Euro 2012: Group D, why England CAN progress

The final group in Euro 2012 kicks off tonight and it's also possible the hardest one to judge, each team is playing down their chances but really they will all feel they have a chance to go through. Ukraine as hosts will either feel the pressure of being a host nation too much or be spurred on by home support. Sweden have talented players yet play well as a team, France are a team that have dramatically rebuilt since the collapse at World Cup 2010 and England have a manager a month into the job, players missing or suspended but have arguably the best looking defence on paper. Watching this group play out will be fascinating.


England
   England fans aren't expecting much this summer, with new manager 'Woy' Hodgson appointed just over a month ago, key players like Gary Cahill and Frank Lampard injured and key player Wayne Rooney suspended for the first 2 games, why should optimism be high? Well in my opinion, England have one the of the best defences on paper. Manchester City's Joe Hart has just finished a season where his side won the English league title, Hart was a key part of that. Look at the best left back's across the world, is there anyone better than Ashley Cole? (Ashley Cole could be out of the France game from a knock in training...
Roy may call up Rio now...And ask him if he's got Sol Campbell's number)  In central defence they have John Terry, while some may question his personality, on the pitch Terry is a born leader. Alongside him will be Joleon Lescott who like Joe Hart has completed a league winning season at Manchester City and can be a colossus in defence. At right back England will have Glen Johnson, not as articulate or technical as Ashley Cole on the right but the Liverpool man likes to get forward and support the attack and has pace to come back and cover. Where England can come unstuck is their attacking options. Manchester United's Wayne Rooney misses the first two games through suspension (he petulantly kicked Montenegro's Miodrag Dzudovic in a game when England had already qualified) and no-one is in the calibre of class that he is for England. Danny Welbeck looks likely to start the first game against France and has looked impressive for Manchester United though in the so called big games, he can fade away and he can't do that at this level. The other option is the wayward Andy Carroll, the Liverpool man has had a mixed season and his electric form in the final weeks of the season have gained him a place in this squad (Roy Hodgson only selected four strikers in his Euro 2012squad; Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Danny Welbeck and Andy Carroll. With Rooney suspended for the first two games and Defoe sent home for family reasons, we're left with only two striking options, Danny Welbeck's right foot, and his left foot.). England will look to counter attack opponents and will rely on the defence to perform admirably and be a platform for the rest of the team. Though Hodgson has just days to decide his team, some of his inclusions have been surprising, particually picking 6 players from a poor Liverpool side. Steven Gerrard is the England and Liverpool captain and deserves his place but why was Andy Carroll picked before Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge or Norwich's Grant Holt? Stuart Downing never got a goal OR an assist on the wing for Liverpool and has been picked (Downing has hit back at critics who questioned his lack of goals and assists this season but unfortunately, he missed), why not Everton's Leon Osman or Manchester United's Tom Cleverley, both who had good solid season's at their respective clubs. Much fuss has been made over Hodgson's decision not to include Rio Ferdinand when Martin Kelly was picked but why not select Micah Richards or Chris Smalling. Lastly is the inclusion of Jordan Henderson, why not pick Manchester United's Michael Carrick or City's James Milner? England could of come here with a lot more experience and more quality, players have been omitted that have won leagues, domestic and European titles, the reason we are told is to look at the bigger picture with the World Cup in 2 years but I don't buy that as surely more youth players would be picked, plus England fans want the best players for the team here and now, England could over-exceed all expectations or fail miserably, if it's the latter, the excuses are already waiting.
  Star Man - Steven Gerrard will be key driving the team on but Ashley Young from Manchester United will be the creative spark and look to link up between midfield and attack, if he has a good tournament then England will follow suit.
  Prediction - Much is made of the first game against France, if they win that they will escape the group with the returning Wayne Rooney, as I expect a draw I don't think England can get out the group and fans will hear about 'lack of time to prepare', 'unfortunate injuries' and 'bad luck', maybe England just aren't that good right now

