It was a good Euro 2012 final last night, when Spain beat Italy 4-0, and to their credit Spain played some of their best football of the tournament, when it really mattered.
Andrés Iniesta kisses the Cup
I was one of those who were starting to criticize Spain for their rather boring play, in some of their games in the tournament, but they showed last night they are a great side.
And they could even be one of the best National sides ever, although I still think the Brazil side of 1970, with the incomparable Pele in their ranks, are the tops.
Italy did very well last night too, and they can take credit for their performances during the tournament, and the score of 4-0 did not do them any justice, and it was those two late goals after they had been reduced to 10 men, that was the reason for the final lop-sided score-line.
And it was good to see Fernando Torres come on and score a good opportunist goal late in the game, and then set one up for his Chelsea team mate – Juan Mata – two rather good substitutes to be able to play late in the game ……
And it was surprising that Fernando won the Golden Boot award, after scoring three goals in the tournament, along with five other players, and he won because he had an assist and was on the field for less time than the other players who got three goals.
And with new Chelsea manager, Roberto Di Matteo seemingly a big fans of Torres, Fernando may be able to come back to his best form next season, and we hope that’s the case, because it’s now around 30 months that he’s been down in the dumps with his play, and it must have been a nightmare for him.
There’s no doubt that Spain proved they are the best side in the world last night, and they are the only team to have won three major Championships in a row, the 2008 and 2012 European Championships, and the 2010 World Cup in between those two.
And we wonder if Brazil or Germany can give them a game in the 2014 World Cup?
Or maybe even England? 😀
Comments welcome.
75 comments so far
TemuriKetsbaia
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:18 PM
Comment #1Huh. I just got back from space. Was expecting England to win.
Beattie25
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:21 PM
Comment #2Regarding the Mackems
You mean to tell me it’ll be O’shea, Wes Brown, Bramble, Cuellar, Keiron Richardson and Cattermole against Cisse, Ba, De Jong, Benny and Cabaye???
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I seriously think they may go down next season
Beattie25
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Comment #3I was thinking about this yesterday, who may go down next season.
All the promoted clubs look decent and have money to spend. Norwich are giving hoots their biggest ever transfer allowance. Villa have got lambert. Wigan Martinez. So that leaves Swansea and WBA with inexperienced managers regarding English football and the Mackems with no money and a load of ageing man utd rejects.
Who do you guys think will get relegated??
pieceofpapiss
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Comment #4@Beattie
Villa are no cert to stay up, they need some big changes in their squad. Mackems are going to be down there. Swansea and WBA deffo. Wigan too. Southampton may struggle, depending on the transfer window. Think they are going to rely on loans as they are skint. REading should do ok, especially now they have Guthrie and Prognebyak.
ochytoon
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Comment #5PieceOfPappis
Saints are the fifth richest club in the UK. They are by no means skint.
MacToon
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:39 PM
Comment #6Yes, best team won and I agree Ed that I haven’t seen such a good football team and display since the 1970 Brazil team.
Congrats to Spain………
ochytoon
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:45 PM
Comment #7POP
What’s more, they quite easily had the best team in the Championship, yet they succumbed to a number of injuries in the second half of the season, costing them the title by a couple of points.
PIBID (the poster formerly known as hattambenarfa)
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:47 PM
Comment #8Guys just a quick thing..how many of a world 11 do you think would be spanish? Ive had a go and i think 8
Casillas
Alves pique ramos cole
Xavi pirlo alonso
Iniesta messi ronaldo
jayjo
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Comment #9Unless they are signing for Newcastle i dont give a S..t , Ed get over to Holland and report on the Newcy news , all reading this pulling our hair out … Oh another clump gone
No Plain Saylor
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:51 PM
Comment #10Spain have the greatest side I’ve ever seen, top scorers and least conceded, just guessing here but probably most possession and passing. And all this without their all time top scorer david villa and leader carlos puyol. But that being said they’re passing for most
No Plain Saylor
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Comment #11Of the tournament was just plain boring, and they are capable of playing like last night every game
outsidethebox
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Comment #12wonder if there is more to blackburn deal for best….martin olsson swedish left back available on free with hoilett …
rainrix
Jul 2, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Comment #13So the scum have signed cuellar? HAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Please o’neil sign heskey as well I’m in need of some hilarity to break up the boredom of not signing anyone 😉
No Plain Saylor
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Comment #14Outsidethebox, this discussion was had before olsson has a contract till 2015 unless he has some get out clause for relegation then he aint free
nightfa11
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:18 PM
Comment #15scr** spain… all we hear about for the past 5 years is iniesta, xavi, messi, barca, spain, messi, xavi, real, barca, spain, iniesta, real, barca, barca..
its exhausting.. =)
Mo Drysdale
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Comment #16Team Olympics:————-Foster———————————
Walker————Richards————Tomkins———–Gibbs
———Wilshere————-Ramsey————-Cleverley——
Sturridge——————————————————–Giggs
———————————-Rhodes——————————-
Subs: Neil Taylor, Scott Sinclair, Jack Rodwell, Craig Bellamy, Phil Jones
outsidethebox
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Comment #17no plain saylor .@ 14 ..i know olsson has put in a transfer request but if he isnt free and the 24 yr old rule dosent apply then toon wont pay ..sorry.didn,t see prev discussion …just think that there may be further moves…
Oldgit1
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Comment #18For all the bloggers on this site wanting to hear about NUFC dealings in the transfer market, be careful what you wish for.
