Euro 2016
Firstly, Roy Hodgson's selection for the England squad. The first thing is for the British press is not to build up false hope and the players not to think they are better than they really are. Confidence is good but not arrogance.
England
Goalkeepers - Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton.
For the first time since a long time, England finally have goalkeepers of quite equal abilities. Remember Ray Clemence, Peter Shilton and Joe Corrigan? Joe Hart will probably been number one with his experience and this season he was at times brilliant saving City. Fraser Forster was a giant when he was with Celtic not just physically but remember how he single-handedly stopped Barcelona? He continued to be very good returning after a long lay off from injury to Southampton and played as if he never left. He could replace Hart any time. Unfortunately, Jack Butland was injured late in the season for Stoke and could not be selected. He was up to then, the best goalie in the EPL statistically. I do not know Tom Heaton well enough but he must have been outstanding for Burnley in the lower division. No big issue for England here. So it is Joe Hart here though Fraser Forster seems less error prone.
Defenders - Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, Danny Rose, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Kyle Walker.
If there was a weakness it would be the defence. Clyne, Walker, Rose, Smalling and Bertrand all had a good season. A very young Stones was very impressive until he suffered a hiccup. Cahill is an old hand who is currently not as commanding. Turkey exposed them somewhat. This England can score but if the defence leaks then it is potential trouble. I see Clyne at right back, but Walker stole the show against Portugal. Rose on the left and centre partnership of Smalling and Cahill. Smalling and Cahill can be a threat at set pieces so England should use that strength well as demonstrated by Smalling's goal against Portugal.
Midfielders - Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Raheem Stirling, Jack Wilshere.
This is where England could unleash an unknown potential. Alli, Barkley, Dier, Drinkwater, Lallana have been excellent. I am surprised with the inclusion of Jack Wilshere. There is no doubt about his talent but he was out almost the entire season and hardly had any game so why was he selected? Being fit again and being match fit are two different things but if he is really fit, England may prosper as he would be fresh and he could hold the ball and control a match. For me Eric Dier must play. The defender turned defensive midfielder was a rock for Tottenham. Lallana who is good has never been this good since playing for Liverpool. Alli has been a great discovery and can be a world beater. He is only 20 and he rocks! So Dier, Lallana and Alli is definitely in for me. Henderson or Barkely can fill up the one or two slots left depending on the system and formation played. Dier is equally adept as a centre half but for me he is key to protecting the England back line, the first line of defence. I thought Drinkwater should be in as he was one of the best of the season making the most passes and winning the most tackles. Townsend could have added a different dimension. One player who really should be here is Michail Antonio of West Ham who was amazing when he played for West Ham. This is the kind of impact player you want. Antonio would have done more damage to opponents than Rooney has.
Forwards - Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Daniel Sturridge, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney.
Rooney have been awful and has been out due to injury. He was a world beater at 19 at the Euro but he has lost his raw edge a long time ago and has repeatedly failed in all the so many tournaments since. So he is there by past reputation. He could still be good with his experience and his new role but I would not pick him. The game has to be on a quick tempo and Rooney just does not fit in. Between Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy they had 49 goals in the season just ended (Kane-25, Vardy-24). They have scored against the best defenders, they have scored against Germany and the Netherlands (Vardy) and then Turkey. With them, England will score. Both have been truly awesome. Sturridge is a top striker too. When he is not injured he has few who can compare to him. If you saw that strike against Sevilla you will know what I mean. Did you also see the goals by Kane and Vardy against Germany?
