THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT. GO THREE LIONS!!!!

“This is a very very long piece of article and is strictly recommended to those who follow the football religion. Others who just want to read this so that they can judge my writing skills can do so at their own peril.”

“’66 was a great year for English football”, we United fans jokingly say, “Because, Eric was born.” Well, ’66 was indeed a great year for English football, not because the great rebel who went on to become a king was born in the caves of Marseille, which he of course did and as much joy as he gave to us United fans, he did cause considerable amount of despair to opposing teams. But the fact is that this was the year in which the English could finally claim the right to call themselves ‘Champions of the World’ in a game that they invented, pretty unlike in cricket, even till date. Like football, cricket was also invented in England and holds a special place in English hearts as well. But cricket was always the game of the Lords and serfs, football on the other hand belonged to the working class, the common man of England. Like Jimmy Murphy says to Bobby Charlton once*, “Old Trafford. This pitch sits in the middle of the largest industrial estate in the country. Over there, that's where the cotton boys stand. There's the joiners, the dockers, the millers. Nothing in common until they're here. We are their pride...at the end of the week. We set the world to rights for them.” And that is what football means to them, it’s their biggest love and in some cases perhaps their only love. After working their asses off for a week, on the Saturday afternoon they spend their hard earned money and come to stadiums to watch and support their beloved club. Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton may just be cities for the rest of the world but for the common man of England they are the place that houses their eternal love.

I am a supporter of the ‘Three Lions’ too and it always hurts me to see England’s dismal performances in the major tournaments but I must say that as someone who isn’t from England, I guess I can never quite accurately gauge the measure of despondency and disappointment the fans living in England must be encountering. Since that great year of ’66, England hasn’t won a major championship, their European championship records are as dismal as their World Cup showing if not worse.  Every-time the WCs or Euros are at the door, the English media creates a lot of hoopla, generates a lot of enthusiasm and hope, just to see them come crushing down as soon as the tournament begins. At times we blame the players and sometimes the coaches. But if you were to ask me, I would say the English FA is a hoople, and the way they deal with players and coaches and clubs is disappointing to say the least. Why the world’s best league** hasn’t been able to produce a World cup winning side or even a European Championship winning side? Why have the richest and highest-profit-earning clubs in the world not been able to produce 11 players that can compete with the likes of Germany, Spain and Netherlands? Are the players to blame or have the managers been too stubborn in their approach? Is the FA to be blamed for this whole fiasco? Is the ‘Under-21’ league instead of the ‘Reserve League’ going to be the panacea of English football? There are a lot of questions and some pretty pertinent ones surrounding English football especially after their not so impressive performances (to put it mildly) in the last few World cups and in the Euros. And these need to be addressed as soon as possible.

But the future actually doesn’t look all that dark and bleak. And that is what I am here to discuss about :P :P.

A few days back I watched the English team take on San Marino and then Poland. And these two games clearly exhibited what’s right and what’s wrong with English football. I know that to judge a team based on its performance against San Marino is a folly but nevertheless I must say that I saw some encouraging signs. The fact that English football has again started producing some great young talents might be music to some ears while most of them would say that it’s nothing out of the ordinary, we have always produced good young players. You see, 10 years ago, on this very day, a 16 year old Everton lad announced his entry into the world of football with a tremendous goal against Arsenal that ended their 30-games unbeaten run. Wayne Rooney was at once labelled as ‘England’s Messiah’, the kid who will take England to the top of the world. And while Wayne Rooney has developed into a great player, the English team hasn’t achieved anything significant. Rooney still remains England’s best player and by quiet a margin. And that is the cause of concern. While Rooney remains the undoubted superstars, players around him just haven’t matched up to his standards. This may seem as harsh statement considering the fact that players like Gerrard and Lampard have been in the team for more than a decade now and they too very much like Rooney are great players. But the fact remains that these two have never been able to strike a great partnership with each other. Lampard’s ability as a goal-scoring midfielder and Gerrard’s ability to lead a team can never be questioned and another fact that can’t be challenged is that they have been England’s two best midfielder in the past decade. But a great team isn’t necessarily formed by 11 great players. While a team needs great player what matters more than an individual’s talent is the team’s cohesion which is what the English teams have lacked over the past few years. And unlike the teams of the past, I believe that this team that we have now can easily be moulded into world-beaters. The thing that attracted my attention was the number of young players that are starting for England thesedays and also the ones who are on the wings waiting for their chance. If Roy Hodgson plays his cards right England can be a serious contender in Brazil in couple of years’ time. Here’s a look at some of them:

Joe Hart: At 25, Hart can actually be termed as a ‘young’ goalkeeper but the Manchester City man is today one of the best goal-keepers in the world. He is not just a good shot-stopper but an excellent distributor of the ball as well and he also commands the D-box better than most in England. A leader in his own rights, Hart is England’s answer to the likes of Casillas and Buffon. If his performance against Dortmund in this years’ Champions league is anything to go by, it won’t be wrong to say that scoring against England might just be the toughest thing, even for the best in Europe.

