There are two questions to begin with when you consider Rafa Benitez’s appointment as Everton manager.
First, in the cold light of day, is he a good manager? The answer is clearly yes. He has won trophies in three countries so you can’t knock his record. The second question is, will he get time and patience from the fans if things go wrong? With the baggage he carries, the answer is clearly no. He will be judged more harshly than any manager Everton have ever had.
That makes it a big call by Farhad Moshiri, the club’s owner, who’s stuck his neck out by appointing an ex-Liverpool manager. Mind you, it’s also a brave decision by Benitez himself who, in my view, will be defined by how he starts. If he starts off slowly, there will be rumblings from the word go.
Personally, I liked what he said in his first interview about wanting to bring a winning mentality. If he could do that and take Everton up the table and win a trophy, I wouldn’t care less if he had three heads, never mind his Anfield past.
It should help him that he knows Scousers so he will understand that any kind of success at Everton would really get the place going. But every fan must play their part. His past is his past and these anti-Benitez banners are a waste of time. The club aren’t going to take notice of somebody with a bed sheet. As for that banner near his house which said “We know where you live”, behaviour like that is beyond the pale.
I know it wasn’t easy for Sammy Lee, another ex-Red, when he came to the club with Sam Allardyce but when I look back on my time at Everton, there was plenty of commonality and respect between the players and staff at the two clubs. Alan Harper, Kevin Sheedy and Gary Ablett all joined us from Liverpool and it was never a problem.
The only one who got stick was David Johnson after he rejoined Everton from Liverpool in the early 80s. He got booed all the time when his name was read out and we’d just laugh at him. Before my time, Bill Shankly used to hang around at Bellefield, our old training ground, after he left Liverpool and was no longer welcome at Melwood. More recently, you’ve seen the two clubs come together over Hillsborough, and when young Rhys Jones was killed.
I just hope that when Evertonians walk into the ground for the first home game of the season, they just rejoice in being back watching football. We can’t have anybody going there and wishing him bad. We need a positive atmosphere. He has a three-year contract so, whether fans like it or not, they have to get behind him.
I also hope, for Benitez’s sake, that Everton’s board are clear in explaining their strategy. I don’t suppose anything can be as bad as working with Mike Ashley at Newcastle but I wonder whether Moshiri has looked at him and thought he can do well on a limited budget.
It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if James Rodriguez left. Would they also sell Richarlison? One thing Benitez will need to add is some genuine pace but it’s a decent squad, even if there’s deadwood to clear in players like Bernard, Fabian Delph, Andre Gomes and Alex Iwobi.
One thing that Benitez has done well already is to keep my mate Duncan Ferguson on the coaching staff and I hope he listens to Duncan’s opinions on the players. It’s good for Duncan too as he’s working with another coach who has won things.
Keeping Duncan Ferguson is a smart move from Benitez (Photo: Getty)
I’d argue that Duncan had done enough to warrant an interview for the job himself, and him being there certainly means there’s a safety net in place if things do go wrong as he has stepped in before and done well. In the meantime, he will carry on absorbing the knowledge.
Sometimes you can’t see what’s under your nose and somebody, somewhere, will end up with a terrific manager in Duncan one day. With Benitez coming in, though, he might have to go away to get that chance.
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As the tide of euphoria peaked, then curled in on itself, then relaxed into ripples after England left the World Cup at the semi-final stage and the squad returned home from Russia, Gareth Southgate noticed one of his players was not in the same buoyant mood as the rest.
England had reached the last four of a World Cup for the first time in 28 years, propelled on by video clips of the feverish celebrations 3,600 miles back home, they returned not winners but heroes nonetheless. Life could barely have been better.
Yet Raheem Sterling did not seem to share in the exuberance.
Despite playing every game bar one, he had not scored during the tournament. And despite making countless key contributions and unselfish runs to free space for Golden Boot winner Harry Kane, the public did not take to them.
After the World Cup quarter-final against Sweden, in which Sterling starred in an uncharacteristically comfortable England win, in the BBC’s online poll he was rated by the public as the team’s worst player.
He was the only one to be rated lower than six – considered not as good as substitutes Fabian Delph, Eric Dier and Marcus Rashford, who collectively played for 20 minutes. Even Rashford, who had come on for Sterling in stoppage time and touched the ball a couple of times, rated higher.
It was a peculiar phenomenon.
After four Euro 2020 games, he has scored two match-winners, the opening goal to send England on their way to victory against Germany, and is two goals behind current tournament top-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. You’d expect him to be considered one of England’s best players. If not the best.
So far, the public – again on the BBC website – have given him an average rating of 6.08, out of 10. Tough crowd.
How low would his numbers be if he hadn’t scored, like in Russia? As a rough idea, in the only game in which he hasn’t scored – against Scotland – he was given a 3.55. Huh.
What if Harry Kane had scored the same crucial goals to fire England to a Euro 2020 quarter-final? He would surely be a national treasure by now, awaiting his knighthood when the tournament concludes.
