Extratime Staff Euro 2012 picks part two

They may be football experts, but savants they are not. Follow these tips with caution.

Ross Mullen (reporter and study king)

Due to the fact I must suffer through the plague that is the Leaving Certificate during this year's championship, I predict a plethora of goals and the most thrilling tournament in recent history. With a demanding group, it's difficult to see Ireland progress. I reckon we will finish the group with 4 points but cruelly go home on goal difference.

I feel Spain simply can't keep up their current dominance, so I'm looking to Germany, Holland and France to be the headliners. The Germans can never be overlooked and Holland have the talent so I reckon both will at least reach the semis. France to be propelled to greatness by a shrewd coach and the form of Benzema and Ribery.

Winner: France

Top Goalscorer: Benzema

Top Tip: France to beat Holland in the final (France are 10/1 to win outright while a Holland v France final is 40/1)

Cathal Wogan (reporter and compulsive gambler)

Ireland will qualify from Group C and may even win Euro 2012. I’ve backed both of these as I find it difficult to cheer for the dinosaur soccerball Trapattoni plays if there’s no money in it for me. It’s an effective way of deploying poor players, but it’s very ugly.

Neither of the host nations will qualify from their groups while Greece and Denmark will also be total flops. Karim Benzema will score plenty at the head of a lively French attack as Robin van Persie challenges him for the Golden Boot.

Bookies who have England as 12/1 to win the tournament but Joe Hart as 100/1 to be named its best player have a strange view of how the Three Lions would go about pulling off the improbable.

Winner: France

Top Goalscorer: Karim Benzema

Top Tip: For value, England to win and Joe Hart to be Player of the Tournament (over 1000/1)

Andy McDonnell (photographer and teacher of lessons)

There is a quiet sense of belief among Irish fans going in to Sunday's opening game against Croatia. With Given fully fit and Dunne ready to put in another performance of Russian proportions, the Croatians will find it hard to break down a team that has only conceded three goals in their last 14 games.

It’s at the other end of the pitch that a nation pins its hopes, with a mix of experience and youthful enthusiasm in Keane, Doyle, Long & Walters, to secure a passage beyond Group C.

Despite England's misfortunes I can see them taking second place in Group D behind France. I can also see Holland and Portugal emerging at the expense of Germany. Russia, Czech Republic and Spain should complete the quarter-finals. 

Winner: Holland

Top Goalscorer: Cristiano Ronaldo

Top Tip: France to reach the final, but to be denied the win by a controversial goal (France making the final is 4/1 but defeat by handball or otherwise may be priceless)

Darren Crawley (reporter and language hopeful)

Finally Ireland have qualified for a summer finals and we will be hoping Giovanni Trapattoni’s boys will give us something to cheer about. I think they can. I like the system we use and it does get results. The system suits tournament play and we can certainly compete. I think we will surprise and reach the quarter-finals at least by taking points off Croatia and Spain before beating Italy to go through. After that, anything can happen.

For the tournament overall, I feel Holland will take the trophy. They have quality throughout the team. Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie are the key men for the Dutch and, if they are in any form, it’s theirs.

Winners: Holland

Top Scorer: Robin Van Persie

Top Tip: Me to learn Polish for the duration of the tournament and Portugal to get out of the group of death (11/10, which seems short)

Brian Fitzgerald (reporter and horse expert)

Unlike World Cups, there are no poor teams in the Euros. Spain enter the tournament as favourites, but I don’t believe they won’t falter in this Grand National of tournaments. The absence of David Villa and Carlos Puyol are blows, while a mis-firing Fernando Torres doesn’t inspire confidence.

Bayern Munich provide a core of players to their national side, and the Germans stand a strong chance in going one better than Bayern and clinching a European trophy. Holland could threaten if van Persie replicates club form. Watch out for a Laurent Blanc rejuvenated France – unbeaten in 21.

Winner: Germany

Top Goalscorer: Karim Benzema

Top Tip: Sweden to beat Ukraine (21/10)

Alan Finn (reporter and day counter)

It’s been ten years since we were last looking forward to a major competition featuring The Boys in Green. Those days have returned and we are now just days away from Euro 2012.

They may not be the most exciting team in the world, but one thing you will get from the Irish team is passion. They will play every game as if it were the final and I am confident they will do us proud in Poland and Ukraine.

I fancy Ireland to get out of their group in second place, with Spain the other team to get through Group C. They'll go far, but I can't see beyond Germany lifting the trophy on July 1.