Phil Jones: This 20 year old defender has been tipped by many as the future England and Manchester United captain. Jones not just brings in a strong character but he also brings in versatility on the park with him as he has shown at Old Trafford. He is equally comfortable as a right back, a centre-half and as a defensive midfielder. Gary Cahill should be an automatic choice for the centre-back position and Jones along with him can actually form a very formidable partnership at the back for the three-lions. But for that to happen Jones needs to be fit and sadly for such a young man he has suffered far too many injuries. As a England fan and certainly as a United fan I hope he remains fit in future.

Kyle Walker: Tottenham’s Kyle Walker won the ‘PFA Young Player of the Year’ award this year, one whose former recipients include the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, David Beckham and some of the best footballers in the world. The fact that he beat off competitions from the likes of Aguero, Bale, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Welbeck is even more significant.  He also made it to the PFA team of the year for 2011-12 season. England and English fans certainly have high hopes from this 22-year old pacy right-back from White Hart Lane.

Jack Wilshere: Like Kyle Walker, Wilshere is also a former recipient of the ‘PFA Young Player of the Year’ and like Phil Jones, he is highly injury-prone. When Wilshere plays, it’s difficult at times to believe that he is just a 20 year old kid but that’s how talented he is. Wilshere, when in full flow is highly influential in the middle of the park and has the capacity to run a game, a fact which he clearly exhibited in Arsenal’s champions’ league tie against Barcelona in April of last year. He was just 19 then. If he remains fully fit, not many can deny him a place in the starting XI.

Tom Cleverley: At 23, Tom Cleverley is perhaps the most sought-after English youngster. He has made a handful of appearances for the senior team but whenever he has put on the English shirt, his performances have been highly appreciated. Cleverley performed exceptionally well on his two loan-spells at Watford and Wigan and started last season at United with a strong performance in the community shield but a series of injuries later in the season did hamper his progress to an extent. He has again started this season on a high and if he can stay fit, he is going to be one of the most important cog in the wheel of United and England, whichever shirt he pulls on. A player full of energy and enthusiasm, Cleverley like Wilshere has the ability to control the midfield and distributes the ball better than most. He does like to take occasional shots from outside the box as well and has scored some outrageous goals, none better than the one against Newcastle a few weeks back.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Earlier this year, Oxlade-Chamberlain became the second youngest player ever to represent England in the European Championships. A product of the Southampton academy Alex now plies his trade at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. “The OX” is slowly becoming fans’ favourite both at ‘The Emirates’ and when he dons the English shirt as well. He is strong, fast-paced and has an eye for goal and under Wenger, one can be assured of his all-round development. The performances he put on for Arsenal last season was more than what one could have asked from an 18-year old kid and the English fans would hope that he keeps growing and utilizes his full potential, at-least for the sake of England.

Danny Welbeck: At 21, Welbeck is one of England’s best new and upcoming talents, perhaps the best one in the position he plays. But for us United fans it feels like Welbeck has been playing football for eternity. Well, you can’t actually fault us for thinking like that, he joined the academy when he was just 9. Welbeck isn’t a forward in the mould of say someone like Michael Owen. He is a player who likes to hold the ball, he is comfortable on both feet, can actually play in a variety of positions and can score goals (like Owen) as well. His partnership with Rooney is going to be crucial for England because from what I have seen of Roy Hodgson’s tactics, Welbeck is his first choice man. 

