I believe this is the strongest England squad I have seen going into a top tournament.
Yes, there are a few frailties in defence, particularly if Luke Shaw falls over, but generally it’s a fantastic squad and a common sense selection.
Do a poll of the teams in the tournament and no one will want to play against England. Ask their biggest rivals Germany, Italy, France, Spain or Portugal and they’d all want to avoid this English team.
There is a bit of conjecture about James Maddison and Jack Grealish, in particular, being left out but you’d have to say neither can really have any complaints on the evidence of their season overall. Gareth Southgate has, in the main, picked form players.
Harry Maguire’s calf injury means you can’t take the risk of him breaking down possibly five minutes into the very first game of the tournament but he has had an up-and-down campaign, anyway. He started with his own manager not wanting him at Manchester United, then battled his way back into the team only to be injured again.
All three have had stop-start seasons and not shown their true form consistently. It’s going to be a test of their mentality now but they have to get their heads right and go into next season stronger.
It’s not a disappointment I ever had to deal with. I was selected for Scotland in 1974 for a friendly against West Germany in Frankfurt ahead of the World Cup but I never played so never made the cut. Denis Law and Billy Bremner, great players I had grown up watching on TV, were in that squad, it was no real surprise I was left out. I was 21, I had tournaments ahead of me, and the England players missing out today have to maintain that belief, too.
I thought Southgate may have taken Jarrad Branthwaite for a couple of reasons. One being he could run into problems with Shaw and the two obvious replacements are naturally right-footed players in Joe Gomez and Kieran Trippier.
Branthwaite is a natural left-footer and because of the qualities that young man has shown — athletic and good on the ball — he could have been a makeshift left back. The Everton defender has had a very good season and believe he will become a top player. I find it strange that Gareth only gave him 30 minutes in the build-up games.
Gareth has also been very loyal to Jordan Pickford, which I can understand, but, for me, there is another goalkeeper who should be going to the tournament. I’ve watched Jack Butland several times playing for Rangers this season and he is the best English goalkeeper around. I’m surprised he hasn’t earned a place.
I’m really pleased Adam Wharton has got in. I really like the Crystal Palace midfielder. I’ve said before he knows the responsibilities and discipline required of a midfielder and has real quality. Kobbie Mainoo is good on the ball but Wharton has greater understanding of the position.
In Wharton, Mainoo and Cole Palmer you have three young players who have seized their chance and are full of confidence, but Palmer will give his manager a major headache. England’s real strength is in their firepower. Gareth is blessed in the forward positions but I just sense Palmer, if he can replicate his Chelsea form, will give a performance, maybe from the bench, that will make it very difficult to leave him out. I believe it came down to a straight choice between Palmer and Maddison and he has gone for the in-form player.
There are only seven games including the final so this is not for players scratching for form. That’s seven games to hit the ground running but the strength in this squad makes me believe England are favourites to win it.
English top-flight could become a two-team league
If Manchester City succeed in their legal challenge to the Premier League, potentially the competition will end up like Scotland with only two teams capable of winning it.
With the financial handcuffs off, City and Newcastle United will have the resources to outmuscle everyone. It would be the beginning of the demise of the Premier League as a competitive entity and people will start to lose interest.
We love our league because it is so competitive. We love the fact the underdog can always spring a shock result – like Leicester winning the Premier League.
City want the rules changed to suit them. They are making a very dangerous move by challenging the authority they signed up to and it is one that is bound to alienate not just the vast majority of clubs in the Premier League but supporters too. City’s decision makers are giving a master class on how to make your football club unpopular.
Argentina ’78 was more befitting of a Carry On film caper
It’s not beyond Scotland to qualify for the next stage as runners-up or best third place.
There’s not a harder game to start with than playing the hosts in the opening game of the tournament and it’s all the harder when Scotland’s main problem has been scoring goals. Add to that injuries to forwards Lyndon Dykes and Ben Doak and it makes a tough job all the more difficult.
They’ve got to find a system that works and in Steve Clarke they have an experienced manager who knows what he is doing.
They’ve had to rely on Scott McTominay for goals and it may well be that they set up as a counter-attacking side and utilise set-pieces but ultimately, they won’t be dominating the ball so will have to defend well and find a way of pinching a result.
One thing for sure is they will be emotionally charged belting out ‘Flower of Scotland’ at the top of their voices. When you hear that and the crowd behind you, you are ready to go.
As a player preparing for a big tournament you should just want to relish it and enjoy every single minute.
Hopefully, everything around you in the camp is settled so you can focus. Scotland’s preparation and arrangements today will be very different to my first experience of a major tournament back in Argentina for the 1978 World Cup. That was something more befitting of a Carry On film caper.
After arriving in Argentina, on the way from Cordoba airport to our base in Alta Gracia, the bus broke down in the main street. There was smoke billowing out from the engine at the back and there was even a brief debate whether all the players should push it up the hill as part of our training for the first match. We soon opted against that but we still had to walk the best part of half a mile through the town with our bags to get to our hotel.
Once there, we found it was a hotel with a casino which was a bit lively. Yet the problem was they had erected an enormous fence around the casino to keep us all out. There was also a marvellous swimming pool, the only trouble was there was never any water in it.
It was so poorly organised it was almost comedy gold. A fabulous experience!
I must say I am really looking forward to going back on screen next Friday with ITV for the opening match. Germany v Scotland, should be a proper game. Come on Scotland!
