⚽ UEFA Nations League ⚽ - Discussion Thread

[cxtreenal]

Despite what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, there are people who believe Portugal is better without Ronaldo, and are using yesterday’s game as evidence. This narrative is being pushed by the media with headlines like “Ronaldo-less Portugal Prospers” e.t.c.

Neymar is washed but still went to the World Cup. The fans wanted him there because they felt they owe him that for the many years Neymar served the national team. As far as I can remember, Ronaldo carried Portugal for the longest, and now that they have good players, Ronaldo is suddenly the one holding the team back.

Ignore them, those Portugal players don't know what they have done because it clear they planned the whole thing. I mean right from the world cup it was glaring and obvious I mean why the hate? Why the jealousy? They should be glad they have a player like Cristiano in their midst, they will surely regret this disgusting act of theirs especially Bruno because to me he is the architect of this whole issue.

The most impressive thing for me was the goal scored by Denmark's attacking player Mikkel Damsgaard in the match against Portugal. He was enjoying the goal by making gestures like Cristiano Ronaldo. However, I have not seen any Portuguese player imitating this legendary player's gestures. Ronaldo knows how high he is, so some people are jealous of him. He is going to create a record for the first time in the world to reach the milestone of 1k goals. Even if he retires from the national team, he will be able to fulfill his expected target by playing in the Saudi Pro League.

If any player in the Portuguese national team has made a mistake, he should pay a high price because those who cannot respect their seniors may themselves be disrespected by others in the future. Ronaldo needs to maintain his best performance.

[Alpha Marine]

Despite what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, there are people who believe Portugal is better without Ronaldo, and are using yesterday’s game as evidence. This narrative is being pushed by the media with headlines like “Ronaldo-less Portugal Prospers” e.t.c.

Neymar is washed but still went to the World Cup. The fans wanted him there because they felt they owe him that for the many years Neymar served the national team. As far as I can remember, Ronaldo carried Portugal for the longest, and now that they have good players, Ronaldo is suddenly the one holding the team back.

Neymar was just happy to be on the team, he was placed on the bench for most of the tournament. When he came on, he did his best and was shockingly the most creative player on the field for Brazil. He was ready to assist the team in any way possible. Even when he was not playing, he wasn't throwing tantrums.

You people are so quick to mention what Ronaldo did for Portugal as if nobody has forgotten. Pele helped Brazil to win 3 World Cups, does that mean he should have kept playing for Brazil till he wasn't able to walk again?
Ronaldo is no longer what he used to be. He is now a negative on the pitch, especially against top quality opponents. He should be okay with sitting on the bench for some games or coming in the second half if he still wants to be in the team.
He shouldn't be expected to start every game when it's clear to see that he can't do it anymore.

He doesn't need to be at the centre of everything. It's simply age. He is 41 years old. Even he should have the self awareness to know he can't do it anymore. He has nothing to prove.
Modric came from the bench against Spain, and he has been subbed out or in different matches but he has never complained. He may not be as big as Ronaldo, but he is the biggest Croatian player in history, but even him understand that his body is no longer what it used to.
I don't understand why you Ronaldo fans like making a big deal out of everything.
You people don't need to feed his ego and his lack of self awareness. Everybody that says anything contrary to Ronaldo, you people will scream "jealousy".

[mv1986]

Just like Germany, which is now managed by Klopp, the Netherlands, with Xavi, need time to find their feet as the new manager in charge of strategy and tactics.
In my opinion, the Netherlands, Germany, and several other teams, such as Italy and France, can't be directly measured as good or bad because they are still developing more mature preparations for highly anticipated tournaments like the European Championship and the World Cup.

If the Netherlands were considered bad yesterday in their match against Greece, Italy will play against France. So far, no one has criticized France because Zidane managed to win. If they lose against Italy, the discussion will inevitably turn to Zidane.

Putting France in the same category as Germany, the Netherlands and Italy is extremely ridiculous

France is miles and miles ahead of the other teams you mentioned. They are ahead of every other team in he world except for Spain. Zidane doesn't manage teams that are not perfectly ready. He is afraid of losing and that is why he would only accept jobs or projects that are almost certainly going to be successful.

Germany has no pool of good talents, they are doomed for years to come. Yes they have a bunch of good players, but Spain or France have 15 extraordinary players. Germany has maybe three.

[JiiBs]

Putting France in the same category as Germany, the Netherlands and Italy is extremely ridiculous

France is miles and miles ahead of the other teams you mentioned. They are ahead of every other team in he world except for Spain. Zidane doesn't manage teams that are not perfectly ready. He is afraid of losing and that is why he would only accept jobs or projects that are almost certainly going to be successful.