Marcus Rashford is only 18 and just started with Manchester United a few months ago but this boy is breathtakingly awesome. He knows the game and where the goal is and has a bright future. He is unknown and fearless and few will know how to deal with him. He has shown it again by becoming the youngest Englishman to score in his debut against Australia. Vardy is very fast and will trouble any defence if the ball is given to him correctly and Kane is strong and shoots from any angle. His quick, sudden and diagonal shots will trouble goalkeepers. He is perhaps England's most complete and best striker since Alan Shearer. Hodgson fielded both Kane and Vardy against Turkey but he is likely to revert to a more conservative lone striker. I think Kane will lead with Vardy as an impact substitute and Sturridge if they look for a different option as I feel Hodgson is not so adventurous. Rashford will be a surprise to spring. Who is to know if he will do a Man U for England. Can Vardy and Kane play together? Remember Shearer and Sheringham? Linker and Beardsley? Yes they can but not with Rooney in the middle as you saw with Portugal. With Rooney coming in the middle, Vardy and Kane were forced wide as wingers. Why would your top scorers with 25 and 24 goals be playing as wingers? Hodgson has so far done a good job but with stubborn belief in Rooney, he is doing a great disservice to England when they now have what it takes in the strike department.
It baffled me that Hodgson seemed odd in making Jamie Vardy play on the left and using Harry Kane to take free kicks when Kane should be at the receiving end. They need a very dependable set-piece expert and he is not Kane. Rooney may have 111 caps and 52 goals for England but he is not that good and does not fit into this England team. It would be a mistake to field him. If Hodgson wish to play the diamond then it is Alli at the tip of this diamond not Rooney and it is as clear as day. The Tottenham quartet - Rose, Dier, Alli and Kane will play an important part. It is not a tournament England is expected to win so Hodgson must have the courage to go for it with confidence. Making the same old decisions of just defending with a good strike force or playing Rooney can only bring the same fate. This team has a natural inclination to attack.
England may have been almost perfect during the qualifiers but the real tournament begins in France. This is where traditional powers like Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal shine. I think Belgium with their golden squad are up there with them. Not to forget that France have a very strong team too and they are the host.
Group A - France as host have a strong advantage and they have man talented players. Their weakness is an ageing defence but a strong midfield with Kante (Leicester) and Payet (West Ham) and Pogba (Juventus). Attack can be suspect but Griezmann could be a star. Switzerland should be the next best team.
Group B - England has been notorious in big tournaments despite looking good on paper but this time no one is expecting them to win and their young players are very promising. Defence is suspect unless they rise to the occasion. Midfield will be important, Dier must play to protect the back line, Stirling and Lallana are unpredictable but the key could be Jack Wilshere and Dele Alli especially Alli. It was 16 years ago since the EPL top scorers who could score more than 20 goals was English. Both Kane and Vardy have been superb. Can they surprise and live up to their names? They should expect to top this group with Wales coming in second.
Group C - Germany. Soccer is a game of 22 players with a ball and at the end Germany wins. Do not be fooled by their less than stellar performances during friendlies. They are tournament machines. Retirement of some key players like Klose and Lahm has affected them but they have others like Thomas Muller. Poland led by Lewandowski should go through.
Group D - Spain should cruise through. They are still king of possession. Without Xavi they still have Iniesta. If they play Casillas then their opponents may have a better chance as the once great goalie has been poor and David de Gea has got into a police case and probably will not feature. Maybe Croatia could be second.
Group E - Belgium has a Golden Generation. They disappointed in the last World Cup. This team was rated no. 1 by FIFA. Actually they have strength in every department. Good goalkeeper, solid defence, very good midfield and fine strikers - Courtois, Alderweirald, Vertonghon, Vermalaen, Fellaini, Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Miralas, Lukaku, Batshuayi, Benteke. They are the dark horse and De Bruyne could be a star. Italy will challenge them here,
Group F - Portugal can be a man show - Cristiano Ronaldo. They have good players but nearly miss qualification. Obviously Ronaldo could be the star of this torunament. They should good enough to top the group which seems weak. Iceland or Austria could surprise to be second.
Quarter-Finals - (1) Looks like Spain to meet either Poland or Switzerland, (2) England to meet Portugal, (3) Germany to meet Belgium, (4) France to meet I don't know - Wales or some other.
Semis - So France and Spain have an easier path. Spain could end up meeting England or Portugal with France meeting Germany or Belgium. So could it be Spain v Germany/France?
In a month long tournament you have to charge and be in top condition to do so. I hope there will be upsets and surprises all month long. It will be boring otherwise. Give us a fairy tale like Leicester City. I think having Germany, France and Spain to win again would be boring. How about a Belgium v England final? For a change.
