It's an odd situation.

Eastern European fans could probably be compared to UK fans of the 80s, matches are attended by large firms who are there to fight, not watch football.

They are probably geared up for a fight with our so-called famous firms, but as these people are not allowed to travel, the normal fans will bear the brunt of it.

Why is it that as soon as someone makes what can be considered a 'generalization' it is falsified as stereotyping?

What I'm saying is it's evident in eastern Europe and has been since the beginning of time and that it's a problem that needs addressing but all I'm hearing is "YOU'RE TALKING SHIT BLUEFLAME!"

Getting back on the topic of football, it seems like Chelsea are signing Hulk, and they've already signed Hazard, if those two players hit the ground running then Chelsea will be a serious threat. Liverpool and Spurs will have to strengthen their squads if they want a top 4 finish.

Quote from ATC Quicksilver :

Getting back on the topic of football, it seems like Chelsea are signing Hulk

I don't like this. Another great Porto player and he played a huge part in FC Porto's successful 2011/2012 season as well, would be bad to see him go now that the competition is starting to bring it again.

By the way, wouldn't you notice a pattern on how many people Chelsea hired from Porto since uh...2004? It's like their favourite place to go shopping or something

Quote from Senninha25 :

It's like their favourite place to go shopping or something

Forget that, Southampton FC is the EPL shopping center of choice.


Peter Crouch
Kenwyne Jones
Ricardo Fuller
Kevin Davies
Leon Best
Nathan Dyer
Gareth Bale
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Theo Walcott
Chris Baird
Gary Monk
Wayne Bridge
Danny Higginbotham
Andrew Surman
Danny Guthrie
Rory Delap


All of those are ex-Saints players currently playing in the EPL. My favourite player Alan Shearer also started his career at Southampton.

Quote from ATC Quicksilver :

Alan Shearer also started his career at Southampton.

Something I didn't know!

Quote from BlueFlame :

Something I didn't know!

Put it in the file with almost everything else.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Put it in the file with almost everything else.

I knew someone would post something along these lines. Funny, I controlled what you said and you didn't even know it and you thought you did it all on your own.

In theory England should do okay in the Euro's because everyone has written them off already. Usual norm is to make astronomical expectations and believe they will come true - which they never do so we all get irate and sack the coach. I think Hodgeson is actually pretty good and we should give him a chance, he has a fit squad and we have beaten Norway and Spain (albeit an incomplete one) in our last two games. Having also seen recent results ( Switzerland 5 - Germany 3 being one) there doesn't seem to be a logical pecking order so I am actually looking forward to the open competition in the Euro's, although we can expect Portugal, Span, Germany and France to be heavy-weights again.

With a squad of Terry, Cole, Oxlade-Chamberlin, Rooney, Welbeck we should be okay, although I haven't actually seen the official roster yet. If Heskey is there again I will rage.

Quote from vipex123 :

although we can expect Portugal, Span, Germany and France to be heavy-weights again.

Don't forget Holland.

Quote from ATC Quicksilver :

Forget that, Southampton FC is the EPL shopping center of choice.


Peter Crouch
Kenwyne Jones
Ricardo Fuller
Kevin Davies
Leon Best
Nathan Dyer
Gareth Bale
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Theo Walcott
Chris Baird
Gary Monk
Wayne Bridge
Danny Higginbotham
Andrew Surman
Danny Guthrie
Rory Delap


All of those are ex-Saints players currently playing in the EPL. My favourite player Alan Shearer also started his career at Southampton.

What about clubs outside of the UK then?

Quote from vipex123 :

.. although I haven't actually seen the official roster yet. If Heskey is there again I will rage.

This is the original list, though Lampard is now out, to be replaced by Henderson. Not sure on any other changes, but Heskey isn't one of them for sure


Goalkeepers: 1. Joe Hart (Manchester City), 13. Robert Green (West Ham), 23. Jack Butland (Birmingham City).