Well, these are some of the best upcoming talents we have and if they can realize their potential there is no reason why England can’t be a serious contender for the World Cup in Brazil in couple of years. But these aren’t the only good and upcoming stars in England. In goalkeeping department, we have the likes of Jack Butland and Ben Amos, and then we have Caulker, Smalling, Shawcross, Kelly, Clyne, Dawson, Bertrand to name a few in defence. The midfield is also brimming with young talents like Sterling, Shelvey, Powell, Ince, McEachran, Rodwell, Barkley, Gardner and add to that the likes of Wickham, Sordell, Carroll, Keane and Kane leading the line. There is no dearth of young talents in England and the clubs have been throwing young talents by dozens, what is required is to keep track of their development because a lot of the times some good young talents especially in big clubs get lost in the shadow of more illustrious team-mates. But the new Under-21’s league also gives me hope that England will keep producing good young talent and the process if anything might get accelerated a bit as well. I can’t speak a lot about the academy of other football clubs but as far as Manchester United are concerned there are some really good young players who are coming up and if they keep working hard they will certainly get their chance in the course of time. Some notable names are Scott Wooton, Larnell Cole, Jesse Lingard, Sam Johnstone, Ryan Tunnicliff, Michael and Will Keane. If Roy Hodgson and English FA wants to see England do well in major tournaments, they have to blood some of the youngsters into the team now, when there is still time.  And Hodgson also need to get his tactics and team selection in sync. In the game against Poland, England were playing a lot of long balls, and they had to because the pitch wasn’t in the best of condition. But for that to have worked Hodgson should have started with Carroll up-front rather than Defoe. These kind of mistakes are the ones which in past have proven to be detrimental for England and unless the manager gets his act right, it may again bite him on the back. It’s also time that Hodgson takes some stern steps and selects players on merit and form rather than on the basis of their weekly wages. In the past we have seen that former managers have carried on with the Gerrard and Lampard partnership when it was quiet clearly not working and the likes of Parker and Carrick were kept on the side-lines despite giving good performances week-in and week-out. Hodgson has in a way closed the door for Rio and I am happy with that. Rio isn’t getting any younger and he is losing pace, his greatest attribute as a defender. The likes of Cahill, Jagielka and Lescott are at their peak and need a chance. And with Jones and Smalling knocking at the doors as well, I have to say Hodgson has taken a good decision. In the midfield, he needs to give the likes of Cleverley, Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain more chances rather than giving long rope to some of the older (but great) members.

My future starting XI (granted all of them are fit) will be:

GK: Hart
RB: Walker
CB: Cahill and Jones

LB: Baines
RM: Oxlade-Chamberlain

CM: Cleverley and Gerrard©
LM: Young
CF: Rooney
ST: Welbeck

Squad Members: Foster, Butland, Lescott, Smalling, Bertrand, Johnson, Walcott, Wilshere, Carrick, Sterling, Carroll, Defoe

The English team had, has and will have a lot of good players, players who know how to win games and therefore, at times it baffles us fans to see how little success they have achieved since ’66. The future seems bright but then it has seemed even brighter many times in the last 46 years. And for some reasons which I can’t fathom, we have hardly been successful. It again seems like a new dawn, so let’s just hope our day isn’t marred by a cover of black cloud.

I know some of you would raise eyebrows on my opinions and at my selection but then, the comment section is all yours :P :P

*: that’s what’s shown in the movie “United” (2011)

**: It is debatable but I firmly believe EPL is world’s best league.

P.S.: To be honest this is not how I had hoped this piece will come out. For a starter it’s far too long while I had intended to write a brief and crispy piece, and I’ll certainly acknowledge that. Maybe I should have presented it in two parts but you know what, let it stay as it is. To quote a friend of mine, “We have got ideas. Brilliant ones. But the rather insipid happenings around us have started having an effect and somehow we are ending up doing something completely opposite to what we had set out to do.”

EURO WATCH: SWOT Analysis of Spain

              On the verge of immortality, the Spaniards don’t need any more motivation than the knowledge that if they win this tournament they will become the first team from Europe to win three major international tournaments in a row and script their name in the annals of World football. Here’s a SWOT analysis of the team tipped by many to be the hands-down favorites to win the Euro this year.

Strength:

                Spain defines “Total Football”. A Dutch concept it may have been but no one else than Spain can execute it better. Their passing game is a treat to the eyes and with the amount of possession they have, they bore the other teams to death. In Vicente Del Bosque they have one of the best managers in the world. A shrewd tactician, Del Bosque is known for his fine handling of superstars and boy, do Spain have them by dozens! The one area which is their strength in particular is the midfield. With Alonso, Busquets and Xavi in the centre and Silva and Iniesta on the wide positions this midfield is one unstoppable force. In Fabregas, Mata, Cazorla and Navas they do have ample back-up as well. In Iker Casillas Spain arguably has the best modern day goalkeeper and an inform Fernando Llorente and high on confidence Fernando Torres means the attack also looks pretty pretty good. Spain play a brand of football that’s quiet soothing to the eyes and that’s their biggest strength as well.