England
Goalkeepers - Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton.
For the first time since a long time, England finally have goalkeepers of quite equal abilities. Remember Ray Clemence, Peter Shilton and Joe Corrigan? Joe Hart will probably been number one with his experience and this season he was at times brilliant saving City. Fraser Forster was a giant when he was with Celtic not just physically but remember how he single-handedly stopped Barcelona? He continued to be very good returning after a long lay off from injury to Southampton and played as if he never left. He could replace Hart any time. Unfortunately, Jack Butland was injured late in the season for Stoke and could not be selected. He was up to then, the best goalie in the EPL statistically. I do not know Tom Heaton well enough but he must have been outstanding for Burnley in the lower division. No big issue for England here. So it is Joe Hart here though Fraser Forster seems less error prone.
Defenders - Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, Danny Rose, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Kyle Walker.
If there was a weakness it would be the defence. Clyne, Walker, Rose, Smalling and Bertrand all had a good season. A very young Stones was very impressive until he suffered a hiccup. Cahill is an old hand who is currently not as commanding. Turkey exposed them somewhat. This England can score but if the defence leaks then it is potential trouble. I see Clyne at right back, but Walker stole the show against Portugal. Rose on the left and centre partnership of Smalling and Cahill. Smalling and Cahill can be a threat at set pieces so England should use that strength well as demonstrated by Smalling's goal against Portugal.
Midfielders - Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Raheem Stirling, Jack Wilshere.
This is where England could unleash an unknown potential. Alli, Barkley, Dier, Drinkwater, Lallana have been excellent. I am surprised with the inclusion of Jack Wilshere. There is no doubt about his talent but he was out almost the entire season and hardly had any game so why was he selected? Being fit again and being match fit are two different things but if he is really fit, England may prosper as he would be fresh and he could hold the ball and control a match. For me Eric Dier must play. The defender turned defensive midfielder was a rock for Tottenham. Lallana who is good has never been this good since playing for Liverpool. Alli has been a great discovery and can be a world beater. He is only 20 and he rocks! So Dier, Lallana and Alli is definitely in for me. Henderson or Barkely can fill up the one or two slots left depending on the system and formation played. Dier is equally adept as a centre half but for me he is key to protecting the England back line, the first line of defence. I thought Drinkwater should be in as he was one of the best of the season making the most passes and winning the most tackles. Townsend could have added a different dimension. One player who really should be here is Michail Antonio of West Ham who was amazing when he played for West Ham. This is the kind of impact player you want. Antonio would have done more damage to opponents than Rooney has.
Forwards - Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Daniel Sturridge, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney.
Rooney have been awful and has been out due to injury. He was a world beater at 19 at the Euro but he has lost his raw edge a long time ago and has repeatedly failed in all the so many tournaments since. So he is there by past reputation. He could still be good with his experience and his new role but I would not pick him. The game has to be on a quick tempo and Rooney just does not fit in. Between Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy they had 49 goals in the season just ended (Kane-25, Vardy-24). They have scored against the best defenders, they have scored against Germany and the Netherlands (Vardy) and then Turkey. With them, England will score. Both have been truly awesome. Sturridge is a top striker too. When he is not injured he has few who can compare to him. If you saw that strike against Sevilla you will know what I mean. Did you also see the goals by Kane and Vardy against Germany?
Marcus Rashford is only 18 and just started with Manchester United a few months ago but this boy is breathtakingly awesome. He knows the game and where the goal is and has a bright future. He is unknown and fearless and few will know how to deal with him. He has shown it again by becoming the youngest Englishman to score in his debut against Australia. Vardy is very fast and will trouble any defence if the ball is given to him correctly and Kane is strong and shoots from any angle. His quick, sudden and diagonal shots will trouble goalkeepers. He is perhaps England's most complete and best striker since Alan Shearer. Hodgson fielded both Kane and Vardy against Turkey but he is likely to revert to a more conservative lone striker. I think Kane will lead with Vardy as an impact substitute and Sturridge if they look for a different option as I feel Hodgson is not so adventurous. Rashford will be a surprise to spring. Who is to know if he will do a Man U for England. Can Vardy and Kane play together? Remember Shearer and Sheringham? Linker and Beardsley? Yes they can but not with Rooney in the middle as you saw with Portugal. With Rooney coming in the middle, Vardy and Kane were forced wide as wingers. Why would your top scorers with 25 and 24 goals be playing as wingers? Hodgson has so far done a good job but with stubborn belief in Rooney, he is doing a great disservice to England when they now have what it takes in the strike department.