Sterling still isn’t universally adored by England fans (Photo: AP)
It would a simpler story, but Sterling’s isn’t. It should be a fairy tale: the boy from Brent, scoring match-winning goals at Wembley for his country during an almost home European Championship.
What is it about Raheem Sterling? Why isn’t he loved and cherished? How has a boy who just wanted to play football become a lightning rod in the culture war?
Southgate repeatedly defended Sterling’s contribution during the World Cup, has repeatedly defended Sterling since then and has gone into bat for his star winger again.
“He is a fighter,” the England manager said. “He has got an incredible resilience and hunger. He has developed over the last couple of years this real hunger to score – where the ball has flashed across the box earlier in the tournament, he has been in between the posts.
“He is finding himself in these areas and yes, his drive is fantastic, we know the journey he has been on with England and I am so happy for him to be able to deliver the performances he has. To deliver them at Wembley will have been really special for him and the goals return is incredible.
“Absolutely incredible, really. But – yes – please keep asking the questions because if we cannot motivate him everyone else will certainly be able to.”
Sterling took a long time to settle into an England shirt – 15 goals in his previous 20 games is phenomenal, but in his first 45 he scored only two. Being vilified at every turn during that period and made a scapegoat for his country’s failures on the world stage is likely to do that to a person.
But even when England did it right, something felt wrong for Sterling. “He was probably only one of the players to come back from the World Cup with a different feeling and I talked to him at length about that,” Southgate said.
Southgate believes the “lift-off moment for him” for him was when he ended a three-year goalless spell for the national team against Spain in Seville, in 2018.
“You could almost see it. He almost jumped into the second tier of the stadium if you look at the celebration that night of his goal. I really feel this was a significant moment for him and of course, he had been scoring for his club but had not been able to translate that across. Now I think he feels happy in our environment, feels he can be himself, knows the respect we have for him.”
If only that same reverence was shared across the nation. It’s the least he deserves.
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo on a two-year deal.
It has been over two months since Jose Mourinho was sacked and with a host of candidates having either turned the job down or their talks falling through, Spurs have waited until less than a week before pre-season before finalising the deal.
Nuno left Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of the 2020-21 season. The Portuguese’s spell saw Wolves promoted to the Premier League and secure European football, though he was no proponent of the style of football for which Daniel Levy promised he was on the lookout.
So now he is *finally* in the dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where will he be turning his attentions first?
Kane is a bit busy right now… However, when he returns the vice-captain has made no secret of the fact he will entertain a move away should he not feel the club are capable of matching his ambition. How he reacts to Nuno’s appointment could be telling.
…And the rest
Gareth Bale’s loan deal expired on Wednesday and his agent Jonathan Barnett has confirmed Spurs do not have an option to extend it by a year. That means the Welshman has almost certainly played his last game for the Lilywhites, but what about Serge Aurier, Harry Winks and Davinson Sanchez, all of whom face uncertain futures?
The wing-backs
Matt Doherty will no doubt be delighted at the prospect of a reunion with his old boss. The Irishman struggled in his first season in north London but he could be brought into his former role further forward as he was at Molineux. Levy was also on the hunt for a man who will get the best out of the returning Ryan Sessegnon.
Entertaining Jorge Mendes
Nuno’s links to the so-called super-agent are well-documented and while that will alarm some fans – Mendes’ influence at Wolves was obvious – he also has some high-profile clients. One of Nuno’s jobs will be liaising with new director of football Fabio Paratici to shape his own squad.
Spurs’ shaky defence
For all Mourinho’s supposed defensive specialisms, his side had one of the worst defences in the top half last season as he shifted between Eric Dier, Sanchez, Toby Alderweireld and Joe Rodon. The latter was impressive for Wales at the Euros and he could play a much bigger role under the new boss.
Far be it for England’s footballing public to get too ahead of themselves after being handed a favourable draw at Euro 2020, but it is hard not to start glimpsing ahead to 11 July. First, though, there are the small matters of four quarter-finals and two semi-finals.
With Germany, France and Netherlands all bowing out in the last 16, for the remaining nations this could well be their greatest chance to win a major tournament in a generation.
There have been grumblings about the fairness of a format in which some teams have rarely left their own shores and even if England go all the way, their tie against Ukraine will be their only excursion out of London.
Andriy Shevchenko’s men reached Rome in even more dramatic fashion than the Three Lions, though their last 16 tie with Sweden wasn’t exactly the highlight of the round. What it lacked in inspiration was made up for in the last minute of extra time, when Artem Dovbyk latched onto a whipping cross from Oleksandr Zinchenko and headed Ukraine into the next round.
Elsewhere, one of the favourites will be knocked out as Belgium face Italy, where both Robertos – Martinez and Mancini – will be sweating on the fitness of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, albeit for very different reasons.
