Euro 2012: Quarter-Final Preview

Heavyweights look set to lead the way into the last four

With the group stages of Euro 2012 now over, two of my three dark horses (Croatia and Russia) have been eliminated. Underdogs Greece escaped from Group A, while the Netherlands fell far short of expectation by failing to register a single point in Group C. With only two teams surprising in making the last eight, it is difficult to see where there will be an upset.  Here's a look at all four quarter-final matches.

Neither Poland nor Ukraine were able the most of home advantage at Euro 2012

© Cyril Attias, Flickr

  

Czech Republic v. Portugal

It is arguable that either of these two teams making the knockout stages is a surprise.  The Czech Republic finished top of arguably the weakest group, but had to overcome a 4-1 thrashing in their first game at the hands of Russia – who were favourites to qualify.  Similarly, Portugal needed to win their final two games in the 'group of death' after defeat to Germany – but Paulo Bento's side still looked as though they could be a contender despite losing their opening match. They proved that with back-to-back wins over Denmark and the Netherlands and Portugal should advance to the semi-finals at the expense of the Czechs.  Cristiano Ronaldo needs to perform to the same level as he did against the Netherlands.

Prediction: Czech Republic 0 Portugal 2

Germany v. Greece

Germany were certainly the favourites in Group C and certainly did not disappoint, even despite a sluggish performance in their 1-0 win over Portugal.  They were the only side in the group stages to win all three games, and look good value to at least make the semi-finals.  Most people wrote Greece off before the tournament began, but a surprise win over Russia in their final group game saw them edge into the knockout stages.  Defeating Germany at this stage would certainly give Fernando Santos the belief that his side could set up a Euro 2004 final rematch against Portugal. But Greece scored the lowest number of goals among qualifying teams (tied with France), while Germany conceded the least (tied with Italy).  Germany's powerful front four of Mario Gomes, Lukas Poldolski, Thomas Müller and Mesut Özil should be too much for Greece to handle.

Prediction: Germany 2 Greece 0

Spain v. France

France finished as runners-up to England in Group D after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to already-eliminated Sweden.  That result could come back to haunt them as they now face world champions Spain who, despite having been inconsistent in their first three games, have the depth in squad to cause teams problems all over the pitch.  They almost came undone against a determined Croatia side, but came up with the decisive goal when they needed it.  They were also the only team to keep two clean sheets in the group stages.  France looked impressive against England and Ukraine in qualifying and they will need to perform to the same level in order to stand any chance in the quarter-finals.  Yohan Cabaye has impressed for Les Blues so far, and the battle will be won and lost in midfield. Definitely an interesting match to keep an eye on.

Prediction: Spain 2 France 1

England v. Italy

This is the most interesting of the four quarter-final match-ups, because neither of these two sides had a comfortable route out of their respective groups.  Using that argument, either of these two sides advancing to the last four would be an upset.  England have already done what Roy Hodgson asked of them (reach the quarter-finals), and he now has a full strength squad with Wayne Rooney's two game ban now over. Rooney, who scored the winning goal against Ukraine, looked a little rusty, and Italy's defensive options are likely to frustrate England. It could take another inspired substitution to break them down.  Manchester City team-mates Joleon Lescott and Mario Balotelli will be an interesting match-up to watch.  I wouldn't expect many goals in this game, and I think it will be decided in extra-time.

Prediction: England 1 Italy 0 (a.e.t)

Euro 2012 - Dark Horses

Three teams to watch at Euro 2012

(c) Anosmia, Flickr

It is difficult to look beyond the usual suspects for Euro 2012 in terms of picking an overall winner.  Germany, Spain and the Netherlands look to be among the favourites, while France and Portugal also have a tendency to thrive in this tournament.  But in recent history, the Euros have provided a dark horse that advances further into the knockout stages than many would have predicted (Russia – 2008, Greece – 2004), and there is no reason to believe that the same cannot occur this year. Here are three teams who could follow in the footsteps of former European underdogs.