Winner: Germany

Top Goalscorer: Cristiano Ronaldo

Top Tip: Germany to play and beat Spain in the final (15/2 for this final pairing with Germany 3/1 or a little better to win it)

Niall Mooney (reporter and Richard Dunne fanboy)

Sunday’s game against Croatia is the key to qualification from Group C. A result would send us into the Spain game with something to fall back on. I refuse to write off the Spanish encounter as the nucleus of the Spain (Barcelona) team looked tired as the club season came to an end. Even a defeat against the Spaniards could set up a showdown with one of the poorest Italian sides in recent history and with, wiley Trapattoni on our side, that could see us qualify for the knockout stages in my book.

Reigning Champions Spain look a spent force and as a result I’ve opted for a hungry and youthful German outfit to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy next month.

Winner: Germany

Top Goalscorer: Karim Benzema

Top Tip: Richard Dunne to be included in the UEFA Team of the Tournament (Dunne is 200/1 to be named Player of the Tournament, so go figure)

Jamie Mahon (reporter and Sick 2 Def of Trap’s ethos)

Much as I would like it not to be the case, winning Euro 2012 is almost certainly out of reach for the Boys in Green. A Denmark/Greece shock result is not completely pie in the sky but although Mr Trapattoni should be lauded for getting us here, his whole ethos will be out the window if we are to go a goal behind at any point and I'm not convinced he has a credible or even possible Plan B. I do fancy us to draw with the Italians and Croatia, but feel that Spain will be a bridge too far for the lads to cross.

I think the Dutch are the team to beat, coming into form at the perfect time but I'm not convinced that Spain, for all their possession, will have as much end product without David Villa and the Fernando Torres of 4 years ago. And of course the Germans can never be ruled out.

Winner: Holland

Top Goalscorer: Robin van Persie

Top Tip: Andrei Shevchenko to score against England (no market available yet but it will be about 7/2 or 4/1 at its absolute best)

Macdara Ferris (reporter and tournament ground hopper)

What do you mean there are other teams playing in this tournament other than Ireland, Italy, Croatia and Spain!? I've been too busy inflating my hammer, shaking my shamrock and scouring the EURO 2012 portal for tickets up until now to notice!  

It is probably time for Spain to return to their pre-2008 tournament form where they qualify out of the group and then get beaten in the knock out phase. For that to happen, I think probably only Germany have enough quality in their team to overcome the tournament favourites. The way the draw is laid out it would be a Spain v Germany final. The way the stars are aligned, how about Germany to win on penalties then?

Winner: Germany

Top Goalscorer: A few Zloty on Aleksandr Kerzhakov e/w to score a bagful

Top Tip: Ireland to get three draws in Group C (50/1)

Terry Flaherty (reporter and Robot Wars host)

Let the games begin and TV remain a soccer only channel for the next three weeks or so as we indulge ourselves in a festival of top class football, which does include the boys in green this time to make it even more exciting. We are not going to be the ones to bring the excitement to the tournament as our Italian general is war too negative for me, but at least we’re at the party this time and we will be hard to beat, but that doesn’t win you tournaments of this nature.

Trap’s tactics will ensure a point is secured in the opener on Sunday and we could quite possibly beat the Italians, but Spain are a different matter and will four points or less be enough to get us out of this group? Maybe.

My heart says the Boys in Green, but that just isn’t going to happen and I don’t favour making any bookmaker richer than they already are, so realistically my head says Holland and my pocket too, having backed the Boys in Orange (we’re capitalising any ‘Boys in –‘, right?). Van Persie, Sneijder, Robben, van Bommel, van Der Vaart, Afellay, if only they had Irish grandparents!

Winner: Holland

Top Goalscorer: Robin Van Persie

Top Tip: Ireland to start off their campaign with scoreless draw against Croatia (6/1)

Alan Smith (reporter and Kevin Barry)

“But I don’t wanna go to the pub again,” wails a six-year-old, entering his local hostelry for the 12th evening in a row. “You’re coming with me son, this one’s on ITV and I can’t stand that Dunphy fella on RTE.”

Welcome to Ireland and welcome to the Euros. Every establishment will be full come 7.45pm on Sunday night, and you may wonder what I’m getting at with this point. You see, when Ireland crash out, pointless and perhaps even goalless, at least the economy will be given a boost.