Gli Azzurri have arguably been the most impressive outfit since they kicked off the tournament. Yet history tells us that the winners so often notch up the gears later on, just as Spain have been doing by scoring five goals in each of their last two games.
Luis Enrique’s team face Switzerland and should they be curious as to the perils of underestimating Xherdan Shaqiri and co, they can ask France on their ignominious retreat home after losing to their neighbours on penalties.
Here is the full quarter-final draw with details of how to watch each game. All matches will be shown on the terrestrial channels in the UK.
Full quarter-final schedule
Friday 2 July
QF1: 5pm – Switzerland vs Spain (ITV)
QF2: 8pm – Belgium vs Italy (BBC)
Saturday 3 July
QF3: 5pm – Czech Republic vs Denmark (BBC)
QF4: 8pm – England vs Ukraine (BBC)
Matches on the BBC can also be streamed on iPlayer, while ITV Hub will be showing that channel’s games live – as well as offering a highlights package at the end of each matchday.
Switzerland vs Spain
Speaking of slow Spanish starts, the only time in history La Roja have lost to Switzerland was in their opening match of the 2010 World Cup – and we know how that ended. This is a squad cut from a new era, which has waved goodbye to veteran Sergio Ramos and instead looks to the future, embodied by the likes of Ferran Torres.
They have critics from the early group stages to silence. In the opposite corner, Haris Seferovic will be looking to break through a Spain defence which conceded three to Croatia, but just one in their other three matches combined.
Belgium vs Italy
It is a pity we have to lose one of them so early. While on paper this should make for a scintillating encounter, so did the Red Devils’ last 16 tie against Portugal when the two nations more or less cancelled one another out.
Italy required extra time to get past Austria, conceding a goal for the first time in 11 matches at Wembley. Mancini’s men are suave – and not just in their impeccable suits – and if Belgium can halt their free-flowing passing, the world’s number one side will be ranked as the team to beat.
Czech Republic vs Denmark
The 1992 champions meet the 1996 finalists. Two of the surprise packages so far, Patrik Schick has spearheaded the Czechs’ charge with four goals and he is now the top scorer still left in the tournament (Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Emil Forsberg are all out).
Denmark’s story has been utterly remarkable, Christian Eriksen cheering his teammates on from home as they defied cruel circumstance to delight and dazzle past Russia and Wales.
England vs Ukraine
No, that wasn’t the final on Tuesday, though the scenes across England felt like a major triumph in themselves. If the 2018 World Cup path to the semi-finals was kind, this feels an even better opportunity for this latest ‘Golden Generation’ to make history.
Ukraine have beaten expectations just by being here, finishing third in their group and stunning Sweden late on after pressing home their extra man advantage.
It was on the 17th anniversary of Rafael Benitez taking the Liverpool job that it first emerged that he was prime candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Everton. A fortnight has passed since then and he is now on the brink of being confirmed as the Toffees’ next manager.
Everton were rocked by Ancelotti’s sudden switch to Real Madrid on 1 June and with ex-Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo having initially looked like the favourite, the thought of Benitez returning to Merseyside in this guise was almost too difficult to credit.
Yet it is now 11 years since he left Anfield at the end of a glorious spell in charge which yielded the FA Cup, Super Cup, and which reached its pinnacle in the most incomprehensible of comebacks in the Champions League final in Istanbul.
It is too much to stomach for some. From a torrent of anger online to reports of unsavoury banners being left near his home, the backlash against the imminent appointment tells us one thing. Farhad Moshiri must be mighty sure he has got the right man if he is prepared to risk stirring the pot to this degree.
That said, he has never let unpopularity stand in the way of a solid career move. Stamford Bridge jeered him, but he still left Chelsea as a Europa League champion. There were question marks against his negative tactics at Newcastle, but he became a cult figure in the north-east and prompted ire towards Mike Ashley when he eventually departed.
Most recently, he has spent two years in China with Dalian Professional, making no secret of his desire to work in the Premier League again at some stage.
A glittering CV will not guarantee glory at Goodison Park – just ask Ancelotti. There will some more resigned observers of the last 18 months who will wonder what difference it makes. Whoever is the Everton manager can never seem to avoid their descent into the tragicomic. At least Duncan Ferguson would be loved.
So Benitez’s first task will undoubtedly be to win over a sceptical fanbase, before he can even begin to consider tackling the first game of the 2021-22 season at home to Southampton.
His only previous tangible encounter with the Everton faithful came in 2008 when he slammed supporters over a “lack of respect” for singing offensive chants at Steven Gerrard.
Whether he can win their admiration in the dugout could go some way towards defining the post-Ancelotti era.
He is a most unlikely messiah, the dutifully modest Gareth Southgate leading England into the Promised Land, cheered on by the House of Windsor, the head of state, the pied piper of pop, Ed Sheeran, and perhaps the most significant of all, David Beckham.