Well, Zidane hasn’t had a very extensive career at management but, you are right in that. He most certainly doesn’t manage a team that isn’t almost perfect, we saw that with Real Madrid and this France team is another team at its peak, most of all, they are young.
That’s a lot of force and majority of them play in some of the best clubs in Europe. The only category we can merge this team with would be Spain. Both these team are the epicenter of everything good football right now.

[KTChampions]

An interesting situation in Group A2  
Incidentally, there is a nuance: unlike the first three editions of this tournament, two teams now advance from the group stage instead of just one (as was the case before), so theoretically, even Serbia has a chance. Of course, I’d like Klopp to be successful, but there are only two spots available, and the Netherlands and Greece are looking pretty good too. On October 4th, it’s Greece - Germany, and it seems to me that Germany can’t afford drop even 2 points (draw).

[Arenga pinnata]

An interesting situation in Group A2  
Incidentally, there is a nuance: unlike the first three editions of this tournament, two teams now advance from the group stage instead of just one (as was the case before), so theoretically, even Serbia has a chance. Of course, I’d like Klopp to be successful, but there are only two spots available, and the Netherlands and Greece are looking pretty good too. On October 4th, it’s Greece - Germany, and it seems to me that Germany can’t afford drop even 2 points (draw).

It seems no one really expected Greece to temporarily top Group B. But that’s just how soccer goes. I was even surprised when Germany was defeated by Greece right in front of its own fans.

And to be honest, if Greece manages to beat Germany on German soil, it feels like Greece will have a better chance in the next match since they’ll be the home team. But if Germany wins, it’ll be a pretty sweet revenge.
But I wouldn’t dare bet on that match, especially on Germany. I’m starting to have my doubts about this team, even though I think they have better players than Greece.

[HustleZ]

Despite what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, there are people who believe Portugal is better without Ronaldo, and are using yesterday’s game as evidence. This narrative is being pushed by the media with headlines like “Ronaldo-less Portugal Prospers” e.t.c.

Neymar is washed but still went to the World Cup. The fans wanted him there because they felt they owe him that for the many years Neymar served the national team. As far as I can remember, Ronaldo carried Portugal for the longest, and now that they have good players, Ronaldo is suddenly the one holding the team back.

Neymar wasnt the player that was holding the team down, if he would get a chance he would take it otherwise he wouldn’t be selfish for a certain “achievement”. Ronaldo had 1000 goals all over his mind and he didn’t care if he held the team back or not, i dont think holding the team down is the reason he wasnt given chances but his ego even at this stage and his selfishness caused him to get bench, and such fragile ego that he decides to leave after getting benched for a game, i doubt he will even reach those 1000 goals.

[Rikafip]

Incidentally, there is a nuance: unlike the first three editions of this tournament, two teams now advance from the group stage instead of just one (as was the case before), so theoretically, even Serbia has a chance.

I had the "pleasure" of watching a few Serbia games lately (not full games, but enough), and they are so bad that even though theoretically they have a chance to go to the next round, even in theory, they won't be able to do it (I know it doesn't make sense lol, but they are just that bad).
I mean, I've been watching football for 30+ years, and the current German team is probably the worst I've seen so far, and it was embarrassing to see Serbia being dominated in such a way, like Germany were playing against San Marino or someone of that quality.

On October 4th, it’s Greece - Germany, and it seems to me that Germany can’t afford drop even 2 points (draw)

The Germans won't have an easy job, as Greece is playing probably the most fun football I've seen them play. Very talented (and young) team that should only get better with more experience.
 

[Arenga pinnata]

Just like Germany, which is now managed by Klopp, the Netherlands, with Xavi, need time to find their feet as the new manager in charge of strategy and tactics.
In my opinion, the Netherlands, Germany, and several other teams, such as Italy and France, can't be directly measured as good or bad because they are still developing more mature preparations for highly anticipated tournaments like the European Championship and the World Cup.

If the Netherlands were considered bad yesterday in their match against Greece, Italy will play against France. So far, no one has criticized France because Zidane managed to win. If they lose against Italy, the discussion will inevitably turn to Zidane.

However, the pressure on Zidane seems to be the greatest. As we know, France has incredible squad depth, coupled with a track record of achievements that have consistently been at a very high level. This means everyone has very high expectations for Zidane, so if there’s even the slightest dip in performance, well, Zidane must be prepared for the criticism that will come his way. But so far, everything seems to be going very well. As for Klopp and Xavi, they won’t face too much pressure, so they should be able to coach with greater peace of mind. Although, personally, I have high hopes for Klopp, even though Germany’s squad depth isn’t as strong as France’s, I hope Klopp can lead Germany to greater success, even though the results of their previous matches haven’t met expectations. 