 
France
 Coach Laurent Blanc took over the squad 2 years ago after the embarrassing debacle at the World Cup in South Africa after previous manager Raymond Domenach had the team implode. In that time former France player and World Cup winner Blanc has been able to experiment with different formations and players in that time. Lyon's Hugo Loris the captain and the goalkeeper is a player Blanc has stuck with. Defenders Adil Rami from Valencia and Milan's Philippe Mexes always play when they are available to, Rennes 21 year old midfielder Yann M'Vila is so good he's slowly having the team build around him and their first choice striker is Real Madrid's Karim Benzema. The past two years have seen Les Blues become a lot more attack minded and they look to keep possession and complete short passes, relying on wingers Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich) and Manchester City's Samir Nasri to break through defences.
   Key player - Karim Benzema, the Real Madrid man scored 32 goals last season and will look at this tournament as his chance to truly shine for France, if the French team progress, he could well be the tournament's top scorer (expect Benzema and Ribery to be in single digits and not under age prostitutes this tournament)
  Prediction - France flatter to deceive, they have a decent side and will give anyone a good game, if they do make it out of the group I expect them to fall in the quarter finals

Sweden
  The Swedes are always well balanced and organised and as ever, they go into this set of games the same. In defence they have Olympiacos and former Aston Villa centre back Olaf Mellberg alongside West Brom's Jonas Olsson,  midfielders see's the likes of Lyon's Kim Kallstrom and Sunderland's Seb Larsson looking to run at defenders and create opportunities for the mystifying Zlatan Ibrahimovic, I have never bought into this belief he is one of the world's best players yet I have never seen him perform well when it comes to the big games, he once claimed he is the world's best player, well I'd like to see him go out there and prove that.
  Key player - Kim Kallstrom, he can pull the strings in midfield, with 92 caps to his name he has plenty of experience and he is a constant performer in the Sweden squad
  Prediction - the group is hard to call but teams need to be patient against Sweden as they are beatable and I feel that will show, expect them to end the tournament after the three group games



Ukraine
  Ukraine haven't been lucky with injuries but with all but two of the squad picked played their club football in Ukraine (and 15 either playing for Dynamo Kyiv or Shaktyr Donetsk), they will all know each other well and with playing at home, this is an added advantage for them. Kyiv midfielders Yevhan Konoplyanka and Andriy Yarmolenko can provide the opportunities for Andriy Shevchenko and Andriy Voronin. The hosts will look to counter attack opposition but with key players like Donetsk's Dmytro Chygrynskiy and Kyiv's veteran goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovsky missing, the other teams in this group should be able to exploit that added to the fact the Ukrainians don't have the same quality or technical prowess, they don't often qualify for tournaments and as hosts, they won't progress but they will leave their mark against one of the teams
   Key player -Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko has, at the tender age of 22, scored 8 goals in 22 goals, he will look to produce chances for his team and given the chance, will drive Ukraine forward.
  Prediction - the hosts nation usually get buoyed by home support but Ukraine aren't as good as the other 3 teams in this group, ranked 52 in the world, they won't make it out of the group.

Group C, where Irish eyes won't be smiling

Looking at Group C at Euro 2012, a group that see's the holders Spain, Italy, Croatia and Republic of Ireland competing and presuming Spain will win the group, the battle for second spot could be very interesting though a step too far for Ireland.

Croatia

   Since the Kovac brothers, Robert and Niko, have retired, Croatia (I asked a couple of mates where I should go in Croatia, opinions were Split) have struggled somewhat with replacing them. They will struggle in defence though over the past 16 years Croatia have always over-relied on key players and those players have always performed for their country so Tottenham Hotspur's midfielder Luka Modric will have a lot of responsibility, he will be the creative spark for his side though it remains to be seen if the likes Shaktyr Donetsk's Eduardo or Everton's Nikica Jelavic will be able to score the goals to make them a force.
  Key player - Luka Modric, he is easily one of the best midfielders in the English Premier League and had Chelsea (possibly after John Terry heard Modric has a nice wife) trying to sign him all last summer and it seems Manchester United will be after his services this summer. He led Tottenham to a 4th place finish last season, only missing out on Champions League football as Chelsea won the trophy. In Euro 2008 he was picked in the team of the tournament and aged just 26, he will strive to get the best out of this Croatia side.
  Prediction - With coach Slavan Bilic stepping down after 6 years in charge to go to Lokomotiv Moscow after the games, I feel Croatian minds won't be fully on the job at hand and will look good and play well but not make it out of the group stages



