Are the euros now as tough if not tougher than the World Cup

Jedi boro

Jedi boro

Well-known member
Just looking through months world soccer guide and obviously bar the south American sides then it looks a really strong line up this summer with all the big hitters present.

as unlike the World Cup there’s no real easy games as such and its intense competition from the off.

roll on the euros

and the copa America a little later as well
 
It has but it’s now full of all the big countries no one has really missed out and come the knockouts it’s going to be brutal.
 
Used to be tougher than the World Cup when it was the best 16 teams in Europe, compred with the World Cup where you could draw someone like New Zealand or Iran.

Now even a Scotland team who lost half their qualifying games are in. Very much watered down.
 
Steer said:
Used to be tougher than the World Cup when it was the best 16 teams in Europe, compred with the World Cup where you could draw someone like New Zealand or Iran.

Now even a Scotland team who lost half their qualifying games are in. Very much watered down.
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But they are all there though the key countries which wasn’t always the case.

plus it’s those “lesser” sided in Europe that create the drama. England Scotland is a game we know it they will give their all to beat score v us.
 
Benzema back in the France squad after 6 years, they've clearly forgiven him for the sex tape blackmail, they're going to be some force this year if they play to their capabilities.
Hopefully they don't though.
 
France are my strong favourites again. Apart from an aberration against Finland their form is good and peaking fro this Summer. Their first fixture is against Germany which will define both their tournaments I feel.
 
zorro_mfc said:
Just looking through months world soccer guide and obviously bar the south American sides then it looks a really strong line up this summer with all the big hitters present.

as unlike the World Cup there’s no real easy games as such and its intense competition from the off.

roll on the euros

and the copa America a little later as well
Click to expand...

Not sure about that TBH. I accept that the world's best teams are European, but I'm not convinced that the 9th-14th best teams in Europe are any better than the majority of the world.

Looking at the last 3 World Cups, 45% of European teams got eliminated in the first round. Furthermore, other continents have more strength in depth than the number of WC qualifying places allows them to demonstrate. At the last world cup, the African, North American and South American continental champions failed to qualify.

In some ways, the Euros have become easier since going to 24 teams. Not only has this diluted the quality, it's quite hard to get knocked out in the group stage. We play 36 matches to eliminate 8 teams. Get 3 points in the group stage in the WC and you're on the next flight home, but it was enough for Portugal and Northern Ireland to squeak out of their groups at the last Euros. Portugal, of course, went on to win it.
 
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If you look at the winners, Denmark, Greece, Czech, Russia, Netherlands and Portugal have all won it. That sort of suggests to me that it’s easier to win than the World Cup. A few of those countries are not what you’d call football “powerhouses” and would possibly not have beaten the Brazil and Argentina sides of their respective eras.

None of those teams have won the World Cup and most haven’t even come close. If the Euros was harder surely some of those nations would have won the World Cup 2 years before or after their Euro triumphs?
 
Abel Tasman said:
France are my strong favourites again. Apart from an aberration against Finland their form is good and peaking fro this Summer. Their first fixture is against Germany which will define both their tournaments I feel.
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Honestly I’d put England alongside them.

It’s a home tournament in all but name. Major advantage. We could play all of our games, including QF, semi and final at Wembley right?
 
jonny_greenings_sock said:
Honestly I’d put England alongside them.

It’s a home tournament in all but name. Major advantage. We could play all of our games, including QF, semi and final at Wembley right?
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Possibly but you have to remember this is England and they always seem to rescue a disaster from the jaws of triumph just when you don’t want them to. Rinse and repeat since 1966.
 
Steer said:
Used to be tougher than the World Cup when it was the best 16 teams in Europe, compred with the World Cup where you could draw someone like New Zealand or Iran.

Now even a Scotland team who lost half their qualifying games are in. Very much watered down.
Click to expand...
So Steer, can you answer this one. Which was the only country to go through the 2010 World Cup in South Africa unbeaten?
 
I would say they are very much similar. I do prefer the WC due to seeing the south Americans like Brazil and Argentina.

Then again I would very much argue the European sides are better. The current Belgium and England sides have so much talent.

I do have an issue with the extended Euros. Its not overly Scotland (despite hardly winning a qualifier) but you see the likes of Macadonia and Malta qualifying for the first time and it's almost harder not to qualify (sorry Ireland). I do believe you should qualify on merit and not via the nations league debacle or finishing 3rd with 7 points.

I am looking forward to them👍. I know England fans get hammered for getting carried away but we have so much talent that we have to have a real go. It's up to how Gareth sets them up (never play Rice and Dier in the same CM).

Also mint knowing we have a Scotland clash. Although only if we win 😒
 
It should be a gimme until the quarters. If we make it to the quarters it'll likely be three tough games to win. That group of death means that it's likely we will play two of those (Germany, France, Portugal) or Belgium in the last 3 matches....that's a tough run
 
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