Defenders: 12. Leighton Baines (Everton), 5. Gary Cahill (Chelsea), 3. Ashley Cole (Chelsea), 2. Glen Johnson (Liverpool), 14. Phil Jones (Manchester United), 15. Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), 6. John Terry (Chelsea), 18. Phil Jagielka (Everton).

Midfielders: 19. Stewart Downing (Liverpool), 4. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), 8. Frank Lampard (Chelsea), 16. James Milner (Manchester City), 20. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), 17. Scott Parker (Tottenham), 7. Theo Walcott (Arsenal), 11. Ashley Young (Manchester United).

Forwards: 9. Andy Carroll (Liverpool), 21. Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), 10. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), 22. Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).

Thank god!

I would play 4, 4, 2 with that side - as to me we have one of the strongest defences in the tournament with those players.

Use anybody other than Hart in goal in the form he has been in this season for Manchester City and you deserve to get the hell out. In defence I would have Cahill, Terry, Cole (Yes I am a Chelsea Fan!) and Lescott. For midfield I would play Gerrard, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Parker and Young and up front you can't have anybody other than Wayne "Shrek" Rooney and Welbeck just because the way those two play together when they are on the pitch is amazing and I have to credit Manchester United on that this year, although I'm not sure how much of that was down to Giggs or Nani in midfield putting the balls through to them.

I'd go for something like:

-----------Hart--------------
Johnson - Terry - Cahill - Cole
---Jones---Gerrard - Parker---
Walcott/O-C--------Young
----------Rooney------------



For the group games when Rooney is suspended we'll need Carroll to hold up the ball probably for Gerrard playing inbetween.


-----------Hart--------------
Johnson - Terry - Cahill - Cole
O-C------Parker--------Milner
----------Gerrard-----------
-------Carroll---Welbeck----

How much truth is on the rumour, that PSG wants to pay incredibly stupidly high amount of money for Rooney?

Quote from Senninha25 :

What about clubs outside of the UK then?

Can you think of many English players playing outside the UK? I can only think of Joe Cole.

Can not wait til the Euro's! Got a few bets down too to add a bit more to it

Should be some real good games in the groups. Group B and Group C should be a great watch. Germany, Netherlands and Portugal in the one group so one heavyweight to go home there.

Also in Group C you have Spain, Italy and of course Ireland Could certainly cause an upset, Ireland have only lost 2 games in the past 25 and have been unbeaten outside of Ireland for about 5 years now. We also have a habit of doing well when we qualify for these tournaments.

The other groups are a bit meh. England should qualify handy, being in the easiest group.

My predictions are:

Group A
Greece & Russia

Group B
Germany & Netherlands

Group C
Spain & Ireland ( )

Group D
England & France

No Cahill, no Lampard, Ferdinand is not there, I doubt that England will even go thru group stage.

Quote from TexasLTU :

No Cahill, no Lampard, Ferdinand is not there, I doubt that England will even go thru group stage.

Of which only 1 of them would have been starting anyway? England are blessed in defence, an injury to Cahill doesn't hamper them much at all.

Btw, maybe you wanna join. German LFS community has a little betting game going on on the UEFA EURO 2012.

http://www.kicktipp.de/lfsde-em2012/

You can change the language on the top right.

Quote from TFalke55 :

Btw, maybe you wanna join. German LFS community has a little betting game going on on the UEFA EURO 2012.

http://www.kicktipp.de/lfsde-em2012/

You can change the language on the top right.

If this includes Paul the octopus in any shape or form, I'll ****ing rage.

Quote from Senninha25 :

If this includes Paul the octopus in any shape or form, I'll ****ing rage.

He's dead

Yes, but his legend lives on...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Octopus#Successors

Quote from R34GTR :

He's dead

He had enough time to get octopuss-better not go there, he should have grandchildren by now! (if it's true that octopus generally live 2 years).

And we at Portugal are so superstitious that we got another octopus that also predicts match outcomes! can you guess what his name is?

Quote from Rappa Z :

Yes, but his legend lives on...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Octopus#Successors

This Euro has wise-pig. I think the succesful guess percentage will go plummeting.
EA has some predicting system, which is deemed to be very succesful, even predicts score of matches correctly.