Russia

It could be argued that any two of the four teams in Group A could advance to the quarter-final stages, to the point where many have already focused purely on the other three groups in which the heavyweights lie, and those teams effectively getting a bye to the semi-finals.  However, with a FIFA ranking of eleventh and a recent history of performing well against their European counterparts (they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008), Russia have the potential to inflict damage on their group rivals and build up momentum on their way to the knockout stages, where they are likely to face either Germany, or a quarter-final rematch against the Netherlands (who they upset with a 3-1 victory four years ago).  Dick Advocaat's side also won their qualifying group and are undefeated this year in friendlies (including a 3-0 away win over Italy).

Croatia

Group B has been labelled 'the group of death' in this tournament, as one of either Germany, Portugal or the Netherlands not advance to the quarter-finals.  But ousting either Italy or reigning world champions Spain is no easy task either.  That being said, Croatia are a talented side who are ranked seventh in the FIFA world rankings, and with this being Slavan Bilic's last tournament before taking the helm at Lokomotiv Moscow, they could cause a disturbance in Group C against Italy, who have struggled in recent friendlies, and a Spanish national side without their all-time leading goalscorer David Villa.  Croatia were seconds away from the semi-finals in Euro 2008, and would have set up a rematch with Germany (who they defeated in the group stages that year) were it not for an extra-time injury time equaliser from Turkey's Semih Sentűrk.  Nikica Jelavic is also coming off a fantastic half-season for Everton, and it will be a challenge for opposing defenders to contain him.

England

It is important to remember that England are not considered to be a favourite to win Euro 2012, and injuries and suspensions to key players have thwarted their chances to impose themselves as a genuine threat amongst the stronger teams in this tournament.  But two clean sheets later in friendlies against Norway and Belgium, England look as though they might be a difficult side to break down defensively.  A lack of national expectation could world in England's favour, and Roy Hodgson also has the opportunity to grant youngsters like Danny Welbeck, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andy Carroll more playing time which could prove to be fruitful in the long run (Germany coach Joachim Löw favoured youth over experience at the 2010 World Cup – a decision which led his side to the semi-final stages). It is difficult to see where England's goals will come from (Ashley Young will be heavily relied upon to create scoring opportunities), and they will also need to top Group D in order to avoid Spain in the quarter-finals. 

Harry for England: does he want what the nation wants?

© flierfy, Flickr

At the end of a wonderful week for Harry Redknapp, having been cleared of tax evasion during his spell at Portsmouth with Milan Mandaric and being all but given the England manager vacancy by the football media, nothing will have pleased him more than watching his Tottenham Hotspur side demolish Newcastle United 5-0 at White Hart Lane.  Since taking over at Spurs, Redknapp has transformed the club from an underachieving, at the time relegation-threatened side to a club on the cusp of its second Champions League spell, while remaining very much in the Premier League title race this season, as well as the FA Cup.

Meanwhile, England are a footballing side somewhat in purgatory.  John Terry was recently stripped of the captaincy by the FA following his ongoing racial abuse allegations towards Anton Ferdinand, ultimately resulting in the departure of former manager Fabio Capello.  Former key players such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are ageing and arguably not the answer to any future tournament success.  Wayne Rooney is suspended for the first two games of England's Euro 2012 campaign, in a group which is no easy route to the knockout stages.

Which begs the question: why would Harry Redknapp want to leave Tottenham to take the England job?

Many would consider it an honour to even be offered the opportunity to manage your national football team, and Harry Redknapp does seem to tick the right boxes to succeed Fabio Capello.  He is English.  He is enjoying success at a top Premier League side.  Generally, he is well-liked by England football supporters.  Therefore it is no surprise to see him as the clear-cut favourite to take the position.  However, it is not as simple as that.  First of all, Redknapp must want the job.  He stated this week that he would certainly 'consider' any offer, as any manager would do with an offer of this nature.  Secondly, he would need to be shortlisted for the vacancy, although this is more than likely to happen.  In addition, Tottenham would have to be happy with the circumstances – and you'd have to think that chairman Daniel Levy would be less than thrilled to see Redknapp leave the helm at White Hart Lane after the excellent work he has done over the last four seasons.

Not only would there be huge pressure on Redknapp if he were to become the England manager, but any tournament failure could turn him from hero to villain in the space of a few weeks.  Despite his proven managerial success, there is no guarantee that he would help the England football team reach its potential at Euro 2012.  There is no doubt that he may bring in fresh faces if he were appointed, but this could also be to the frustration of the nation's football fans who may believe that a stronger element of experience leads to tournament success - although this has not proved to be the case for England in recent history.  In short, Redknapp may not guarantee success at international level.  How would it fare among fans if England were eliminated at the group stages this summer? 

