Euro 2016

[sussexpob]

Spain are making a big statement here

[Aidan11]

Coasted it.

[mikesiva]

Goalless between Belgium and Ireland at half time....

However, that was a good finish by Lukaku in the second half...Belgium lead 1-0.

A good finish by Witsel...2-0.

Lukaku gets his second...Belgium are dismantling the Irish.

[Aidan11]

ROI getting a right pasting.

[Aidan11]

Looked like Iceland were heading for a shock victory until Hungary level it with yet another late goal in this tournament.

[Aidan11]

Own goal as well.

[Arthur Crabtree]

After Hans Krankl and Alex Manninger, I'm strugglng.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not sure what this false 9 system Low is adopting is all about.

Does this mean you don't play a forward against the central defenders?

[Arthur Crabtree]

After Hans Krankl and Alex Manninger, I'm strugglng.

I did a search for Austrian footballers, and the site I got didn't give me anyone I'd heard of. The next item on the site was 'hottest Austrian actresses', none of which I was familiar with either.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Toni Polster! Thanks wiki. The be-permed eighties goalscorer. Apparently Austria's present coach.

Bad miss there from the difficult-to-like Ronaldo.

[Durhamfootman]

Portugal seem to be up their usual antics. I'd be right tickled if the winker got himself sent off for diving and chirping and getting himself all rattled.

he looks to be on a self destruct mission to me

I'd let him

[sussexpob]

Not sure what this false 9 system Low is adopting is all about.

Does this mean you don't play a forward against the central defenders?

For want of a simple description, yes. The formation is usually used in the 4-3-3/4-5-1 (it can be described either way) formation where teams usually play a standard 4 at the back in defence, then in the midfield you have to very attacking wide forwards (hence the arguments of is it a 5 or 3 man midfield) and then usually a tackling specialist behind two creative players in the centre. The false 9 plays as the lone man up front.

The position is usually occupied by a player with attacking midfielder type qualities over strikers (ie probably smaller in stature, good dribbler and creative skills over heading/power strength), but the idea is that the False 9 drops between the midfield and defence spaces and gains himself time on the ball to bring in the other attacking wide players with the increased space giving him more time to pick holes in the defensive line.

This forces the defending team to either allow it to happen and try to maintain discipline (which when it was Messi at Barcelona, was like shooting yourself in the head) or asks either a CB to drift out to try to mark him, where by the idea is that you are then compromising the defences structure and discipline and then the attacking wingers kill you, or the midfield push back to close the space, allowing your creative midfielders the same space.

The problem is unless you have a 10/10 world class player in the false nine and proper width, which germany had neither of, its a very easy system to mark against. Spain/Barca did it, but their creative 2 in the centre were Xavi and Iniesta and obviously Messi to. All make compelling cases for best players of their generation in their respective positions.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Easily the better side though, unfortunately.

Studs up. That used to be a red.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not sure what this false 9 system Low is adopting is all about.

Does this mean you don't play a forward against the central defenders?

For want of a simple description, yes. The formation is usually used in the 4-3-3/4-5-1 (it can be described either way) formation where teams usually play a standard 4 at the back in defence, then in the midfield you have to very attacking wide forwards (hence the arguments of is it a 5 or 3 man midfield) and then usually a tackling specialist behind two creative players in the centre. The false 9 plays as the lone man up front.

The position is usually occupied by a player with attacking midfielder type qualities over strikers (ie probably smaller in stature, good dribbler and creative skills over heading/power strength), but the idea is that the False 9 drops between the midfield and defence spaces and gains himself time on the ball to bring in the other attacking wide players with the increased space giving him more time to pick holes in the defensive line.

This forces the defending team to either allow it to happen and try to maintain discipline (which when it was Messi at Barcelona, was like shooting yourself in the head) or asks either a CB to drift out to try to mark him, where by the idea is that you are then compromising the defences structure and discipline and then the attacking wingers kill you, or the midfield push back to close the space, allowing your creative midfielders the same space.

The problem is unless you have a 10/10 world class player in the false nine and proper width, which germany had neither of, its a very easy system to mark against. Spain/Barca did it, but their creative 2 in the centre were Xavi and Iniesta and obviously Messi to. All make compelling cases for best players of their generation in their respective positions.

Thanks. Sounds a bit like how Portugal and Spain played in the 90s/00s, maybe by accident, due to having a lot of good midfielders and no striker of comparable quality. The striker would drift wide at times leaving the centre halfs no one to mark. As soon as Spain had a decent forward in Torres, they stopped doing it. They played more that way (no striker) with David Villa in the side. Never heard the phrase before.

[Aidan11]

Wonder if Ronaldo will shake hands with the opposition at the end.

I guess it all hinges on a) Protugal winning and b) him scoring a hat-trick.