Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Two kids has left me able to watch way less soccer than in past years, so I'm not going to even attempt to figure out starting XI's, but here are some brief thoughts about the teams in Group A.
Italy-- Roberto Mancini has called up a whopping 80 players since the start of the pandemic.Β So he's looked at a lot of guys to get his 23.Β Italy appears to be a fashionable dark horse pick, at least relatively.Β And it makes sense, as this is a well-balanced team, albeit one lacking real top wattage star power.Β Donnarumma is one of the top keepers in the competition (it saddens me that my attempt to call him Donna Summer never really caught on).Β The defense skews a bit old, with Bonucci and Chiellini still on the team.Β Florenzi also isn't a spring chicken for a full-back.Β The midfield appears to have young legs to put around the likes of smooth passing maestros Veratti and Jorginho.Β Ciro Immobile has been a low key consistent goal scorer for club and country (with the exception of a nightmare term at Dortmund) for a long time.Β The Azurri will be favored to win this group.Β My guess is that they're in PKs fairly early in the knockout rounds (because they're prone to the goals drying up) and then it's a coin flip how far they go.Β Β
Switzerland--Β The Swiss have, with little fanfare, hung around as a top 10/top 15 team in the world for a number of years now.Β They are notoriously hard to break down and play a disciplined, defensive style.Β Jann Sommer is an underrated keeper.Β The Swiss are stocked with Bundesliga players and while they lack stars (Liverpool reserve Xhedran Shaqiri, aka Alpine Messi, is still probably their most notable player), there are still a lot of solid players.Β Fabian Schar at CB and Ricardo Rodiriquez at LB may have never lived up to some pretty high expectations, but both have carved out solid European club careers.Β Breel Embolo is a similar story at FWD and he and Harris Seferovic can be a sneaky dangerous strike partnership.Β Steven Zuber adds a little silk in midfield.Β Granit Xhaka can be alternately thrilling and infuriating at the 6 spot.Β Switzerland almost always makes it out of the group stage and never makes much noise afterwards.
Turkey--Β OK, I'm not going to pretend to know more than a handful of Turkish players.Β Burak Yilmaz has been around forever at striker, but he's coming off perhaps his best year of club football ever, scoring 16 in 28 and helping lead Lille to a shock Ligue 1 title over PSG in France.Β Hakan Calhanoglu is primarily known as one of the best free kick takers in the world, but he'll also be pulling the strings in midfield.Β Premiere League fans might be familiar with Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu.
Wales -- Maybe it's just me, but I get nervous when my best player is openly contemplating retiring from football and pursuing a professional golf career in advance of a major tournament.Β Gareth Bale still flashes elite level talent when he can be arsed to do so.Β But he is the farthest thing from a consistent difference maker at this stage in his career.Β With that said, he's rarely seemed as disengaged for his country as he often does at club level.Β And big stars can take teams on big runs in these types of tournaments.Β Wales is otherwise and well organized, primarily defensive team.Β Daniel James, who can't quite seem to break through at Man United, is probably their other big offensive talent.Β Aaron Ramsey is past his born-on date in midfleld, but he does have a knack for popping up late in the box, a la Frank Lampard, to score goals.Β Wales have a number of defenders who are That Guys in English football.Β Guys who have made at least a small name in the Prem and/or the Championship.Β Β
My best guess:
Italy 7 pts
Switzerland 5 pts
Turkey - 2 pts
Wales 1 pt
Italy-- Roberto Mancini has called up a whopping 80 players since the start of the pandemic.Β So he's looked at a lot of guys to get his 23.Β Italy appears to be a fashionable dark horse pick, at least relatively.Β And it makes sense, as this is a well-balanced team, albeit one lacking real top wattage star power.Β Donnarumma is one of the top keepers in the competition (it saddens me that my attempt to call him Donna Summer never really caught on).Β The defense skews a bit old, with Bonucci and Chiellini still on the team.Β Florenzi also isn't a spring chicken for a full-back.Β The midfield appears to have young legs to put around the likes of smooth passing maestros Veratti and Jorginho.Β Ciro Immobile has been a low key consistent goal scorer for club and country (with the exception of a nightmare term at Dortmund) for a long time.Β The Azurri will be favored to win this group.Β My guess is that they're in PKs fairly early in the knockout rounds (because they're prone to the goals drying up) and then it's a coin flip how far they go.Β Β
Switzerland--Β The Swiss have, with little fanfare, hung around as a top 10/top 15 team in the world for a number of years now.Β They are notoriously hard to break down and play a disciplined, defensive style.Β Jann Sommer is an underrated keeper.Β The Swiss are stocked with Bundesliga players and while they lack stars (Liverpool reserve Xhedran Shaqiri, aka Alpine Messi, is still probably their most notable player), there are still a lot of solid players.Β Fabian Schar at CB and Ricardo Rodiriquez at LB may have never lived up to some pretty high expectations, but both have carved out solid European club careers.Β Breel Embolo is a similar story at FWD and he and Harris Seferovic can be a sneaky dangerous strike partnership.Β Steven Zuber adds a little silk in midfield.Β Granit Xhaka can be alternately thrilling and infuriating at the 6 spot.Β Switzerland almost always makes it out of the group stage and never makes much noise afterwards.
Turkey--Β OK, I'm not going to pretend to know more than a handful of Turkish players.Β Burak Yilmaz has been around forever at striker, but he's coming off perhaps his best year of club football ever, scoring 16 in 28 and helping lead Lille to a shock Ligue 1 title over PSG in France.Β Hakan Calhanoglu is primarily known as one of the best free kick takers in the world, but he'll also be pulling the strings in midfield.Β Premiere League fans might be familiar with Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu.
Wales -- Maybe it's just me, but I get nervous when my best player is openly contemplating retiring from football and pursuing a professional golf career in advance of a major tournament.Β Gareth Bale still flashes elite level talent when he can be arsed to do so.Β But he is the farthest thing from a consistent difference maker at this stage in his career.Β With that said, he's rarely seemed as disengaged for his country as he often does at club level.Β And big stars can take teams on big runs in these types of tournaments.Β Wales is otherwise and well organized, primarily defensive team.Β Daniel James, who can't quite seem to break through at Man United, is probably their other big offensive talent.Β Aaron Ramsey is past his born-on date in midfleld, but he does have a knack for popping up late in the box, a la Frank Lampard, to score goals.Β Wales have a number of defenders who are That Guys in English football.Β Guys who have made at least a small name in the Prem and/or the Championship.Β Β
My best guess:
Italy 7 pts
Switzerland 5 pts
Turkey - 2 pts
Wales 1 pt
Β 
Β Usually just watch the World Cup but this seems fun.Β 
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