It is easy to forget that Fabio Capello, despite not winning a major tournament, had the highest ever winning percentage during his four years as England manager.  It always seemed apparently easier for naysayers to focus on the losses, his nationality and broken English than to take any positives from his campaign.  It would be imperative for England, under Redknapp, to win those crunch games against European giants such as Spain, Holland and Germany.

There are a number of possible scenarios.  Redknapp could leave Tottenham Hotspur in the immediate future to take the England job, if offered it.  He could stay at Tottenham until May, leave at the end of the season to take charge of the national team in time for Euro 2012.  He may opt to turn down the position in favour of his loyalty to Tottenham, who have come closer to a title under his reign than over the last half-century. The FA may want a manager to start right away, forcing Redknapp to make a decision in the next couple of weeks.  Alternatively, they may be happy for him to start in May, which could also impact upon Tottenham's season at a crucial stage.  If he did start in May, would that be enough time to unite an underachieving footballing nation and lead them to victory in the space of two months?

What happens over the next few days, weeks and months will be vital for Redknapp, Tottenham and England.  Despite him being the assumed frontrunner for the job, there are many variables which may decide the fate of all three.

Great Expectations

Whether England's next generation has the potential to accomplish what the current setup has not been able to – win a major tournament

© Michael Radtke, Flickr

The England national team travel to Montenegro this week for a crucial qualifying match on Friday night. A win or draw in Podgorica would ensure progression to the Euro 2012 finals next summer, while a loss would leave England's qualification hopes out of their own hands and resting in the balance of a play-off match. England's opponents will prove a much more difficult challenge than many are anticipating, given that Montenegro have conceded just three goals in six qualifiers. However, England are expected to advance to the finals next year – but what is everyone expecting with the current setup?

Even the most patriotic fan will tell you that England have fallen way below expectation in recent tournaments, dating back to a semi-final appearance at Euro 1996. Current FIFA world rankings rate England as the eighth best team in the world (which arguably flatters Fabio Capello's side) – but at times they seem so far behind their European counterparts – Spain, Netherlands and Germany to name a few - who are ranked higher, and for good reason. England have also struggled against Croatia and Russia in recent times, not to mention supposed 'unknowns' like their Eastern European opponents this weekend.

Critics argue that England have been reliant on the same players for too long – without success. John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole, who have all enjoyed lengthy international careers, have been the core of the side for many years. But time catches up - now all five are over the age of 30 – so should Capello look to the future sooner rather than later? Some of those players may soon not be considered for another major tournament – be it next year's finals, or those in 2014. Germany are a side who have proven that such a method works, with coach Joachim Loew opting for future starlets at the time Thomas Mueller and Mesut Ozil ahead of more experienced players at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – a choice which resulted in Germany reaching the semi-finals of the tournament, Mueller winning the Golden Boot and Ozil transferring to Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer.

Should England consider a similar approach for Euro 2012? Here are some of the players who could feature in that squad – and in future tournaments to come.

Defenders

Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Kyle Naughton, (Norwich City), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea)

First off, Joe Hart appears likely to hold the number one goalkeeper's spot for some time. But some England's centre backs are ageing. Capello has already handed international debuts to Chris Smalling and Kieran Gibbs, but might consider Phil Jones as an option after forging a successful partnership with Smalling at Manchester United. Jones has also been impressive at England U-21 level, which boosts his chances of featuring next summer – should he receive sufficient playing time under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Kyle Walker enjoyed a successful loan spell at Aston Villa last season before rejoining parent club Tottenham Hotspur this year. An excellent performance against Arsenal at the weekend was enough for Capello to call Walker to the squad to face Montenegro, but such a decision could be reactionary in spite of his talent. Micah Richards is likely to feature next summer as backup for Glen Johnson, but Walker should provide healthy competition – especially if he enjoys a good domestic season. Kyle Naughton has impressed at newly-promoted Norwich City after a summer move from Tottenham (last season he stood out at Championship side Leicester City, scoring five goals), so Capello has several options at right-back.