[Altryist]

It seems no one really expected Greece to temporarily top Group B. But that’s just how soccer goes. I was even surprised when Germany was defeated by Greece right in front of its own fans.

And to be honest, if Greece manages to beat Germany on German soil, it feels like Greece will have a better chance in the next match since they’ll be the home team. But if Germany wins, it’ll be a pretty sweet revenge.
But I wouldn’t dare bet on that match, especially on Germany. I’m starting to have my doubts about this team, even though I think they have better players than Greece.

Greece is looking very strong, though Germany dominated the first leg, but Greece managed to win despite recording only a single shot on target. While Greece defended well, a stroke of luck also played a part in their victory. Since even a draw would suffice for Greece in the return leg, I expect them to stick to the same defensive tactics. And for Germany only victory will be needed, and I think they should win this match.

[katanic97]

Exactly, no player is bigger than the national team, the players, etc... Ronaldo can always help his national team, give advice to younger players, and be a role model in the dressing room. As a player, it is getting harder and harder for him to make any significant contribution. And the fact that he left the camp is something none of us expected. We will see what happens next, one thing is certain, Ramos will finally get his chance to shine.As for Ronaldo, i would like him to achieve his goal of 1,000 goals and then retire

He still has 21 goals to go before reaching 1,000. On the one hand that’s not that many, on the other hand, I don’t know if you really need to reach certain milestones before deciding to retire if you feel that you can no longer play at the same level as before. I think it would make sense for him to retire after the World Cup, that would be a logical way to end his career. And if he still wanted to reach 1,000 goals, he could comfortably score the remaining goals he needs in Saudi Arabia.

You can see that in recent years he has been playing more individually, and he gets angry when he doesn't get the ball and when he doesn't score, he doesn't celebrate when his teammate scores. That's all because of that goal of 1,000 goals. He has won a lot, and realistically it is time for retirement, but also if he feels that he can play, let him play. We will all remember him when he was at his peak and that's it.

[HyperCodexV]

Just like Germany, which is now managed by Klopp, the Netherlands, with Xavi, need time to find their feet as the new manager in charge of strategy and tactics.
In my opinion, the Netherlands, Germany, and several other teams, such as Italy and France, can't be directly measured as good or bad because they are still developing more mature preparations for highly anticipated tournaments like the European Championship and the World Cup.

If the Netherlands were considered bad yesterday in their match against Greece, Italy will play against France. So far, no one has criticized France because Zidane managed to win. If they lose against Italy, the discussion will inevitably turn to Zidane.

Putting France in the same category as Germany, the Netherlands and Italy is extremely ridiculous

France is miles and miles ahead of the other teams you mentioned. They are ahead of every other team in he world except for Spain. Zidane doesn't manage teams that are not perfectly ready. He is afraid of losing and that is why he would only accept jobs or projects that are almost certainly going to be successful.

Germany has no pool of good talents, they are doomed for years to come. Yes they have a bunch of good players, but Spain or France have 15 extraordinary players. Germany has maybe three.

That narrative of zidane accepting easy to win squads is completely false, lets not forget so quick that zinedine zidane too over Real Madrid coaching twice during the crisis that was going on both on the pitch and in the dressing room and he successfully lead them to very historic back to back champions league title, he proved himeself as a very tactical coach under that pressure and he is trying to build the fench national team to become a very formidable force to reckon with, no doubt they have the squad depth but they need a very stretegic plan to make them click and Zidane gives that present as the coach, he has never hide from challenges.

[ArabBTC]

Despite what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, there are people who believe Portugal is better without Ronaldo, and are using yesterday’s game as evidence. This narrative is being pushed by the media with headlines like “Ronaldo-less Portugal Prospers” e.t.c.

Neymar is washed but still went to the World Cup. The fans wanted him there because they felt they owe him that for the many years Neymar served the national team. As far as I can remember, Ronaldo carried Portugal for the longest, and now that they have good players, Ronaldo is suddenly the one holding the team back.

