Key Points
- Gareth Southgate has (finally) finalised his squad for Euro 2024.
- Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish among the big names to miss out.
- Four Crystal Palace players make the final squad
It’s time to wave your flags and put up your bunting, the start of Euro 2024 is just a few days away. England boss Gareth Southgate has finally put us out of our misery and named his final 26 man squad for the tournament.
There were a few shockers in the announcement, as established squad members such as James Maddison and Jack Grealish missed out, whilst the likes of Adam Wharton and Ivan Toney made the cut. So is football (finally) coming home, or are fans in for another heartbreaking exit?
Three key takeaways from the England Euro 2024 squad announcement
Here are some of the takeaways:
Problems in defence…again!
With experienced centre half Harry Maguire failing to recover from a calf injury, England look somewhat lightweight in the middle of their defence. John Stones is a guaranteed starter, but with just 13 Manchester City appearances this season, he is slightly short of match time. Alongside Stones, Marc Guehi is the favourite to start.
The Crystal Palace defender has just ten caps to his name, and has not played alongside Stones since the 0-4 defeat to Hungary in June 2022. Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite was left out of the final squad, leaving the inexperienced trio of Lewis Dunk, Ezri Konsa and Joe Gomez as the likely alternatives if Stones or Guehi miss any games. It’s far cry from the days of stalwarts such as John Terry and Rio Ferdinand marshalling the Three Lions back line.
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Wharton the surprise inclusion…but will he play?
A few weeks ago, Adam Wharton wasn’t even in contention for a place in the England squad for Euro 2024. Indeed, outside of Blackburn and Crystal Palace, few fans would have identified the playmaker had he walked past them in the street.
However, following a stellar end to the season and an assured performance on his international debut, the Palace midfielder has forced his way into Southgate’s plans. It remains to be seen if Wharton will play a significant role in Germany, but he certainly looks like being a key part of England’s long term future.
Before the England Euro 2024 squad announcement, one of the big questions was whether Ivan Toney or Olly Watkins would be taken as striker Harry Kane’s back up. Going completely against character, Southgate decided to spring a bit of a surprise by selecting both players for the tournament.
Whilst Watkins has been Kane’s regular backup in recent months, Toney is regarded as England’s best penalty taker, something that could prove hugely important in the latter stages of the tournament. Of course, if Kane were to pick up an injury, both players represent a significant drop off in quality and the
odds on England to win Euro 2024
would take a massive hit . Let’s face it, would you be backing an England Euro triumph with either Watkins or Tonry leading the line?
How will England line up in Germany?
Everton’s Jordan Pickford is a guaranteed starter in Germany. The experienced keeper enjoyed a superb season for his club and has rarely let England down. I just hope those words don’t come back to haunt me!
As mentioned above, Stones and Guehi are almost certain to start at centre back, whilst Kyle Walker has made the right back position his own. Regular left back Luke Shaw has missed the last four months through injury and is racing to be fit for the Group stage. If he fails to make it, Southgate is likely to select Kieran Trippier to fill the position. If England has a weakness, it lies in this area of the pitch.
Declan Rice is one of the first names on the England team sheet (and not just because he will be wearing the number 4 shirt), but it is unclear who will start alongside him in the middle of the park. Trent Alexander Arnold has impressed in recent international games, but rarely plays in midfield for Liverpool, so Southgate may be reluctant to use him against some of the continent's stronger teams. Kobbie Mainoo has also enjoyed a superb second half of the season, but Southgate may prefer to put the more experienced Connor Gallagher in his starting eleven. In other words, expect Southgate to make the boring choice!
Captain Harry Kane is certain to lead the line, whilst Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are likely to occupy the three attacking midfield roles. That means the in-form Cole Palmer will have to settle for a place on the bench, alongside other potential game changers Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon.
What’s next?
Most
Euro 2024 betting sites
have England as favourites for the tournament, so expectations will be sky high (as usual!) when they start their campaign on June 16th against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen. After that, they travel to Frankfurt to face Denmark four days later, before finishing the group stage against Slovenia in Cologne on June 25th. Meanwhile, optimistic fans can bookmark July 14th for the date when England finally lift their first ever European championship title!
It’s coming home…possibly
Gareth Southgate has a reputation for conservatism when picking his line ups, but on paper, his England Euro 2024 squad is full of world-class attacking talent. The big question is - can Southgate harness that talent to ensure they produce world-class displays on grass and will you risk using any
offers for Euro 2024
you pick up to back his team?
If he can get the best out of the likes of Bellingham, Foden and Saka, the Three Lions will be tough to stop in Germany. Of course, winning international tournaments requires a strong defence, and this is where England could come unstuck against teams like France, Portugal and (whisper it quietly) Germany. However, with no truly outstanding teams in the competition, this represents England’s best chance to finally win a first international trophy since 1996.
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