The left-back position – dominated by Ashley Cole in recent years – is more susceptible. There are fewer up-and-comers in this spot. Kieran Gibbs has a chance to impress in the wake of Bacary Sagna's injury last weekend, which sees the Frenchman sidelined for around three months. If Gibbs can help to steady a leaky Arsenal defence, it will bolster his chances of a call-up next year. Chelsea's Ryan Bertrand has also played for England since the age of 16, but will need to be given the chance to impress there ahead of Cole before an inclusion into the national team.

© Ronnie Macdonald, Flickr

Kieran Gibbs (right) has the chance to shine for Arsenal ahead of England's Euro 2012 campaign

Midfielders

Jack Wilshire (Arsenal), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Scott Sinclair (Swansea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Henri Lansbury (West Ham United – on loan from Arsenal), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa), Josh McEachran (Chelsea), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)

England's midfield has arguably overcome its biggest problem already. The seemingly inevitable selection of both Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard has proven time and time again to be an ineffective partnership, in spite of former individual success. But with Lampard now aged 33 and Gerrard having faced a lengthy spell on the sideline due to injury, this could pave the way for future midfielders to break through.

Jack Wilshire already faces enormous pressure regarding both his domestic and international future. At the age of 19, he has already been tipped for greatness and is likely to be a pivotal figure in the England setup for years to come. There is no doubt that he could play an important holding role from which Fabio Capello forms his midfield, but for this to work he would need the right balance around him. Everton's Jack Rodwell also has a chance to impress and step up from U21 level during Wilshire's period of injury, which will see the teenager out of action until early next year.

Tom Cleverley has been a revelation at Manchester United this year after impressive loan spells at Leicester City, Watford and Wigan Athletic in recent seasons. Only injury has kept him out of Sir Alex's plans lately after a fantastic start to the Premier League with the Red Devils, and should be a part of the England team in years to come.

© Ed Schipul, Flickr 
Tom Cleverley has already been backed by manager Sir Alex Ferguson to play for England

Since transferring from Chelsea in 2010, Scott Sinclair has been outstanding for Swansea – scoring 22 times in the league and helping the Swans gain promotion to the top flight this year. However, although Sinclair is a playmaker, he is predominantly a winger which may see his chances of an England call-up reduced ahead of the likes of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young. Nevertheless, Capello may want to see more of him this season.

Jordan Henderson has already played for England but will need to establish a first-team spot at Liverpool in order to secure a regular spot at international level. The likes of Henri Lansbury, Marc Albrighton, Josh McEachran and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all in a similar position, but are capable of rising through the ranks at their respective clubs in order to catch the eye of Fabio Capello. There are definitely enough young midfielders capable of excelling for England if given the opportunity.

Forwards

Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)

Like the goalkeeping situation, England's availability of strikers is not a huge concern; however, a drop in form or an injury could open up a spot in the starting XI for a young talent.

Andy Carroll had a fantastic start to Premier League life with Newcastle before joining Liverpool in January 2011 for £35 million – a price tag many argue that he will never be able to fulfil. However, Carroll has already impressed Fabio Capello enough to be handed his England debut, and scored in a 1-1 friendly with Ghana. He should feature in next year's squad, but whether he will be a starter rather than an impact player is uncertain.

© k1ngk0ng, Flickr

Andy Carroll has made three appearances for England so far

Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge have had a similar last couple of years. Both enjoyed successful loan spells at other Premier League sides last season (Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers respectively) before returning to their parent clubs, impressing their managers enough to feature regularly in important fixtures. Bearing in mind that said clubs are Manchester United and Chelsea, this should not be underestimated. Both Welbeck and Sturridge were also regular goal scorers at U21 level for England, boosting their chances of a call-up next year.

Barring any major injury or huge drop in form this season, Wayne Rooney is the only dead certainty for England at Euro 2012 – in terms of strikers. The likes of Darren Bent, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch have often been overlooked in the past by Capello, regardless of form. If Welbeck can establish a strong partnership with Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford this season, a call-up is likely. Daniel Sturridge is in a slightly more difficult position due to extra competition at Chelsea, as well as a lack of stability in terms of the line-up. But both possess the ability to succeed for England and should be given an opportunity to impress.

