Euro 2021 Fixtures - UK Televised Games

[barneygumble]

The format of this is a farce - 36 matches to eliminate 8 sides, with three out of four going through in most groups.

That said, at a stretch, there is probably one match a day that might justify making the effort.

3 games a day is a seller to me.

Do I care about North Macedonia - Ukraine? Absolutely not... am I going to really enjoy it, yes, every minute.

 

[brieverton]

The format of this is a farce - 36 matches to eliminate 8 sides, with three out of four going through in most groups.

That said, at a stretch, there is probably one match a day that might justify making the effort.

UEFA's answer to that will be to increase the size of the tournament to 8 groups x 4 teams, so "only" the top two can progress in each group.

They would actually think that logical.

 

[Drico]

UEFA's answer to that will be to increase the size of the tournament to 8 groups x 4 teams, so "only" the top two can progress in each group.

They would actually think that logical.

Yes, truth is Europe does not have 16 quality sides, let alone 24 or 32.

 

[Drico]

3 games a day is a seller to me.

Do I care about North Macedonia - Ukraine? Absolutely not... am I going to really enjoy it, yes, every minute.

Each to their own.

I'll watch the knockout games and a selection from the groups. The quality should be reasonable in the last 16. Up to then, the tournament lacks jeopardy and quality. There are 3 games live on TV a day almost every day of the week these days, so this holds no attractions for me.

I suppose I'm too old to sit through dross any more. In the past, the qualification tournament was used to weed out the chaff so when you sat down to an eight-team or even 16-team Euros you knew you were going to get a good standard. Nowadays, the qualification tournament is redundant so you have to do your own quality control. I've compiled and collected 1,000 DVDs over the years. I absolutely love soccer. But the modern game is seriously flawed, from the financial environment that traps great clubs in small TV markets to the format of the international tournaments where a golden ticket seems to be on offer to every hamlet and microstate in exchange for FIFA and UEFA executive committee votes.

In July, people will be moaning about the poor European Championship tournament and trying to find reasons, such as tiredness, small crowds, etc., for the poor spectacle. In reality, the format holes the whole thing under the bow. If we're lucky, we'll get some good knockout games, but the championship has more in common with the decline of another great European festival, the Eurovision Song Contest, than it might care to admit to.

 

[matty1878]

NEA....

well you are on the thread…

 

[No8Bally]

well you are on the thread…

I read most threads on GOT.

 

[matty1878]

I read most threads on GOT.

ah

 

[Bazlar]

ah

Can't believe he had so many friendlies but still didn't know what his srltarting line is. Kin joke