EPL Talk - Latest Comments in Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Chris Walker — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:23:50 -0000

When did i say i despise Greece?!?! I actually found their 2004 win refreshing as it was someone outsider the current 'big three' from europe.

Get political if you want about stereotyping the British but i dont think anyone gives a damn about the political side of things.

And if you read my posts carefully you will find that i have actually defended the greeks. They dont have the technical ability to get it on the floor and run at the likes of Germany , Spain and the other big names. So they play to their strengths. All i said was its crap to watch and it is. I watch that brand of football with sheffield united every other week , i still watch it i appreciate that its effective for them but i wont say for one second its how i would want them to play. Its about making the best of the players you have, Trianos Dellas of Greece PLAYED for Sheff United for god sake so i know exactly what the greek side is about.

Im not condemning them john im just merely pointing it out that isnt an entertaining brand of football for the European championship.

I dont think its a pride issue for most people either its just boring to watch, its like watching watford in the premier league but with a bit more end product. Lets face it chelsea play dull football and the neutral lambasts them as a rule but if its effective than whos to cast them to the flames?

Im supporting Germany (seems as im half german) anyway boys so im jealous of a one off Greek triumph am i?

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

john — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:00:37 -0000

sorry buddy no fluke here, cant FLUKE all wins,and the sad ass political comments comes from fans like you who despise victories like greeces. cmon buddy face it. they got the job done. this isnt about greece its about the way they played, italy plays the same way. today in sports just like in hockey , basketball etc defense poves to be more then offense. ive talked to non greek fans most agree greece played a tight defensive game. covered the flanks there opponents forwards and so on. that was a team effort, absolutley no selfishness in each other part. they may not go through this time around, almost half the team has changed, new faces emerged, with no prior experience, there just getting a taste of euro 2008. and otto will have these boys ready for world cup 2010. i said they will qualify for the 08 season they did with a great qualifying record, 10-1-1 isnt a FLUKE either. what did you expect greece to win again and again and again. this is a unpredictable sport. you me anyone can only guess. evem myself never thought greece would win in 04. i laughed. otto built a great team. and from now on you will see a better team. im very dissapointed in many of you for not accepting a 04 victory. swallow your pride. and like christos said, if greece fluked its way alllllll the way to the end, then the hell with soccer.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Christos — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:39:41 -0000

People obviously dont want to see a change of the "Natural Balance", and like to see football to be a protected INSTITUTION. I hear less complaints about football bribery and match fixing than i hear about a perfectly acceptable win of Euro 2004 by Greece. If it is a FLUKE than the whole sport is a joke, nobody should fluke their way through France, Czec republic and Portugal Twice. Mabey Fanis Gekas is Fluking being Top Scorer in the bundesliga. European teams like Spain England and Portugal should be furious at them selves after not securing a euro championship in the last fifty years.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Chris_Walker — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:02:45 -0000

the yawwwn is about the sad-arse political comments not the football.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Kartik — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:52:36 -0000

Actually based on watching the national team I know the best the last three matches, England right now is miles ahead of both Spain and Argentina.

England looked dominant and very tactical against an outclassed, inferior side.

Against Spain we had the better of the play in the first half and quite honestly Spain only had two good chances to score all match whereas England had about 10. We had three good chances against Spain and only one against England.

Then Argentina allegedly the best team in the world hit American soil last week and after thrashing Sven's soon to be boys, they really crashed an burned against us. They outplayed us in the first half but in the 2nd half we owned them creating more chances in a ten minute period than we did the entire match at Wembley.

Qualifying began two years ago and England dug themselves a hole. But based on what I have seen in the last few weeks if they were in the Euros they'd be a threat to advance out of the group stage.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

john — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:30:02 -0000

yaawwwwwning is for those who dont like defensive soccer. go italy go greece.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Chris_Walker — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:00:19 -0000

how on earth has this become about britain/england???

This is a football forum not a political one.

YAAAWWWWNNN.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

john — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:54:15 -0000

first of all i never said you were a brit. second why hate a tactic that worked. is there a specific rule to the game im missing. please tell me. i may have missed it. in the sports entertainment, you do what works best. italy and greece play the same old boring soccer and i love it. you can hate it hun. winning is winning. no matter how you do it.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

betsy's bolton bum baster — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:20:10 -0000

i'm not even british. in fact i hate the british like the rest of the world. i have no predisposition to hate the greek team other than their tactics.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

john — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:40:43 -0000

hey olly keep bashing, hate hate hate, england were are they now. tis tis.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

john — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:31:48 -0000

dean wining is wining, soccer is NOT about dancing with the ball , you use any tactic to win. italy plays the same style like greece, so what the problem here, greece is new to these major tournaments. for many years greece never had good proper discipline, coaching staff players and most of all funds. i applaud greece with there sucess and many others will agree, im not here to convince anyone to change there minds. you know who you are. and dont forget greece style of defence comes from otto himself. this is his tactic. the greek organization left it to otto to build this team. so dont sit there and yap about a team that won deservingly. i can tell you this much without otto greece woudnt be the team they are. hes a well respected coach and know the game well.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

john — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:14:28 -0000

betsy you sound like a typical brit, where is england in all of this. looks like they were bum blasted. villa 5 goals lol your sad. keep dreaming. greece finished with a 10-1-1 record to qualify. ah wait dont tell me. that was fluke too right. even if greece dosent go through. they still remain a great team, and they will only get better as the years go along.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Chris_Walker — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:30:46 -0000

Looking at the greek teamsheet i wouldnt have said ' flair' is something they have an abundance of. At the end of the day for Greece nor any other team are OBLIGED to entertain its about whichever brand of football suits best.

