With June 11th on the horizon, we decided to get right on that bandwagon of previews, starting off with shockingly one of the favourites to win the whole damn thing, England. Now, as a born and bred Englishman, this may contain several bias, however I will try to stick primarily to the facts in this piece (no promises). However, it’s no exaggeration to say that England have fans, pundits, bookmakers and even themselves convinced that they could make a real dent in the tournament. After the summer of 2018, optimism is sky-high within the England camp, and the new faces that have arrived in the 3 years since only make the squad look more exciting and deadly.

In this preview, I will discuss the squad selection from Southgate, pick out a few key men that could make the difference, preview the group games and wrap it up with some predictions and odds for the tournament. If you enjoy this piece, be sure to check out our upcoming previews of the other home-nations, Wales and Scotland. Additionally, we have worked on a piece elsewhere previewing another nation, and we will talk more on that on Twitter @NextGoalWinBlog, so be sure to give us a follow so you don’t miss out.

Righty then, let’s get on with looking at how and why Southgate will be bringing football home again.

The 26

After much deliberation and the initial 33 being cut down to the final 26, alongside the injury concerns over Henderson and Maguire, and TAA’s injury to top it off, Southgate has selected his side that he believes are the cream of the crop of English talent, and capable of doing what no other English side has ever managed in winning the Euro’s, here’s who’s in…

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, Sam Johnstone

Defenders: Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Kieran Trippier, Tyrone Mings, Conor Coady, Ben Chilwell, Ben White, Reece James

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham

Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Phil Foden

Despite a solid squad selection, there are some big names in the game that have failed to make the cut. From the more internationally experienced Dier and Dele, to the older heads of Ings and Lingard, Southgate has instead opted for a blend of youth and experience, hitting a perfect balance. Other names to have missed out include, Bamford, Maddison, Wan-Bissaka and Watkins to name a few. Overall, I think Southgate has selected an almost perfect balance in his 26-man squad, and managed to somehow satisfy all fans and journalists simultaneously, something many of his predecessors failed miserably at.

Ones To Watch

I’ve looked through the squad selection and decided to pick out 3 key players that you should keep an eye out for this summer, and will talk through why they could be the difference makers as the tournament rolls-on;

Jack Grealish: Will he start? Won’t he? This is the question facing Southgate ahead of the opener against Croatia. For me, I think if England start with either Foden or Sancho on the right, Grealish is probably my first choice on the opposite flank. This of course assumes a 4-3-3 as seen in recent matches, however actually, with a 4-2-3-1 you could even stretch to include Foden/Sancho on the right, Rashford on the left and stick Grealish in the centre, and simply tell him to go do his thing. Every time I see Grealish play, he gives me the same feeling as watching Bruno Fernandes, in that he will go anywhere to win the ball and always wants to be involved. This is his attitude as the star man at Villa, and because of this unpredictability of where he can pop up at any time, and what he can do with the ball, the opposition will simply have no idea what to do about him. Although he often thrives wider, this central role is merely a role on paper, and in reality he will be allowed to roam free and switch with one of the wide men who could make a 2 up-top with Kane. By playing him in the no.10 role, the CDM’s of Rice/other will provide defensive cover, and the other 3 attackers of Kane/Rashford/Foden will be additional options. Should he go for this style, which I see as unlikely given recent formations in the warm up games, it knocks Mount out of the side, however I simply think Grealish is outstanding each and every time he puts an England shirt on. He plays with bravery, exuberance and a determination that can draw fouls, create chances, win back the ball and score plenty himself. In the right formation, and making him almost a focal point of the side, Jack Grealish could stick another 0 on his value this summer as big European eyes could see him tear up this tournament.

Declan Rice: Moving further back through the squad, my second key player for England this summer is Declan Rice. After a great season with the Hammers, and actually having a rest through injury a few months back, Rice is a key player given his versatility and position for England. As we will discuss shortly, England have potential defensive issues, and should Maguire remain a doubt, Stones will need a partner to keep the defensive line switched on and in place. Rice could do this job perfectly, as he can offer a quick switch to almost a back 5 by dropping even deeper, while being able to bring the ball out of defence, he can fill all the holes missing from Maguire in the side. Rice also seems like the type of player to command the best from those around him also, meaning he could provide cover, and keep Stones from those occasional lapses in concentration. When receiving the ball, I think he bridges the gap perfectly between the defence and attacking units, and should he simply do the basics of a CDM well, we may look back as Rice being a key man in this side. With Henderson having just minutes of playing time in 2021, Rice is my man to replace him, and along with Phillips who has an engine that will not stop running, he is my pick for a cool, calm head who will begin attacking phases, and drop back to allow the full-backs to get forward as they will want.

