smol:

@ ~Xerxes~
"Since when did playing for country become glamorous"- please i suggest you recant these fallacious statement you made. playing for country is the most glamorous part of being a footballer.

Surprised to read that also.
Pele,Puskas,Maradona,Cruyff,Paulo Rossi, and even Roger Milla.You remember they are from either Brazil,Argentina,Holland or Cameroun first before u remember that Oh he played for Barca,Ajax or New York Cosmos!

Cesc is a sub simply because Xavi is a more complete, experienced and cool-headed player, . . . for now.

His ball distribution is second to none. He's one of the smartest players I've seen.

But Fabregas, Torres and Silva are the future of Spain. Fabregas will surely be much better than Xavi in a couple of years. Thats saying a lot.

SPAIN is an awesome team to watch. But they generally crumble after a spectacular group stage campaign.

if according to xerxes because united did the double only trophy winning players should make the euros, then whay are all those barca stars in the team? Barcelona won nothing for two years now. Marcus senna of villareal won nothing since i canremember. what of david sillva and david villa? raul won the league with real madrid but did not make the team.

and for cesc at 22 years old with 27 caps already is no joke.

My point is that if cesc wins the europeans championships with spain or van persie does the same with holland, that will be more memorable to them compared to any other trophy with the single exception of the world cup

clarence seedorf has won the uefa champios league three times. Thierry henry has won both the world cup and european championships with france. At the end of the day, who do you think feels more accomplished as a footballer?

Kanu is a champions league winner with 3 Fa cup titles and has won the dutch league and premier league . Twice named african player of the year but has never won the african cup of nations.

Is it truly cos of experience Aragones prefers Iniesta to Fabregas?
i dont think so. They both entered the National team around the same time and they have both been fringes for the National team.

Im sure Fabregas who is younger has even played more games than Iniesta. If Iniesta is now prefered and you guys think its cos of experience, ill say NO

Aragones prefers Iniesta to Fabregas in his starting line-up because Iniesta can play down the flank reasonably well, while Fabregas can only play in the central midfield. . . where Xavi currently rules.

Its only a matter of time before Fabregas dethrones Xavi, maybe even in this tournament. But until then he'll keep being a sub.

I'm sure Fabregas who is younger has even played more games than Iniesta. If Iniesta is now prefered and you guys think its because of experience, ill say NO

Fabregas has played more games but he often comes in as a sub while Iniesta has more first team starts and has scored a few more goals. Iniesta is more of a utility player than Fabregas which is why he's playing.

Aragones is seriously tempted to play Xavi and Fabregas in the centre but that'll really weaken them defensively. Fabregas will only start if they are playing a lone striker: Torres. And after what Villa did yesterday, I don't see that happening.

HNIC:

Surprised to read that also.
Pele,Puskas,Maradona,Cruyff,Paulo Rossi, and even Roger Milla.You remember they are from either Brazil,Argentina,Holland or Cameroun first before u remember that Oh he played for Barca,Ajax or New York Cosmos!

And how would u remember Shevchenko, George Weah, Solskjaer, Litmanen, Gudjohnsen and Ryan Giggs? Do u remember their clubs or countries?

@ Vicade,

Spain as a country underachieved as far as club competitons are concerned this season.
If they were to choose title winning players in club competitions, Spain will only have 3-4 players representing them in the Euros.
Bearing this in mind, they had to dig deeper to unearth their scumbags to come represent em.

My problem here is why should Arsenal's best player be a fringe player for Country?
Ronaldo is United's best player. . . . .I cannot see any manager leaving him out on the bench for Portugal.
Not even Ray Domenech with his spastic and moronic selections.

The best footballing nation all over the world is the Netherlands , watch for them , they are the Dark Horse in this competition, UP Dutch!!!

don't be a cretin - Albelda had a POOR season and didn't play much at Valencia, Baraja is over the hill, of course they will be replaced by other players. Cesc is at par with Iniesta/Xavi and will probably be better than them, but due to their experience and the fact that they are still on form, they still get seniority over Fabregas. Are you saying the Fabregas of 2006 is the same as now? Or he hasn't improved and gotten better?

Where did I say he was better than Iniesta or Xavi? I said he is good enough for the first 11, it all depends on what formation the coach decides to play.But while on the subject, his role in the team is to create and score if he can, he did that for Spain - what else is required of him to be in the starting 11 I ask?

Does this ignorant Gaynner realise that Aragones dropped Baraja and Albeda,especially the former,long ago? If Aragones operates on the basis of seniority,why are the likes of Raul,Joaquin and Raul Tamudo not ahead of some of their younger teammates.

In what way is Iniesta(23 caps) the "senior" to Cesc(27 caps). If Aragones operates on the basis of seniority,why did Cesc get a starting place as far back as '06?Perhaps,he has "regressed" in age and experience in the subsequent years.

He is good enough for Spain's starting 11 but he is not any better than his midfield rivals?That will be like Michael Owen being good enough for England's starting 11 but not necessarily being any better than the strikers he is competing with.

Fabregas is good,if not better than xavi (now).
But i think cesc does'nt show that 'arsenal confidence and spirit' when he plays for spain.
But u just can justify his exclusion because recently xavi has been playing xceptionally well.
But think about it, how many midfield 'generals' have fallen to francesc fabregas. The zidans.pirlos,makelele,viera,scholes,mascheranos and even gerrard.
Its just a matter of time and cesc would start impressing for spain.