. Greece were poor and have to improve if they are to get to the knockout stages if they are going to go with one up front then it is vital that the striker gets support from both his widemen and central midfield. Noone wants to see aimless ball bursting like last night.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

betsy's bolton bum baster — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:39:57 -0000

Greece wasn't playing to it's strengths. What their coach said was....we have no strengths so we will play 5 defenders and try not to lose. They had no tactics beyond their own 1/3 of the field. It was pathetic. Swiss, Austria or Turkey could have easily done the same tactics as Greece. Put 3 goons in the center-back positions. Let them push the forwards around. Then have 3 CM's in the middle, who are slow, hold the ball or play a long ball hoping their tall forwards can head it in from 50 yards away. It was sad.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Dean — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:29:27 -0000

I agree with Paul, these competitions should be about the "best of the best", about showcasing skill to the world, not about putting 10 men behind the ball hoofing it up the field at every given opportunity. Sweden won yesterday because they were by far the better team. Ask yourself this, do Greece look like the European champions...

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Christos — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:15:43 -0000

Furthermore When World Champions France lost to Senegal in 2002, and World Champions Argentina lost to cameroon in 1990 we see that Crowned Champions Are a Popular scalp. Greece Won a Major Tournament in a sport which is not its national Sport. Basketball IS and they have won two Eurobasketball championships.

Congratulations Greece hope you score a couple of quality goals as you did in the qualifying rounds to show what football you can play.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Christos — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:06:27 -0000

Greece qualified with flair. It is moving towards more attacking football. But remember sweden is possibly the best defensive side in the world. Expect a better brand of football against russia and spain. Im confident Greece wont win but will take chances. Germany has been winning major tournaments with the system Greece employed in 2004 for years, why is everyone Greek Bashing.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Chris Walker — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:42:49 -0000

WARNING BALANCED VIEW AHEAD!

I agree the brand of football Greece play is horrific to watch and against the likes of sweden playing for a 0-0 draw is hard to understand in some quarters.

After all, Sweden are hardly tournament. favourites

Having said that my club play in the coca cola championship and have to play to their strengths. Naturally these are not usualy guile and flair, but hard work , passion and commitment.

The same goes for the Greeks, they have to win in the way they are most likely too and i firmly believe that if they tried to get it on the floor and go at teams they would struggle to pick up more than 2 points in most tournaments. And if this is the way they played in 2004 and won, its hard to argue with their somewhat negative philosophy.

As a strict neutral before the game i did however decide i couldnt watch anymore of Greece's UK Amateur league tactics and stopped watching, hoping that sweden would tear them apart.

As a neutral you want to be entertained, with the exception of a few select nations Europe has the strongest teams in the world and we want to see that demonstrated.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Chris — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:41:12 -0000

Last time I checked, the point of the game was to win. While I don't necessarily enjoy watching Greece play, I understand that the style they employ gives them the best possibility of success.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Olly Wilkinson — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:29:34 -0000

Paul mate, it's like you read the mind of every football loving chap in this despicable world.

After Euro 04 I hated greece with a passion, not because they were champs but for how they won it, like you said with ultra defensive tactics and long balls into the box.

Sweden played with style, composure and most of all a desire to play true football. Well done Sweden and well done Paul for his truly spot on comments!!

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Ivan — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:12:59 -0000

I have gripes with clubs who call themselves "big" that have the resources and capability but still play rubbish football. My personal criteria for what i deem a "big club" involves the style of football played.

Small clubs or small footballing nations i can understand the pragmitism...

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

betsy's bolton bum baster — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:03:53 -0000

greece is overrated and will be disposed of rightly. nobody will hear about them again after this tournament. i cant wait to see david villa score 5 goals against the greek goons.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

john — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:04:28 -0000

hey bestall. you must be a fascist and a dreamer. you claim soccer should be played with beautiful moves, and so much skill and talent. where has that gotten other teams. im glad to see you burn inside with arrogance and jealousy. over tiny little greece that done much damage. you say thank you sweden thank you ever so much, i say thank you greece for pissing loosers like you off. that makes me feel so much better to see foolish people like you knock a country that did so much that not many other countries cant and will never do.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

john — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:45:46 -0000

lol i just love reading comments about how greece was a fluke,lucky, all and nothing more but a usless team and no one wants to see them play, or win, where the hell you gettin your info from, the maple leafs team. many countries love greeces succes, it aint greeces fault the other supposly better teams coudnt beat them. let hope for this let hope for that, etc. there style and with luck on there side won, winning is winning no matter how you win. you do what you gotta do to win, if other teams are that much better, why coudnt they penetrate there defence. looks like you need a new hobby. like stamp collecting or watching paint dry. i guess the montreal canadiens with 24 cups was all a fluke too. i guess greeces best winning record with 10-1-1 for the european qualifying was nothing but a fluke too. face, you hate greece because they beat the better teams and it burns you up inside, i since jealousy and arrogance.

Re: Euro 2008 Applauds As Sweden Win For Football

Shakira Graham — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:35:35 -0000

I know I got the coaches name wrong, cant multi-task tonight. I do agree on the second goal, what a joke that was, looked like Derby County defending there.