So can England's new Lions succeed where former sides have failed? Whether Fabio Capello will choose to adopt such an approach is uncertain. Whether it would work is unclear. But an inclusion of youth in the Euro 2012 could be just what is needed to help England reach its potential, as well as to meet national expectations. Capello, the media, and fans have all seen what the golden era of players are capable of. Maybe now is the time to see what the future holds.

Sven-Göran Eriksson: can the former England boss take Leicester City to the top?

It is without question that the dismissal of former boss Paulo Sousa, followed by the somewhat hasty signing of former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, has rocked the boat at Leicester City. His unsuccessful stint as the director of football at Notts County left little to be desired, resulting in Eriksson leaving the club within a matter of months last season. Therefore it is unsurprising that Foxes fans are hardly bowled over with this new managerial appointment.

However, I believe that there is reason to be more optimistic. I agree with Milan Mandaric’s justification behind the sacking of Paulo Sousa last week. Sousa is a classy guy and he did have potential. Leicester City played exciting, attacking football under him which was very refreshing to see, and the argument can quickly be made that nine league games is not a long enough time period for any manager to make his mark on a football club (bearing in mind he also won three cup games in the two months he was at the Walkers Stadium). But the defence was uncharacteristically bad. 22 goals were conceded in nine games. Last season under Nigel Pearson, Leicester only conceded 45 goals all season with essentially the same group of defenders. While some players were excelling under Sousa’s attacking style of football, others such as Jack Hobbs and Michael Morrison began to look increasingly uncomfortable, resulting on too much pressure being put on more attacking players to overcome an almost inevitable deficit in every game.

How long can a chairman sit and wait before the season becomes seriously damaged – considering the expectations after last season? If Milan Mandaric had waited until Christmas before finding a new manager - with Sousa’s style showing no signs of improvement – he would have been criticised by the fans for waiting too long. Mandaric was in a very difficult situation, and he had to make a difficult decision. As cruel as it may be, it is easier to replace your manager than it is to replace a large number of players – especially when said players have such talent and potential, as has been demonstrated over the previous two seasons.

But the decision to bring Eriksson in seems as though it could have been in the pipeline long before Sousa’s final two games in charge against Portsmouth and Norwich, which is unfair. Sousa had a plan for this club, and Mandaric was well aware of that plan when he offered him the position. But Mandaric has said on countless occasions that he is willing to do whatever it takes to bring success to Leicester City, and sitting at the bottom of the Championship after almost a quarter of the season is not a good place to be. Although there is still a long way to go in this Championship campaign, a change had to be made to bring success to this season.

Like many others, I don’t strictly disapprove of the appointment of Eriksson. As mentioned earlier, he has managed at international level, and in the Premier League, and thus has a great deal of experience in English football. Mandaric has also been criticised for his selection, it being labelled as a publicity stunt by fans and the media. However, Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn and the other members of the Thai-based consortium who own the club would have had as much input regarding the hiring of Eriksson as the chairman did. If that is the case, then this is not so much a publicity stunt as it is the owners showing intolerance to failure, and an expectation of good results. Whilst Mandaric has demonstrated a track record for showing impatience with managers at times, if the decision had been purely down to him, Paulo Sousa probably would have been given more time at the helm. The possibility, therefore, that the new ownership could once again in a quick turnover of managers – as experienced during the 2007/2008 season – is a realistic one.

I also worry that Eriksson could flood his backroom with outside names, having already brought in Derek Fazackerley, whom he worked with during his time at Manchester City. This could potentially force out coaches, and current stand-in managers, Chris Powell and Mike Stowell. This would be a huge mistake. As can be demonstrated by the way Leicester bounced back against Scunthorpe United at the weekend, many of the players have a great connection with both of these coaches, and the club itself is lucky to have them as part of the backroom staff. Both have also expressed their interest in staying at the club, and Eriksson would do well to keep them around to help with the development of the first team players, and also to gain the trust and support of the Blue Army faithful.

Life is never dull as a Leicester City supporter, and once again the club appears to be headed for uncertain times. However, fans should not necessarily be pessimistic. The squad is still very strong, and as far as league position goes, the only way is up. If Eriksson can get the best from these players then he could be on to a winner. If they don’t respond, then his time at the Walkers Stadium – like Paulo Sousa – could be short lived. The jury is still out on this appointment, but Eriksson certainly has the potential to bring this football club back to winning ways.