Thing is, a couple big individual mistakes in one game are one thing. It can happen. Multiple big individual mistakes in all 3 games are quite another matter, a clear sign of a team that wasn't mentally checked in. And that's on the manager
Under 21 Euros 2019
- Thread starter FootballHQ
- Start date
I tend to think that really exceptional generations are down to a big element of luck as anything else. It seems to me that it becomes a case of history being written by the winners. Spain were completely dominating youth and senior football 10 years ago but they aren't anymore. Has the 'vision' disappeared or is it more a case of them having a more normal level of natural talent coming through?
I agree to a certain point.
However, Germany and Spain have both qualified for the 2019 Semi Finals, and even if they haven’t progressed deep in previous tournaments, they’ve still unearthed the likes of Isco, Morata, and Leroy Sane.
England always seem to fall between two stools whereby we don’t necessarily pick our best players,,(often due to club priorities.), but then complain when we don’t progress.
In the meantime, nobody’s quite sure if Jadon Sancho is the real deal, or whether he’s been promoted to the senior team too soon.
We just stumble along, and hype the next group of youngsters.
Looking at England's players who were used in their "defensive block" (GK + back 4 + #6)
Henderson 4100 minutues Championship
Kenny: 700 minutes PL, 180 minutes PL2
Wan Bissaka 3100 minutes of PL
Clarke-Salter: 2500 minutes of Eredivisie
Timori: 3800 minutes Championship
da Silva: 2000 minutes Championship, 3rd division last season
Kelly: 2300 minutes Championship
Dowell: 660 minutes Championship, 270 minutes of PL2
Choudhury: 600 minutes PL, 600 minutes of PL2
The simplest explanation for their mistakes seems to be inexperience and/or lack of individual quality to me. AWB is the only player starting in a top 5 league. Compared to what the numbers for the top nations must look like that's pretty abyssmal.
Leaving aside the German side from 2009 which really was an anomaly I wouldn't say that u21 Euros are about being exceptional. Because since almost all top nations (Italy, cough) usually leave their top rated youngsters at home it's a competition for the ordinary players of a generation and it's much more about the depth of a country's player pool than their ability to produce special players for their senior team.
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So you guys seriously think WB would be like massive uprgrade on our squad? I mean it would be since we have Young playing RB but you know what I mean. He's just overpriced mediocre talent, and yes I've seen him play.
Completely agree with the England analysis. Said before the tournament that England defensive options didn't impress me at all and it was a big part of being knocked out.
Germany vs Romania is live. I really like the start of Die Mannschaft.
38 degrees at Bologna. Hell to play on that temperature. Romania looks solid at the beginning again, also huge support for them in Bologna.
Afaik UEFA swapped the kickoff times of the semis, which given these temperatures is pretty scandalous imho.
Suspect goal keeping for that Germany goal btw.
Typical, I leave the room for a minute, my team scores. Who and how?
Ah, they showed the replay now.
And now we're giving away our mandatory penalty it appears.
Ah, they showed the replay now.
And now we're giving away our mandatory penalty it appears.
4 games, 4 penalties...amazing.
That does not look like a penalty to me. They have given the penalty. Thought the player initiated that himself.
Bad miss by Puscas. Bad goalkeeping by Radu. Not a great start for Romania.
Nübel...
Equalised. Now seeing it from that angle it is a penalty.
That was just absolutely shocking from Baumgartl, completely mistimed the tackle. No excuse for someone with his experience.
Romania are playing better.
Why does Baumgartl start every game in the first place?
He seems to make silly mistakes every time I watch him play.
He seems to make silly mistakes every time I watch him play.
They didn't show the correct angle at first. It just looked like he ran into him. They have shown it now and it is correct call.
Romania is so eye pleasing.
Has that Romanian winger Conan been any good? I Remember Chelsea were linked with him a while back.
Nübel with two big saves in the last few minutes.
Fantastic goal, well deserved.
Very nice.
I think that's that for our team.
Yeah. Impressive performance form Romania. Schoking pass from Mittelstädt and way too passive defending on the cross from Tah and Klostermann though, they are the one who are supposed to lead the defense.
Nah, way too early for such a call. First of all Germany had a couple of chances as well, though they mostly ended in blocked shots. And secondly it seems to me like Romania are working way harder, let's see how the energy levels will be at the end, given the temperatures.
Great save. Nearly another goal for Romania.
All that stuff doesn't matter if Baumgartl doesn't lose sight of Puskas...he had enough time to track him.
That as well, but Mittelstädt wasn't under a lot of pressure when he played that "pass" and Baumgartl got relegated while Tah and Klostermann probably have 50 European matches between them.
Romania has not been on the map for ages, they must have done a fantastic job educating the kids for some time now!
Only one man has. Hagi. He has the only football academy of note and he is providing a lot of the players from the under 21. As luck would have it, the most talented player of this team is also his son
Ok, we should bring in Hagi as the new U-23 coach thenOnly one man has. Hagi. He has the only football academy of note and he is providing a lot of the players from the under 21. As luck would have it, the most talented player of this team is also his son
They haven't really looked up to the challenge here, and they are constantly wasting chances today by making things too complicated by bad timing or bad decision making. Every player and also the understanding between them would have to go up a notch for the second half. Let's see if we still have something up our sleeves.
Germany with a penalty.
Baumgartlesque foul.
Germany level.
Good pen from Waldschmidt.
The equalizer has done wonders for the confidence of both sides (negatively for Romania obviously), now it seems a lot more equal ground.