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Tapped Up [30/06]

If anyone caught Football Focus a few Saturdays back, they would have seen Arsene Wenger talking about how he felt at the time that Euro 2008 was on course to be the best European Championship so far. Now, I don’t often agree with the Arsenal manager, but he’s not far off on this occasion, in fact, I think he’s got it pretty much spot on. A noticeable drop in diving, rolling around crying after a clean tackle, groups of players around the referee, and blatant time wasting have all been a plus point, but and as much of a cliché it is, what shines over all of that is the quality (and drama) of the football itself. It’s not a bad game, after all.

With such a great tournament now behind us, it’s time to weigh up the good and the bad, the winners and losers, and come to the bottom as to why we’ve enjoyed this tournament more than we usually do.

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Team of the Tournament

Tough one this. Beforehand, most money would have been on Portugal with Ronaldo, Deco et al, but they failed to get out of 2nd gear, and were beaten by a better all-round German side, a German side who going forward look unbeatable, but when defending look like amateurs, and were out of ideas come the final. The Russians had a great tournament, but burnt out in the semi’s, with their big names not taking that final step into the history books. Italy didn’t look like World Cup winners at any point, and are in dire need of some young blood, whilst teams like the Czech Republic, Croatia and Holland will probably never have a better group of players ideal of winning a major tournament.

Which just leaves Spain, who for many years have always had the players and the ability to win tournaments, but somehow never had. This summer, the Spanish football has been brave, solid and positive, and rightfully deserve to be winners.

Surprise of the Tournament

When international tournaments come around, the pundits will more than likely come out before each match and tell you why the favourites are favourites, and why the underdogs are just making up the numbers, but in all seriousness, that’s not always the case. Okay, so the two host nations were the two weakest sides, but they still managed to put up a good fight, whilst other teams like Poland and Sweden may not have a team full of superstars, but with a bit of luck, and a run of form, anyone can reach the knockout stages – look at Greece last year. With that in mind, you have to consider the Turkish as the surprise package of the tournament. With Fatih Terim,  they have a colourful, emotional manager who is so full of passion and anger on the sidelines he constantly looks like he’s going to burst, and he’s managed to get the best out of players like Altıntop, Emre, Semih, and Nihat. Never looked like semi-finalists, but saying that, never ever rolled over and gave up, constantly battling until the last second with tackles, runs, passes, and most importantly: goals. That’s what is most important in these championships.

Best Coach of the Tournament

No question – Slaven Bilic. To the average football fan on the sofa or in the pub, the Croatians don’t exactly have the most glowing of reputations. However, this is a side who only lost twice in competitive matches in 4 years, one of which was in qualifying, as they finished above the Russians and the English, and have the ability to score 13 goals past Andorra over the two games. Without a doubt the man responsible for getting them where they are today is Bilic. They do have a side full of potential match winners, such as Modric, Srna, Olic and Petric, but the part time rock star and lawyer has proven to be something of a revelation on the international scene. Bilic, much like when he was a player, is all about positive attitude and loyalty, and as a coach, matches that up with killer tactics and impressive attacking play; they did knock the Germans off their perch, after all.

Premier League sides should start courting him now.

Worst Coach of the Tournament

Shortlist of one for this award, so it of course goes to Raymond Domenech. He didn’t exactly fill anyone full of hope and promise in his pre-tournament interviews which consisted mainly of his eerie attachment to astrology, and if that wasn’t bad enough, the football his team were to play was about to raise to new levels of crapness.

For starters, his final squad selection is the first sign something is a bit off – sending AC Milan-bound Flamini packing, and preferring an unfit, unplayable Viera, he left Euro 2000 medal winner and second-top scorer in Serie A David Trezeguet at home, preferring Nicolas Anelka, despite the Chelsea man playing the last 6 months of football on the wing, he also left an in form goalkeeper in Sebastian Frey on the bench, didn’t even think about bringing AS Roma’s Philippe Mexes, instead preferring soon-to-be retired Lilian Thuram (who I have never seen play so badly), he picked both Florent Malouda and Jean-Alain Boumsong (enough said), he played Willy Sagnol despite his lack of match fitness, he brought in Samir Nasri simply because some people call him the new Zidane and only played him for a total of 28 minutes, while leaving Robert Pires out over a greatly documented personal argument… all of these could (and should) have been avoided before a ball was kicked.

