I do love these summer tournaments. The Gold Cup is nice. I'm a huge fan of the Copa America and of course it doesn't get any bigger than the World Cup. This summer solstice we had Euro 2012 to keep our attentions in Poland and Ukraine. We have seen the wonderful the odd surprise like the Dutch leaving the tournament with out a single point in the group stage. Don't know if I can call it a big surprise but the Italians making it to the final was a really nice touch seeing that the country is amidst yet another match fixing scandal. We have had the late drama. You had your extra time and penalty shoot outs for those who like to sweat it out and let's forget last gasp scenarios for advancement. The Greeks sat bottom of Group A, beats the heavily tipped Russia to qualify for the knockout round and the Czechs ousting the hometown heroes the Poles, all good stuff. We did have the ugly. Polish and Russian fans clashed. The Germans decided to throw things at players and not lets not forget the good ole fashion racism. All horrific and there is nothing worse than racism but the play at Poland and Ukraine by some off the players has been absolutely toxic and with that here is the worse 23 the summer had to offer.Euro 2012 Squad
(Coach)
Bert van Marwijk (NED)
(Goalkeepers)
Woijech Szczesny (POL), Shay Given (IRL), Andriy Pyatov (UKR)
(Defenders)
Andreas Granqvist (SWE), Richard Dunne (IRL), Ron Vlaar (NED), Yuri Zhrikov (RUS), John O'Shea (IRL), Jetro Willems (NED), Michael Kadlec (CZE), Sergei Ignashevich (RUS)
(Midfielders)
Ashley Young (ENG), Keith Andrews (IRL), Mark van Bommel (NED), Arjen Robben (NED), Andrei Arshavin (RUS), Nigel De Jong (NED), Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER), Anders Svensson (SWE)
(Forwards)
Aleksandr Kerzhakov (RUS), Robbie Keane (IRL), Milan Baros (CZE), Karim Benzema (FRA)
Formation
4-4-2
Standard old school set up. No false number "9," or any of that for these gentleman. Plus I don't think with the outings these guys showed they couldn't even handle a tactical reshuffle on the fly, it might make some of them pull a hamstring. Simple but the simple isn't always that easy hence why they are in the worse Euro squad.
Starting XI
Goalkeeper- Woijech Szczesny (POL)
Right Back- Andreas Granqvist (SWE)
Centre Back- Richard Dunne (IRL)
Centre Back-Ron Vlaar (NED)
Left Back- Yuri Zhrikov (RUS)
Right Midfielder- Ashley Young (ENG)
Centre Midfielder- Keith Andrews (IRL)
Centre Midfielder- Mark van Bommel (NED)
Left Midfielder- Arjen Robben (NED)
Striker- Robbie Keane (IRL)
Striker- Aleksandr Kerzhakov (RUS) (captain)
WHY?
Woijech Szczesny- It took me awhile to first to pronounce his name when I first heard of him. I got to know him and with time I learnt how to spell his name with out looking at wikipedia or the computer and finally it took me a while to actually rate young Woijech as a goalkeeper when Arsenal acquired him. Well at least I now know how to spell and call out his name properly because he is awful. I have discounted the shaky Arsenal performances because he really started to come around but this tournament in "POLAND," I took back every nice word written or said about him. He had a prime opportunity to give Poland a solid base but what does he do? Concedes a weak goal to the Greeks then gets himself sent off and gives up a penalty. If not for back up Tyton's brave spot shot save, Greece would have won the game probably. The red card meant that he would be suspended the game after. Poland could have really used his help but through a moment of madness he left his nation adrift and Poland couldn't make it through.
Andreas Granqvist- I really do feel for this guy and on a normal day he wouldn't even come nearly close to this squad but he is. Sweden didn't have the tournament they were looking to have. Ibrahimovich couldn't inspire the men from the north to even get out of the group but one man I think suffered due to bad coaching in this tourney has been Granqvist. Who I really do like and rate but the Swedish coach farming him out to the right back position was cruel and unusual. The massive defender is to slow to gallop forward like modern fullback's do and his natural instinct as a centre back led him to just hold a position which didn't help when wide men ran passed him. I do have some sympathy because he isn't a right back but as a professional player you have to be more adaptable. Shame on Erik Hamren for not knowing what best suits his team and more importantly his players.
