Euro 2016: Dimitri Payet, German Efficiency & Typical England
Payet All the Way
If you’d seen him for West Ham this season then Dimitri Payet’s efforts in the Euro 2016 opener were no big surprise. He’s been doing stuff like that for about ten months now, pulling all the strings and scoring worldies. The surprise was more that a French team with Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Anthony Martial, Blaise Matuidi and all those blokes even allowed him the chance. They did, though, and Payet was the best player on the pitch long before he scored that magnificent winner.
France are coming into this tournament with eyes firmly on the trophy. True to their reputation, this is a squad with more than its share of dramas and you only have to google the reasons why Karim Benzema isn’t there to understand that. Yet just look at the players that are in there and it’s easy to see where the hype is coming from.
Against Romania, they probably didn’t live up to the tags of favourites but then nobody does this early in the comp. What matters is that they were able to scrap their way to a 2-1 victory. Romania are not a team that can stretch their abilities across the park, they are superbly well organised at the back but then they have to be because there’s bugger all else there to work with – even against the French whose one major weakness is that backline. No Raphael Varane amongst several others means that inside the fullbacks of Patrice Evra and Bacary Sagna (combined age of 68), they had Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami marshalling the troops. Now, Koscielny is decent enough. He’s been Arsenal’s best defender for a little while now, but he’s still an Arsenal defender and Rami, well he could be a genuine liability. Still, France coped with the minimal threats of Romania pretty comfortably on the whole, Rami made a couple nice tackles himself which will be handy for the confidence. Much bigger tests will follow.
First half of that game, N’Golo Kante was the best on the field. Payet still had his moments but he was sticking more to the left while Kante was doing his usual thing of winning every ball – though don’t sleep on his distribution which was top notch as well. Except that Giroud was being Giroud and missing chances while Griezmann, supposed to be a proper world class player these days after a marvellous season with Atletico, was as wasteful in the box as it got. It’s a struggle that a few teams have had and maybe it’s fair the claim that there aren’t that many top class strikers in Europe these days (it’s a position that’s been marginalised a bit by the success of Spain/Barca and their followers, plus the added teams these Euros mean more overmatched sides willing to play spoilers), although Griezmann and Giroud (as well as Kane and Mandzukic) are better than that. Haris Seferovic on the other hand, he scored 3 goals in 29 Bundesliga games this season and had 4 shots for bugger all for Switzerland in their 1-0 win over Albania. No team has scored more than twice in a game across the first seven fixtures and only France, Germany and Wales managed that.
In the second half Payet began to drift more, dropping deep and popping up on the opposite side. It was from there that he swung in the cross that Giroud somehow back-headed into the net and he could have had more assists if his teammates were on his level. That single goal should have been enough with Romania never looking like scoring (put Bogdan Stancu in the category with Seferovic – even if he did score his spot kick – while Florin Andone bags plenty of goals, they’re just in the second division in Spain), which only makes Evra’s clumsy blunder for the penalty even stupider.
Needing to chase the game again, Griezmann was replaced by Kingsley Coman and ten minutes later Anthony Martial came on for Paul Pogba. The fact that Pogba was being replaced showed you how well Payet was doing – he started the game in the position Martial plays as a wide left forward, he was the obvious sub but Didier Deschamps was watching the same game we all were (unlike Roy Hodgson a day later). He was untouchable so off came the supposed superstar in all his Pogboomishness. Poggie did fine, he was a bit below his defensive expectations but he moved the ball swiftly through the middle. Right now he’s overrated due to a great World Cup so this is a big tournament for him to show he really is all he’s built up to be. First game was a 6.5/10, so there’s room for improvement, safe to say.
Payet then took matters into his own hands. He was linking up all over the place, creating 8 chances while the other 21 (plus subs) players on the pitch combined for a total of 9. Just incredible playmaking footy, he was fully unleashed once he dropped deeper (one to ponder: given the profligacy of others, why not start Martial with Payet deeper? Drop Matuidi if ya want, Kante and Pogba can hold the fort. Otherwise Griezmann can’t be too comfortable after that first game). Eventually he got his rewards and he’d leave the field with tears of joy and fulfilment streaming down his face, the entire crowd applauding for what they’d seen. That’s a famous individual performance, if you know any West Ham fans than it’s one that’ll never be forgotten either.