The atmosphere every time we qualify for a tournament like this is so, so special. Sadly, it won’t be replicated on the field. As LoI number one fan Tom would maybe say if he was into his internationals: It’s Germany’s year. Ireland? Not good enough, not good enough.

Winner: Germany

Top Goalscorer: Cristiano Ronaldo

Top Tip: Ukraine to concede most goals (12/1)

Jessica Farry (reporter and optimistic Tinkerbell)

To qualify for the Euros is an achievement in itself but we, as fans, are allowed to keep dreaming and expect more. Trap has set his side up to concede very few goals. Slavan Bilic has no idea what formation Trap will play, the Italians are afraid of him and Spain are Spain. Do what Switzerland did against them in 2010 (park the bus job) and we will not lose.

Will we win the tournament? No, but I’d expect us to come out of the group. At the top, I may cry if Spain and Germany don’t play pretty football.

Winner: Germany

Top Goalscorer: Robin van Persie

Top Tip: England to draw against France and Sweden and beat Ukraine (combine at your will at evens-ish, a little better than evens and a little worse than evens respectively)

Christopher Davey (reporter and key bet catchphrase guy)

The vans have had their oil changed, the ferries are full and the plastic hammers are out of stock in pound shops from Portlaoise to Port Salon. There's nothing quite like the Irish to make qualifying for an international football tournament into a festival. 

The question on everyone's lips is, can we qualify? The head says we cannot attack but the heart says that begorrah we can defend. However, if anyone was to lead this group of players past the group stages it's the dream team of Trappatoni, Tardelli and arguably Ireland's greatest ever player, Robbie Keane. 

In the other groups, I can see the Polish doing quite well, but my Lock of the Week is the winner to come from Group B, while my Shoe-In of the Week is the Danish to score less than any other side. 

Winner: Holland

Top Goalscorer: Robert Lewandowski

Top Tip: Greece not to register a single point (13/2)

John McCormack (reporter and irresistible force doubter)

Although Spain are favourites with the bookmakers to claim their third international trophy in a row, very few pundits are tipping Vicente Del Bosque’s men for victory. Perhaps Chelsea’s triumph over Barcelona has convinced us all that the tika-taka style has had its day and the more robust style of Germany or Holland will prevail.

Alas, I fear it is wishful thinking on behalf of the rest of Europe as we once again watch Xavi, Iniesta and the rest of La Roja refuse to let anyone else have the ball.

Ireland will get three points from the group but not enough to progress while Croatia will provide the surprise with a semi-final berth.

Winner: Spain

Top Goalscorer: Fernando Torres

Top Tip: Nikita Jelavic as an each/way bet for top goalscorer (10/1)

Sam Griffin (reporter and excitement chaser)

If the last few years have thought us anything, it is that Ireland under Giovanni Trapattoni are a very difficult side to beat. Unfortunately, we know all too well that we find it just as difficult to beat opposing teams which leads me to believe that if we are to have any chance of progression from the most daunting group we have ever faced at a major championships, we are going to have to avoid defeat and hope other results go our way.

Call me a pessimist but if we can pick up three points from our three games, Spain win their other two and Croatia and Italy draw, we qualify in second place with three points. I fear that will be about it from us!

Germany to go all the way after heartbreak four years ago.

Winner: Germany

Top Goalscorer: Mario Gomez

Top Tip: Holland to make the semi-finals at evens is surely just easy money. France to make the final at 4/1 is slightly more risky – and exciting!

Ruaidhrí Croke (reporter and Number One Irish Pessimist)

It is a well known fact among many of my friends that I am the Number One Most Pessimistic Ireland Fan going. Only weeks ago I was resigned to the fact that we would finish bottom of our group with no points. However, with the Italians embroiled in more match fixing allegations I believe that we may now do slightly better than that and perhaps, maybe, you never know, qualify?

As for winning the tournament I believe that the loss of Puyol and Villa for the Spanish coupled with the maximum efficiency and physicality of the Germans will see Joachim Loew’s team triumph.

As for dark horses, don't be surprised if Russia exceed expectations and get to the semi-finals at least. Sweden are another side sitting quietly in Group D that may just qualify from their group at the expense of England.

Winner: Germany

Top Goalscorer: Mario Gomez

Top Tip: Denmark’s Christian Eriksen to shine and Ukraine to crack under the pressure of being hosts and not register a single point (Ukraine 9/1 to lose all three games)