Weakness:

                An initial glance at the team sheet and it’s difficult to point out Spain’s weakness because it’s not that apparent. But the absence of leader and star defender Carles Puyol in a substantial void to fill and it may mean that Sergio Ramos may have to leave his favorite position of right back for Arbeloa and tuck in alongside Gerard Piquet in the center of defense. Is it a weakness that other teams can exploit? Well that is to be seen in the coming three weeks. The other area of weakness, as odd as it may sound is up-front. For all the beautiful possession and passing game they play Spain at time do find it quiet difficult to penetrate the defensive third of their opponents and the absence of David Villa means that both Torres and Llorente have to play to the best of their potential.

Opportunity:

                As said earlier Spain has the golden opportunity to achieve something that no other European side has ever managed to achieve, three international titles in a row. They are on the cusp of making history and that’s more than enough motivation for the players to bring their ‘A’ game out. On an individual note, this tournament is the perfect opportunity for players like Javi Martinez, Fernando Llorente and Jordi Alba to show the world what they are capable of and also make a point that there is more to Spanish football than just Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Threat:

                There are some highly talented side in this year’s Euro and none more so than the teams of Netherlands and Germany and if Spain gets through to the semis which given their current form is highly likely, they may end up meeting one of these two sides. And both these sides are well capable of ending the dreams of La Roja to be successive European champions. In-fact Spain’s group is also an unpredictable one as well. The Spaniards may be thinking that the first match against Italy might just be the toughest one in the group but they can discount the Croats and the Irish at their own peril. Slavan Bilic is known to be a very shrewd operator and with an in-form Luka Modric, the Croats may well give the Spaniards a good run for their money. On the other hand you have the Irish who are still sore because of the way they were denied a ticket to South Africa and would be looking forward to this tournament to make a statement.

#Spain are the favorites and it’s hard to dispute that fact but if anything, their position is a bit weaker than what it was during the World cup. The master tactician Del Bosque must plan his every move carefully.

#Wildcards: Javi Martinez, Fernando Llorente and Jordi Alba {the new recruits}

EURO WATCH: '5' Kids To Watch Out For

{alphabetically :P}

Dzagoev, Alan:

                Alan Dzagoev has been touted as “Future of Russian Football” for quite some time now. The 21-years old CSKA Moscow man made his debut in 2008 at a tender age of 18 and his talent was recognized instantaneously. For a young man of 21, Dzagoev has shown talent and temperament way beyond his years. He is one of the most established players in the Russian League and his record of 37 goals from 153 appearances for CSKA as a midfielder is laudatory. Currently he is on the watch-list of many big clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea and an eye-popping performance in the Euro may drive his price up. As a player, Dzagoev isn’t much different to Andrei Arshavin but he does likes to move forward onto striking positions much more frequently than his senior partner. If Russia are looking to match their performance of 4 yrs ago at Portugal then an in-form Dzagoev is a necessity.

Eriksen, Christian:

                Christian Eriksen aka “The Danish Wonderkid” is currently on the shopping of almost all the major European powerhouses including Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid. It’s hard to believe but this 20-year old kid from the small town of Middelfart, Denmark is one of the most technically sound player in Europe at this point of time. He is already being compared to Danish legend Michael Laudrup who also played for Ajax. In May 2011, he was named the “Dutch Football Talent of the Year” which earned him a lot of praise from the legendary Johan Cruyff. And this season his performances have been even more staggering. In 44 matches he played for Ajax this season, he scored 8 goals and had an incredible assist tally of 21 goals. That’s just an amazing stat considering his age. Infact Eriksen’s real talent lies in his versatility. He is almost as comfortable playing in the wings as he is behind the striker. And this year’s Euro may just be the stage he was looking for to show the whole world what he is capable of. Denmark are in this edition’s ‘Group of Death’ with Germany, Holland and Portugal but if they want to repeat what they did 20 years ago, they know where to look for help.

Hummels, Mats:

                Another wonder-kid and another one on the shopping list of many elite European clubs. But Mats Hummels may have just provided Borussia Dortmund a big opportunity to establish themselves as one of Europe’s elite by signing a new long-term deal. At 23, Mats Hummels is yet to reach his peak as a defender but this 6’3” product of Bayern Munich’s youth system is already being tipped as Germany’s best defender and perhaps the best in Europe. His huge frame combined with his skill and strength means that he can play in any system and adapt to any style of play. Hummels along with defensive partner Neven Subotic have been the backbone of Borussia Dortmund’s success over the past few years. The only thing that Hummels lacks and which can prove to be a deterrent for him in Euro is his lack of international experience and playing under real pressure for ones country. But the talent this lad possesses, there is no reason why he can’t overcome that hurdle. With Germany covering almost all the bases, an in-form Hummels may just be the one with whose help they can seal the deal this time around.