Another great example: most managers would love to have two quality players battling over one position, but to solve it by playing both at the same time defies belief – Eric Abidal was almost absent at left back against Romania, whilst Champions League winner Patrice Evra warmed the bench, the swap against Holland didn’t really improve things, but then to play both of them against Italy was more stupid than brave – Abidal at centre back looked more out of place than a fish on a bicycle – he went on to concede the first half penalty, and was sent off because of it, though I think it was to save him from any further embarrassment.

So, your team played dire, and the media are looking for answers, or better yet, an apologetic resignation from your position; what do you do instead? Ask your girlfriend to marry you live on TV. Wow, she must feel real special.

Best Match

Holland 4 France 1 – Counter-attacking football at its finest – Van Basten’s Dutch made the former World Cup finalists look like a Under 10′s team, although it wasn’t that hard to accomplish.

Worst Match

Greece 0 Sweden 2 – The Ultra-defensive Greeks vs the aging Swedes. Pretty sure I turned over to see what else was on…

Best Player

A few came close. Boulahrouz should have been on holiday, but was called up instead to replace the injured Ryan Babel, and ended up having a solid few games for the Dutch. Versatile full back Lahm was also playing great football, Deco is still world class, as are goalkeepers Buffon and Casillas, but for me, the final decision was going to be one of the defensive midfielders Marcos Senna or Clemens Fritz, as both players have made the difference between a good side, and a great side. Was fitting to see both in the final, and the best player on the night deserves the best player of the tournament: Take a bow, Marcos Senna.

Worst Player

Not many players can be honoured with stinking up the summer, but a few have stood out. Cech had a nightmare couple of games, Pogatetz for Austria was hopeless, and couldn’t pass to a teammate if his career depended on it, Metzelder would have been more effective at home, Anelka didn’t break sweat, although pretty much 9/10ths of the French team could have been put on this list instead, but the overall worst, for me, is the Greek goalkeeper Nikopolidis. Turns out he was 3 months too late in announcing his retirement, as he did nothing to encourage those in front of him, as the former Euro champions flopped and sunk without a trace, playing negative football throughout. To make matters worse, Xabi Alonso nearly lobbed him from his own half. The collision with the goalpost afterwards looked painful, mind.

Biggest disappointment

With regards to individuals, Per Mertesaker wins this. Now known the world over as being one half of Germany’s calamity central defence, Per had a poor tournament, and such a shame after a great season for Werder Bremen. Yes, okay he may not have looked at all like a player worth £10 million, but it doesn’t counter for what a great defender he is. Hard to believe that may be, but he’s worth watching for his club, if you ever get the chance. Remember, form is temporary, but class is permanent. Reminiscent of a Tony Adams style of play, he is powerful without being aggressive, he is clean with his tackles and rarely rash, and if Germany had another half decent central defender, they wouldn’t have any problems at all. At 23, he already has 40+ caps for his country before Euro 08, had a great World Cup campaign two years prior, and is turning into a big fish in a small pond at Bremen.

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· Here’s my list of the eleven players you’re likely to see arrive in the Premier League in the not too distant future, maybe not entirely down to a great tournament, maybe more hype than anything else, or maybe even potential. I stress, not my team of the tournament, that’s an entirely different 11. So here, in order of position and not preference, are the players that may have had transfer speculation already, or is due some soon:

1. (GK) Igor Akinfeev – Despite conceding heavily in both games against Spain, Akinfeev is the unsung hero of the Russian team. Produced great saves when needed, and did well to keep clean sheets in the other two group games. The potential has been there for a while, many fans of Football Manager will know all about how good he could possibly end up, which would sadly mean a move away from CSKA Moscow, and with teams like Arsenal and Spurs all needing a new 1st team shot stopper, the 22 year old could take that step up to bigger and better things. If I were managing either of those two, I’d be willing to test Moscows resilience with a bid between £7-9 million.
2. (RB) Sergio Ramos – already generated interest before the tournament from different clubs, the attacking right back is part of a solid looking Spanish defence, not something you could say about them from previous tournaments. My pick for the man of the match performance in the semi finals, solid as a rock, coupled with the attacking ability you wish every full back had. Has an amazing ability to make even the hardest defending look simple, put simply – someone you don’t want to see in front of you for the opposition. Young with so much promise, would £20 million be out of the reach for anyone interested?
3. (LB) Razvan Dinca Rat – cool, calm and collected, full of energy and enthusiasm, something which you only wish could run all the way through the Romanian side. Rat plays for the Ukrainian side FC Shakhtar Donetsk, who have finished above Dynamo Kiev and will be one of the favoured teams in the Champions League qualifying rounds, but don’t be surprised if a UEFA Cup playing side from either England or Scotland look to chase him down. Price could be anything from £2 million + bonuses, up to a straight £5 million.
4. (DC) Denis Kolodin – Was greatly missed in the semi final against Spain, and was unlucky for the 1st and 3rd goals when they met in the group stages, the Russian defender with the most fiercest, deadliest shot of the whole team could be a good choice for any Premier League side, and if available at a good price, would be a great buy for any of the promoted clubs. Used to play as a striker in his youth, before being moved down to midfield, and eventually to the centre of defence, he’s rough, he’s powerful, and he’s even last years leading goalscorer for his club. Not bad, worth a good couple of million for sure.
5. (MC) Raphael Van Der Vaart – Tireless midfielder, with a stunningly accurate eye for a pass. Van Der Vaart is comfortable in possession, eager to get involved in play, and along with Wesley Sneijder (and to a latter extent both Robben and Van Persie) creates so many options for the Dutch going forward. If you watch the highlights of Hollands win over Italy, it wont give you the whole story on just how much work Van Der Vaart put in, and was a big reason why they won so convincingly, his constant work rate turns any good side into a great side. Currently involved in a £15 million fight between Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool. Bargain.
6. (DC) Servet Cetin – A tough choice for both centre backs, as numerous other players have had good tournaments and surely impressed some mid table Premier League teams. Cetin, the towering beast of a defender, missed the knockout stages through injury, and the team missed his presence in the back. Great determination, have a good style of tackling, and with his height is usually first for headers, not someone you would like to bump into down a dark alley. Teams like Man City, or Middlesbrough would benefit from spending about £3-£5 million on him.
7. (RM) Colin Kazim-Richards – For a player who was ‘nothing special’ at Bury, Brighton or Sheffield United, something special must have happened once he left the English leagues behind – maybe getting a regular start in his natural position for Fenerbahce is the key to it, as the striker / right winger had a great game against the Germans in the semi finals. Sadly, Kazim ‘Don’t call me Colin’ Kazim would probably stay in Turkey for a while yet, as bench warming in the English leagues once again probably isn’t that enticing, but £2-4 million from the right club at the right time might do it.
8. (MC) Joao Moutinho – A little wizard of a player, from the same youth setup as Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Veloso. A great first touch, and strike of the ball, coupled with a gritty tackle and eagerness to get the ball prove to be popular amongst Europe’s finest clubs, amongst them Arsenal, Everton, and, unsurprisingly, Man Utd are all linked, and with the agreement that United have with Sporting, you’d think he’d favour Manchester, unless Barcelona make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
9. (FC) Lucas Podolski – A very very good forward, who unlike Klose, isn’t afraid to wander back and pick the ball up from deep, a la Rooney or Tevez. Was playing out of position for most of the group games, playing wide on the left, but was utilized to come across to the centre during attacking plays. When moved into his favoured striking position for latter parts of games he has flourished, with the ability to create attacks himself, such as setting up Schweinsteigers goal against the Portuguese. Podolski has a superb technique in striking the ball, as seen for his second goal against Poland, and is a great addition to a great attacking German side. With 50+ caps at just 23, and only two years at Bayern Munich, it may be hard pressed to see him leave, but if he isn’t promised first team football (with Munich having both Klose and Toni already) then sides such as Man Utd and Spurs should sit up and take notice. Juve have also stuck their noses in, and are well aware of the estimated £17.5 million price tag.
10. (FC) Andrei Arshavin – the little Russian magician missed the first two games of the tournament through suspension, but made up for it by playing an absolute blinder against Sweden, and then did it all over again to inspire Russia against the Dutch, winning UEFA’s vote on the match of the match both times. Slightly less impressive in the bigger game against Spain, but it doesn’t fault his natural ability to ghost past defenders all match long, to start (and end) attacking plays with great passing and technique and a neat set piece delivery means he is a potential for player of the tournament. Should Barcelona not follow up their dedicated interest, other rumoured clubs such as Arsenal, Newcastle, and Portsmouth will definitely look for a chat with him by the end of the tournament- After having a great season with Zenit St Petersburg, it’ll be a battle to get him for anything less than £12 million.
11. (LM) Franck Ribery – May have had a rather under-achieving tournament not helped by his aging and ambitious-less teammates, Ribery is the current star of the national side, and, when the mood takes him, can be the most energetic and passionate player on the pitch. Has all the arrogance and flair of a Frenchman on the pitch, and despite only playing a season at Bayern, has a large list of former clubs under his belt despite his young age. £15 million and up would interest anyone, although we all know what Bayern are like at selling players, it took ages to drag Hargreaves away, so they may not bat an eyelid for anything under £20 million.