Richard Dunne-One of my all time favorite players. Richard Dunne is an old fashion center half who is tough as nails but this tournament, he and Ireland received a real lashing from the opposition. Ireland concede the most goals of any team at the Euros and Dunne has been the focal point for the Irish's woes.
Ron Vlaar- I also use to ask. How is John Heitinga a starting player for the Netherlands? Well when you have Ron Vlaar in reserve you see why. I have been hearing about Feyenoord's Ron Vlaar for what has to seem like ages now and the fact of the matter is Dutch players travel well...maybe accept for Dennis player. I mean a Dutch can play in any of the top leagues in Europe. Cryuff, Van Basten, Van Persie you know the story but why hasn't Ron Vlaar left Holland after all this time? I'll tell you why Ron is very good.. I mean you could say he wants to stay loyal to Feyenoord but that doesn't hold water. Against Denmark with an absent Joris Mathijsen Vlaar was asked to deputize. He basically let Michael Krohn Dehli score. Heitinga and Vlaar what a combination. The Netherlands really have to find some commanding centre halves. Maybe they can steal one or two from Belgium across the border I heard they have a couple of good ones.
Yuri Zhrikov- The Chelsea man turn Anzhi man. I remember a time Yuri called himself a left winger but some where along the line or someone told him left back is the spot for him. Now if Yuri wasn't a great winger to begin with what makes people feel he will be a revelation in the back line and at Euro 2012 he wasn't. He ball watches, pushes to far forward and string a pass, lacks basic concentration and most importantly he doesn't know how to defend. You would think Russia would try to go for at least a defender that can actually be tactically aware of the opposition. Too may times I just saw him up the field idling.The bad thing is he is probably one of the more mobile Russians in the team so you would think he would he would be a nice addition. The Czech Republic really left Zhrikov with egg on his face on the last group stage day.
Ashley Young-The English winger was mean unproductive to say the least and I can either peg it at Roy Hodgson playing him just behind the centre forward is not an ideal place for him and then there is fatigue. In a short spell Ashley Young has gone from Aston Villa poster child to a mere foot soldier at Manchester United. He didn't play well. Hardly got to influence any play and when England did get forward it was a ball over the top of his head to whatever striker he was paired with. He didn't get a chance to run and England might not have a slick passing game but one does feel that Young needs passers around him to be able to be effective. He didn't have a good tournament simple as that. It didn't help that he missed his penalty against the Italians either.
Keith Andrews- I almost don't want to write anything about this man because has been so terrible. Of course a possession game is not Ireland's strong suit but my goodness I don't think I have seen Andrews actually pass the ball in the three matches I have seen him play. As a defensive sided midfielder I expect certain things. Like tenacity, work ethic, controlled and measured tackling and most of all a knack for getting your team ball back. Keith did none of that. Every time he played he was absolutely was over ran my the opposition's midfield. Funny side note. I heard the commentator mention that he had played in all of England's four divisions I personally think he should start all over again. How can Ireland rely on a man that has no guile to him in the middle and even more can't even get close to the opposition is beyond me. Spain, Croatia and Italy made him look way less than ordinary.
Mark van Bommel- Euro 2012 might have been a tournament to far for van Bommel. I mean on the other side of the coin we have Andrea Pirlo who seems like he can go on forever but everyone is not like that and van Bommel I feel just wasn't able to catch up with the pace. I don't want to be so hard on the Dutch as a whole because to be in a group with Portugal, Germany and even Denmark isn't an easy thing but some of her players were merely passengers Mark van Bommel being one of them it doesn't help. His role isn't to score goals or create plays but to stop the play in midfield and offer some help to his defense none was forthcoming. Sad really for a man who has been such a dynamic player over the years.
Arjen Robben- I personally am tired of this guy. I think he can be summed up as a great talent with a weak heart. You ask Bayern Munich about him in the 2011-2012 Champions League Final. He simply is not brave enough. In qualifying and the normal running of a league season he is absolutely stunning but when it matters like that final I just spoke of or the World Cup in South Africa you might as well turn off the TV when he has the ball. He didn't play well this tournament, looked uninterested and I'm starting to think that Robben is a limited player. In his late twenties they won't be an upheaval in his style of play and I don't think he can redefine himself and I will say this over time I think people will forget about Arjen Robben unless he does something major.
