By Walter Broeckx
With the European chair throwing championship entering the last line for the elimination rounds time to make a roundup of what has happened on the field so far.
For me I couldn’t really give a sh*t about who will win this championship. But as I look at it from my Arsenal point of view I do have a few things I would like to see happening as it might give some benefit to Arsenal. Well I hope it could give a bit of benefit to Arsenal as nothing is written in stone about what the future will bring.
France and Switzerland going to the next round is fine with me. I really wouldn’t mind France winning this championship to be honest. And Giroud being one of the most important players would add more to it. I surely would want Kos and Giroud to be successful with France. It would shut up a few people about the quality of these players. Kos and Giroud are both enjoying a good championship so far from the small bits I have seen and from what I have read about it.
For Switzerland I wouldn’t mind them going out in the next round. Sorry Granit. But the reason is that I would like to see you at Arsenal training from the earliest opportunity. Certainly for a new player being with the team from the start is important. Xhaka has earned two man of the match displays I have been told and that is music to ears. Pundits in Belgium are talking him up a lot and praise him for what he brings to the Swiss team. So looking forward to see him in an Arsenal shirt.
Germany is a team that has only one Arsenal player in it this time. And a team who are often rather slow at the start of the tournament. In fact when they play rather below expectations at the start they are the most dangerous to me. They had tournaments when they were on fire from the start but then faltered a bit to the end. A final France – Germany would do me nice to be honest. We know Özil and he knows the team so him coming a bit later will not be the end of the world.
Jack Wilshere is not seeing much of the pitch for England. And to be honest… I don’t mind. He will mind but I would rather have him on the bench and fit for the start of next season than running around a lot. On the other hand I think he wouldn’t suffer too much from playing as he had a long rest before but still… if he wants to get injured let it happen at Arsenal or playing for Arsenal.
As for England what I will say might not go down very well with some but I’m just saying how I feel about it from my Arsenal point of view. I wouldn’t mind England making it to, let us say, the semi-finals. And then crash out. Too many Tottenham players in the team to make them want them to win it. Seeing the Tottenham players losing out near the finish would be a bit funny to me.
When you mention Jack you automatically come to Aaron. Ramsey is playing a lot for Wales as expected. I don’t know if Wales will get very far to be honest. Probably in the next round but then it will be over I think. I think they did a great job in qualifying but there is not enough talent in the team apart from Bale and Ramsey to get to the last 8 or so. Wouldn’t mind Ramsey coming home to London.
For those who didn’t like me wishing England success but not too much, rest assured I wish the same for Belgium. Too many Tottenham players around to want them to do well. But I want them to go further a bit to make their tiny Tottenham legs a bit more tired. Tired? I want them to be exhausted. But please don’t let them get the idea that they could win something. And yes this is the country I come from but seeing them all drool over the tiny totts during the season till the final day of the season and seeing pundits saying the name Tottenham time and time again when one of them touches a ball is making me a bit annoyed.
Anyway let’s move further on. Poor Tomas. I saw the moment it all ended. I changed channels to see how the matches would end when I saw him falling to the floor without any contact. Oh f*ck Tomas…. I really feel for you. For the rest I think the Czech are not good enough to play a major role in this tournament. I think Cech will be with us when the training starts again.
Spain might go far but Bellerin is their backup right back. Fine with me. Just imagine that he would play and amaze the world with his talent. Some DNA team might get some wrong ideas. Mind you as a big Bellerin fan for many years I do wish success for him as a person but as I said before: I look at it from an Arsenal point of view.
As he is still an Arsenal player I have to mention Szczesny playing for Poland. Well he played one match and then got injured and then Fabianski took his place in their draw with Germany. I don’t know if he will be out for long but I think Poland are not really one of the big teams who can really get to the end of the event.
And then we have the little fact that there is a completely stupid additional Copa America going on hardly a year after the last.
Ooooooooospina is one of the heroes for his country. Not only for his penalty save but also for some fine saves during the matches. He now is in the semi-finals and as they also play a match for third place he will be in the tournament till next Sunday at least. The good thing is the Copa America finishes earlier than the European championship so both he and Alexis will be back in time for the start of the season. I hope. I pray. It must be….
Let us move on to Chile and Alexis. After a loss on the opening day against Argentina they found their feet after that. And the way they defeated Mexico in the quarter final was amazing. Alexis has scored a few goals already himself and was almost always involved in the build up to the goals Chile scored. He looks in fine form and sharper than ever. Let us hope he will be that way for Arsenal also next season.
As Chile play Columbia I don’t know who I would give it most? So I would just say: may the best team win on the day. And whoever of those two who win the semi-final: go on to win the tournament if you will.
But to be honest I can’t wait for the day that all of them are back in London to start the season for Arsenal. Keeping my fingers crossed they all come back without any injury.
- Balotelli to Arsenal and the 62 players listed this summer as joining him
- It’s time to stop the ‘scum’ songs; it’s time to grow up; its time to stop the hatred.