There are of course other players, outside of the ones we have listed here who may move onto other clubs as a result of their European performances, but may command bigger fees. There are of course players who had a brilliant tournament, but won’t be going anywhere, like Wesley Sneijder, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Yuri Zhirkov, Artur Boruc, Orlando Engelaar, and half the Spanish side. Then again, if Madrid do pay anything over €100 million for Ronaldo, it may just burst open the transfer market like we’ve never seen before.

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· I’m growing tired of commentators such as Clive Tyldsley and John Motson constantly feeling the need to bring England’s national team into every possible argument; whenever Russia played, there was always a need to mention that Pavlyuchenko was the man who scored two goals against them in qualifying, when Holland played one match one certain commentator made references to “England’s great performance” against them in Euro 96, even when a teams manager get shown on camera, someone usually links them to a game or incident somehow involving England. “And on camera there, you see Aragonés, the Spain coach… who in 1977 took a holiday to a lovely little cottage in Brighton and also went to see Emlyn Hughes pick up his 50th cap for his country when they beat Italy 2-0 at Wembley…” It’s starting to drive me up the wall, and I’m English myself. The BBC and ITV often forget that they aren’t just broadcasting to one of the home countries – they in fact broadcasting to all of them, and despite Scottish commentators being worse, I’d have preferred someone who wasn’t still hung up on the fact that “we” didn’t make it through qualifying. Even Hansen and Lawrenson, Scottish and Irish respectively, seem to end up talking about England the most.

I didn’t even want to mention England in this entry, because they’ve nothing to do with any football this summer, apart from 1 single referee, and even he can’t avoid the headlines, and death threats. The reason why none of the Home Nations were playing is because they’re not good enough right now. That’s the only reason why, not the managers, not the fans being violent, not because of foreigners in the Premier League, its because the players are sub-par. Lets take England as an example: be as biased as you like, but Lampard, Rooney, and a handful of others have not played well enough for their country to be considered world class, no matter how many times their wives appear photographed in Heat. Until we sort out our goalkeeping troubles, and ditch anyone from the squad who will be 30+ come 2010, we cannot even think about the World Cup campaign. Can Capello turn them around? Well, he’s as good as anyone else who has tried.

Speaking of commentators, here’s my harsh comment of the day: I’m actually glad that Motty is semi-retiring. Well, okay, maybe that’s not totally harsh, maybe because it’s not much of a shock; after all, rumours of his retirement from “big” games has been going since after the 2006 World Cup, and I know many other people who have always preferred the BBC’s other commentators – JP looks set to be the new #1 for the beeb, even if there are moments where he sounds so bored he will drop of the end of his chair, but don’t discount either Steve Wilson (you can hear him here in the Portugal vs Turkey match) and Guy Mowbray (listen here to the Austria vs Croatia match). My beef with Motty is that, well, apart from obvious bias commentary whenever England play, he struggles to keep up the pace, struggles with how the rest of the world play different from the European style of play (very noticeable if you ever heard him commentate when an African side were playing), and struggles with names even the slightest bit unpronounceable (its not Ar-shay-vin, its Arrsha-vin).

ITV, well, how can anyone take them seriously when they persist with having David Pleat as a colour commentator? He makes even Alan Shearer sound interesting.

On a side note, good luck to Gavin Peacock (who’s shot against the bar in the ’94 Cup Final still sends a shiver down my spine), who is off to study divinity in Canada for 3 years. A good player, and an even better pundit, will be missed from our TV screens on a Saturday lunchtime. No longer will you be able to crack the old Jasper Carrott joke:

“Have you heard? Gavin Peacock has found God!”
“…that must have been one hell of a pass…”

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