On a serious note, if you ask me whether England will win the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship, I’d say Gareth Southgate is the only man who can stop them from doing so.
The Three Lions have been blessed with some of the best talents this time, making them one of the favourites heading into the tournament. You might certainly argue that France have a better squad overall, but England have been starving for a major title for the last 55 years, and you’d expect them to be up for this challenge.
Gareth Southgate won the hearts of the nation when he led England to the semi-finals in World Cup 2018, but the expectations are far higher this time around.
And they should be.
The squad is full of exciting talents who have broken into the scene over the past couple of years or so – Mason Mount, Phil Foden, Reece James, Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka and so on. It’s an unending list, and if I start mentioning more names, you’d realise the dilemma Southgate had to go through while choosing the squad. One thing’s for sure; he has been spoiled with options this time, especially in attack.
England In Euro 2020
England’s 26-man squad for Euro 2020
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Manchester United), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ben White (Brighton)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds), Declan Rice (West Ham)
Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Talking Tactics
Nothing would be more comical than Gareth Southgate fielding a 5-2-3 formation against Croatia on the opening day of the campaign.
No, I certainly understand that five at the back would help the wing-backs flourish as they’ll be rather inclined towards their attacking duties, but that would mean wasting England’s attacking talent.
With such a wide array of options at disposal, Southgate will have to keep a few things in mind for selecting the team before each game – a perfect blend of young and experienced players should be his first priority, followed by establishing a balance between attack and defence.
A well-evened 4-3-3 formation seems to be the way forward.
Best And Alternate Predicted XI’s: (4-3-3)
Star Player
The Three Lions will be heavily dependent on Harry Kane’s goal-scoring abilities throughout the campaign. The striker ended the season with 23 goals and 14 assists as he won the Premier League Golden Boot as well as the Best Playmaker award.
One can only hope that the ongoing speculations regarding his future don’t affect his performance on the pitch.
(Source: WhoScored)
The GO-TO Player
Jack Grealish is someone who is capable of turning things around on his own. Grealish gets the crowd on their feet whenever he is in possession and can ghost past the defenders with little to no effort.
If the Aston Villa man plays, he is at the heart of everything – and this is exactly what makes him an integral part of the England squad.
Rising Star
It’s unfortunate that I can choose only one player from the existing lot; however, 21-year-old Phil Foden would be my first and foremost pick in this case.
The versatile attacker consistently dropped top-notch performances in the Champions League as he scored three goals and bagged three assists to help Pep Guardiola’s side reach the final, which they lost to Chelsea. Nonetheless, Foden would be hoping to pick up from where he left off for Manchester City after having won the Premier League, the Carabao Cup, and even the Young Player of The Year Award.
England In Euro 2020: Predictions For The First Game (Vs Croatia)
England will have the comfort of playing all of its group stage matches at Wembley Stadium, so they’ll be expected to make the most of it.
The opening game against Croatia might as well be the toughest group stage game for England. The 2018 World Cup finalists will be expected to put up a strong fight; however, with a proper game plan, Southgate’s side should be able to pick up a positive result.
Our Prediction – England 2-1 Croatia