But Payet’s stunner lasted only a couple days as reigning goal of the tournament. As good as it was, this from Modric has to edge it. Look what a height that ball comes down from and see how sweet he hit it. Absolutely magnificent. Just as Modric was himself all game, continuing the early trend of deserved wonder goals this tourney.
Not so much from Arda Turan though, he's not had a lot of fun since joining Barcelona, first of all with the six months of football he had to miss and then with the stutterings afterwards. A bit harsh, but he was poor for the Turks. If you look close you can see him fixing his hair instead of closing down Modric. Whoops.
IN-GER-LAND!
Ah, the English. The poor old tortured English. For almost 90 full minutes they dominated the Russians only to concede late in injury time and have to settle for a draw. The 2006 World Cup was the last time they won their opening game at a major tournament and it hasn’t happened at the Euros since... no wait, it’s never happened. In nine appearances.
It took them a long time to finally score, a goal which Eric Dier of all people provided (because he wasn’t busy enough controlling the base of midfield, he had to go and do the job of those ahead of him too), but it was a goal well-deserved. They just couldn’t hold it, and after keeping Russia to a couple of half chances from headers all game they crumbled under Russia’s lone sustained attack all game and Vasili Berezutski was able to lob a header (marked by midget Danny Rose) over the out-of-place Joe Hart and into the net at the far post. And didn't he love it...
Roy Hodgson’s getting a bit of criticism for this one, his subs were pretty odd. Jack Wilshere came on for Wayne Rooney after the goal, presumably to shore up his midfield but Wilshere couldn’t hold his position, constantly rushing forward. Then he brought on James Milner for Raheem Sterling with a few mins left, too late to bring the calming influence he needed to – just his lazy marking on the cross for the goal. Meanwhile there I was watching the Russians try to find a footing in the game and seeing the space in behind their defence and wondering where the hell Jamie Vardy was. Harry Kane could easily have been justifiably taken off but then Adam Lallana was still on too. Lallana was one of the game's best in the first half but as any Liverpool fan will tell you, he’s not really a 90 minute player. He faded fast after the goal was scored.
Of course, it’s probably not a coincidence that they named a team with five Spurs lads among the starters and they blew a late lead.
But having said all that, this was nearly a perfectly professional win. Seconds away, really. Such is football, England are in a little bit of bother now – you don’t usually get more than a second chance in major tourneys and Russia, with all their injuries (specifically Igor Denisov), were there for the taking. But one win will probably put them through as a third place qualifier at the least, they play Wales and then Slovakia – neither are mugs in any way and in Gareth Bale and Marek Hamsik they each have one of the most dynamic playmakers in the competition. So lucky this is a very talented English team. Mentally there are a few questions now, but Rooney was a success in the midfield and both Alli and Lallana were often superb. The defence wasn’t tested too much but dealt with what was there and Kyle Walker in particular had a great game.
Ultimately, the reason they lost was that they wasted their chances. Lallana had two fine opportunities and sent one at the keeper and one past the post. Rooney volleyed one at the goalie and drew a speckie of a save out of Igor Akinfeev with another deflected one. Sterling’s best chance was hitting the post from an offside position. Kane’s free kick was a wild mess. It took their defensive midfielder (and man of the match) Eric Dier to finally break through and that finishing is a worry. Sterling and Lallana both starting means a very creative side, more creative than any of us would have expected from Old Woy but neither are great finishers. Rooney and Kane are normally better than that but Rooney doesn’t shoot so much from midfield and Kane is a volume shooter who normally fires on first sight and as Spursy as this team is, Sterling, Lallana and Rooney’s clubs are less direct in their attacks (Rooney especially – although LVG never suited him, that was clear).
Leonid Slutsky, Russian Overlord
Spare a moment for the Russian manager Slutsky, who looks as Russian as a bear drinking frozen vodka. So typically he’s a brunt, no-nonsense kind of fella, currently balancing the national team job with the CSKA Moscow gig after stepping in following Fabio Capello’s sacking. And old Fab cost so much that he damn-near bankrupted Russian football. In light of that, Slutsky is having to take charge at the Euros for no wages, just the odd expense and performance bonus.