Am not happy with the Portugal coach and Ronaldo, both of them haven’t showed good leadership qualities, first the coach should realize that Ronaldo is an extremely big player that always wants to break new records of number of appearance, goals scored etc, and Ronaldo is someone that lots of fans wants to see, not playing him isn’t so nice, even if you won’t play him full time there is a way the coach would have played him for some minutes and substituted him or bring him in the second half, all this falls back to maturity and understanding, as a coach you must manage your team so that no player will feel neglected, Ronaldo has sacrificed almost all his life for Portugal, hence, since he hasn’t fully retired from national football it is for the coach to give him some playing time.

On the other hand Ronaldo didn’t show maturity by working out of the Portugal team simply because the coach benched him, it doesn’t show sportsmanship at all, especially for someone of his pedigree, what example is he giving to the upcoming generation, i wasn’t happy with his display at all.

Lastly one bad characteristic of humans is that regardless of the efforts you have put in the past, they will still feel like they can do without you simply because you are no longer in top form, there is a way legends are supposed to be treated and at this point i think Portugal isn’t getting it correctly, even though they won the match without Ronaldo on the pitch doesn’t mean they should start saying it out, the Portugal team seems to have forgotten when Ronaldo helped them countlessly in the past.

[Agbam]

Germany will play against Serbia in today's Nations League matches. Having lost to Greece despite playing at home, Germany is likely to defeat Serbia this time around. Meanwhile, Greece the surprise team of the group, will host the Netherlands. I am very curious to see if Greece can win again, as the Netherlands is a strong team with a high probability of defeating them. If Greece manages to beat the Netherlands with the support of their home fans, the group standings could look very different.

Another possible draw between Germany and Serbia. Serbia lost their first two games in a narrow defeat of 2 goals to 1. They will want to do their best to prevent Germany from taking all three points from this game. Germany are not really ready for this Nations League and might struggle to earn points from all indications. Greece against Netherlands should be strongly competitive. I am predicting Greece to take all three points and wrap the first leg with 9 points margin. For me the group standing might remain the same after this two fixtures.

Your prediction on Greece is proving to be correct, they’re already 2 goals up against the Netherlands just in the first half. I don’t know what the hell Greece ate to be playing this strong against these European giants. Though football is a game of two halves let’s wait to see what Netherlands will conjure.


I just observed Portugal didn’t waste time in giving out Ronaldo’s number to Raphael Leao, so does this mean he’s totally out of the Team or just this tournament.
I honestly don’t think he should have reacted the way he did tho, it was a good game for his team, he should have been happy for them.

Messi fans are supporting Portugal tonight. Football is really crazy. Ronaldo fans are expecting Portugal to be losing, but to there greatest surprise the team keep on winning.

Rafael wore the number 7 jersey for Portugal. The fans who don’t like what the home team did throw shades on Rafael. People are not happy with the new system.

It’s not just Messi fans or people who don’t like Ronaldo that are supporting Portugal or the Manager. It’s everyone who thinks well, a lot of Portuguese people are angry with his outbursts, I was reading X and it’s a lot of angry people speaking Portuguese I had to be translating cos I was enjoying it.

Ronaldo is a Legend of the game, a Hero of Portugal but all these are in the past, I don’t know if he was expecting to play football for ever, you can’t argue with age… he’s underperforming and just dragging the team, his minutes needed to have been cut off since but out of respect he has been kept in the team.

I think Everyone respects and honours Ronaldo but he doesn’t reciprocate that energy, he feels he’s above the team, he did same at Man United and some people supported him, now it’s against his own country…. A lot of those who supported him then are against him now.

[Roseline492]

Am not happy with the Portugal coach and Ronaldo, both of them haven’t showed good leadership qualities, first the coach should realize that Ronaldo is an extremely big player that always wants to break new records of number of appearance, goals scored etc, and Ronaldo is someone that lots of fans wants to see, not playing him isn’t so nice, even if you won’t play him full time there is a way the coach would have played him for some minutes and substituted him or bring him in the second half, all this falls back to maturity and understanding, as a coach you must manage your team so that no player will feel neglected, Ronaldo has sacrificed almost all his life for Portugal, hence, since he hasn’t fully retired from national football it is for the coach to give him some playing time.

What Jorge Jesus is doing to him is not fair, I wonder how they have forgotten so easily when Ronaldo was the only most important player the country has, he has always expresses his love for the country through his efforts on the pitch, so actually those kind of players doesn't deserve to be humiliated, the only match Ronaldo has played with his team was against Wales and that was all, perhaps if Jorge Jesus had also use him like their first match I don't think there would have been any disagreement, is unfortunate that the resigning of Roberto Martínez is causing all this for Ronaldo because when he was still coaching Portugal he always respect Ronaldo.

