Just want it to be over now.
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The only thing that can save it is Spain winning I think, Deschamps and Southgate trying to outbore each other with pure tedium despite having some of the best players in Europe.
 
Should have been top 2 teams in each group advance with the top 4 group winners (by points) getting a bye to the quarterfinals. Would have ensured nearly every team had something to play for during all 3 games of the group stage.

Also get rid of the 2 yellows rule.
 
Boring, defensive managers is the problem, not the format.

People like Deschamps and Southgate have absolutely no willingness to risk. They'll both happily play the odds to get to penalties which is pretty damn embarrassing considering they have the two (or at least two of best 3) best squads in the tournament.

You can talk about international managers not having time to coach teams all you want but France at least, England to a lesser extent, always have an extra gear that they can find if they go behind in a game.

At least Deschamps owns up to being a boring manager I guess, Southgate (and others) don't do the same.
 
It's been utterly wank. From the teams in it, the tactics used, and how the tournament itself has been setup. So many boring matches. It's just felt like a bit of a low quality drag.


Hosts have done a reasonable job from most accounts though, people have had plenty of fun at the tournament.
 
Maluco said:
It has been a really boring tournament. I was so excited to be off work and able to watch games, but bar very few, it’s been pretty mind-numbing, from the format to the way teams set-up.

Just want it to be over now.
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I mean that's tournament football though. Whether we have 8 teams or 108 teams, they're all setup to not lose first and foremost.
 
baskinginthesun said:
I mean that's tournament football though. Whether we have 8 teams or 108 teams, they're all setup to not lose first and foremost.
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I get that but this has been over the top defensive and mind numbing. Asian Cup, AFCON were both miles better in terms of entertainment. Last World Cup was great too but this has been the worst international tournament I've seen in my lifetime.
 
devilsadvoca8 said:
I get that but this has been over the top defensive and mind numbing. Asian Cup, AFCON were both miles better in terms of entertainment. Last World Cup was great too but this has been the worst international tournament I've seen in my lifetime.
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The last world cup being mid season meant the players weren't dead on their feet by the time we got to this stage.
 
Stadjer said:
I like it. More games and it is nice that some countries and very good players born in not so great footballing countries can participate.

And without third place also qualifying we would have been knocked out already :lol:
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I’m with you. Not that Ireland qualify that much, but it’s a great boost when we do. The lower orders bring energy and enthusiasm sadly lacking among the jaded elite
 
It also creates an extra match that the teams are all too exhausted to play.
 
People really will get angry about anything.

It’s a decent tournament during the boring close season period. Embrace it.

The “lesser nations” like Slovakia, Georgia and Slovenia have been a breath of fresh air in this tournament.

However, I think the “defensive” styles of England, France et al are largely down to their opponents playing deep, defensive, counter attacking football. Very hard to play against, as we (United fans) should know.
 
I’m not sure if it’s the format or just the way playing football matches have gone or the quality of players has dropped dramatically.

we all know club football has gone too far the way of robotic tactics football and the flair has been taken out of the game. Put these robotic players all together without masses of time to train together and get good tactics and it’s just turns the football to shit. The bigger nations in this tournament have been crap really, I don’t think there’s been one decent striker in the whole tournament, France havent scored a goal from open play, England are boring their way to the final, spain have a few exciting youngsters but are playing players like morata up front ffs.

Ive no idea who top scorer is, probably someone on 2 goals if that. No idea who player of the tournament is. It’s just been drab. The best teams in my eyes have been Austria, Slovakia and Georgia.
 
Spaghetti Bolognese said:
People really will get angry about anything.

It’s a decent tournament during the boring close season period. Embrace it.

The “lesser nations” like Slovakia, Georgia and Slovenia have been a breath of fresh air in this tournament.

However, I think the “defensive” styles of England, France et al are largely down to their opponents playing deep, defensive, counter attacking football. Very hard to play against, as we (United fans) should know.
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I agree
 
It started off okay but has descended into, well, a typical international tournament with teams putting not losing first ahead of taking risks. Easy to understand but hard to watch.
 
devilsadvoca8 said:
I get that but this has been over the top defensive and mind numbing. Asian Cup, AFCON were both miles better in terms of entertainment. Last World Cup was great too but this has been the worst international tournament I've seen in my lifetime.
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It's boring because you've watched England, France and Portugal stink the place up. Why aren't these teams free flowing attacking football?

Teams like Austria, Slovakia and even Georgia have been fun to watch. Austria have been electric to watch. They were unlucky against Turkey which happened to be the best game of the tournament.
 
People forget quickly because the first round of the group stages was fantastisch. After that, it went downhill true enough. Still, lots of entertainment to be found in the knockouts as well. Georgië v Spain, AustrIa v Turkey, Netherlands v Romania, Germany v Spain. This tournament has been decent overall
 
Up to the participating teams to provide the football, not UEFA.

