Emi Martinez

[Dave]

More chance of them getting knackered/injured. Also, they're clearly far from essential personal for France so it would be odd if they were chosen among their limited number of permitted overage players.

The overage players tend not to be essential ones anyway though, do they? That GB team in 2012 had 50 year old Ryan Giggs in it.

I had a look at their 2020 squad, their keeper was a 28 year old who'd never played for Argentina before or since.

[cdbearsfan]

I don't know about that, but you need a rule that either everybody has to release players or it's just an under-23 competition. There's no reason why Real Madrid should be able to turn all approaches down but Villa get put under pressure to let them go. Or maybe have it so it's just quarter-finals, semi and bronze/gold medal matches so it can all be finished in a week. Still have a full tournament for the women as it's a bigger deal for them I think as they don't get so much exposure.

[cdbearsfan]

More chance of them getting knackered/injured. Also, they're clearly far from essential personal for France so it would be odd if they were chosen among their limited number of permitted overage players.

The overage players tend not to be essential ones anyway though, do they? That GB team in 2012 had 50 year old Ryan Giggs in it.

I had a look at their 2020 squad, their keeper was a 28 year old who'd never played for Argentina before or since.

I don't know. Seems a bit mad, if so. I remember Neymar winning it, he's fairly essential. Can't remember if Doug was still under-23 when he played. Probably.

[paul_e]

More chance of them getting knackered/injured. Also, they're clearly far from essential personal for France so it would be odd if they were chosen among their limited number of permitted overage players.

The overage players tend not to be essential ones anyway though, do they? That GB team in 2012 had 50 year old Ryan Giggs in it.

I had a look at their 2020 squad, their keeper was a 28 year old who'd never played for Argentina before or since.

I don't know. Seems a bit mad, if so. I remember Neymar winning it, he's fairly essential. Can't remember if Doug was still under-23 when he played. Probably.

Doug was U23, Neymar was 24 but, I think, still eligible as a U23 for th etournament because he turned 24 in the same calendar year and they normally use that as a cutoff for age group football.

[cdbearsfan]

Ah, okay.

[Dave]

More chance of them getting knackered/injured. Also, they're clearly far from essential personal for France so it would be odd if they were chosen among their limited number of permitted overage players.

The overage players tend not to be essential ones anyway though, do they? That GB team in 2012 had 50 year old Ryan Giggs in it.

I had a look at their 2020 squad, their keeper was a 28 year old who'd never played for Argentina before or since.

I don't know. Seems a bit mad, if so. I remember Neymar winning it, he's fairly essential. Can't remember if Doug was still under-23 when he played. Probably.

Doug was U23, Neymar was 24 but, I think, still eligible as a U23 for th etournament because he turned 24 in the same calendar year and they normally use that as a cutoff for age group football.

I had a look, Neymar was one of the three overage players, but the other two were Weverton in goal and Renato Augusto (jobbing midfielder around Brazil, China and Germany).

So it's definitely not "pick your three best oldies and pad the rest with youth". It's a bit of a mixture of a big old jolly, recognise the ones that people like but don't normally get picked, and the needy argumentative ones.

Like Neymar. Or Martinez.

[cdbearsfan]

That's mad, then.

New idea... swap proper football for futsal. The Olympics would be the biggest thing ever for them, rather than just a distraction.

[Dave]

That's exactly what they should do. A load of amateurs who are great at futsal, but Brazil have 50 year old Ronaldinho and GB bring Joe Cole along.

[AV84]

That's mad, then.

New idea... swap proper football for futsal. The Olympics would be the biggest thing ever for them, rather than just a distraction.

I've seen that argument made about tennis and golf at the Olympics. It should really be for sports where the Olympics are the peak of an athletes career.

[cdbearsfan]

I'd probably give it a watch. Tbf I will watch just about anything at the Olympics... except gymnastics and the weird karate dancing they had last time.

[Meanwood Villa]

There was something at the end of the season saying we'd agreed to let him go if we got CL. Clearly not the whole truth. I don't begrudge him going given all he's done for us but does mean we'll be without him at the start of the season. Just hope it's not Olsen deputising.

[cdbearsfan]

We always lose our first game anyway so no odds, really. And if we do win... we get relegated.

[Exeter 77]

I'd probably give it a watch. Tbf I will watch just about anything at the Olympics... except gymnastics and the weird karate dancing they had last time.

It's the same with me but I draw the line at dressage and in this Olympics the breakdancing.

[edgysatsuma89]

I'd probably give it a watch. Tbf I will watch just about anything at the Olympics... except gymnastics and the weird karate dancing they had last time.

It's the same with me but I draw the line at dressage and in this Olympics the breakdancing.

I f**king love the Olympics. I won't watch the dressage, but I'll give the break-dancing a go as it's new and I'll soon be saying "naaah, that head spin New York Turkey Twizzler was shit".

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We always lose our first game anyway so no odds, really. And if we do win... we get relegated.

Ha! Welcome back, CD. I've missed your little ray of sunshine during these recent tough times.😉