  

M’vila, Yann:

                At just 21, Yann M’vila is already a regular in Rennes squad. This player from Congo origin has represented France in all age-group football and has already represented the senior team on 19 occasions since making his debut in 2010. M’vila plays in the holding midfield position and one of his strengths is his reading of the game. M’vila literally dictates the play and his positional sense combined with his passing ability makes him an asset for the side. M’vila has been heavily linked to a move to Arsenal but a good performance in the Euros may attract a lot more top clubs. M’vila will be shouldered with a lot of responsibility in this year’s Euro considering the formation Blanc employs. But this guy sure knows how to take on responsibility. France have a good side this time around but if they want to win the tournament M’vila will have to play a major role in it.

Welbeck, Danny:

                Danny Welbeck hasn’t attracted much attention till now but suddenly he finds himself in the position of leading England’s attack at this year’s Euro. With Rooney suspended for the first two games, Defoe returning to England due to the demise of his father and Carroll’s indifferent form, the onus is now on the young shoulders of Danny Welbeck to lead the Three Lion’s attack. And if his goal in the recently concluded friendly against Belgium is anything to go by, he is up for the challenge. Welbeck’s strength has always been his strong positional sense and the off the ball runs that he makes but the real challenge in front of him is the fact that he has to lead the attack. Welbeck has always proved to be a good second striker but to actually lead an attack on his own is something that is novel for him. A lot of good players have come out through the Manchester United youth system but Welbeck is the first quality striker to come through the ranks after Mark Hughes. And as such expectations are pretty high for him. But the one thing you can be sure about Welbeck is that it doesn’t matter if he wears the red of United or White of England this kid gives his 100% on the field. And if England wants to reach the business end of the tournament Welbeck has to strike multiple blows.

EURO WATCH: France

Team: France

Group: D

Other teams in the group: Ukraine, Sweden, England

Best Finish: Champions (1984, 2000)

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

Key Players: Hugo Lloris, Frank Ribery, Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema

Ace in the Pack: Hatem Ben Arfa, Oliver Giroud

Realistic Evaluation: Semi-Finals

Optimistic Evaluation: Finals

A gut feeling says France could spring a few surprises this time around, thanks largely to Raymond Domenech not being in-charge of the team :P :P(O, I hate this guy :P :P). I know that my personal views don’t count but it’s a fact that everything that was wrong with the French side that went to South Africa a couple of years ago was Domenech. But then this is a new side, a new side with an astute manager, a dependable Captain and a highly talented core group of player. This French team truly represents the multicultural nation that France is with players from Algeria, Tunisia, Spain and a few other countries as well :P. But this squad is one with immense potential as well and is well led by an able commander. Laurent Blanc is someone for whom personally, I have immense respect. Blanc record as a manger is highly impressive with 4 titles in 3 seasons for Bordeaux and a Manager of the Year award and a 15-6-2 record with France. In Hugo Lloris they have one of World’s best goal-keepers (someone who I rate as highly as Iker Casillas and Gigi Buffon) and in Mandanda an able deputy. The back line looks pretty strong as well with Adil Rami in the form of his life and the fact that almost all the top clubs in Europe are trying to sign him may give him an extra kick to perform well. Philippe Mexes can be a bit of a hot-head at times but is an extremely talented defender and his partnership with Rami may prove to be the backbone of France’s success. Patrice Evra’s defensive skill may have taken a bit of a hit off late but he is still dangerous as a left back. Mathieu Debuchy most probably will man the right back position. A midfielder turned right back Debuchy has put forth some really fine performances for Lille over the past few seasons. And France have able back-up in the form of Koscienly, Clichy and Reveillere. One look at the squad and you can see that creativity is something that they won’t miss. The French midfield consist of a really talented bunch of guys. Ribery, Nasri, BenArfa, Martin, Cabaye, Velbuena, well they are a highly talented group. Diarra might start as the holding midfielder alongside Cabaye but I won’t be surprised if M’Vila starts ahead of him. Hatem Ben Arfa has had an incredible season with Newcastle and I would certainly put him in my playing XI but that mean one out of Nasri or Malouda have to sit out, Malouda for me :P. With an in-form Benzema, the French attack looks pretty strong. But they do have another ace in the pack, Olivier Giroud. Giroud has really shown for Montpellier ever since signing for them in 2010. Last season was particularly successful for the man from Chambery with 25 goals and 9 assist for La Paillade. The Arsenal target may well prove to be Blanc’s trump card.

My XI: Lloris, Rami, Mexes, Debuchy, Evra, Cabaye, Diarra, Nasri, Ribery, Ben Arfa, Benzema

At the End: Best of Luck but lose to England :P

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 ;)