Page 56 - Soccer360 Issue 105

EURO
2024 FEATURE
ENGLAND EXPECTS
JULY IN GERMANY, AND EACH DAY UNFOLDS LIKE A VERDANT SONNET, RESONATING WITH THE INEFFABLE MAGIC OF SUMMER’S EPHEMERAL SPLENDOUR. OH, AND OUR GERMAN COUSINS ALSO JUST HAPPEN TO BE HOSTING EUROS 2024.
IS GARETH SOUTHGATE THE RIGHT MAN?
The man who might eventually lead us all to footballing glory, and deliver us from the worst drought since the American Dust Bowl, is Gareth Southgate. Gareth
is a nice guy, and is perceived by some
in that typical English way, as having done a good job without ever winning anything. However there are many more who harbour the kind of suspicions about him that would normally be reserved
for someone like Claude Anelka! As July approaches, Gareth has managed that rare feat of uniting the country on two fronts. Firstly he has managed to unite the country’s expectations that England can at last win this thing.
HAS THE MANAGER LEARNT FROM PREVIOUS DEFEATS?
Unfortunately he has also managed
to unite the country into thinking that he’s not necessarily the man to do
it? But surely after snatching defeat
from the jaws of victory against those tournament savvy Italians, and after
he had done the exact same against
the creative Croatians in a World Cup semifinal, has he finally learned the painful lessons of the ineffectiveness of playing international tournament football with the handbrake fully engaged? In
the most defining moments of England’s matches, Southgate approaches them all with circumspection, and loiters in the technical area with judicious restraint, cloaked in meticulous uncertainty. This innate cautiousness is the ammunition his detractors use against him. Particularly when at his disposal is another golden generation? Oh dear. There’s that phrase again!
RIGHT:
Gareth Southgate for England
LEFT:
Has Federico Chiesa recovered from his injury woes?
and comfortable on the ball, he may
just emerge as one of the tournament’s breakout stars.
Looking ahead to the tournament itself, the Italians open their title defence with
a game against Albania on June 15, and
it will be the first time the two sides face each other in a major competition. Many of the Eagles players will be familiar to viewers of Serie A with several plying their trade on the peninsula. Albania are not to be underestimated, but the Azzurri will be expected to take three points in this one, setting them up for the big clashes against Spain and Croatia.
Italy’s record against Spain in recent years has been decidedly in Spanish favour, although the Azzurri will be hoping to make it three successes in three at the European Championships since a 2-0 win in Euro 2016. The meeting with Croatia is likely to be similarly tight, but the margin for error is high in the early stages with four of the best third placed sides heading into the last 16, so three points and an adequate goal difference is likely to be enough.
If the Azzurri get out of the group, they’ll be awkward opponents for anyone, and a confident and brash Italy is an opponent every other nation will hope to avoid. The lack of firepower up front could be the death of Italy’s chances of retaining their title and on the face of it, a repeat of their Euro 2020 win seems unlikely. However, stranger things have happened and they can’t be completely ruled out.
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