Now to d next match. I HOPE CZECH REPUBLIC DEFEAT PORTUGAL.

bgees:

Fabregas is good,if not better than xavi (now).
But i think cesc does'nt show that 'arsenal confidence and spirit' when he plays for spain.
But u just can justify his exclusion because recently xavi has been playing xceptionally well.
But think about it, how many midfield 'generals' have fallen to francesc fabregas. The zidans.pirlos,makelele,viera,scholes,mascheranos and even gerrard.

You forgot to mention Anderson?
A brazilian kid who has never failed to put Cesc Fabregas in his pocket everytime they faced each other.

ferreira is d weakest link in d portuguese set up

How can ppl even dare to imagine that Cesc is near Xavi, Xavi is about the most consistent football player u will find in European football. Hardly gives the ball away, his passing is world class, positioning excellent can go on and on.

Only a coach out of his mind would prefer Cesc to a fit Xavi in a starting line up.

P.S Who saw Ibracadabra's wonder goal yesterday. SUcker is finally getting his international form in order.


AZZURRI ALL D WAY STILL

portugal not really as solid as thought.
their defence kept looking shaky today vs czech esp from set pieces.

3-1 portugal!

VIVA RONALDO!!!!!!!!!

The best player on the planet has just announced his presence in Euro2008.
He had a hand in all the goals and he struck a sweet one that made Cech look like a kindergarten goalie.
Way to go Portugal. . . . . Y'all are thru to the Q-finals.

Bravo Ronaldo!!!! You are simply the best.

rain ball

this is d funniest match i've seen in recent times
the rains makes moving wit the ball impossible

scolari is new chelsea manager

Scolari as Chelsea's manager will make next season so interesting!!!!!

Ferguson, Scolari, Wenger, Benitez and Ramos?? ??
I am loving it!!!!

The question is whether Abramovich will want to interfer in coaching affairs as usual or whether he'll give Scolari the autonomy he deserves.

I don't even think Scolari will take any nonsense from him and it must have even been part of the reasons he decided to sign on (the freedom 2 make his own decisions)

I think he( Abramovich) has learnt his lessons, he wont interfere anymore again. ummmmm Just imagining how scolari will look like in chelsea dug out, Can we still keep this unbeaten record at the slaughter ground?(STAMFORD BRIDGE).

dyabman:

I think he( Abramovich) has learnt his lessons, he wont interfere anymore again. ummmmm Just imagining how scolari will look like in chelsea dug out, Can we still keep this unbeaten record at the slaughter ground?(STAMFORD BRIDGE).

No worry. . .I can assure u say na ur first game of the season at ur purported "slaughter ground" go end in defeat _{maybe na even Hull City go do d magic}

@Jackal and 4play
Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Marcos Senna, David Silva

Doesn't this line-up of midfielders point out one thing?
A team that cannot even boast of just one pacy winger, and you expect Fab4 to start, for what?
It's so obvious that Iniesta-Fab4 connot be the Peter-Paul swap like Frei-Yakin.

A coach that plays on the stability of his midfield will be stupid to start Fab4
Everyone knows Xavi is not as creative as Fab4, but he's most def not a lightweight.

His mental and physical balance complement each other, and that's what the Arragones was playing at.
Fab is ahead in the metal aspect, but he's no Viera.

To me, benching Xavi is UNTHINKABLE. . .(corrected)


Now with Fab4's creativity, the next thing you'll be looking at is how many of the players can benefit from him
Villa and Torres are pacy and can run inbetween defenders, fine. . .
But who else?

A goal and a decisive assist from Fab as a sub has given Arragones a major selection headache, but if I were Spain's coach, I'll just repeat the same thing I did against the Russians.
Not that anyone there is better than Fab, but why change my gameplan for one player?
When I can easily put him in at at half an hour to go and get two goals

@eldee
Iniesta is not competing with Fab4
Fab4 is competing with Xavi and der is no way he can bench Xavi. Xavi is the best midfielder in Spain and of course like i always say, Fab4 is learning from him.
Cesc is a brilliant player and i expect him to be the arrowhead for Spain in few years.
2010 should be the ideal place for Fabregas to send xavi packing from the National team. As for Iniesta, he has no probs as long as hes ok operating from the left.

who is the ideal replacement for Senna in the team? whats happening to Alonso sef?

@tkb
Err. . .I think hustler already settled the Xavi aspect

I think Spain give enough gratitude to Barca's youth system for creating this problem every coach dreams of. . .
They'll prolly groom a Senna replacement in the coming years
Bout Senna, I'm seeing Alonso as the best guy for the job, he'll prolly leave Liverpool and regain form

@Xerxes
Another blasphemy from you!! Anderson is better than Iniesta dude dont you get tired of spewing bunkum

@eldee
You made a very good point there Xavi's is virtually unbenchable and they need a midfield enforcer in Senna but the coach realises the importance of Cesc and did not wait for even 10 mins after halftime to bring him on and he made his presence felt by scoring and providing an assist

This thread meant generally for Euro2008 but Fabregas have taken the scene out of the 23 multiply 16 players in the championship. Wow!

croatia up 1

The Germans aint lookin like favorites today

Lehmann's fault

The goal killed their spirits.Lehmann was watching,he coulda saved it.Guess he lost concentration for a split-second (as usual) and it cost him. The Croatians know this could be the only goal of the match so they're defending pretty well.

I said it! Lehmann has killed Germany! 2-0. Why on earth didn't he catch that ball? He could have before it hit the post!!

Now you see why we kept that calamity on the bench.It is likely they face Portugal if they finish second i expect a roasting