Who will win the Euros?

The Euros take place in France this year, with the first match kicking off on the 10th June.  It will be the biggest Euros in history, after it was decided that for the first time the tournament will be contested for by 24 teams, instead of the usual 16 teams.  With the excitement building and it being less than two months before the Euros take place, it's time to take a look at who the favourites are for this tournament.

     

5. Belgium

My fifth most likely team to win the Euros is Belgium.  The team is quite youthful, but the youth they do have in the squad are extremely talented, with the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, just to name a few.  They have at least one world class player on each part of the pitch, with Romelu Lukaku upfront who on his day can be unstoppable.  Eden Hazard in midfield, who even though hasn't had the greatest of seasons, is still a top player and can create magic with the ball at his feet.  Arguably the strongest part of their team is the centre back partnership of Vincent Kompany and Toby Alderweireld.  Alderweireld has had an incredible season this year with Spurs and could be a crucial part of Belgium's success at this tournament.  Kompany has proven himself at the highest level of football for years now, but after an injury hit season, the key is keeping him fit. Belgium reached the quarter finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, getting knocked out by finalists Argentina.  They seemed to be not quite at their peak at that tournament, so will this be the year they hit into gear and win the tournament?
Key player: Vincent Kompany.

4. England

Lying fourth is England.  Nearly every major tournament every English fan builds their hopes up, with the dream of repeating the 1966 World Cup win, but every year since then they have been disappointed.  Saying that England did do very well in the qualifying stages and in their recent friendlies.  England's squad seems to have a lot more energy lately with the likes of Jamie Vardy and Deli Alli breaking into the team.  If this season's domestic league performances are anything to go by, then England really do have some star performers turning up at these Euros.  Harry Kane is another player having an impressive season and if both he and Vardy continue their form into the Euros, then England will have a formidable strike force.  But if England do want to do well at this tournament then they need to replace players like Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and James Milner, with younger and more exciting players. While there's a case for Rooney being taken, Milner and Carrick bring very little to the team and stop young and promising players from getting the game time they need.  Joe Hart has been another player having an impressive season with Manchester City, being one of the key players in Man City's UCL campaign.  So maybe if all of England's players play like they have for their respective clubs, then this could be the tournament they reward their fans hopes with a trophy?
Key player: Harry Kane.

3. Spain

At third is Spain.  The current champions of the Euros in 2012 and winning other major tournaments in 2008 and 2010, Spain look to make it a hat-trick of Euros wins in France.  Everyone who watched the World Cup in 2014 know how poorly Spain performed, after they were knocked out of the tournament in the group stage.  After that people started to wonder if Spain's grip on the footballing world had gone, but after the disappointing effort at retaining the World Cup, they look to prove their doubters wrong and make a better effort at retaining the Euros.  No one can say that the team is lacking talent with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique among their impressive squad of players.  So each of these players will come into these Euros wanting to prove to people that they are still the world class players they once were, and maybe winning the Euros for the third successive year would be the perfect way to do that?
Key player: David De Gea

                                                        Spains 2012 Euros winning squad

 

2. Germany

At second is Germany.  At the 2014 World Cup Germany took no prisoners, beating every team they faced to go on and become world champions.  The semi finals showed just how ruthless Germany can be, when they hammered Brazil 7-1 in their famous encounter.  They have been favourites in the last few major tournaments they have appeared in, and since they've won the 2014 World Cup, it seems they could go on to replace Spain as the country to dominate football for the foreseeable future.  When you've got players like Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller in top form at your disposal, it's nearly impossible to stop the German machine.  With the majority of the German squad having incredible seasons at their respective clubs, if they can carry that form into the Euros then it will take a very good side to prevent them from going all the way and winning the Euros.  But is there a team out there who can stop Germany from dominating football for years to come?
Key player: Thomas Muller.

1. France

The team I believe will go on to lift the trophy is France.  They are the host nation and have the capability to go on and win the tournament.  With players like Dimitri Payet and N'Golo Kante breaking into the team, after having impressive seasons with West Ham and Leicester City.  Adding them to the amazing talent they already have cemented in their squad like Paul Pogba and Antoine Greizmann, they arguably have the most exciting squad coming into these Euros.  They last won the Euros in 2000 and look to end their 16 year drought without a trophy.  France were knocked out of the 2014 World Cup by a very strong German side in the quarter finals.  However if France meet Germany at this European championship, will they be the ones to get revenge and knock Germany out this time?
Key Player: Paul Pogba.

                                           Teams competing at this years Euros (Blue=Participating)

Even though the Nations listed in the top 5 are probably the most likely to win the Euros, there are a few other teams participating who also have a strong chance of winning.  Italy, Portugal and maybe even dark horses Wales, who are taking part in the Euros for the first time ever could be successful.  Whoever wins, Euros 2016 look like they have the potential to be the best one yet!

 

Would England benefit from a winter break?