Robbie Keane-This is another reason why Ireland got the boot from the Euros early, lack of scoring power. Let's be real if the bulk of your squad is comprised of relegated Premier League players and those who play for sides in the bottom have of that division your going to have a problem. Kevin Doyle played for Wolverhampton Wanderers last season that's pretty bad. What's even worse is that Robbie Keane plays for the LA Galaxy. I like the MLS, I really do but you can't come to a major tournament well maybe the Gold Cup with your main attacker playing against the likes of Chivas USA and Toronto FC it's not going to be a good look and it wasn't for Keane and the Irish. Keane at this point in his career has to be for me a super sub, an impact player and to ask the former Spurs man to find the goal against Italy, Spain and the Croats is a tough ask. The striker barley got a touch in the opposition's half.
Aleksandr Kerzhakov- Aleksandr has to be a part time butcher or mason because I can't believe any team in Europe actually pays this man a wage to play football. Having a striker that can't shoot is like having a fish that can't swim. What's the point? Kerzhakov in three games took a whooping 12 shots at goal. Only one hit the target. So that means he had 11 shots off target and if I was Pavel Progrebnyak and Roman Pavlyuchenko I would have been laughing on the sidelines. Alan Dzagoev performances for the Russians masked Kerzhakov's performance. We were all saying what a player Dzagoev is so we turned a blind eye to how bad Zenit St. Petersburgh man is and he is all types of bad. He works hard but his skills are shocking.
Bert Van Marwijk- I don't understand what really happened. Van Marwijk a mere two years ago led this almost identical Dutch team minus Giovanni van Bronckhorst to a World Cup final. It was like the problem of having two strikers in good form in Van Persie and Huntelaar was confusing so ultimately a proper system was in place. I don't want to heap too much blame on him, having a weakened Joris Mathijsen who I think is better than what people give him credit for didn't help his cause. Fact is alot of players let him down. The aforementioned strike force, Arjen Robben certainly did, so did Sneijder. Jetro Willems the young kid was not up for the moment. Gregory van der Wiel had a poor tournament and Vlaar and Heitinga played like they were afraid the ball might hit them in the face. All leaving poor Stekelenburg stranded. I think what hurt him is he couldn't get the guys heads lifted after the defeat to the Danes if he had done that they could have beaten the Germans and the Portuguese and who knows what would have happened after that. As the coach you don't just deal with the tactics but you have to lift morale when things go wrong van Marwijk didn't do that.
Substitutes
(GK) Shay Given- It seem this summer all the Irishman did was pick up the ball out of his net. It was a close ran thing between him and Szczesny for the worse goalie of the summer but the Pole barely edged him.
(GK) Andriy Pyatov- He had a lot of work to do and he made some saves but still altogether shaky.
(CB) John O'Shea- At least St. Ledger scored a goal. Can't believe he was a Manchester United player at one point. That Mario Balotelli goal against Ireland when he was suppose to be marking him sums it up for me.
(LB) Jetro Willems- A Dutch reporter asked in a press conference if the next time the Dutch play do they have to play with a left back.That is how bad the youngster was, I feel for him.
(RB/CB) Michael Kadlec- The Czech defender found himself out of position numerous times in that hammering against the Russians. Settled as the tourney progressed but still need bailing out many a time.
(CB) Sergei Ignashevich- Russia needs a whole new back line. Ignashevich needs to retire.
(CAM/FW) Andrei Arshavin- He actually had a good tournament I felt, had three assists good movement and was fired up but he's in this team for being a jerk. This guy had the nerve to tell the Russian fans some of which spent their hard earned cash to see their country play that Russia's early exit was their fault. I wouldn't want to play on the same team as this guy.,
(CDM) Nigel de Jong- Had a tough tourney with him and van Bommel in there. The lack of game time last season and Manchester City really hampered him.
(CM) Bastian Schweinsteiger- I think the further coaches ask him to retreat into the midfield the worse he will become. He started his career as a winger then for moved to the top of midfield now he is a deep lying ball winner? I think they should just let him play where he wants.
(CDM) Anders Svensson- He is a foul machine. Couldn't stop the Ukraine or the English from getting to that very slow and juxtapose Swedish back line.
(CF) Milan Baros- In Euro 2004 Baros had a ton of goals even finished as the top scorer in the tournament. This time around can't remember him taking a shot.
(ST) Karim Benzema- Admittedly I don't think he had a bad tournament. Made some assists but for a top player like Benzema to not have not one goal is really bad. Even Girogios Samaras got himself goal.
That is the worse of the worse in Poland and Ukraine. Feel free to add your own disappointment to this list.
