UEFA Euro 2016 is finally complete, with a whirlpool of strange incidents – some people from a tiny island beating the English lads, France beating Germany in an international match after 58 years and Ronaldo winning his first ever international tournament.
For the finals, we had Portugal and France contesting, and let’s face it you didn’t see you didn’t see Eder’s stunner coming. No one did. Such is the game of football!
This was a good tournament for us fans, 2.12 goals per game. Not the cleanest one either, with a grand total of 205 yellow cards (maybe someone will tell Italy that there isn’t an award for getting the most yellow cards). We witnessed teams who’d never played before, some brilliant team tactics and more players whose names we can’t pronounce. Leaving jokes aside, this final did create history, and thankfully we all were there to see it.
But who are the players who shone? Who’re the ones in small town clubs? Let’s find out.
5) Ragnar Sigurdsson
This was the rocky heart of Iceland’s defence which saw them beating the Three Lions in a 2-1 victory.
Sigurdsson is the centre-back you’d want in your team. He can outmuscle attackers and move pretty quickly on the field. What’s surprising is that even with his limited experience, he displayed some pretty impressive positioning, his goal against England being a very example of that. Passing is also something this guy is absolutely awesome with (short passes being his favourite), watching him go tap-tap-tap across the field is not in the least annoying. If you watch his style of play, you’ll see he lacks the ability to tackle well which is a big vulnerability in a defender. Instead, he will get until he can surely get a hold of the ball and then move forward (which was basically Iceland’s strategy as well).
Reports suggest Tottenham and Leicester are trying to grab this beast of a defender, with intentions of bolstering their defence for the next season. If there’s one thing we know, Russian Premier League is definitely not the place for him.
4) Axel Witsel
Axel Witsel is Belgium’s very own all-purpose, durable toolkit. This is one player who will carry the ball into the ground, rather than risk one possibility of the opposite team’s player touching the ball. In the absence of Belgium’s key left-back and centre-back players, the importance of Witsel became more gradually obvious as the midfield was pushed by the other side.
With a 92% pass accuracy, Witsel was virtually the national team’s anchorman, a role which was direly left empty in the absence of Vincent Kompany. Witsel is a good dribbler but gets fouled often, for his extremely sharp tackles – despite diving into them only occasionally.
Already the favourite target for several English clubs such as Everton and Chelsea, it’s without a doubt that a move will be underway. The question is, to where?
3) Ashley Williams
Ashley Williams was the rock-solid defender who adopted a no-nonsense attitude and led his team all the way to the semi-finals. His leadership skills are unquestionable and no one knows it better than Gareth Bale, the other Welsh icon who has commended Williams time and again for his contribution to the team. A player who had fitness doubts came onto the field with an injured ligament to play against Belgium. This was him, and he drove the team to a win too. I don’t think many people can top that.
This was one player to look out for in the English Premier League and he was one player to look out for in this tournament too – Williams excels at passes and interceptions, making him the ideal defender. You’ll find him clearing the ball often but he doesn’t dive into tackles unless he’s sure of what he’s getting himself into.
The Gunners have been eyeing Williams for a while and to be honest, I think I see a new captain figure.
2) Moussa Sissoko
Quite easily the best central midfielder on the field after Paul Pogba for France, Sissoko has been one of the best players at Newcastle for 2 years rolling. This 26-year-old is a brilliant footballer and is powerful, meaning he typically controls the ball. He absolutely outshone the revered and appreciated Paul Pogba this Sunday, leading to a very surprising turn of events, with Gunners being rumoured to be in the lead to sign this gem.
Sissoko is mostly seen in the opposition’s side of the field and adapts to all the positions quite seamlessly – central midfield being the prime position.
The Frenchman still has to develop his game, his long-range passing isn’t the greatest and his tackling is not so good either. Lastly, finishing is something Sissoko could well polish himself at, as someone who is played in different offensive positions, it will make him for versatile in different lineups.
Sissoko has already made his intentions clear, he doesn’t want to stay in Newcastle United any longer. The real question is, which club will get this rampaging force?
1) Radja Nainggolan
Naingollan is fun to watch, he likes to steal possession and provides beautiful long passes at times, along with layoffs. Mostly familiar with the central midfielder position, there’s one thing lacking and that is his offensive contribution.
The fact that Conte wants him in the Chelsea side is probably due to his exceptional defensive contribution and passing ability. Pair him up with Nemanja Matic and you get a rock-hard duo at the back. He concentrates on the ball throughout the game - I don’t remember the last time Nainggolan gave up the ball too easily or failed to win a ball out of a tackle.
Nainggolan has promised to stay at his club, at least for the next season according to Roma boss, Luciano Spaletti which probably means everything is off. But will that stop Conte? Only time will tell.
