I think this is the strongest English team I have seen in a major tournament.
Yes, there are some weaknesses in the defence, particularly if Luke Shaw goes down, but overall a fantastic team and a sensible selection.
Poll the teams in the tournament and no one will want to play against England. If you ask their biggest rivals, Germany, Italy, France, Spain or Portugal, they will 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 it has to be said that neither can really have any complaints on the evidence of their season overall. Gareth Southgate has generally chosen in-form players.
Harry Maguire’s calf injury means you can’t risk him collapsing possibly five minutes into the first game of the tournament, but he has had an up-and-down campaign nonetheless. He started out with his own manager not wanting him at Manchester United, then fought his way back into the team only to get injured again.
England is the favorite to win the Euro Cup that begins in Germany next week.
Gareth Southgate announced his final 26-man squad that will compete in the tournament
Jack Butland kept 18 clean sheets in 33 Scottish Premiership games for Rangers last season.
All three have had stop-and-go seasons and haven’t shown their true form consistently. Now it will be a test for their mentality, but they have to get their heads back and face next season stronger.
It’s not a disappointment I’ve ever had to deal with. I was selected for Scotland in 1974 for a friendly against West Germany in Frankfurt before the World Cup, but I never played so never made the cut. Denis Law and Billy Bremner, great players I grew up watching on TV, were in that team, it wasn’t a real surprise that they left me out. He was 21 years old, he had tournaments ahead of him and the English players who are missing out today have to maintain that belief too.
I thought Southgate might have chosen Jarrad Branthwaite for a couple of reasons. One is that he could struggle with Shaw and the two obvious replacements are naturally right-footed players like Joe Gomez and Kieran Trippier.
Branthwaite is a natural left-footer and, given the qualities the youngster 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 he believes that he will become a top-level player. I find it strange that Gareth has only given him 30 minutes in the previous games.
Gareth has also been very loyal to Jordan Pickford, which I can understand, but, for me, there is another goalkeeper who should go to the tournament. I have seen Jack Butland several times play for Rangers this season and he is the best English goalkeeper there is. I’m surprised he hasn’t earned a spot.
I’m very happy that Adam Wharton came on. I really like the Crystal Palace midfielder. I have said before that he knows the responsibilities and discipline required of a midfielder and he has real quality. Kobbie Mainoo is good on the ball, but Wharton understands the position better.
In Wharton, Mainoo and Cole Palmer you have three young players who have seized their opportunity and are full of confidence, but Palmer will give his coach a huge headache. England’s true strength is in its firepower. Gareth is lucky in the forward positions but I feel that Palmer, if he can replicate his Chelsea form, will put in a performance, perhaps off the bench, that will make it very difficult to leave him out. I think it came down to a direct choice between Palmer and Maddison and he opted for the in-form player.
There are only seven games, including the final, so this is not for players looking to get fit. There are seven games to start playing, but the strength of this team makes me believe that England is the favorite to win it.
Cole Palmer has given Southgate a selection headache after an impressive domestic season with Chelsea
The English top flight could become a two-team league
If Manchester City are successful in their legal challenge to the Premier League, the competition will potentially end up like Scotland, with only two teams capable of winning it.
With the financial handcuffs removed, City and Newcastle United will have the resources to outperform 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 very competitive. We love the fact that the loser can always get a shocking result, like Leicester winning the Premier League.
The city wants the rules changed to suit its needs. They are taking a very dangerous step by defying the authority they adhered to and it is a move that is sure to alienate not only the vast majority of Premier League clubs but also their fans. City’s decision-makers are giving a masterclass in how to make their football club unpopular.
Manchester City have launched legal action against the Premier League which, if successful, could dramatically alter the structure of the top flight.
Argentina ’78 was more like a Carry On movie
It is not up to Scotland to qualify for the next phase as runners-up or as best third-place finisher.
There is no more difficult game to start than facing the hosts in the opening match of the tournament and it is even more difficult when Scotland’s main problem has been scoring goals. Add to that the injuries to forwards Lyndon Dykes and Ben Doak and the hard work becomes even more difficult.
They have to find a system that works and in Steve Clarke they have an experienced manager who knows what he is doing.
They have had to rely on Scott McTominay for goals and they may establish themselves as a counter-attacking team and use set pieces, but ultimately they will not dominate the ball so they will have to defend well and find a way pinch a result.
One thing is certain: they will be full of emotion singing ‘Flower of Scotland’ at the top of their lungs. When you hear that and the crowd behind you, you’ll be ready to go.
As a player preparing for a big tournament, all you should want to do is savor it and enjoy every minute.
Hopefully, everything around you at camp is set up so you can focus. Scotland’s build-up and preparations today will be very different to my first experience of a major tournament in Argentina for the 1978 World Cup. That was something more like something out of a Carry On film.
After arriving in Argentina, on the way from the Córdoba airport to our base in Alta Gracia, the bus broke down on the main street. There was smoke coming from the engine behind and there was even a brief debate about whether all the players should push it uphill as part of our training for the first match. We soon opted out, but still had to walk almost half a mile across town with our suitcases to get to our hotel.
Steve Clarke’s team takes on hosts Germany in the opening match of the European Championship.
Graeme Souness featured for Scotland in the 3-2 victory over the Netherlands at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
Once there, we discovered it was a casino hotel that was a bit lively. The problem, however, was that they had erected a huge fence around the casino to keep us all out. There was also a wonderful pool, the only problem was that there was never any water in it.
It was so poorly organized that it was almost comedy gold. A fabulous experience!
I must say I’m really looking forward to getting back on screen next Friday with ITV for the opening match. Germany-Scotland should be a suitable match. Let’s go Scotland!
