If ever there was a story that could surpass Leicester City winning the Premier League this season, it could happen come July 10th at the Stade de France if a certain Wayne Rooney holds aloft a certain trophy.
In the ever-increasing hype surrounding the country’s league and the abundance of talent at their disposal, one would have imagined their national team to be more successful. That hasn’t been the case. So much so that two of their best performances in the two major tournaments they participate in – Euros and the World Cup – have come at home. Lions at home, lambs abroad, perhaps?
Let’s get one thing out in the open though – England are not the favourites to win, not by a long shot. But so were Leicester. Like the Foxes, they need everything to fall into place at the right time and hope they peak when it matters. Roy Hodgson will have to pull a Ranieri, Harry Kane an Okazaki and Jamie Vardy, well, a Vardy.
If their fairly insipid display – albeit a win – against Portugal is anything to go by, Russia, Slovakia and Wales should have little to worry about. However, if each of the big names in the England team plays to their potential, even the likes of Germany, Spain and France will start to break into a sweat. The front three of Vardy, Rooney and Kane could strike fear in any defender’s heart on their day. Will they have their “days” at the right time, is the big question.
On the other hand, a defence that would hardly trouble any forward line could be one England’s major concern. A year ago, Gary Cahill and John Stones would have been the first names on the team sheet. This year, however, both are coming off a fairly average Premier League season which should make Chris Smalling a sure-starter at the centre of the defence. The Chelsea man could be given the nod ahead of the relatively inexperienced Everton player as Smalling’s partner.
If the warm-up matches are anything to go by, Hodgson’s favoured full-backs are the Tottenham duo Kyle Walker and Danny Rose. Both of them have had fairly strong seasons and could be the key to England’s success – both on the offensive and the defensive front.
What is also fairly clear from Hodgson’s teams are a fairly narrow midfield shape that gives space for the aforementioned Rose and Walker to attack down the wings as and when possible. They have to be careful not to force their attacking players into tracking back and defending because of their poor positioning.
As always, a lot of games are won and lost in midfield. This English midfield in particular, has the “burden” of the entire country’s expectations resting on them. Apart from providing crucial balls to the front two and making space for the full-backs, they will also have the additional responsibility to nullifying the opponent’s midfielders. A role that has become crucial in all styles of playing nowadays, Eric Dier as the holding midfielder could prove to be the crucial piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
A relatively weak defence shielded by Dier could provide some comfort to the fans, but they would also hope that England didn’t miss out on anything by leaving Danny Drinkwater out of the squad. The hard-working Leicester man could have proved to be the perfect foil for England’s attack, and the selection of Jack Wilshere over him was hard to fathom for most. The Arsenal man has not had a full game for his club in over a year, while the Leicester man is now left with polishing his Premier League medal at home.
Having said that, a fit Wilshere would walk into any team in the world and Hodgson would be hoping his gamble ultimately works. At the head of the diamond-shaped midfield should be England captain Wayne Rooney. Like a few of his teammates, he hasn’t had the best season, but his experience at major tournaments will prove to be invaluable. He burst on to the scene as an 18-year-old at Euro 2004 and would be hoping that he, with all the years behind him now, propels his country to glory.
With a combined 59 goals in between them in the Premier League, the combination of Dele Alli, Kane and Vardy will be the part most fans are excited about. Kane’s holding game, his quick one-two passing with Alli and Vardy running the channels would be a dream to watch if executed perfectly. What could hamper them, however, is their lack of experience on the big stage. All of them are playing for the first time in a major tournament. What they have, however, is exposure to the pressure of playing week-in week-out in the Premier League and managing to beat some of the best defenders in the continent, if not the world.
All said and done, England would be really disappointed if they failed to qualify for the round-of-16s. Russia, Slovakia and Wales could provide some tough games but the quality of the England players should shine through. Whether they go on and win the trophy is a matter only time can settle. However, it is a season of football miracles in England and the Three Lions will be hoping that they do a Leicester and leave all of Europe shell-shocked.