[paco92x]

Despite what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, there are people who believe Portugal is better without Ronaldo, and are using yesterday’s game as evidence. This narrative is being pushed by the media with headlines like “Ronaldo-less Portugal Prospers” e.t.c.

Neymar is washed but still went to the World Cup. The fans wanted him there because they felt they owe him that for the many years Neymar served the national team. As far as I can remember, Ronaldo carried Portugal for the longest, and now that they have good players, Ronaldo is suddenly the one holding the team back.

However, anyone who follows football and has a grain of decent football knowledge can surely say that Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to have ever walked the Earth. Was he the best one for me? No, but he was definitely in the conversation. The same goes for his country. He is one of the best, and for some people, he is the best, but not for me.
To say that they are better without him now is okay. He is in his 40s, and there are younger players who can play alongside him. But if we are talking about him as a player in his prime, Portugal will surely suffer from not having that kind of player for years, maybe even forever. So the media can talk all they want, but he was a king in his time.

[SFR10]

If the Netherlands were considered bad yesterday in their match against Greece, Italy will play against France. So far, no one has criticized France because Zidane managed to win. If they lose against Italy, the discussion will inevitably turn to Zidane.

Even though Italy really played well against Turkey, I strongly believe the heavy rain contributed to the scoreline, so I can't see them snatching a point, let alone an away win against France ^{[it might be another narrow win for Les Bleus]}.
^{- Having said that, I'm starting to see him as a downgrade to Deschamps (I know he still needs some time to implement his own style and strategies fully and they were quite unlucky not to score a few more goals against Belgium, but I noticed France has been playing a bit worse as a team).}

[Shadiq]

~~snip~~

However, anyone who follows football and has a grain of decent football knowledge can surely say that Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to have ever walked the Earth. Was he the best one for me? No, but he was definitely in the conversation. The same goes for his country. He is one of the best, and for some people, he is the best, but not for me.
To say that they are better without him now is okay. He is in his 40s, and there are younger players who can play alongside him. But if we are talking about him as a player in his prime, Portugal will surely suffer from not having that kind of player for years, maybe even forever. So the media can talk all they want, but he was a king in his time.

There is no reason to deny that Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the best, everyone who knows football will probably agree with this statement. But currently he cannot be called the best player, because of his age his performance is not like the best players now. It must be admitted that his prime time is over. He was one of the best players in the world of football and there is no doubt that he was the best player of all time for Portugal.

It is true that it is good for the team if he is not in the team at the moment. His age and form are incompatible with international football. His attention in the Portugal national team is undeniable, so it is foolish to want to see him in the team for the rest of his life.

[Hyphen(-)]

An interesting situation in Group A2  
Incidentally, there is a nuance: unlike the first three editions of this tournament, two teams now advance from the group stage instead of just one (as was the case before), so theoretically, even Serbia has a chance. Of course, I’d like Klopp to be successful, but there are only two spots available, and the Netherlands and Greece are looking pretty good too. On October 4th, it’s Greece - Germany, and it seems to me that Germany can’t afford drop even 2 points (draw).

Jurgen Klopp needs nothing but a revenge against Greece, a win for Germany will give them upper hand against Greece because they are already left behind, if they have a win against Greece, they will have seven points and that will give them upper hand in the group because it seems like Greece is a serious team this time, and Netherlands will also want to qualify ahead of Germany.
If Netherlands and Germany can win all their returning leg matches, they can lead the group, but if they lose any match along the line, they might be disqualified from the group stage.

[laspol65]

Despite what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, there are people who believe Portugal is better without Ronaldo, and are using yesterday’s game as evidence. This narrative is being pushed by the media with headlines like “Ronaldo-less Portugal Prospers” e.t.c.

However, anyone who follows football and has a grain of decent football knowledge can surely say that Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to have ever walked the Earth. Was he the best one for me? No, but he was definitely in the conversation. The same goes for his country. He is one of the best, and for some people, he is the best, but not for me.
To say that they are better without him now is okay. He is in his 40s, and there are younger players who can play alongside him. But if we are talking about him as a player in his prime, Portugal will surely suffer from not having that kind of player for years, maybe even forever. So the media can talk all they want, but he was a king in his time.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo has stepped back in his current position due to age, his past has been the most helpful for the Portugal team. He has helped the Portugal team the most and his youth has given his utmost effort, his hard work has made the Portugal team known to the whole world. However, I think Cristiano Ronaldo can never perform the way he used to and create attacks on the opposing team, such attacks are also not possible by other players.
 So Cristiano Ronaldo's place will remain empty in the Portugal team, maybe other players can perform well but very few players have the ability to take the team to a high level.