Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

  • Participation within this subforum is only available to members who have had 5+ posts approved elsewhere.

Martinez new Belgium head coach

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
Italy are absolutely the better team
Click to expand...


Italy will engineer some national scandal which only unites the nation and the team through adversity. They will line out on the pitch and sing the national anthem so passionately, tears start coming out of TV sets around the world. They end up being the first team to win the World Cup with an average age of 45
 
Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
Italy turn it on in tournaments

Belgium don't

I bet Italy will destroy Belgium on the counter if they play them
Click to expand...

They haven't turned it on at the past two tournaments mate, quarter finals last year and group stage exit at the 2014 World Cup. Got to the final of Euro 2012 before being absolutely bummed, but they still had Pirlo then and Buffon was still in his prime. Belgium would wipe the floor with them, even with clown shoes leading them.
 
mikeh72 said:
They haven't turned it on at the past two tournaments mate, quarter finals last year and group stage exit at the 2014 World Cup. Got to the final of Euro 2012 before being absolutely bummed, but they still had Pirlo then and Buffon was still in his prime. Belgium would wipe the floor with them, even with clown shoes leading them.
Click to expand...

Italy saw off Spain in the Euro's mate

Absolutely smashed them on the counter

And they were in the Group of Death in 2014 with England, Uruguay and Costa Rica. That group was a crap shoot
 

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
England and Italy were never the same after that game in Manaus. Ridiculous making people play in those conditions. It was all over after that

Let's not forget Suarez trying to eat Chilleni as well and being allowed to stay on

And Costa Rica were good. It took pens for the Dutch to beat them
Click to expand...

Come on though, Italy were miles from "turning it on" in that tournament you must admit.

They were amazing through the 00's but since their golden generation have all retired they've been succeeded by mainly average dross. Only De Rossi and Buffon are still there but they're coming to the end now, Buffon will be 40 when that World Cup comes around. Bonucci is quality, as is Verratti, but Belgium and others should be expected to beat them with the quality they possess all over the pitch. Don't forget Simone Zaza who was the laughing stock of WEST HAM UNITED gets a game for Italy.
 
Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
Then they're wrong

The rankings mean nothing

At the end of the day are they better than Germany, Spain, Italy, Colombia, Chile, Argentina or Brazil?

The answer is a resounding no

A very good team for sure, but not good enough to win the big one

They might beat one of those sides in a one off situation, but they'd need to beat at least 3 of them to win a World Cup (Unless they got an EXTREMELY kind draw), and that isn't happening
Click to expand...
You think Colombia and Chile are resoundingly better than Belgium? Either you're a connoisseur of south American football and I'd invite you to share your insights, or you're disseminating bolloxology of the first degree.

Belgium's track record is ordinary, but anyone can see that squad is stowed deep with talent. They've taken the brave step of going into the next world cup without a functional manager - I think this can work with winners [some elite tennis players will have periods of time without a coach, for example], but it's a wild throw of the dice here. They've been severely mentally weak in recent times, and need real leadership for when they hit adversity in the pressure of the KO tournament.
 
mikeh72 said:
But how often do teams in 13th place also win things? Very rarely, the teams at the top end of the table are the ones that generally have the success. And we never looked like winning anything under Martinez even when we were in Cup semi finals, if people are honest with themselves. I'm happy with the progress we're making, to be battling for Europe after 2 seasons of being bottom half fodder tells me we're getting closer to potential success.
Click to expand...

How often do we win anything?

I didnt say we came close to winning anything under Martinez! Again i didnt mention him.... I know its a Martinez thread but you don't need to argue about him being rubbish because I wasn't defending him!

Yup agreed, our progress is looking good. Long way to go of course but the future looks bright.
 
Papa Shango said:
Honestly? To me no, I couldn't give a toss. It is just different levels of nothingness and I am bored with it. I don't really care if we come 13th, 7th or 2nd. I want to win something, if they don't then they are all failures in my eyes. Moyes, Martinez, Smith, they are all the same to me.
Click to expand...
I see what you're saying, but as Martinez showed in his first year that when Everton win regularly Evertonians are happy. 21 wins from 38 meant only 17 times we had to deal with not winning. I love a Saturday night when Everton have won. Absolutely love it.
 
Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
Meeting your target is not a failure though is it?

If he gets them to the Quarters then it's job done. Not amazing but not a failure either

Failure would be crashing out earlier or getting to the Quarters and getting absolutely smacked by a decent side

I mean, if they get to the Quarters and then Colombia hand them their arses 4-0, yes that's a failure

But if they get to the Quarters and lose 1-0 to Italy, then he hasn't failed
Click to expand...
We'll have to agree to disagree here Mikey. Martinez was brought in to make the number one ranked team in the world (the rankings system is stupid because they clearly aren't the best in the world) win the World Cup and anything less then at very least an improvement on where they've been in the past like a would be a failure as far as I'm concerned. Just going out in the quarter finals, excepting defeat to any side, even a good one and shrugging it off just seems odd to me because as he'd of made zero impact.
 
Last edited:

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
I think there are definitely 4 sides better than Belgium, so getting to the Quarters is probably as far as they can get

I think there's at least 3 sides in South America better than them and probably three better in Europe as well
Click to expand...
They're ranked as 1 of the top 2 or 3 international side, anything other than a semi final appearance or a really really unfortunate quarter final exit is complete failure. And this far it ain't looking good, he's had 2 games and not won either.
 
ianefc said:
They're ranked as 1 of the top 2 or 3 international side, anything other than a semi final appearance or a really really unfortunate quarter final exit is complete failure. And this far it ain't looking good, he's had 2 games and not won either.
Click to expand...

Thats not true. The expectation isnt that high in Belgium. A semi would be fine.

And as you say...2 games.
 
ianefc said:
I'll be glad when the first season v first season comparisons are over, although you make a fantastic point about the comparison between where Martinez and Koeman found us (which matters @mkrudden)

But when the 2nd season v 2nd season starts it's going to be a blood bath.
Click to expand...
Nope.
The tactics of the team bore no resemblance whatsoever to the year before.
My opinion has always been that a mixture of signing Lukaku using the entire budget, Distin and co dying form wise and Martinez taking the system too far (full backs were like isolated wingers in the second and third years).
It wasn't because everyone had forgotten everything Moyes taught them which is seemingly the insinuation.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Welcome to GrandOldTeam

Get involved. Registration is simple and free.

Register
Back
Top