We are in the midst of a rare moment of unity and celebration, an expression of nationhood washing over an exultant populace. At the centre of it all a quiet, unassuming professional of overwhelming decency who truly represents the best of us.
From a technical point of view there are those who are not in accord with Southgate’s selections and tactics, but on nights like Tuesday, when scenes at a raucous Wembley were replicated across a country in the grip of frenzied abandon, the quality of performance was just a detail. There was something far bigger going on.
In the context of the past 15 months, England beating Germany gave a Covid-ravaged nation not only something to celebrate but permission to go nuts. There wasn’t much social distancing in Trafalgar Square and other public spaces up and down the land. As much as organisers tried to respect the circumstances with designated seating, the occasion proved impossible to contain.
Freedom Day, designated for July 19, was brought forward in an impromptu eruption. The whole of England held hands and walked into the new dawn. Prince William and Kate led the celebrations at Wembley with another future king, Prince George, clapping along.
Boris Johnson sat glued to a screen in Downing Street next to wife Carrie and was on his feet in what appeared to be a genuine act of spontaneity to celebrate England’s opening goal. All of this was gathered up by ITV and BBC, who led their flagship ten o’clock news broadcasts, with the story of the hour.
And this on a day when a further 20,000 Britons returned a positive Covid test, police launched an investigation into the harassment of England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty, the man who has steered us through the pandemic, and the west coast of America broiled in record temperatures.
The calmest bloke in England, it seemed, was Southgate, who gave a brief, two-handed salute before continuing with the requirements of office, namely commiserating with his opposite number, Joachim Low, then seeking out his players for deserved congratulation. Southgate has not missed a beat, striking all the right notes during an awkward group stage in which the aesthetic rarely rose above meat and two veg.
He again erred on the side of caution in his selection against Germany, resisting calls for greater expression with a team designed to contain more than entertain. Initially this resulted in an all-too familiar pattern of flailing Englishmen frantically trying to contain continental sophisticates. Social media began to hum with pockets of discontent as a generation raised on Football Manager tweeted the error of Southgate’s ways.
With Germany bossing the early exchanges, ribbing Southgate over a team with five defenders and two defensive midfielders at the expense of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Jadon Sancho, was an open goal. England, summoning that indefatigable yeoman spirit, did begin to get the measure of the opposition yet there was no clear evidence of supremacy until the introduction of Grealish with barely 20 minutes to go.
Whether as a result of brilliant management or luck, England broke through. The goal met the scale of the occasion, a thing of beauty born of the very skill and endeavour for which the fans had been calling. A pass out of defence to Raheem Sterling. He turned and drove at the heart of a tiring German defence. The ball passed quickly through the feet of Harry Kane, Grealish and Luke Shaw. A drilled cross into the six yard box picked out the run of Sterling. He doesn’t miss from there.
The nation erupted in crowd scenes that would shortly be replayed back to them in news reels, a moment in history. The second was the product of similarly ambitious aggression. Thomas Muller’s epic miss when an equaliser looked certain emboldened England further. Luke Shaw nicked possession on the halfway line and advanced at pace. Grealish ran wide to receive Shaw’s pass. Kane’s eyes bulged with expectation. They think it’s all over. It is now.
Kane disappeared beneath a hill of celebrating team-mates. Elsewhere folk with nil affection for sport plugged into the moment, pulled along by the festival spirit. For Kane read Andy Murray winning Wimbledon, Jonny Wilkinson kicking English rugby to the 2003 World Cup, Jos Buttler whipping off the bails in a moment of super over ecstasy.
Except, as Southgate was at pains to point out, England have won nothing yet. And so to Rome, where Ukraine await in the quarter-final. How on earth will we cope? Fear not. In Gareth we trust. Southgate will show us the way.
A win against Ukraine in Saturday night’s quarter-final could make “Three Lions”’ chart progress unstoppable once again.
To date, the original song has notched up 1.2 million chart sales – including 938,000 pure sales and 39 million streams.
Sony Music has released a limited edition vinyl single to mark the track’s 25th anniversary.
The dominance of Spotify playlists over listening habits means older hits like Ed Sheeran’s “Shape Of You” continue to enjoy substantial streaming numbers which qualify for the chart.
The OCC introduced the Accelerated Chart Ratio weighting to allow more “new” songs into the charts at the expense of lingering hits, even if they have fewer plays.
Baddiel said “Three Lions” was originally predicated on “the fact that England mainly lose”, and to Germany in particular.
An updated version may be needed if England can extend their winning run by three more games.
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Andriy Shevchenko engaged in a little fighting talk after seeing Ukraine slip through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 with almost the last kick of extra time against Sweden.
Having spent three years at Chelsea, the 44-year-old already had a vested interest in watching England throughout the group stages. Their last match, that electrifying triumph over Germany, he missed, busy preparing for his own nation’s unlikely upset.
Once that was out of the way, Shevchenko warned England “shouldn’t scare” Ukraine, though deep down he will realise they probably need a little more of the luck which has guided them to the last eight.