Many other leagues around the world have a winter break of one or two months including the German Bundesliga and the Turkish Super Lig.  It is an issue which has been discussed in this country before, but with the particularly bad weathered winter we had this year, in my opinion the idea of having a winter break should start to be taken seriously.

Benefits of a winter break

The many benefits of having a winter break can be seen especially when it comes to German football.  The national team always perform well when it comes to Summer international tournaments such as, the World Cup and the Euros.  This could be because they are fresher with the 6 week break they have mid-way through the season, when players at the clubs in England have to play a full 9-10 months of football with out a break.  The German international team aren't the only ones that benefit from this, as the clubs in the Champions League like Bayern Munich and Dortmund always seem to go far in the competition.  Some people may say this is because they have a very talented squad, so the likely hood is they are going to go far in it, but surely having a break and coming back fresh and full of energy is only a good thing for the team. 

It seems that English clubs more than any other Countries clubs, struggle with injuries.  For the last couple of seasons Arsenal have been famous for a player playing one game, then being out for ten games.  But this season we've seen more and more clubs hit with the struggles of injuries like Manchester United, on more than one occasion having to field many players from their youth team because they don't have enough senior players fit enough to play.  The Liverpool striker, Daniel Sturridge has been in and out due to injury so much this season, that some Liverpool fans have even called for him to be released from his contract, just because he has been so injury prone.  Of course all players have the risk of getting a nick in whichever country they play in, and for however long they play.  But even a small break of a couple weeks would benefit clubs hugely, it could help prevent injuries from occurring so regularly, and help stop players from becoming so fatigued and running the risk of more time out.

Bad weather means postponed games

The main reason for a winter break in this country is the weather.  From amateur football all the way up to Premier League football, weather disrupts games and in many occasions stop games from taking place because of conditions like a water-logged pitch.  Amateur football suffers from this massively, with some teams being unable to play for lengths of  up to 8 weeks due to heavy rain.  This means come April-May time, they could be playing football up to 3 times a week.  Some people may be thinking that the more football the better, but in amateur football when you play football as a hobby and have to juggle a job with football, playing 3 games a week could be impossible when you have to work.  So it could be the difference between a team succeeding in the league or failing.  The weather and lack of a winter break could be a reason many of the top players like Messi and Ronaldo would rather play abroad where the weather is consistently good, and have a rest period during the festive season, than come to England and play in the poor weather and without any sort of break. 

                                         Carlisle United's pitch was completely submerged
                                         by water due to the heavy rain

Manager of Manchester United, Louis Van Gaal has publically stated that not having a winter break in England is "Evil" and puts English clubs at a disadvantage when it comes to the Champions League.  Perhaps that could be one of the reasons English clubs have been struggling when it comes to European games lately, our clubs are packed with talent, with the likes of Aguero, Hazard and Ozil, so surely there should be no excuse not to at least get to the latter stages of the competition.  Obviously this isn't the only reason clubs have fallen short in Europe but when English clubs play the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, the players from the English clubs tend to look less energetic and enthusiastic, could this because they are drained of energy due to the lack of rest over the winter?

Of course there are some cons to having a winter break in this country. Firstly is simply the fans enjoyment, many fans enjoy the annual boxing match fixtures and the many other fixtures played over the festive period.  I know that for a lot of fans, fixtures during this time of the year only adds to the enjoyment of Christmas and New Years and they wouldn't want it any different.  But surely fans would want first and foremost their team to win big competitions like the Champions League, and having football played over the winter could decrease their chances.  Another negative for having a winter break is the Capital One Cup.  This competition is done and dusted by the end of February, some might be thinking if we did have a winter break what would happen to that?  Its simple, just have it finish later on in the season along with the FA Cup. 

Solutions

A solution for this problem could be to just have 2-6 weeks off during the winter, for the players to relax and to help stop games from being postponed all the time.  You could possibly extend the season to finish in late June instead of late May.  I know especially in amateur football for some this wouldn't be a good thing, as they may also take part in other sports like Cricket which is played during the Summer, or they could have a family and this is their time to go on holiday, so they would miss games.  Another possible solution is to not a winter break at all and play on 4G pitches.  This would help keep football on during the winter, and stop games from being cancelled due to the weather.  I can't think of many people that would want football to be played on 4G pitches, on the basis that football has always been played on real grass, and to start playing on an artificial surface would take the spirit out of the game, and wouldn't replicate the same sort of experience as playing on a real turf.