It baffled me that Hodgson seemed odd in making Jamie Vardy play on the left and using Harry Kane to take free kicks when Kane should be at the receiving end. They need a very dependable set-piece expert and he is not Kane. Rooney may have 111 caps and 52 goals for England but he is not that good and does not fit into this England team. It would be a mistake to field him. If Hodgson wish to play the diamond then it is Alli at the tip of this diamond not Rooney and it is as clear as day. The Tottenham quartet - Rose, Dier, Alli and Kane will play an important part. It is not a tournament England is expected to win so Hodgson must have the courage to go for it with confidence. Making the same old decisions of just defending with a good strike force or playing Rooney can only bring the same fate. This team has a natural inclination to attack.
England may have been almost perfect during the qualifiers but the real tournament begins in France. This is where traditional powers like Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal shine. I think Belgium with their golden squad are up there with them. Not to forget that France have a very strong team too and they are the host.
Group A - France as host have a strong advantage and they have man talented players. Their weakness is an ageing defence but a strong midfield with Kante (Leicester) and Payet (West Ham) and Pogba (Juventus). Attack can be suspect but Griezmann could be a star. Switzerland should be the next best team.
Group B - England has been notorious in big tournaments despite looking good on paper but this time no one is expecting them to win and their young players are very promising. Defence is suspect unless they rise to the occasion. Midfield will be important, Dier must play to protect the back line, Stirling and Lallana are unpredictable but the key could be Jack Wilshere and Dele Alli especially Alli. It was 16 years ago since the EPL top scorers who could score more than 20 goals was English. Both Kane and Vardy have been superb. Can they surprise and live up to their names? They should expect to top this group with Wales coming in second.
Group C - Germany. Soccer is a game of 22 players with a ball and at the end Germany wins. Do not be fooled by their less than stellar performances during friendlies. They are tournament machines. Retirement of some key players like Klose and Lahm has affected them but they have others like Thomas Muller. Poland led by Lewandowski should go through.
Group D - Spain should cruise through. They are still king of possession. Without Xavi they still have Iniesta. If they play Casillas then their opponents may have a better chance as the once great goalie has been poor and David de Gea has got into a police case and probably will not feature. Maybe Croatia could be second.
Group E - Belgium has a Golden Generation. They disappointed in the last World Cup. This team was rated no. 1 by FIFA. Actually they have strength in every department. Good goalkeeper, solid defence, very good midfield and fine strikers - Courtois, Alderweirald, Vertonghon, Vermalaen, Fellaini, Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Miralas, Lukaku, Batshuayi, Benteke. They are the dark horse and De Bruyne could be a star. Italy will challenge them here,
Group F - Portugal can be a man show - Cristiano Ronaldo. They have good players but nearly miss qualification. Obviously Ronaldo could be the star of this torunament. They should good enough to top the group which seems weak. Iceland or Austria could surprise to be second.
Quarter-Finals - (1) Looks like Spain to meet either Poland or Switzerland, (2) England to meet Portugal, (3) Germany to meet Belgium, (4) France to meet I don't know - Wales or some other.
Semis - So France and Spain have an easier path. Spain could end up meeting England or Portugal with France meeting Germany or Belgium. So could it be Spain v Germany/France?
In a month long tournament you have to charge and be in top condition to do so. I hope there will be upsets and surprises all month long. It will be boring otherwise. Give us a fairy tale like Leicester City. I think having Germany, France and Spain to win again would be boring. How about a Belgium v England final? For a change.
Comments