Between now and Saturday’s tie, he will no doubt be monitoring the news coming out of Gareth Southgate’s camp closely and in particular, whether it will be a fully-fit Three Lions travelling to Rome.
There were a trio of minor scares against Germany, with Kieran Trippier’s injury looking the most serious.
Kieran Trippier
Southgate has had plenty of decisions vindicated and among them, his penchant for squeezing a load of right-backs into a 26-man squad is now looking like a wise move. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s hamstring injury kept him out of the Euros and it appeared Trippier’s summer could be heading in a similar direction when he pulled up and received treatment on the pitch. Nonetheless, he managed to complete the 90 minutes.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane could have been forgiven for seeking the refuge of the bench after what was a difficult outing overall. It’s just as well the skipper stayed on as he finally broke his Euro duck in the 86th minute, despite admitting he had taken a “massive” knock.
“Massive, I took a massive blow to the knee but I just knew I had to give it a couple of minutes,” Kane said in his BBC interview. “I’ve always said as a striker you’ve just got to be ready for the next chance and Jack’s put in a great cross and I put it in.” The Spurs man will be fit to start against Ukraine.
Bukayo Saka
After an impressive first half, the winger was brought off in the 69th minute and replaced with Jack Grealish. That game-changing substitution might never have transpired had Bukayo Saka not broken into a sprint as Kane released him down the flank and raced into a challenge with Matthias Ginter. The Arsenal teenager came off worse and it looked bad enough for Antonio Rudiger to put the ball out of play.
Possible suspensions
England also have a quartet of players who are one yellow card from a suspension, including a couple of tournament ever-presents. Both Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips were cautioned during the win over Germany, as was Harry Maguire who has regained his place since returning from injury for the final group game against the Czech Republic. Phil Foden, who has sat out the last two games is the fourth player.
If any of the aforementioned players are booked against Ukraine, they would miss the semi-final should England qualify.
The game started with indignation over Gareth Southgate‘s team selection and ended with him being hailed as a tactical mastermind. Such is the life of an England manager.
Southgate erred on the side of caution in terms of personnel but was bold in his convictions. There was an 8-3 split between defenders and attackers, with Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka – occasional left back for Arsenal – occupying the front three positions.
Had England been outplayed by Germany, or worse still beaten, Southgate would inevitably have faced a backlash over his risk-free strategy. Phil Foden, Mason Mount and the England supporters’ poster boy, Jack Grealish were all named on the bench. So too Jadon Sancho, whose continued omission has baffled those who regularly tune into the Bundesliga.
But other than short spells at the start of both halves, England weren’t outplayed. And better still they won, by a convincing scoreline in the end too. Ultimately, Southgate’s tactical decisions and perhaps more crucially his substitutions, worked far more effectively than those of his opposite number Joachim Low.
Next up for England is a quarter-final in Rome to face Ukraine, a team who should in theory have less firepower than Germany, but will be buoyed by a dramatic extra-time victory over Sweden in Glasgow.
Here are the key decisions Southgate made against Germany and whether he will stick with them for England’s next match.
Back three switch
Germany’s thrilling 4-2 victory over Portugal was by a considerable margin their most accomplished display of the group stage and both wing-backs – Joshua Kimmich and Robin Gosens – were pivotal to their success that day, one or the other playing a part in each of the four goals.
Southgate’s decision to match Germany up by mimicking their 3-4-2-1 system was made in an attempt to keep Kimmich and Gosens quiet, with Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire doubling up on the former and Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker doing likewise with the latter.
And on the whole, Germany’s threat out wide was effectively nullified. Germany’s wing-backs mustered one (off target) effort on Jordan Pickford’s goal and created only one chance between them with Gosens eventually taken off as they sought a route back into the game late on.
This time, it was one of England’s wing-backs who made a decisive impact, Shaw centring for Raheem Sterling to score the opener after intelligently holding his run outside of Kimmich who had gravitated infield towards the ball.
Although it worked against Germany, Southgate could well revert to a back four in Rome as Ukraine’s full-back pairing of Oleksandr Karavaev and Vitaliy Mykolenko don’t quite possess the same cut-and-thrust going forward as Kimmich and Gosens. The right-sided Karavaev will have to be monitored closely, though, as he has created six chances so far in this tournament.
Grealish, the impact sub
Jack Grealish made a key impact off the bench against Germany (Photo: Getty)
Grealish appears to have taken on a messianic role in the eyes of England supporters and the rapturous ovation awarded to the scruffy-looking maestro from 40,000 fans packed into Wembley as he trotted onto the pitch was the culmination of a year-long clamour for him to be more involved.
He had an inauspicious start after taking the place of the impressive Bukayo Saka, losing possession of the ball and then immediately conceding a foul on Kimmich, but it didn’t take him much longer to make his mark on proceedings.
