Not content with naming his best XI in Poland and Ukraine, Miguel Delaney has come up with several other interesting line-ups now that the football is done and dusted for another four years.
Team of the tournament: 1. Iker Casillas (Spain), 2. Joao Pereira (Portugal), 3. Jordi Alba (Spain), 4. Sergio Ramos (Spain), 5. Pepe (Portugal), 6. Xabi Alonso (Spain), 7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), 8., Andrea Pirlo (Italy), 9. Mario Balotelli (Italy), 10. Andres Iniesta (Spain), 11. Mesut Ozil (Germany).
Balotelli after scoring his second in the semi-final. Credit: Vadim Ghirda/AP/Press Association Images
Next best XI: 1. Gigi Buffon (Italy), 2. Glen Johnson (England), 3. Giorgio Chiellini (Italy), 4. Bruno Alves (Portugal), 5. Gerard Pique (Spain), 6. Sami Khedira (Germany), 7. Jesus Navas (Spain), 8. Joao Moutinho (Portugal), 9. Antonio Cassano (Italy), 10. Riccardo Montolivo (Italy), 11. Giorgios Karagounis (Greece).
Joao Moutinho was one of Portugal's top performers. Credit: Jon Super/AP/Press Association Images
Breakthrough XI: 1. Rui Patricio (Portugal), 2. Theodor Gebre Selassie (Czech Republic), 3. Jordi Alba (Spain), 4. Michal Kadlec (Czech Republic), 5. Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Greece), 6. Joao Moutinho (Portugal), 7. Marco Reus (Germany), 8. Sotiris Ninis (Greece), 9. Alan Dzagoev (Russia), 10. Vaclav Pilar (Czech Republic), 11. Ivan Perisic (Croatia).
Dzagoev scored three times for Russia at the finals. Credit: Tony Marshall/EMPICS Sport
XI who deserved better: 1. Przemyslaw Tyton (Poland), 2. Darijo Srna (Croatia), 3. Philipp Lahm (Germany), 4. Alexander Anyukov (Russia), 5. Yaroslav Rakitskiy (Ukraine), 6. Luka Modric (Croatia), 7. Jakub Blaszczykowski (Poland), 8. Steven Gerrard (England), 9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), 10. Alan Dzagoev (Russia), 11. Michael Krohn-Delhi (Denmark).
Zlatan's volley v France. Credit: Sergei Grits/AP/Press Association Images
Most disappointing XI: 1. Shay Given (Ireland), 2. John O’Shea (Ireland), 3. Patrice Evra (France), 4. Holger Badstuber (Germany), 5. Philippe Mexes (France), 6. Bastien Schweinsteiger (Germany), 7. Frank Ribery (France), 8. Robbie Keane (Ireland), 9. Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Russia), 10. Robin van Persie (Netherlands), 11. Arjen Robben (Netherlands).
A lot more was expected of Van Persie. Credit: EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport
Inconsistent XI... some games good, some games not so good
1. Petr Cech (Czech Republic), 2. Lukasz Piszczek (Poland), 3. Philipp Lahm (Germany), 4. Mats Hummels (Germany), 5. Olof Mellberg (Sweden), 6. Sergio Busquets (Spain), 7. Robert Lewandowski (Poland), 8. Raul Meireles (Portugal), 9. Fernando Torres (Spain), 10. Mario Gomez (Germany), 11. Petr Jiracek (Czech Republic).
German defender Mats Hummels. Credit: Ivan Sekretarev/AP/Press Association Images
Ireland 1-1 Croatia, Ireland 0-0 Spain, Ireland 2-1 Italy. That should see us qualify.
I admire your optimism!
Spain 5/1 not to get out if the group, you heard it here first!!
“John Paul II, he’s a good Pope. A good Pope but not a great Pope. Now, Johnny Giles, *there* was a great Pope”
God, I miss Scrap Saturday…
Ire 1-3 Cro Ire 0-5 Spain Ire 0-0 Ita Italy win on penalties.
Why would the Italy game go to penalty kicks ??
…. In the later stages of the competition of course :) Possibly a final?
They haven’t a hope. Let’s just be honest about it.
What are you basing this on? What are your reasons for saying that?
Irl 0 Croatia 2 IRl 1 Spain 0 Irl 1 Italy 1 touch and go whether we get out of group
So were going to lose 2-0 to a team we seem to continually daw with then beat the current world & european champions, id like to know what odds you’d get on that???:) as long as we dont lose our first game, I think we have a gr8 chance of getting out of the group
win against Croatia, draw v Spain and win against Italy, out of the group…. I’m unashamedly optimistic :-)
Come on you boys in green!!!
does that make Dunphy his cardinal Rischloue?
After getting trashed in the opening two games i reckon Dumbo Delaney will ask blatter for penalties in the Italian game to see who finishes bottom.