Is it finally England’s time to shine?

Since the embarrassment of being dumped out of Euro 2016 by Iceland in the Round of 16, England have made progressive strides towards ultimate glory. The 2018 World Cup ended in semifinal heartbreak, after Mario Mandžukić fired home an extra time winner to knock England out. There was even greater disappointment at Euro 2020 (played in 2021 due to the pandemic), when Gareth Southgate’s men lost cruelly on penalties to Italy in the final in their home stadium, Wembley. And then there was Harry Kane’s uncharacteristic miss from the penalty spot against France in Qatar in 2022 when England were arguably the better team.

But with the next edition of the Euros just around the corner, there is renewed optimism that England can take the final step and finally bring a trophy home. It is not only the media that are backing Southgate’s men, but online bookmakers, including betting sites at bestnongamstopcasinosuk.com, have listed England as favourites to lift the trophy in Germany. While there are many other strong nations including France, Portugal, Germany, Spain and holders Italy, there is good reason to believe that England can win their first piece of silverware since winning the World Cup in 1966.

Goals from everywhere

If you go by the old adage, “goals win matches”, England certainly have the firepower in their ranks to do just that. Across all competitions, the expected front four of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Bukayo Saka scored a combined 114 goals between them last season for FC Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Arsenal respectively. The threat from left, right and centre will certainly give opposition managers headaches. Even behind the quartet, Declan Rice has chipped in with more goals and assists in his debut season at Arsenal. Whether Rice will be given the same attacking license he is afforded under Mikel Arteta remains to be seen.

And the attacking threat does not stop there. Even if Rice does not push forward from midfield in Southgate’s structure, his dead ball deliveries could prove extremely useful for the likes of John Stones and Harry Maguire. England’s set piece prowess is well documented, even if goals from centre backs have dried up over the past year. In games of fine margins, these set plays could prove decisive.

Southgate’s swansong

The tournament this summer could prove to be Southgate’s last as England manager. The former Middlesbrough and Aston Villa centre back was appointed in November 2016 and has overseen an improvement in fortunes compared to his predecessors. Southgate has not only improved England’s record at major tournaments, but the overall atmosphere and culture around the squad has notably improved, while also endearing himself to the tough British media with his calmness and openness in press conferences. If Southgate is to leave the job this summer, he will hope to do so with a winner’s medal.