First there was a – cover your ears, traditionalists – pre-assist for the opening goal, a simple sideways pass to Shaw that was nevertheless weighted with dutiful care and then there was an actual assist, from virtually the exact same spot as Shaw had been in for Harry Kane’s clincher before the end.
England fans cannot get enough of Grealish and his short socks. They want more and more and more and cameo appearances like the one on Tuesday only serve to quench their thirst further. But if Southgate is to sacrifice one of the eight defensive options for a more offensive one against Ukraine, a fully fresh Mason Mount still seems the more likely candidate to come in.
For now, Grealish may have to make do with an impact role, which judging by this evidence, may be no bad thing.
Unwavering faith in Kane
To say that Kane has struggled to replicate his Premier League form from last season at Euro 2020 would be something of an understatement. At his best, Kane can be a sharp-shooting, chance-creating force of nature but when he is off his game, he can become a burdensome passenger.
Throughout this tournament, Kane has looked sluggish and leg-weary, running as though carrying a boulder on his shoulders. “He’s still got to do more for me and patience will be running out,” said Alan Shearer on the BBC after watching Kane have nine touches in the first half.
But Southgate kept the faith in his captain. That England’s only other recognised centre forward, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was left out of the matchday squad entirely, perhaps made his decision easier. And he was eventually rewarded for his show of faith four minutes from the end.
Kane was involved in the first goal, bumping the ball on to Grealish to feed Shaw and then finished Germany off with a clinical diving header finish from close-range. It is unlikely his feet have moved as quickly during the tournament as they did when he charged off towards the corner flag in front of his adoring supporters.
That goal should do wonders for Kane’s confidence and it was vindication of Southgate’s persistence with him.
WEMBLEY STADIUM — It’s time we started talking about Jordan Pickford. The first man in history to keep four clean sheets in the opening four games of a European Championship.
And boy, has he earned it. In a defence-minded set-up by Gareth Southgate, Pickford has not been inundated with saves, but he has made crucial stops at crucial times, and has been the unsung figure in England’s exceptional, critic-defying run to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals.
Thirty-two minutes into a tight, nervy last-16 knockout tie with Germany and Pickford makes a save that changes the game. Kai Havertz slips the ball through England’s supposedly compact three-man defence and into the path of Timo Werner.
Werner, of course, has not had the best of seasons, but he has scored one-on-ones with keepers from that sort of angle so many times in his career he could probably do it in his sleep. Werner went low – the right choice – but Pickford came, and spread himself, like an octopus pouncing from the corals to catch some prey.
Football is game of fine margins and though the ball went through his legs, it caught his heel, and stayed out. And England stayed level: still in it, still able to play calmly, not forced to chase a lead. That goal goes in and – obviously nobody can say for sure – but England have crumbled from a goal down on countless occasions before and it is not a given – unlikely even – that they go on to win the game, only their second ever European Championship knockout game, to reach the quarter-finals.
It was around the half-hour mark that Pickford makes the key save against Scotland, with the score goalless.
He plunges down to his right to deny Stephen O’Donnell’s corner-bound volley, with a strong enough hand to push the ball out of danger.
There was the decent hit by the Czech Republic’s Tomas Holes again around 30 minutes – what is it with Pickford and the half-hour? It is struck from 25 yards but struck hard and true and requires a diving save and strong arms to push it clear. England were already ahead in that one, so it did not prevent them from going behind, but it preserved their lead, and afforded more comfortable passage to the top of Group D, to set up the tie with Germany.
Back to that game, and there was Thomas Müller running through on England’s goal after Raheem Sterling lost possession poorly, a chance for the legendary German striker to level the tie – to perhaps begin the predictable crumble – and there was Pickford, out quickly, spreading himself again – does he have only four limbs, or eight? It’s hard to tell – forcing the forward to aim for an impossibly small target, forcing the shot to be dragged wide.
Before then, at 0-0, there was the dramatic leap to push Havertz’s half-volley over the bar, three minutes into the second half. To the untrained eye the ball looked to be flying over, but replays showed it to be soaring into the roof of the net, and Pickford makes between 500 and 700 saves per week during a major tournament with England, and his eye is well trained.
And while he may be setting international clean sheet records with his saves, Pickford’s contribution with his feet has been equally as important to England’s unbeaten run.
It has to be said in recent years for England it has felt as though Pickford is never far from an error that leads to conceding. Southgate has persisted, relentlessly, with passing out from the back and it has made you tear your hair out at times.
In this tournament, he has been a pair of feet as safe as his gloved hands: ready and waiting to receive the ball under any kind of pressure. From John Stones, the ever-present centre-back. From Tyrone Mings, the colossus in England’s opening two games. From Harry Maguire, since he returned to full fitness.
From any one of the revolving door of full-backs whose name Southgate seemingly pulls out of a hat to start each game: Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Kieran Trippier, Reece James.
Has Pickford put a foot wrong? Played a stray pass? Passed straight to an opposition player? If he has, it is hard to recall.