- Watch David Ospina; man of the match and making an unbelievable penalty save
On the Arsenal History Society site
On this day
20 June 1998: Netherlands 5 South Korea 0 Marc Overmars scored the second goal on 42 minutes, and became the first Arsenal player to score in world cup final stages.
I think we can safely say it doesn’t matter how many Arsenal players are in the team that wins the final.
It doesn’t matter how well they play.
We can be certain our ‘beloved’ English media will define them as ‘the worst players’ in the team at worst.
At best completely ignore the fact that they were in the team.
For many Gooners we want the impossible.
Our players to be final winners for their country and yet be back in time for full training for our opening game against Looserpool.
I think the 5 Spurs players who are all playing for England at the Euro16 Championship that is going on now in France are there on merit.
When England were playing the Euro16 qualifying matches, they used to have 5 Arsenal players of, Wilshere, Walcott, Welbeck, Chamberlain and Gibbs in the rank and file of their squad for selection. And most of them if not all played for England during those qualifying matches, I should think. But today is the reverse case of fortunes as 5 top Spurs players have overtaken 4 other Gunners in the England Euro16 squad, leaving only Jack Wilshere as the sole representative of Arsenal in the England camp.
The top 6 clubs of the Premier League of: Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and even Leicester have all given out their players to England to help them to win the European Championship going on now in France. Which as for me, I want them to win it because I am an England supporter.
Mr Broeckx, don’t you think you’ve stepped on Mr Graig Dyke’s – the FA Chair, Mr Roy Hudgson’s – the England team manager, all the England players including their supporting staff’s in the England camp and all England fans’ toes which must also includes Mr Tony Attwood – an English man toes, by saying you don’t want England to go beyond the semi-finals in the tourney? Because you hate to see the 5 Spurs players in the England squad to ultimately succeeded amongst their colleagues to lift the Championship’s trophy. Have you forgotten that “HATE” was among the topics which seriously condemned on this site just a day or 2 ago by the majority of the UA commentters who had commented on the Blacksheep’s hate among other topics article posting? And ironically, you were one of those commentters who also condemned hate by fans to fans.
Please, I mean no disrespect to you as you are one of the co-founder of this UA media site and also a senior writer of articles for the site. My respect.
Samuel,
It has nothing to do with hate to see the spurs players fail. It is about the pleasure of seeing them fail once again 😉 To you it might look the same as hating, for me it is all about the smile on my face. And I like to smile…
It would be good for Girouds confidence to be a top scorer and to score the winning goals in the final, although I’d still want us to buy another striker, but some real competition between them like we had late 14/15 and early 15/16 seems to bring the best out of him.
Walter dont agree. It doesnt matter if England and Belgium go through to the semis Tottenham players will have tired legs when the season starts.It is a hypothetical statement imo.
Factual position is that Euro end on 10 July and season starts on 15 August or so.The players will have sufficient time of 30 days to fresh up. By the way
How can a 25 year old professional player gets tired who earns his living by playing?
Infact the players who will play Euro will get big match experience and will benefit.
Sorry for disagreeing. It is my humble opinion.
I don’t know how it works with other clubs, but at Arsenal returning tournament players get four weeks off to recover. I think they also have the same leave entitlements as ordinary workers, so don’t expect them back and fired up till the end of October (or later). This was why expectations were high last season, we had our players for a full pre season.
So there is an advantage if teams get eliminated early.
…end of September (not October)
I’m pleased that you mentioned the “chair throwing” Walter, as it lends me a link to the behaviour of some fans during these Euro’s.
I was told not too long ago to “always read the history” before agreeing or disagreeing with another’s point of view.
The shame that is forcing Croatian football supporters into attempting to wreck their own country’s progress at Euro 2016 is something that perhaps we on UA, can associate with, due to the suspicions we have of the FA and PGMO.
Arseblog today shared that link – and it shows football in Europe to be nothing more than corruption and modern slavery.
With the case of Eduardo de Silva, it begs the question if our football club was complicit in his situation.
Desperate times = Desperate measures!
Any age of athlete (or gender) can overtrain.
Wales 2 -0 Russia .
England 0-1 Slovakia
Arsenal (Ramsey) 1 Russia 0
Come on Arsenal! 🙂
man of the match from A.Ramsey tonight. already 1 goal and 1 assist with 20 minute left
Main hope – that our players get a confidence boost and come back uninjured! It’s definitely nice to see Aaron Ramsey get a goal and an assist tonight.
Sorry Brickfields – Wales were a goal better & England were also a goal better than your prediction.
My impression was that Walcott would have made the difference for England but he wasn’t picked for the squad. There are some aspects of players that even the best coaches miss. No amount of Caffeine can give you kicking technique, something that Theo has naturally. Kane misses his freedom that PGMO give him.
Ramsey is getting back to his best & seems to have more time as he improves. Bale does not get the foul calls he should but still gets on with his power game.
In truth, I found Ascot Baku & Queens more entertaining.
@ Menace -June 20, 2016 at 10:15 pm – Damn ! Seem to be losing my touch ! Ah , well maybe this will throw up an interesting second round draw ?