                                                                        4G Surface




                     
 

Arsenal V Barcelona - Match Report (23/02/16)

With Arsenal coming off the back of a frustrating draw with Hull in the FA Cup, and Barcelona riding high in the La Liga and favourites to lift the champions league trophy, they meet for the 1st leg of the round of 16 Champions League at the Emirates Stadium.  The game kicked off on a clear, cold night in north London with Arsenal kicking from left to right.  Arsenal started the game strongly, with Girouds height and power causing Barcelona's defence a problem.  Even with the likes of Messi, Suarez and Neymar, it was Arsenal that seemed to pose a bigger threat going forward.  Monreal received the first yellow card of the game after he slipped over and went through the back of Rakitic in the process.  The first clear chance for Arsenal came in the eighth minute, when Ozil sprinted down the left wing and pulled the ball back to an un-marked Ramsey in the penalty box, but the ball was slightly behind him and he couldn't get it under-control quick enough, before Barcelona managed to regroup and the chance was snuffed out. 

20 minutes into the game and Barcelona were dominating possession, but Barcelona's big game players like Messi and all yet to create a clear chance.  The best chance for either team came two minutes later when Ozil yet again found some space on the left, and pulled it back for Bellerin, who manages to get a shot away, which is then subsequently blocked.  But it falls to Chamberlain who scuffs a shot from about 8 yards out, which is hit straight at Ter Stegen and he comfortably saves it.  If he placed it anywhere else in the goal then Arsenal would now be 1-0 up.  As the firs half went on, Barcelona started to become more of an attacking threat, with their best chance of the half coming in the one minute stoppage time.  Dani Alves floated a ball to the edge of the 6-yard box where Suarez was lurking, he flicked a header towards the left side of the goal, but it was slightly too far left and it went behind for a goal kick. That was the last move of the first half and the whistle blew for half time.  Arsenal fans were probably feeling more optimistic at the break than they did before the game, with Barcelona not being at their best and Arsenal having some good spells of play. 

The second half kicked off with the score still locked at 0-0.  The first chance of the half came in the 49th minute, when Iniesta played a ball through to Neymar, who unlike his usual self failed to score, after a shot towards the centre of the goal which Cech managed to save.  The first substitute of the game came a minute later with Chamberlain making way for Walcott because of a minor injury.  Arsenal had another brilliant chance to take the lead when Monreal whipped in a cross, which Giroud headed powerfully towards the bottom left hand corner of the goal.  Ter Stegen managed to pull off an impressive save to deny the Frenchman, and kept the scores at 0-0.  Barcelona then started to utilise their dominance of possession with some attacking chances of their own.  It started with a flurry of corners to test the Arsenal defence.  Messi and Suarez then had chances in quick succession, with Messi's shot being blocked by the Arsenal defence throwing their bodies in the way, and Suarez's effort whistling past the right post.  Barcelona did finally manage to find a way through the Arsenal defence, when Neymar played a one-two with Suarez and then accelerated down the left wing drawing the Arsenal defence to him, which then left Messi un-marked in the box.  Neymar reached the edge of the box and played a smart ball to Messi, who calmly stroked the ball into the centre of the goal when Cech went down too early.  Giving arguably the best player in the world that amount of time and space is deadly and it finally gave Barcelona the lead. 

Wenger made a substitute a minute later for Arsenal, with Danny Welbeck replacing Olivier Giroud.  Barcelona then went on searching for a second goal to add to the score line of 1-0.  Arsenal defended for their lives knowing that a 2 goal away advantage would be a very hard thing to come back from.  But Arsenal did nearly manage to score when Welbeck headed the ball down to Ramsey, who had a very close range shot towards the centre of the goal, but it was too near Ter Stegen who saved it comfortably.  With time running out Wenger decided to make his third and final substitution, with a tired looking Coquelin  making way for Flamini.  Unfortunately for Flamini it would not be a good start to his night, when he brought down Messi in the box and conceded a penalty.  Messi then stepped up to take the penalty which his curled into the bottom right hand corner to double Barcelona's lead on the 83rd minute. 

Before this game kicked off, Messi had not been able to find the back of the net against Cech in any of their 8 previous meetings, but he has scored twice against him in 11 minutes tonight.  As it grew closer to the final whistle and the players started to become more and more tired, more fouls started to be conceded, and Pique was subsequently booked for a bad foul.  As the clock hit 90 minutes it was announced there was to be 4 minutes stoppage time, which gave Arsenal fans a glimmer of hope that they may be able to snatch a late goal, and improve their chances of progressing to the quarter finals of the competition, when they travel to Barcelona for the second leg.  But the last chance of the game was for Barcelona, when Neymar headed it towards the top left hand corner of the goal, which Cech managed to save to stop the score line from becoming embarrassing. 

The final whistle blew with the match ending Arsenal 0-2 Barcelona.  Arsenal will have to pull something very special out of the bag, if they are to have any chance of reaching the next stage of the cup.  But for any team beating Barcelona is a huge challenge, having to score at least two goal at the Nou Camp seems nearly impossible even if they do perform well on the day.  The next leg takes place on the 16th March, but Arsenal have to worry about facing Man United at Old Trafford in 5 days, which is another important League game.  Barcelona also have a match on the same day, when they host Sevilla in the La Liga.

                                       Barcelona's lethal front 3 (Suarez, Neymar, Messi)