EURO WATCH: England

With only a day left I guess I am a bit late in my preview of Euros but I believe in the saying “better late than never” :P :P. Anyways, I was a bit confused on whom to assess first and it only seems fair that I start with my favourite team England who in all fairness don’t look like mounting a serious challenge for the cup this time around again. Seems, like a harsh assessment to start with but it’s also a fair one or at-least according to me.

Team: England

Group: D

Other teams in the group: Ukraine, Sweden, France

Best Finish: 3^rd Place (1968, 1996)

Fixtures: June 11- Vs France; June 15- Vs Sweden; June 19- Vs Ukraine

Key Players: Joe Hart, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney

Ace in the Pack: Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck

Realistic Evaluation: Group Stage

Optimistic Evaluation: Quarter-Finals

The English Premier League is the most-viewed football league in the world and it won’t be wrong to say that it’s one of the most competitive and fiercely fought football leagues, if not the most competitive one. And as such one should expect that it gives their national team an advantage considering the pressure under which their players play and perform. But that hasn’t been the case. The English national team has been nothing more than a pale shadow of the league it represents. Its performances in international tournaments have been nothing short of shoddy in the past couple of decades. The best they have managed in the Euros have been a semi-final berth at Euro’96 under Terry Venables. So, what are their chances in this year’s Euro. Well, as a fan I would hope they win it but even the ardent English fan knows that such a hope would be like trying to stretch the reality even beyond the realms of imagination. The FA delayed the decision to appoint a manager and when it did, I guess it pressed the wrong button. But that’s just a personal opinion. Coming to the team, it seems like its bad run with luck continues. Some of its key players are injured and its talisman cannot play the first two games due to a suspension. And add to it the fact that the replacements that have been brought it for the injured players seem to inspire little to no confidence at all. The team selection has been preposterous to say the least. The fact that Gary Cahill who was a rock in the Chelsea line-up in the second half of last season was replaced by someone like Martin Kelly and a seasoned campaigner like Rio Ferdinand was ignored is a fact too hard to digest. Hodgson’s team consist of six players from Liverpool, a team that finished lowly 8^th in the recently concluded PL season and the performances of some of the players was so woeful that even the legendary Kenny Dalglish couldn’t save his seat. An ardent Liverpool fan would also agree that the performances of Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing wouldn’t merit them a place in any international side leave alone England. A half-fit Jack Wilshire is anyday better than Jordan Henderson. Alan Shearer also believes that England's prospects are bleak and that’s what most pundits think. But all is not lost for the English. They do have some good youngsters in their team and if they can perform to their best of abilities who knows maybe this team can surprise many. In Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck, England do have two exciting prospects and if they perform to their potential we might see the birth of two new stars in world football. But the onus would lie on the shoulders of senior pros like Gerrard, Parker, Hart and Rooney. They may not play the most exciting football but they still can be mighty effective if the right team is picked and their players perform to their fullest potential. Group D is a strange group in the sense that although its not the best group in terms of talent and gameplay but it’s a ultra-competitive group with two former world champions trying to gain back their lost reputation, a proud host and a joker in the pack. England’s toughest match might just be the first one against a new France under Laurent Blanc. But any complacency against Ukraine or Sweden may prove costly for the English. The English strategy should be to put together a water-tight defence and try to attack using wings with Ashley Young who seems to be in the form of his life and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain who undoubtedly is one of the fastest runners in World football. Parker should be used as a box-to-box midfielder rather than a holding one and Gerrard should be given a free rein. Joe Hart’s ability between the poles cannot be questioned but it is to be seen who are paired in front of him, my choice would be Terry and Lescott with Baines and Johnson as wingbacks. England’s chances in this tournament might look slim compared to teams like Germany and Spain but tactical shrewdness can go a long way in saving their day.

My English XI: Hart, Terry, Lescott, Johnson, Baines, Parker, Gerrard, Young, Chamberlain, Welbeck, Rooney

At the End: Best of luck Three Lions ;)