Everton are good but they are the tier below the Premier League’s elite and in a team full of players at the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, he is not afraid to give them an earful. And it is not easy to exert that authority after having not had the best of seasons.
Carlo Ancelotti liked to rotate his keepers and Pickford was injured in the crucial months leading up to the tournament.
In England’s opening game against Croatia, he kept kicking long and Stones, a recent Premier League winner and Champions League finalist, made it clear that Pickford should pass it short more. A little row ensued.
Pickford kept kicking it long anyway. And that’s another reason to like him so much.
England reached the quarter-final stage of the European Championship for the fifth time after beating Germany 2-0 at Wembley on Tuesday.
Raheem Sterling’s third goal of Euro 2020 put The Three Lions in front with 15 minutes remaining and captain Harry Kane finally ended his goal drought with a header four minutes from time.
Optimism is growing that England could end their 65-year wait for a major trophy after pre-tournament favourites France, reigning champions Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands, all crashed out of the tournament in the last 16.
England’s reward for beating Germany is a meeting with Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine in the quarter-final after they secured a 2-1 win over Sweden after extra-time at Hampden Park.
Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko and Emil Forsberg traded goals in the first half before substitute Artem Dovbyk clinched a dramatic winner in the 120th minute.
Here is all you need to know about England’s quarter-final match.
When is England vs Ukraine?
Date: Saturday 3 July
Kick-off time: 8pm [BST]
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Rome
TV channel: BBC One
Stream details: Watch the game live on the BBC iPlayer website or app
Ukraine scout report
By Pete Hall
HAMPDEN PARK — A dramatic last-gasp header from substitute Artem Dovbyk earned Ukraine a 2-1 extra-time victory over Sweden to book a Euro 2020 quarter-final date with England.
Ukraine had taken the lead midway through the first half thanks to a thunderous strike from Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, before the in-form Emil Forsberg, who has dug Sweden out of many a hole in this tournament so far, took his Euro 2020 tally to four with a deflected equaliser just before half time.
Forsberg, with only Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of him in the Euro 2020 goalscoring charts, hit the woodwork twice in an entertaining second half, while Serhiy Sydorchuk fired against the post for Ukraine, but neither side could find a winner at Hampden, taking the game to extra time.
Both teams were tiring, but it was Sweden who were doing all the running. Their task, however, was made all the more difficult after Marcus Danielson was sent off for a dangerous lunge, via the help of a VAR review, on Ukraine’s Artem Besedin.
Sweden sat back, happy to go to penalties, but Dovbyk had other ideas, racing through to power a header into the net, sparking jubilant scenes at Hampden as Ukraine progressed to the last eight of a major tournament for the first time in their history as an independent nation.
Who could England face in the semi-finals?
SEMI-FINAL: If England beat Sweden or Ukraine, they would then face either Czech Republic (who beat Netherlands 2-0 in the last 16), OR Denmark (who beat Wales 4-0)
FINAL: Should England make it all the way to the final, they will play at this stage they could play any of the following nations: Belgium, Italy, Spain or Switzerland
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane in the final 15 minutes ensured a first knockout victory for England against Germany since the 1966 World Cup final, which was also in London.
However, his decisions were vindicated as England recovered from a tricky start to secure an impressive victory, keeping their fourth consecutive clean sheet in the competition in the process.
England will play their quarter-final game against Sweden or Ukraine after the other three ties have taken place.
Switzerland will face Spain in the first quarter-final on Friday with Belgium and Italy in action later that night before the Czech Republic play Denmark in the earlier kick-off on Saturday.
Here are all the key details ahead of England’s quarter-final.
When is England’s next match?
Date: Saturday 3 July
Kick-off time: 8pm [BST]
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Rome
TV channel: BBC One
Stream details: Watch the game live on the BBC iPlayer website or app
“It didn’t need me to say it, but when we got in the dressing room we were talking about Saturday already,” he said. “Today has been an immense performance but at a cost emotionally and physically. We need to make sure we recover well.
“It’s a dangerous moment for us. We have a feeling round the country that we only have to turn up to win the thing now, but it’s going to be an immense challenge from here on.
“The players’ feet are on the ground, they should feel confident from the way they’ve played, but we came here with an intention and we’ve not achieved that yet.
“To see the second goal in was a really special moment. But we’ve not achieved what we want to achieve yet. We can look back on a day like today in the future, but I want to get my focus right and look ahead to Saturday.”
Who could England face in the semi-finals?
SEMI-FINAL: If England beat Sweden or Ukraine, they would then face either Czech Republic (who beat Netherlands 2-0 in the last 16), OR Denmark (who beat Wales 4-0)
FINAL: Should England make it all the way to the final, they will play at this stage they could play any of the following nations: Belgium, Italy, Spain or Switzerland
Ahead of a last-16 tie which may well define this generation of England players, The Torch at Wembley was given a makeover. “Southgate’s revenge” read the exterior.