Some of the sixteen team tournaments were terrible, as were two eight team variants. The final four format provided great memories (Euro 76 is football hipster heaven) and some winners via coin toss.

Watching France v Portugal, two teams who provided zero entertainment, last night I wondered aloud (ask the wife) why anyone wants a return to elitism.

Cannot blame the football, has to be the fans, the administrators, the ref, VAR, the hosts, wokeness, anything before the actual football just being, well, shite.
 
padzilla said:
It started off okay but has descended into, well, a typical international tournament with teams putting not losing first ahead of taking risks. Easy to understand but hard to watch.
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Do you mean the KO matches? Why would that be different in a 16-team (or other) format?
 
Zlatan 7 said:
I’m not sure if it’s the format or just the way playing football matches have gone or the quality of players has dropped dramatically.
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The latter.

France and Portugal scored zero goals from open play in the R16 and QF. That has nothing to do with the format. The quality of players and the quality of finishing have dropped significantly.

Just not a good tournament.
 
Assume Netherlands beat England then you’ll have a team that reaches the final whilst finishing 3rd in the group. That’s quite remarkable
 
I hate it too - too many teams, they may as well not have qualifications and just let everyone play!!

Instead, I'd prefer an A and a B tournament.

16 teams go into the main tournament
16 teams go into a B team tournament

Could play both tournaments at the same time, in different countries (or even in the same country if there was enough stadia
 
Shame it took till the semifinals for the tournament to come alive.
 
I saw a tweet which made a good point. The Euro's have lost their unique selling point. When it was a 16 team tourney, the quality of the football was, by and large, exceptional. Now, there are just too many teams of average quality in it. A shame.

Just too many games in football in general, as well.
 
Judas said:
Euro 2008 really was the peak of the competition, downhill ever since.
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Yup, no one had to be concerned about it coming home then. Just enjoy the quality football.
 
Tournament football is always like this. Sometimes you get great tournaments and sometimes you get stinkers. I think this tournament has been underwhelming due to the quality of the teams. European football has declined, that's why there are so many "wonder kids". The previous generation was underwhelming talent-wise and it's picking up again.

People say Mbappe is the best player in the world, that says it all. He had more touches in the opposition box than anyone else and more shots and didn't score a goal bar a penalty. The players touted to win the Balon D'or are quite young as there isn't the quality in the older generation.
 
DixieDean said:
I saw a tweet which made a good point. The Euro's have lost their unique selling point. When it was a 16 team tourney, the quality of the football was, by and large, exceptional. Now, there are just too many teams of average quality in it. A shame.

Just too many games in football in general, as well.
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Not only that, the 3 team qualification shite means teams know they can settle for draws after 1 game. So they just sit in an settle for it.
 
Midrich said:
Why isnt world cups played every 2 years instead?
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I hated that idea at first, but I get it now. Ditch the continental comps and have everyone do a more frequent WC. It would mean players wouldn't miss out as much due to injury or bad luck.
 
mintyred said:
I hated that idea at first, but I get it now. Ditch the continental comps and have everyone do a more frequent WC. It would mean players wouldn't miss out as much due to injury or bad luck.
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I just rather see more variety of countries but i guess then things like Greece winning Euro 2004 wouldnt have happened.

Even Switzerland & Turkey looked like they could win the Euros this year but i doubt they would be as influential in a world cup.

But honestly apart from Greece its the big boys that have mostly won it aswell, so I'd still prefer two world cups every 4 years instead of continental football.

Greece winning the Euros were an anomaly like Leicester winning the PL - very fun to watch as a neutral sypporter but it would only really happen once every 20 years anyway.
 
Midrich said:
I just rather see more variety of countries but i guess then things like Greece winning Euro 2004 wouldnt have happened.

Even Switzerland & Turkey looked like they could win the Euros this year but i doubt they would be as influential in a world cup.

But honestly apart from Greece its the big boys that have mostly won it aswell, so I'd still prefer two world cups every 4 years instead of continental football.

Greece winning the Euros were an anomaly like Leicester winning the PL - very fun to watch as a neutral sypporter but it would only really happen once every 20 years anyway.
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What about if they turned the nations league into the Euros?
 
Maluco said:
It has been a really boring tournament. I was so excited to be off work and able to watch games, but bar very few, it’s been pretty mind-numbing, from the format to the way teams set-up.

Just want it to be over now.
Click to expand...
Wait till the next WC and the expansion to 48 teams. Or WC 2030 which takes place across 6 countries and 2 continetents. Only opening 3 games hosted in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. The rest of the games between Portugal, Spain and Morocco. All this just so Saudi Arabia could have the 2034 WC.

Or before the WC we have the 32 team World Club Championship in June next summer when players are supposed to be resting. Another expanded bloated tournament no one wants.

FIFA are as corrupt as they have ever been.
 
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