Nations / Dave Farrar / 28 May 2008 / Leave a comment

Dave Farrar belives Switzerland will struggle to get past the group stages and may even fail to score on home soil, despite the shining light that is Eren Derdiyok. Here's why.

Group A - Switzerland

One of the nonsenses of the 2008 European Championships is that, if you are awarded a tournament as co hosts, then you both get to qualify automatically. I have no problem with a single host nation having a guaranteed place in the Championships, but in cases like this, I think that Austria and Switzerland should have had to play off for one place at the Euros, before qualifying started, and then the loser would go into qualifying as normal.

The nicest thing that I can say about the Swiss side is that they would have won that qualifier. If "they're not great, but they're better than Austria" doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, then it's not meant to. Unlike Austria, Switzerland probably deserve to be at Euro 2008, but only just.

KEY PLAYERS

Alexander FREI

Frei has suffered horribly from injuries over the last couple of years, but when fit and firing, he's a formidable goalscorer. He's one of those subtle strikers who seems to contribute little to a game, and then, before you know it, has scored twice and won the match. In a better team, he'd be a great price to finish as the tournaments top scorer, but I just don't see him getting enough chances to really shine. Unquestionably the best player that the Swiss have, even though the form of the youngster, Eren Derdiyok, is putting him under some pressure for his place.

Eren DERDIYOK

A player who is causing a real buzz among scouts from around Europe, and you can understand why. He's tall, quick, strong and very raw, but could be a substitute of real note, and will inject some much needed energy into the team. He scored for Switzerland after twelve minutes of his debut in Fabio Capello's first game in charge of England. That has added to his confidence, which should help make up for his lack of experience. (He has still made only 16 starts in professional football.) The game against Turkey will be an interesting one for him as he is of Turkish descent. An impact player, and a substitute capable of changing a game, which should be of interest to in-running punters

Tranquillo BARNETTA

Barnetta was certainly impressive at the World Cup despite a missed penalty in the shootout defeat by the Ukraine, and his hardworking style suits the Swiss system better than any other player. He has had his best ever season for Bayer Leverkusen, before it all fell apart in the last eight weeks. Expect him to provide the rest of his teammates with energy and inspiration, if not the quality that they'll need to get out of the group. Scored 6 Bundesliga goals this year, which could be a valuable bonus in a national team which struggles to score

COACH: Kobi KUHN

While the Swiss senior side was struggling under the ill fated reign of the Argentine Enzo Trossero, Kobi Kuhn was working wonders, moulding together a talented and cohesive Under 21 team. They reached the semi finals of the European Under 21 Championships in 2002, and were unlucky to lose to a French side for whom Steed Malbranque scored. Kuhn had already taken over the senior side by then and blooded his youth players, leading to a last 16 place at the 2006 World Cup. He will stand down after Euro 2008, making way for Ottmar Hitzfeld and an intriguing future for Swiss football.

VERDICT

I can't have Austria or Switzerland at any price for this tournament, and will be looking to oppose them at every opportunity. My hope is that home advantage, and a decent World Cup performance in 2006 leads to the Swiss starting games at shorter prices than they ought to be. They won't qualify, they may not even score, and, even though they play a different system now to the one with which they had limited success at the World Cup, I can't see their probable cautious approach leading to many goals. Go under the goals and lay Switzerland in all of their Group games then watch the nation mourn for a day or two and enjoy the quarter finals.

Tags: Alexander Frei, Euro 2008 betting, football betting