Portugal how do they have so many wonderful players?

[RfcIbrox]

Yep, the infamous Curse of Bela Guttman if you believe in that stuff

When he asked for a raise after their 1962 European Cup win against Real Madrid and was turned down he left and said that in 100 years Benfica will never win a European trophy again.
Since then they've lost 8 finals.

They’ve lost on penalties and with last minute goals. Quite remarkable. Wouldn’t believe in that spooky stuff except for this Benfica record.

 

[RfcIbrox]

The Portuguese and the Dutch always punch way above their weight when you see the players they produce.

It's not all down to climate and coaching. They seem to enjoy the technical aspects of the game more than we do in the UK.

Many of their domestic games would bore you to tears, but it does allow players to focus on their technique and skills, whereas we love blood and thunder, up and at em type football.

It is changing though, certainly this is one of the most technically proficient Rangers teams I've seen, and the EPL is becoming more technical and tactical every season.

Spectators would find it hard to stand or sit in freezing pyshing rain and wind in this country and watch continental football. I think summer football would improve our skills even if it was just the under 18s say playing it.

 

[the_baron]

Easier access to players from their former colonies.

Pretty much. Look at the Belgium squad for example.

Britain unfortunately for whatever reason seemed to mostly colonise places that were shite at football.

 

[Grimsdale]

Portugal have been pish most of my life to be fair too, this is pretty much their golden generation.

- good pitches
- better climate
- better coaches
- probably more professional

EDIT: seemingly Portugal have performed better than I have recalled.

Think you are right. After they had success in the 60s it was a bit of a shock when they didn't qualify for the 1970 WC. Thereafter the country went back the way. I'd be interested to know when they qualified for another WC. I might be wrong.

 

[Treble Kings]

Porto knocked us out of the ECWC in 1983.

 

[Alan Johnson]

Rafa Silva in both games against us was great,they produce so many of those wee '10's' it's scary.

 

[Stella_Bear]

Smoking hot women putting them in a permanent positive mindset.

That has to be a thing, it would certainly help me 'focus'.

 

[The Dude]

Pretty much. Look at the Belgium squad for example.

Britain unfortunately for whatever reason seemed to mostly colonise places that were shite at football.

India. Great for tea and spices. Shite for footballers.

 

[A Magician Named Gob]

Pretty much. Look at the Belgium squad for example.

Britain unfortunately for whatever reason seemed to mostly colonise places that were shite at football.

How rude of them.

 

[RfcIbrox]

Pretty much. Look at the Belgium squad for example.

Britain unfortunately for whatever reason seemed to mostly colonise places that were shite at football.

To be fair the football came well after the Spanish and Portuguese colonisations. I don’t think the Aztecs, Incas and Amazonians played much. We started off football in South America. We should have given them the cricket.

 

[Brennan Huff]

The 2004 Euro’s is too early for me to remember, agreed on Deco I was a huge fan when he was at Barca.

This makes me feel old

My earliest international tourny memory is Euro 88 as a 7 year old so guessing you must be 19/20?

 

[Treble Kings]

Right up until perhaps the late 70s people from foreign countries were probably saying the same about Scotland producing great players for such a small nation.
Sad isn't it?

 

[A Magician Named Gob]

Right up until perhaps the late 70s people from foreign countries were probably saying the same about Scotland producing great players for such a small nation.
Sad isn't it?

Considering we never got past a first round at an international competition, I doubt it.

 

[Clubeuropeloyal]

We are going to produce very few top level players. There's simply not the appetitive and the % that play regularly in our country compared to more deprived areas is massive.

 

[Main Stand]

This makes me feel old

My earliest international tourny memory is Euro 88 as a 7 year old so guessing you must be 19/20?

Just turned 21, mate.

 

[derekoftheden]

Portugal have been pish most of my life to be fair too, this is pretty much their golden generation.

- good pitches
- better climate
- better coaches
- probably more professional

EDIT: seemingly Portugal have performed better than I have recalled.

It’s the coaching.The Largs mafia has fkd our whole caching system,and,has done for years

 

[Earl of Leven]

I'm unsure exactly why but I feel it's related to the Academy system. Players seem to thrive where they still play with their pals on the street. Our tightly controlled system has produced f*** all in last decade or so.

 

[Disraeli]

They’re Euro 2004 team was excellent and should have won that tournament.

Couto and Carvalho at CB, Costinha in front of the defence with Deco and Rui Costa further forward and then Figo and a young Ronaldo out wide.

As said above, they could really have went on and won the WC and really dominated at international level if they had a top quality Centre Forward. The likes of Nuno Gomes and Pauleta always seemed to have great track records at club level but never seemed to be at the real elite level of international strikers.

Had Ronaldo been in his prime in the same timeframe as the likes of Figo and Rio Costa they could have been unstoppable

 

[Alex Venters]

i havent read the whole thread but surely weather has something to do with it. Do you stay in the house and play the xbox, PlayStation or go outside in the rain and get soaked and cold?

when i was young there was nothing else to do so all you thought about was football and we loved it. Today there are to many distractions for kids in cold countries to stop them going out into the bad weather.

Denmark is more than a tad chilly, but they seem to have managed okay over the last 40 years, likewise Sweden.
We should be aiming for excellence on all fronts,facilities, participation and performance.

 

[prenzlauerbear]

They’re Euro 2004 team was excellent and should have won that tournament.

Couto and Carvalho at CB, Costinha in front of the defence with Deco and Rui Costa further forward and then Figo and a young Ronaldo out wide.

As said above, they could really have went on and won the WC and really dominated at international level if they had a top quality Centre Forward. The likes of Nuno Gomes and Pauleta always seemed to have great track records at club level but never seemed to be at the real elite level of international strikers.

Had Ronaldo been in his prime in the same timeframe as the likes of Figo and Rio Costa they could have been unstoppable

Ronaldo didn't even start the first game when they lost to Greece. Scolari then rang the changes and brought him, Miguel and Carvalho in. They looked far better.

I remember everyone in my year at school betting (we got an older looking lad to go in for us) on Pauleta to finish top scorer. Doss c*nt looked like he had never seen a football before and was dropped for Nuno Gomes. Don't think he even scored a goal.

The Euro 2000 game between Portugal and England was class and one of the first I really remember as a wee guy. Figo was sensational.

 

[prenzlauerbear]

Denmark is more than a tad chilly, but they seem to have managed okay over the last 40 years, likewise Sweden.
We should be aiming for excellence on all fronts,facilities, participation and performance.

In my experience, people from Scandinavia are simply smarter and know how to look after themselves better. If you have a gift then there's a decent chance you'll make the most of it, or at least have someone with their head screwed on to guide you.

The amount of talented kids who fall away before even reaching under 16 level in Scotland is sad.

 

[Boab4]

They learn how to play football from a young age.

They aren't being sent packing for being too small, not good with the head or not getting stuck in like this backwater.

 

[Shawlandsloyal]

Aye, I thought that was one of the islands just off Africa. My mistake then.

It is