Fun fact on Slutsky (well, not really fun at all, but interesting): His footy career ended aged 19 when he fell out of a tree and shattered his knee cap trying to rescue a neighbour’s cat.
German Efficiency
So what was the difference between the English, up 1-0 going into injury time in a game they’d bossed and the Germans, up 1-0 going into injury time in a game they’d bossed? One part flawless confidence stemming from World Cup winning experience and reputation and one part furious counter attack. England sat on their lead with their subs, Germany sat on their lead with their influential midfield/defence and then scored on the break thanks to substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger. Why, yes, he does still play. And he scored with what felt like his only touch, set up by a glorious Mesut Ozil pass as well.
The main difference between the World Champs and England was that Germany were way more tested at the back by a decent Ukraine side, Manny Neuer making some typically great saves while Jerome Boateng’s goal-line clearance was one of the best bits of defending all year – shout out to Ben Davies for his block on Hamsik for Wales too, that’s right up there as well. Let’s come back to that.
The Germans were without the injured Mats Hummels but in his place Shkodran Mustafi played wonderfully, even scoring the opening goal with his head from a free kick swung in by the excellent Toni Kroos. According to whoscored.com, Kroos’ 112 passes against Ukraine are second only to Granit Xhaka of Switzerland (and now of Arsenal, there ya go Mr Wenger). Boateng also topped 100 in that game, they’re the only three to do that so far. Kroos though, his passes were at a 92.9% success rate which is just ridiculous for a guy with the range that he has. Xhaka lingered back at 87.9% which is still kinda brilliant – although he got it done more with the short stuff.
So count a promising defensive effort that’s poised to get even better, a goalkeeper undeniably still in the top three on the planet (Wildcard’s rankings: 1. De Gea, 2. Neuer, 3. Lloris… but I’ll accept any arguments), a midfield that not only controlled possession but also facilitated a pretty impressive attack and there’s only one worry and that’s the goals. Who’s gonna score them? It’s easy to overlook Miroslav Klose’s importance in 2014 but he did score a couple of goals, including the equaliser against USA. Thomas Muller scored five in that tournament including a hatty against Portugal. Against Ukraine he was played out wide with Mario Gotze up top and only managed one shot. Gotze had two. Gotze did some quality stuff, specifically in how he linked up with the attacking mids but that came at the expense of any focal point up top. That’s the big weakness for the Germans, however there is one option in the squad: Mario Gomez. 28 goals for Besiktas this season, he’s been feeling it. Worth keeping an eye on. Even without him the Germans already look tough to beat, as we all should have expected from the start.
Why They Won’t Win
France – Bound to self-destruct at some point. Their defence is old and rusty. Best striker isn’t available because he blackmailed a teammate.
Germany – Don’t have a striker in the XI, could struggle for goals. Lost to Ireland a few months back.
Spain – The ’08-12 core is getting old or already gone and they lost to Louis Van Gaal at the last World Cup.
England – Their media will break them down with excessive pressure. Already looking Spursy.
Belgium – A team of stars but not a star team. Best centre backs play at fullback. Marc Wilmots hasn’t ever gotten the best out of them. Marouane Fellaini.
Italy – Absolutely no creativity in the entire team. Will probably draw every game 0-0.
Portugal – Rely too much on one player. Steady enough battlers around Ronaldo but it won’t be enough. Ronaldo will probably get injured any way.
Holland – Didn’t qualify.
Leicester City – Not an international team.
Anyone Else – Actually, given all the above… they probably will.
Defensive Heroics
Mrs Xhaka, Split Loyalties
That Logo
Out of the corner of your eye or on small/lower def tellies… the Euro 2016 logo looks suspiciously like the Grateful Dead one. Only in those ocularly-challenged situations but I've made the subconscious mistake several times already. And what a beautiful mistake.
Speaking of Lookalikes…
… doesn’t Luke Modric look a bit like the Waif from Game of Thrones?