Italy
 Under coach Cesare Prandelli, Italy have made a huge effort to change their style of play, no longer are they a negative, defence minded team that look t counter attack. They play a style that imposes themselves on the opponents, they have a keep-possession mentality based around the likes of Juventus' Andrea Pirlo and Roma's Daniele De Rossi controlling the play and with players like Ricardo Montolivio running off them. Italy haven't got a great deal of experience in goalscorers, to date only 2 players have scored double figures for the 'azzuro', De Rossi with 10 in 72 games and Udinese's Antonio Di Natale, the striker having scored 10 in 37 games.
   Key player - Antonio Cassano, AC Milan's striker was left out of squads by previous manager Marcello Lippi but under Prandelli, he has more assists than goals but this could be a tournament where he finds his scoring boots and makes the Italian no. 9 shirt his own.
   Prediction - They'll edge qualification from the group but will fall in either the quart-finals or the finals

   
Republic Of Ireland
  Unfairly missing out on the World Cup 2 years ago thanks to Thierry Henry's handball in the playoffs, Ireland haven't let this effect them with dropping their heads, instead they have maintained a good record in qualifying and are a tough side for anyone to beat, reflected by being ranked 18th in the world right now. Giovanni Trapattoni is one of the most celebrated managers in football history and at 73 he must be closing in on retirement but getting Ireland (the only country where dialing a phone number can end in tree sex) to qualify for this tournament will matter just as much as league and European trophies he won at club level. LA Galaxy's Robbie Keane continues to be the focal point of attack, he has now scored 53 goals in 117 games and will look to add to that total over the next few weeks. Ireland don't' rely on individuals, they play as a unit, they keep to their positions and stifle the opposition and have vast experience with the likes of Sunderland's John O'Shea Fulham midfielder Damien Duff. The Irish always have huge support in any tournament and it's believed of all the travelling sides, they will have the most fans cheering them on so each match will ahve a great atmosphere. Expect Ireland to ruffle some feathers and to go down fighting.
  Key player - Robbie Keane, the veteran striker is the spearhead of any Irish attack and if he's missing Ireland don't pose that same threat
  Prediction - In a group with Spain and Italy, Ireland could be fighting it out with Croatia for rd spot, they have nothing to lose though so don't be surprised to see them cause an upset somewhere.


Spain
   Where do you start with the current Europe and World champions? they currently hold those titles and are favourites to retain this summer for a reason, they are outstanding. They have so much experience, amongst the 23 man squad there have been over 1000 caps which averages out at over 44 appearances each. With Real Madrid's Iker Casillas in goal and Sergio Ramos in defence and the Barcelona players Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas and Chelsea's Fernando Torres up front, this team oozes class and has strength in depth in all positions.
  Key player - Xavi, the Barcelona midfielder will constantly play his team out of trouble, his eye for a pass can carve any side open and simply dominates matches
   Prediction - Spain will be disappointed if they don't make the final, possibly playing England or France once out of the group, they could be the first nation to win 3 international tournaments in a row (John Terry has written to Spain, Germany, Holland, France and 5 other countries to be sure asking to join their celebrations if they win Euro 2012)

Euro 2012, new stars set to shine

With the 2012 European Championships due to start today, it's a chance for young players to shine, players that have established themselves at their clubs and are just finding their feet at international level. Traditionally, the Euros have been a platform for younger players to make a name for themselves and here I look at 7 players who could be household names after the tournament ends in three weeks

Danny Welbeck
Manchester United and England
21 year old centre forward
International games/goals: 5/1
Welbeck came through the youth ranks at Manchester United and after loan spells at Preston North End and Sunderland, last season was his first full senior season with the Premier League runner ups. Keeping out the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez he went on to make 30 appearances and score 9 goals in that time, mainly while partnering his England colleague Wayne Rooney. Making his international debut in March 2011 he has played 5 games for England to date, scoring his only goal in his last game against Belgium. Oddly, with Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two games, Welbeck will look to replace the man he partners at club level.

