Here’s Part 2 in Dave Bickley’s alternative Euro 2016 group predictions.
(Here’s Part 1)
Group D
Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, Croatia
I think this will be my favourite group of the tournament, all teams playing with passion, heart and attacking flair. I’m optimistic this will be highest goalscoring group, not because of any shoddy defences but purely down to the styles of football that these teams play.
All of that said, and despite my original claim they’ve lost their mojo, I still see Spain sneaking into first with this group. Their squad still contains some unreal footballers and who knows, given the season he’s had, the 35 year old Aduriz may even be close to the golden boot!
I struggle to pick a second place here, but I am giving it to Croatia. Ever since their underdog status led by Bilic there is something to admire about the way they played, and continue to play, their football.
Modric is the obvious player in this team, but they are littered with talent, up front with the formidable Mandzukic, in midfield with Perisic, Rakitic, Kovacic and all led by the legend that is Darijo Srna.
I know legend is a bit of a lad term and can be bandied about, but he is a great captain and I’m sure he’d love to lead his team far in this competition, in what may be his last tournament given he will be 36 when the next one turns around.
I place Turkey above Czech Republic and that is despite the Czechs placing higher in the same qualifying group as Turkey. Delve a little deeper though and you note that Turkey beat the Czechs 2-0 in their own ground albeit then losing at home to them 2-1.
Looking at the squads, and I may be totally wrong, but despite there being a number of Slavia and Sparta Prague untested talent in there, I don’t see any world class talent sitting within the Czech squad.
With Turkey however they have the hugely talented Nuri Sahin and Arda Turan, but for me personally, Hakan Calhanoglu has a great career ahead of him at and shows great potential. It is for this sole reason that I’m placing them in 3rd place ahead of the Czech Republic.
Group E
Belgium, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Sweden
Enter into the anything can happen league where it would take some David Blain level tricks to accurately predict the standings for this group, but here goes.
First place I’m going Italy, you never quite know what this team are going to do over recent years, but I think they’ve learnt after their World Cup shambles and will represent their country proud this year.
Pelle up top will be a constant threat and wouldn’t be surprised if he was up there in the golden boot come the end of the competition.
Second, I’m controversially going to go with Republic of Ireland. Although their team may not have the big names they once had, they have a team of tricky players and every single one of these players are known as the work horse for their club team.
I’m looking at Jonathan Walters, Shane Long, Seamus Coleman, Glenn Whelan, Robbie Brady etc and the list goes on. I’ll throw it out there that this could be the coming of Shane Long, the surprise contender for golden boot or is that too far?
The only worry I have is in goal with the apparent fight for number one being between the 40 year old Shay Given playing 3 times for his club last season and Darren Randolph having played a whopping 9 times for his club team this season.
The fact they have the talent that is Keiren Westwood behind these two is beyond me. For comparison, Westwood has played 38 times keeping 14 clean sheets helping his team to the Championship play off final, but hey, what do stats (or playing time for that matter!) know.
Third place I’m again controversially putting Sweden here, when someone says Sweden the only player that comes to mind is Olof Mellb…no? Oh, yes, Ibrahimovic.
My justification for not placing them higher is because taking Ibrahimovic out of the squad would be about 3 times as bad as taking Bale from the Wales team.
There is obviously talent throughout the rest of the squad, but many of whom had their time in the past, not the present. Harsh? Maybe, and I would love to be proved wrong and see Ibrahimovic lead his team to the knockout stages (maybe they will by finishing third…) but I just don’t see depth in the Swedish squad.
Finally, and likely my most bizarre decision by putting Belgium last in this group. I will sum this up quickly, they are bringing four midfielders, one is Fellaini and another the bitesize version of Fellaini in Axel Witsel.
There is no doubting the hugely talented world class individuals they have in their team, but they play as world class individuals and not as a moulded world class team.
I can hear your screams of De Bruyne, Hazard, Courtois, Vertonghen, Lukaku etc…but for some reason the manager never seems to get the best out of these players.
My head is on the block by placing this group as I have and I appreciate that, but as I stated in my opening line, literally anything can happen in this group.
Group F
Portugal, Iceland, Austria, Hungary
Fanfair please, the winner of the European Championships for 2016 is found in this group and of course that team is Austria.
Predictably I am therefore placing them in pole position leaving group F. I’ve always found Austria to be an odd, boring side, so I surprise myself by putting as much faith as I have in them.
When considering their squad however, my faith may be justified. David Alaba is perhaps the star name fresh from winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich this year, but their squad stretches in all divisions.
Fuchs, again fresh from winning the Premier League with Leicester, has experience of Champions League football with Schalke 04.
Other names that I look forward to watching are Junuzovic (fantasy footballers be aware he gets a lot of assists!), Arnoutovic after having a great goalscoring season with Stoke and Mark Janko never far from the scoresheet having scored 7 in qualifying.
Talking of qualifying Austria held a most impressive record with 9 wins and 1 draw, conceding only 5 goals in a group that contained Russia, Sweden and Montenegro is no mean feat!
Second place, I would really like to place Iceland there, but believe Portugal are the wilier, so will most likely pip it. The decision between the two teams really boils down to the talisman for both teams, Ronaldo and Sigurdsson, both integral to how these teams play.
My basis for placing Portugal second is purely due to the class and experience of Ronaldo, this is a new stage for Sigurdsson and at club level he has been known to disappear on occasions. So, Portugal second due to Ronaldo and if that fails they can always fall back on the feigning of Pepe in crucial areas.
Iceland in third place but I imagine with enough points to qualify in the best of the third places. I mention Sigurdsson but it would be good if a few of the other players could use this as a platform as I have no doubt there is quality there. Maybe that Eidur Gudjohnson can finally make a name for himself?
In last place is Hungary, and this is no slight to Hungary, but I feel I have little to say on them. Their experience falls in 40 year old Kiraly and 37 year old Zoltan Gera, both great players (well, maybe one more than the other) in their day, but do I hold faith in them against Austria, Ronaldo and Sigurdsson?
It should be said that 12 of the Hungarian squad are all home based players, so the team spirit should be relatively high, but, and I’m sorry to say this, there is always one team that doesn’t fulfil their qualification efforts, and I can see this being Hungary this year.