European Championships 2015 - hosts Italy and Bulgaria

  • At least Savin is there, while Spiridonov stays at home.


    I still think MM can make the difference as WS with a pure opposite in the position and Dima in the middle. I'm fine with Kruglov. I just would like Moroz there as well. Poletaev is a big question mark at senior level still.

  • At least Savin is there, while Spiridonov stays at home.


    I still think MM can make the difference as WS with a pure opposite in the position and Dima in the middle. I'm fine with Kruglov. I just would like Moroz there as well. Poletaev is a big question mark at senior level still.


    I wouldnt agree with this. 2 seasons ago Poletaev had crucial impact on Zenit's title, along Anderson, while Mikhaylov was injured. He deserves his place in NT if u ask me.

  • @giaval
    Talking about Lanza, there's no way he could be better player than Savani. Savani grown up among Papi, Cernic, Zlatanov (once he also won the last spot in NT against him), Cisolla and some of the other players from the Generazione di Fenomeni. Lanza used to be bench player to Savani himself, Parodi and players like Kovar and Randazzo. He's 24 and still can improve a bit, but I can't see from him anything more than a first change for the starters.


    Ravens, Lanza has grown up with Juantorena, Winiarsky and Kaziyski :D did you rememeber Savani at 24 years old (2006 in Trentino)? He was quite similar to Randazzo (no dig, no receveing, no technicall skills on attack, but only high jump and powerful arm without brain). Lanza, at his age, he's by far better than Savan is ever been on second line, and he's improving year by year in attack (if he keeps this trend, who knows when is going to stop?). Personally, I think he can reach and go over Savani at his best (2010-2012), maybe not about the attacks, but about overall level as a player, oh yes he can :thumbup:

    Per un pir, un pam un persec per na brogna e na rumleina, nuetr'a sam d'la Ghirlandeina nuetr'a sam da rispeter




    Edited 2 times, last by Mamdani ().

  • Besides, Lanza has never been a backup of Randazzo. He was a backup of Parodi and Kovar, but the Lanza of 2015 is not the player that he used to be in 2014 (the difference among those 2 players is big, very big)

    Per un pir, un pam un persec per na brogna e na rumleina, nuetr'a sam d'la Ghirlandeina nuetr'a sam da rispeter




    Edited once, last by Mamdani ().

  • That's why I wrote Zaytsev should play as OH.. :whistle:


    I don't agree. Zaytsev is more confident as OPP and in this position he can be one of the best opp right now and can really make the difference for the team, more than as OH. So – unless one between Lanza or Juantorena get injuryed/play really really bad (I hope not!!) – using him as OH doesn't make sense to me, also considering that Lanza is at least as good as Vettori/Sabbi.
    If we need to play with Antonov or Massari, than it can be considered.

  • Skrimov and Gotsev r out... 3 setters? WTF :rolll:


    Yop, the final list looks like:


    Setters: Georgi Bratoev, Andrey Zhekov, Lyubomir Agontsev
    Opposites: Vladimir Nikolov, Nikolay Uchikov
    OHs: Nikolay Penchev, Todor Aleksiev, Stanislav Petkov, Miroslav Gradinarov
    MBs: Teodor Todorov, Viktor Yosifov, Nikolay Nikolov
    Liberos: Teodor Salparov, Vladislav Ivanov


    I hope everyone stays healthy and without injuries because Konstantinov again made some weird choices. He dropped a MB and left three setters. Also, Skrimov seems to be unable to compete regularly at this point of time. Skrimov's absence is surely the biggest miss. Gotsev was the fourth choice anyway, but now we have to pray everyone of them finishes the tournament. And Todorov's health issues are well-known...

  • Yavor, would you be so kind as to estimate your chances with Germany? I know it's not easy (specially when even a roster is not crystallized yet), but I would appreciate if you could at least try.


    Now that the roster is definitive and no changes can occur in the last day I can share my opinion. This is one of the question marks of the tournament. Let's start with the fact that Konstantinov himself chose to play Germany on the opening day, he felt they won't enter the championship on their absolute level and that the crowd will be a more decisive factor on Day 1. What surprises me is that most bookmakers set a really low coefficient for a German win (around 1.40) as if it would be a walkover for them. But seriously, maybe for the first time in quite a long span, apart from the European Games, Germany enter a battle with Bulgaria as a favourite. But this is only not entirely tangible to me and I would seriously put chances on par, 50-50. They also have problems with the squad, I don't know how well Schwarz could contribute, Grozer has been away from competitive volleyball for a while and this must, at some point, play a role, regardless of the number of friendlies. So have been the entire German team, as a matter of fact.


    On the other side, we have a disturbed Bulgarian team as well. Disturbed in terms of problems and absent players, not in terms of motivation and readiness. The spirit in the whole Bulgarian volleyball world is great, there will be a lot of noise today and the audience might be a seventh (eighth) player. But Bulgaria is without Sokolov and Skrimov, two important figures. I really like, when Sokolov is not there, the combination of Vladimir Nikolov and Nikolay Uchikov. A smarter opposite with a powerful and tall alternative. Pity we can't use Boyan Yordanov, but I believe there has been no drama with this choice, I think he really is not fit for the championship, as much as he would have loved to be part of it. I am very worried, however, about the OHs. We need the very best of Penchev and Aleksiev to stand a chance both today and in the tournament overall. My opinion is - this is where the headaches for Plamen will emerge first. The middles are fine and when Georgi Bratoev starts, based also on the recent injury of Zhekov, we stand some good chances against Germany. But I doubt any combination between Penchev, Aleksiev, Gradinarov, and Petkov can bring Bulgaria to the podium.


    My prediction - 3-2 for Bulgaria mainly thanks to the audience and some super hype.

  • Can't wait for tonight :super:


    For Germany this is going to be a, more or less, cold start and they have to take care from the beginning that Bulgaria doesn't "catch the wave". But meanwhile, the guys are quite experienced and have gone through a lot of battles, so my worries are rather related to issues on the court. For example how does OH duo Schwarz/Fromm work "under fire"? Can Kampa get his job done? No room for weakness for him. His replacement would be Jan Zimmermann, who has had a hand full of complete matches during the last two seasons. The lack of a plan B towards an injury of Kampa is one of my rare criticism towards Heynen.


    But still i think the german team is favourite tonight. If both teams play at their best, imo Germany should win. But still a lot of scenarios can interfere and this is far from being a done deal.


    By the way, http://www.laola1.tv will stream all matches of ECH but you will need german/austrian/swiss IP to be able to watch it.

  • I'm just watching men volleyball and I find it so boring :whistle: ..It is only jump serve, reception, spike...Sometimes block and defen. :|

  • I'm just watching men volleyball and I find it so boring :whistle: ..It is only jump serve, reception, spike...Sometimes block and defen. :|

    I agree with you, women's volleyball is like some amateur, junior high school boys are playing volleyball. :whistle:

  • In 3set i just saw one good action....Men volleyball is so on high level but it is not interestin at all. My opinion sory :win:

  • What a shamefull call from the Challenge System in Serbia x Slovakia, that was a clear no touch, Slovakia should have won the set!


    I dont get whats the point to have the Challenge System, if they dont have qulity people to analise the video.