Harry Maguire: My final man to keep an eye on, is one that many are speculating around given the question marks over fitness. The injury worries are my primary reason for making him a key player in this list, as simply without him, the defence looks a lot more exposed, and lacking. Despite Stones having a great season, and the call up of Ben White, losing a key defender for several games is a big loss considering he was a guaranteed starter for most, if not all games. Although Maguire has weaknesses in his game, it seems like a perfect pairing of Stones and Maguire, as both like to bring the ball forward, however Maguire has the awareness of when to hold back, and can keep Stones on a leash. Now, another reason to keep an eye on Maguire, is that even if he misses 2 of the 3 group games, on his return, we will be seeing a player who has played almost every minute of the last 2 packed seasons post-break, meaning the fitness and fatigue concerns drops significantly. Losing a key man for 2/3 games is dreadful for a international tournament, however, England are expecting to get through the group, and the return of a leader ahead of potentially a tough knockout game could be a tonic to the whole side, particularly if they labour through the group stage.

Group D

Group D is made up of England, Scotland, Croatia and the Czech Republic, and looking through many other previews and predictors, the general consensus has England sailing through the group. With the 2018 World Cup semi looming over the Croatia game, it’s set for England to take revenge on a seemingly aging or ‘over-it’ Croatia side. Meanwhile, the Scotland fixture is set to be a cracker, at Wembley, in the summer sunshine and with an exciting England and determined Scotland ready to do battle, it makes for a thriller. This one I think will be England’s toughest test of the group as I predict Scotland to be strong, resolute and a bit of a dark horse in the group stage. Finally, we have the matchup against the Czech, never easy but one that England should have enough to overcome. With this one being the final game of England’s group stage, I expect England to already be safely trough and thus unleash their attacking talent. With England eyeing up the knockout round, I am craving for Southgate to tell his team to just ‘fucking go for it’ and let loose. I doubt he will, but what a confidence boost a nice 6/7/8 goal game could bring. Either way, this side just need to qualify first and foremost, and I think they’ve got what it takes.

Game 1: England vs Croatia (13th June 2pm)

Game 2: England vs Scotland (18th June 8pm)

Game 3: England vs Czech Republic (22nd June 8pm)

Predictions

Now comes the time where I make myself seem like a footballing genius, or footballing fool (I know which I expect). My predictions for England this summer as as follows; I think England will be in the final of Euro 2020… however… I think they will be bested at the final hurdle, breaking the hearts of millions and myself. Even writing that hurts, however I simply think the toll of a long club season and tough knockout route will take effect and England will be bested, probably by an unplayable France side.

Breaking this down further, I believe England will win all 3 group games, with the side taking revenge from 2018 on Croatia, breezing past the Czech’s and actually scraping a win against a tough Scotland side (who I predict big things from). Following this, I envisage a tough run of knockout games, with several big oppositions coming thick and fast, with Portugal a high possibility for just the first knockout round. Despite this tough route, I think (perhaps with some penalty drama somewhere), England will get through just about to the final, where, although boosted by the ‘home advantage’, will simply struggle to match the class of eventual winners France. This prediction relies on the 2 nations not meeting in the earlier knockouts, however it’s a prediction so let’s just go with it.

Despite falling at the final hurdle, this will be seen as major progress, and go down in history just as 96 did. Additionally, after finishing 4th at the 2018 World Cup, 3rd in the 2019 Nations League, and 2nd at this Euro’s, the stage is set perfectly for next years’ World Cup for Southgate to win the big one. But for now, there will be excitement, drama, tears and heartbreak (sorry everyone).

Odds

At time of writing, merely days away from the kick-off of Turkey Vs Italy, England are just shy of being favourites, behind France (9/2) at odds of 11/2. This has fluctuated slightly and will continue to do so as the tournament progresses, however for England to be such short odds of winning the whole thing, there is reason to be optimistic. Meanwhile in the betting markets, England are 3/1 to make the final and 4/9 to top group D. In the individual markets, Harry Kane is the current favourite to bag the golden boot at 5/1, with Rashford 2nd in England’s ranks of 33/1. Meanwhile, Grealish is 16/1 to create the most assists, and Kane pops up again at 14/1 to be the tournament’s player of the tournament.

Please do gamble responsibly this summer, and these are in no way tips or suggestions, however if you are inclined, the England odds make excellent reading for fans this summer, ahead of what promises to be a thrilling summer.