Tiote to Chelsea, Cissie and Colo to Citah, Cabye and Ba to Manu, Hba to Arse.
When Ashley, (which it is only rumoured) says there is 20 million to spend he does mean that the amount will include wages etc.
Beware of the sting in the tail which Ashley has a habit of delivering to us supporters.
grumpy_old_sod
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Comment #19Oldgit1
Ridiculous
Toonboy_84
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Comment #20I think oldgit needs a short break in OV 😉
grumpy_old_sod
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:39 PM
Comment #21Oldgit1
I have an idea for your new ID senileoldgit1.
rainrix
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:40 PM
Comment #22Speaking of transfers what kind of player is anita anyone? Is he a pacy/tricky DMF or is he basically just tiote with cornrows?
toonincheek
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Comment #23Oldgit –
Not living in OV then?
Have to admit, though, there has been a sting in the tail all too often.
I know that, in the past, it has been argued that free transfers are not ‘free’ and that calculations have indicated that wages over the length of the contract were taken as part of the current spending, not spread over the period, but I think that MAY NOT be the case this time.
Then again, the rumoured budget of 20-ish million was supposed to include some quality younsters. For sure, there will be no big fees involved there, but the aggregate cost of 8 younsters to replace those who have left will add up.
pieceofpapiss
Jul 2, 2012 at 2:50 PM
Comment #24On a side note, after reading through the last few days of comments i’ve wrote a song for my band titled “Keyboard Warrior”. Might do a rough recording of it tonight. If any of you like pop-punk/punk-rock, click the link on my name and check my band out.
davybtoon
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:02 PM
Comment #25haha not only hav they signed cuellar there supposed to b getting heskey aswell
rich_toonfan
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Comment #26Nobody knows if our budget includes wages and fees or anything. Or what our budget is for that matter.
Simple thing is all clubs include wages and fees in some sort of budget, just how they break it down.
Also I can’t think of a single club which has ever stated what their transfer budget is.
davybtoon
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:04 PM
Comment #27best n forster out today for 5mill so thats an extra 5mill for transfers
reckon we will have some good news soon
davybtoon
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Comment #28richtoon – no club says there budget its jus the press guessing, but what i do kno is dl n lc wouldnt b in holland for 4 days if we werent close to signing some players from there, douglas n de jong mentioned but remember weve also been linked with rosales, anita, alderweild n others from the dutch league i defo think we could announce a few deals soon
Toonboy_84
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Comment #29@davy
It’s unfair for you to have all that optimism. Could you please share some with oldgit?
😉
DannyA
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:13 PM
Comment #30wat the hell is Pardew doin at wimbledon surely he has more important things to do such as mastermind the toons takeover ov the Prem next season lol
DoctorZelig
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:15 PM
Comment #31Heard last night the commentators in my country said that Barcelona use around 100 million Pounds each year on their youth department.
If you look at that spain side a lot of their best players comes from that department. If England wants to compete with spain on the international level clubs need to up the spending on youths.
Its no good just complaining about the foreign influx of players if English players were good enough and there was enough of them to pick from then that would solve the problem.
If a proper youth program was instated then it would take about 10-20 years for it to bare fruit…
Anybody got any idea how much Newcastle spends on the youth department?
No Plain Saylor
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:15 PM
Comment #32We’re in a far far better position financially than we were in jan 2011 when we had to sell carroll, and having finished 5th largely unexpectedly MA will not rock the boat and sell our stars when we are ao close, just 4 or 5 quality signings away from something amazing. Which is all good for him, ao he might have to cough up an extra 8 million on what he said he would but in the long run it woulmore worth so so much more.
No Plain Saylor
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:15 PM
Comment #33* be worth so much more
ashwin say's
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:17 PM
Comment #34after a nice holiday in holland lamearse and co. are set for few transfer finally
Big Pappa Cisse
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:22 PM
Comment #35Would anyone else take Darren bent if.we could get him cheap ?
DannyA
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:22 PM
Comment #36i think by the end ov buisness 2morro we shud know if we have de jong and douglas just a waiting game at the min
where is Transfer Mage and his infinate wisdom or has someone assinated him haha
OoAhDembaBa
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Comment #37Abonglahor
Sammy Adamobi
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Comment #38anyone on here know anything about a new home kit? am bored of trailing the internet trying to find it, surely it would have been released by now?
nufc786
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:27 PM
Comment #39DoctorZelig
well recently MA wants to spend 20 mill on our academy… so in the past, not that much i guess…. our academy has dropped a level….
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/06/26/3199826/newcastle-united-braced-for-academy-funding-setback
Oldgit1
Jul 2, 2012 at 3:35 PM
Comment #40@grump_0ld_sod Get back in your box, it was to inspire conversation, not an excuse to throw insults around.