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QF4: France v Iceland

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
24,010
66,826
Six of France's starting XI play in the Premier League and the lack of a winter break in England doesn't seem to be bothering them.
 

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,179
48,764
Six of France's starting XI play in the Premier League and the lack of a winter break in England doesn't seem to be bothering them.
To be fair to Giroud and Koscieniy - they always take two months off from around Jan-March...

obama-mic-drop.jpg
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,553
Six of France's starting XI play in the Premier League and the lack of a winter break in England doesn't seem to be bothering them.
The winter break argument has never been backed up by any real evidence anyway.

England are shit because the players are inferior to the best nations, the management is more often than not hopeless and the leadership in the game across the country is lacking in almost every area from the grassroots up.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
The winter break argument has never been backed up by any real evidence anyway.

England are shit because the players are inferior to the best nations, the management is more often than not hopeless and the leadership in the game across the country is lacking in almost every area from the grassroots up.

I think Wales have somewhat put to bed the inferior argument, I put full blame on the management and the incompetency of the FA.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,553
I felt sorry for Iceland after the first half. They deserved a closer game but at least they rose to the occasion better in the second half.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,553
I think Wales have somewhat put to bed the inferior argument, I put full blame on the management and the incompetency of the FA.
I agree that the player material argument is the least valid of the three, but it has been a factor over the years. England players have never been as good as the media (and the most gullible fans) have wanted them to be.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
I agree that the player material argument is the least valid of the three, but it has been a factor over the years. England players have never been as good as the media (and the most gullible fans) have wanted them to be.

That's fair and the media have often over-rated them as well as the fans but I don't think that makes them useless, they've been mis-managed for far too long mainly because of the media putting pressure on England managers to play players who don't necessarily fit the team or players out of form or injured.
 

Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
39,837
50,713
Clever tactics tonight by Deschamps, on the face of it playing Pogba and Matuidi in what looked like a CM2/4231 but in fact what he played was kind of two triangles. With Sissoko pretty much forming a CM3/triangle with Pogba and Matuidi, whilst Payet, Griezmann and Giroud formed an attacking triangle. As ever in football it was fluid and there was some interchangeability but it meant with Iceland's 442/4411/451 France were never outmuscled in midfield.

-------Pogba--------Matuidi
^
Sissoko
V
---------Griezmann-------Payet

-------------------Giroud


Going two up helped of course. It radically changed Iceland's plan to not have the ball, and played perfectly into France's hands, but you have to say France played the game from then on in to perfection, doing exactly what you should do against a team who now need to chase the ball, they didn't shell it, they starved them of it, patiently passing it around the back and midfield, moving Iceland side to side, in and out and then ba-bing-ba-bing-ba-bang-ba-bang hitting them in places they'd moved them out of. 4-0 game over.

As I said the CM triangle was set up just right, but the attacking triangle of Payet left with Griezmann buzzing around of Giroud was also a perfect combo, and Giroud and Griezmann in particular were superb, that flick by Giroud and scoop chip finish be Griezmann my favourite goal of the tournament so far.

It's a shame the two best teams, by a long margin, will now meet in the semi instead of the final, neither Wales or Portugal deserve to be anywhere near the final, although either could end up winning the fucking thing, this is football after all.
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,945
61,824
Clever tactics tonight by Deschamps, on the face of it playing Pogba and Matuidi in what looked like a CM2/4231 but in fact what he played was kind of two triangles. With Sissoko pretty much forming a CM3/triangle with Pogba and Matuidi, whilst Payet, Griezmann and Giroud formed an attacking triangle. As ever in football it was fluid and there was some interchangeability but it meant with Iceland's 442/4411/451 France were never outmuscled in midfield.

-------Pogba--------Matuidi
^
Sissoko
V
---------Griezmann-------Payet

-------------------Giroud


Going two up helped of course. It radically changed Iceland's plan to not have the ball, and played perfectly into France's hands, but you have to say France played the game from then on in to perfection, doing exactly what you should do against a team who now need to chase the ball, they didn't shell it, they starved them of it, patiently passing it around the back and midfield, moving Iceland side to side, in and out and then ba-bing-ba-bing-ba-bang-ba-bang hitting them in places they'd moved them out of. 4-0 game over.

As I said the CM triangle was set up just right, but the attacking triangle of Payet left with Griezmann buzzing around of Giroud was also a perfect combo, and Giroud and Griezmann in particular were superb, that flick by Giroud and scoop chip finish be Griezmann my favourite goal of the tournament so far.

It's a shame the two best teams, by a long margin, will now meet in the semi instead of the final, neither Wales or Portugal deserve to be anywhere near the final, although either could end up winning the fucking thing, this is football after all.

Wales were the top scorers in the competition until last night so I think they deserve it, Portugal however are gash.
 
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