'Euro 2024 does not have best versions of top teams and star players'

I deliberation nan clip has travel to rethink our perceptions of what world shot is, and redefine our expectations of awesome tournaments.

There is simply a consciousness from a batch of group watching Euro 2024 that nan large guns person not fired; that nan prima players person not sparkled and nan apical teams person underwhelmed.

There are important reasons for this.

As we beryllium present now successful July, a batch of clubs are starting their pre-seasons. But for players progressive pinch their nationalist teams successful Germany, past play hasn't vanished yet.

In immoderate cases they're playing their 60th aliases 70th crippled of nan season. Fatigue is simply a large facet successful games played successful nan hottest months of nan summer.

Let's beryllium clear, nan champion type of these teams and individual players - nan ones thrilling america successful nan Champions League and Premier League - are not needfully happening correct now.

That is important erstwhile we are passing judgment.

Tournament shot to maine is benignant of for illustration nan last 3rd of nan play erstwhile group are really playing for stuff: titles, promotion, relegation, European places etc.

This is wherever you mightiness want a bully performance, but you need nan result.

What we are seeing much often than not is results-based football, which puts america successful this position where, astatine times, it mightiness not beryllium arsenic entertaining arsenic we each want it to be.

There's much of an attack to it, whereby you make judge you're defensively coagulated first and you effort and beryllium expressive second.

The Champions League last is simply a akin lawsuit successful point. Very often it features a slightest one, if not two, of nan champion teams successful Europe. Very seldom does it nutrient a spectacle which matches up to nan talent connected nan field.

The stakes are often truthful high, group are frightened to make a mistake.

There's an constituent of players and managers astatine Euro 2024 being reluctant to return chances, because you cognize nan squad are bully capable that if you spell down nan crippled mightiness beryllium over.

Then erstwhile you travel up against nan alleged smaller aliases mid-ranking nations, you benignant of want them to beryllium unfastened pinch their style. But those teams person been nan nonstop opposite.

You look astatine Slovenia, who mislaid connected penalties to Portugal, but crossed 4 games they haven't mislaid a game.

You wouldn't expect that from Slovenia, would you? But they person been very reliable and resolute.

The barroom successful position of nan competitory quality of this tourney is acold higher. It's proving rather difficult for immoderate of nan bigger sides to break these teams down.

We tin talk astir really to amended world shot arsenic a spectacle but, for me, this is nan measurement that world shot is now.

It's still imaginable to observe and emotion everything that a awesome tourney brings.

For this European Championship it seems for illustration fans of each federation person been capable to make it to Germany and get into nan grounds.

They're bringing that vibrancy, that noise, which has astir apt been missing since Euro 2016 successful France.

I bask world shot for its tactical nuances, for nan truth that you tin person stars, but stars don't needfully mean that you'll beryllium successful.

When we deliberation astir world football, we ever talk astir nan attackers.

Most group tin sanction each nan champion attackers from astir Europe, but location are immoderate of nan champion protect minds successful Europe arsenic well.

They will not create a style of play which benefits nan opposition. They will not person players who propulsion complete disregard to nan group they play against.

There mightiness beryllium a clamour for attackers to conscionable get nan ball, spell connected nan helping and do this, and do that. But if someone's a really bully dribbler, you'll ne'er spot them 1 versus one, because nan guidance will guarantee it's ever 1 versus two.

With world football, if you tin make it arsenic difficult for an guidance arsenic imaginable past you go difficult to beat, and erstwhile you are difficult to hit it gives you a chance.

Equally, immoderate mightiness wonderment if we had much attack-minded elite managers would it beryllium much entertaining?

However, I don't deliberation it would beryllium this lawsuit that 'better' nine managers travel in, who tin find nan other 1 aliases 2 per cent, would do things overmuch differently.

There's an constituent of civilization pinch these different nations which dictates really they play because nan assemblage themselves isn't an assemblage of, say, a Premier League manager.

You get tricked into it because it's led by group who talk astir nan Premier League each nan clip arsenic pundits.

There's a batch of supporters not bothered by mendacious nines, and nan remainder of it.

The past fewer days I deliberation nan communicative has been group regarding England. I was asked to travel connected a programme "to respond to England's performance".

But I thought, why would I not respond to England's result?

We're talking much astir nan capacity than nan consequence itself now.

But if nan consequence is simply a affirmative 1 successful these last stages, past surely that's nan objective?

England astatine Euro 2020 were not astatine their champion successful nan last against Italy, but they only mislaid connected penalties truthful their capacity is only really discussed because of nan truth they lost.

Had they won nan shootout, really galore group would talk nan capacity and opportunity it needs to beryllium amended for nan adjacent tournament? Nobody.

That's benignant of wherever we're at. It's making immoderate group uncomfortable because they judge if you're not playing good you're going to lose.

Yet if you person nan expertise to grind retired a result, I deliberation that's a immense plus to return it into nan last stages.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Timothy Abraham.