Jodi Alba
Valencia and Spain
23 year old left sided defender/midfielder
International games/goal: 4/0
Having been an ever present in the Valencia team since 2009, Alba is now getting recognition at international level, with Capdevilla not in the squad (he was starting left back when Spain won Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010), Alba is an exciting prospect to watch who could well move on to another club after this tournament (both Manchester United and Barcelona are reportedly interested), this is one exciting left back who could really make his mark over the next few weeks

Rui Patricio
Sporting Lisbon and Portugal
24 year old goalkeeper
International games/goals: 11/0
Having made his debut for Sporting in 2006, he has played almost 150 games for his club and is looking to cement himself as his countries no. 1. Having started the last 5 games for Portugal, it does seem manager Paulo Bento will stick with him and at just 24, this is the first tournament of potentially many that will feature Rui Patricio. If Portugal are to do well then he will have to perform though with the likes of Christiano Ronaldo and Nani in the team, the weight of a nation isn't on his shoulders, Portugal could be a very dangerous team in this tournament and one to watch.

Mario Gotze
Borussia Dortmund and Germany
20 year old attacking midfielder
International games/goals: 14/2
Germany are favourites to win the tournament just behind Spain and scarily, they have selected only one player over 30 so they will nly get better over the next few years. Gotze is a product of the Dortmund youth academy, making his first team debut in 2009 and making 25 appearances for them last season where he was part of the league and cup winning side.  Ironically making his debut in November 2010 with Andre Schurrle, both players simultaneously became the first players born in the re-unified Germany to represent their country. In less than 2 years Gotze has scored 2 goals in his 14 international games and is ready to take the world by storm, having already allegedly turned down a transfer to Arsenal, Dortmund may have to work hard to keep one of the best young players in the world right now after Euro 2012.

Christian Eriksen
Ajax and Denmark
20 year old midfielder
International games/goals: 22/2
The youngest player at the World Cup in 2010 and has spent the last 2 years having a rising influence on that Danish squad. In February 2011 after a match against England, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand both praised the midfielders performance. Having become a main part of the Ajax team over the past 2 and a half years and winning league titles, this is a tournament set up for Eriksen to make a name for himself and the 20 year old WILL start for a country that has nothing to lose, this Danish wonderkid has already attracted the attention of some of Europe's other major sides.

Alan Dzagoev
CSKA Moscow and Russia
21 year old attacking midfielder
International games/goals: 20/4
By the time the World Cup heads to Russia in 2018, Dzagoev should be the figurehead head of the Russian side and potentially the face of the tournament. Making his debut for CSKA Moscow in 2008, Dzagoev has been an ever-present for his club ever since and already won the Russian cup 3 times. When he made his debut for Russia in October 2008 he became the youngest ever outfield player for Russia and gone on to score 4 goals in 20 games for the Soviets. This set piece specialist has already attracted attention from clubs such as Manchester United and Tottenham and is someone who is a diligent hard worker and can achieve whatever he wants to achieve.

Yann M'Vila
Rennes and France
21 year old defensive midfielder
International games/goals: 19/1
As of writing M'Vila was still in the French squad though had taken a knock in the weekend fixture against Serbia. Losing M'Vila would be a blow to French coach Laurent Blanc and disrupt his plans, that's how good this young defensive midfielder is for his country. Having played 130 games for his club Rennes since 2009, in August 2010 he won his first cap for France and has become a mainstay of a rejuvenated France squad that spectacularly imploded at the last World Cup. Strongly linked with a move to Arsenal, opposition sides won't enjoy coming up against the tough tackling Frenchman who will look to restore some national pride.