England a good bet to go all the way in the Euros?
With England beaten 1-0 by Iceland at Wembley last weekend, Gareth Southgate’s side being viewed as favourites to win the Euros may sound optimistic right now.
But forget kneejerk recency bias. Forget fickle England fans booing the Three Lions while bitterly complaining about Southgate. Losing a friendly is hardly evidence the side are set to flounder in Germany.
England were unbeaten in the qualifiers
Let’s look at the positives. England strolled through the qualifying process, going unbeaten as they won six of their eight matches.
The side’s recent pedigree is encouraging, too. Finalists at the Euros three years ago, knocked out by finalists France at the World Cup back in December 2022, England have been transformed since the days of Capello and Hodgson, even if they’ve ultimately fallen short of winning a trophy under Southgate.
This is possibly the England coach’s last chance to lead his nation to triumph; and certainly, he’s got some talent to call upon in his quest to go out on a high.
Yet it’s not all sunshine and lollipops. Players who regularly impress at club level haven’t always been able to meet those same standards in the England shirt. And there are questions surrounding even the most exceptional of talents, in the run up to this one.
Harry Kane’s trophy trauma may have continued post-Tottenham. But the England captain comes to the Euros having scored 44 goals for Bayern across 45 games last season.
Kane is one of the greatest strikers in the world
There’s no doubt that Kane is one of the greatest strikers in the world. But there are worries over his fitness; he missed Bayern’s final two games of the season with a back injury. While he has played for England since then, he may not be in optimum condition as he looks to power his nation to glory.
England aren’t a one-man team of course, and the past season has shown an abundance of riches, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer starring for Real Madrid, Man City and Chelsea respectively.
Yet Bellingham, voted La Liga’s player of the season, has been uncharacteristically quiet in his last few appearances for Real. Can the 20-year-old shake off his fatigue, or will Jude look jaded this summer?
Cole Palmer has no such issues, with the former Man City man seemingly fearless in a league campaign where he scored 22 goals in 29 appearances. Palmer also scored for England against Bosnia Herzegovina earlier this month. The man seems unstoppable – but how much will he figure in Southgate’s plans?
And what of Foden? The young Englishman has been instrumental for Man City, contributing 19 goals to the cause for the league winners this season. Yet Foden didn’t impress against Iceland – and has often struggled to reproduce his club form when turning out for England.
This England squad is brimming with quality
Still, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker, there’s no denying this squad is brimming with quality. Can England win this thing? Course they can – and if you’re up for a flutter, the Three Lions are 7/2 to become champions.
Assuming you’re fully committed to England having an outstanding tournament, Kane is 11/2 to finish as top goalscorer, while Bellingham and Foden are also contenders; Bellingham is a 20/1 shot, whilst Foden is 25/1 to score the most goals in the competition. Alexander-Arnold is a 20/1 shot to provide the most assists.
You could also take a bet on which two sides will progress to the final, with England & France a 10/1 shot to make it to Berlin’s Olympiastadion on July 14th. England & Germany to make the final are also 10/1, and what a final that would be…
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