Euro 2012: No team totally convinces in mediocre tournament

An enthralling tournament or a study in democratic mediocrity? I do incline to the second view, but ‘you pays your money and you takes your choice’ and after Germany, now seemingly favourites for the title, had walked all over flagging Greece we were assured that this was a super team, still better than the one which had flourished in the last World Cup.

Yet one remembers how laborious their first 1-0 victory had been over Portugal, when their own players admitted they were tired, and how the Danes ran them so surprisingly close. And where, you wonder, was their left flank defence when the Greeks, hitherto under sustained pressure, suddenly broke down the right, where the ever-alert Dimitris Salpingidis found all the room and time he could ever have wanted to cross for Georgios Samaras to equalise. What the Germans do have, as they showed against the Greeks, is talent in depth — 23-year-old attacking midfielder Marco Reus, of Borussia Dortmund, is lively and elusive, while 21-year-old Andre Schurrle, of Bayer Leverkusen, also looked sharp against the Greeks.

Portugal still seem to me to have the ultimate ace in the hole in the phenomenally talented Cristian Ronaldo — even if, against Denmark, he missed horribly and incredibly when all alone in the box. Against sad, wilting Holland, however, he was in irresistible form. Perhaps his most remarkable moment was when, centrally placed, he coolly took the ball down on his chest, pivoted away from defenders with a flick and smacked a tremendous shot against the bar. He might have several other goals, but the winner he ultimately scored was enough to take his team through.

Alas, poor Holland. Their own players, a frustrated Arjen Robben and his famous but frustrated left foot among them, admitted that things had gone badly wrong. Who could really say why, except that the heroes seemed tired, none more so than the veteran enforcer, 35-year-old Mark van Bommel, dropped from the final game. Robin van Persie’s famed left foot was largely firing blanks and, for what it was worth, the futile goal which he ultimately scored against Portugal was with his other, weaker foot.

Spain were lucky to squeeze out of their group against Croatia, thanks largely to a couple of fine second half saves by Iker Casillas. Against a cautiously chosen French team, recovering from their inept showing against the Swedes, Spain once again used Cesc Fabregas as a kind of decoy centre-forward, though the inconsistent Fernando Torres came on after 66 minutes. Considering France used two right-backs on the flank, the goal they gave away to Xabi Alonso, playing his 100th international, was quite pitiful. Left-back Jordi Alba broke through with ease to the line to cross and no defender challenged Alonso when he headed his goal. The second Spanish goal, that late Alonso penalty, was no more than a postscript. Why, though, does Del Bosque make no use of a real centre-forward in Fernando Llorente?

As for England, not even Roy Hodgson could make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear — or find a playmaker as adroit and inventive as Andrea Pirlo. Yes, the English tactics could have focused on nullifying the gifted little Italian, but overall Hodgson did commendably well in so short a time to obtain the unbeaten results he did.

Unbeaten you might say because defeat on penalties is an arbitrary affair, though, in truth, England were lucky to survive so long. To survive that glorious early left-footed shot from Daniele de Rossi which rebounded off the upright. To survive the several chances that fell to Mario Balotelli. Though that splendid early effort by a full-back (significantly) in Glen Johnson so quickly followed De Rossi’s strike.

It seems astonishing that the ‘Greed is Good League’, which next season will have still more massive funds to pay its overpaid players, can produce just one ‘playmaker’ of consequence who is English in precocious youngster Jack Wilshere, injured for so long. No Brooking, no Gascoigne, no Hoddle, no Haynes.

Germany, who now face Italy, have the clever Mesut Ozil and, overall, a better side than the Italians. Pirlo, so bizarrely discarded last summer by Milan for Juventus, may not find the time and space England gave him.