The superstition surrounding the Torch, on FA Cup final day, is that whichever set of fans is designated that particular pub wins the match. Perhaps that is an unfair twist of fate in this most unusual of European Championships, but fate has not always been kind to the Three Lions.
There is something about this generation of players which seemingly dispenses with history – and never before had any nation beaten Germany in a Euros knockout tie before the semi-finals.
Yet Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane’s goals saw England into the last eight, where they will play Sweden or Ukraine.
The stopper made two pivotal saves, firstly from Timo Werner with both feet, and then with his fingertips to keep out Kai Havertz from distance to keep the scores level.
Walker 7/10
Composed in the six-yard box with some vital clearances, he showed incredible pace late on even when England were 2-0 up.
Stones 7/10
Showed Werner onto his wrong side and was steady throughout.
Maguire7/10
Booked for a foul on Joshua Kimmich, but generally a calming influence and contributed with his forward passes.
Trippier6/10
The only player to start who didn’t feature against Czech Republic. His afternoon was overshadowed by a hip injury.
Phillips6/10
It’s rarely fireworks, but Phillips did enough defensively and in England’s transitions to merit Southgate’s faith in him.
Rice6/10
It was a shaky start as he gave away a free-kick when caught short by Leon Goretzka. He blocked the subsequent free-kick, however, and improved as England defended the lead.
Shaw7/10
The assist for Sterling goal was the highlight, but he was constantly key to England’s pressing.
Saka7/10
Effervescent in the first half but tailed off a little in the second.
Kane5/10
It was a real struggle, in truth and he rarely touched the ball in the first half – but he finally has his goal. Onwards and upwards.
Sterling8/10
“It really is time to start putting some respect on Raheem Sterling’s name in an England shirt,” Jermaine Jenas fizzed. A third Euros goal and there was just one heart-in-mouth moment when he gave the ball away and allowed Thomas Muller through on goal. His pressing was sensational and Jenas is quite right. It was his 15th goal in his last 20 internationals – time to give Sterling a little more respect.
Substitutes
Jack Grealish 7/10
Who’s have thought?! The pre-assist to Shaw, the assist for Kane. Grealish is some player and as difficult as it can be to squeeze him into this XI, it’s where he belongs.
Jordan Henderson N/A
Only came on with 88 minutes on the clock. It will be hard for him to break into this midfield.
The England boss opted to switch to a back three for the last 16 clash at Wembley, with Saka partnering Raheem Sterling and captain Harry Kane up front.
The Arsenal youngster, 19, was man-of-the-match in the final group game against the Czech Republic and has retained his place in the starting XI ahead of the likes of Jack Grealish, who teed up Sterling’s winner in that match, and Phil Foden, who started the first two games.
“There’s a bit of what he did in the last game. There’s the games we’ve seen, there’s the training we’ve seen,” Southgate told the BBC before kick-off.”
“I think speed is important today. Speed in behind Germany’s defence that we feel that we’ve got. And our movement up front needs to be good enough to move their back line around a bit.”
Unlike Southgate, who has played a back four in all of England’s matches until this encounter, Germany manager Joachim Low has stuck with the same 3-4-3 system throughout Euro 2020.
Wing-backs Joshua Kimmich and Robin Gosens have been among their most dangerous players and Southgate indicated their threat was the reason he opted to match the Germans’ formation.
“The teams that have played Germany already have had big problems with the overload and their wing-backs,” the England boss said. “We’ve got to deal with that but then we’ve also got to cause them problems with our system and our focus has been as much with the ball as without it this week.
“But we did know that that tactical problem in our third of the pitch is one we had to resolve.”
As England edged dangerously close to triumph in the 2018 World Cup, Three Lions by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and Lightning Seeds found a new life.
English fans will be hoping that it’s coming home again as Euro 2020 approaches its latter stages – but do they know what else the song refers to?
Younger supporters may not even remember the optimism of the summer of ’96, captured by the original Three Lions, and reflected on in Three Lions ’98, never mind the glories of 1966.
If you’ve ever wondered what the hell Baddiel and Skinner are talking about, read on.
Three Lions, original 1996 version
“I think it’s bad news for the English game”
These words are spoken by pundit and former Liverpool and Scotland star Alan Hansen
“We’re not creative enough, we’re not positive enough”
The semi final team from 1996 – back row left to right, Paul Ince, David Platt, Steve McManaman, David Seaman, Gareth Southgate and Alan Shearer. Front row left to right Paul Gascoigne, Teddy Sheringham, Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce and Darren Anderton (Photo: Getty)
That’s West Ham and England’s Trevor Brooking.
“We’ll go on getting bad results”
And that’s Jimmy Hill. All of this commentary comes in the context of England’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in 1994 – but in a climate of optimism about their chances for Euro 96 with a new crop of players including the Neville brothers, Robbie Fowler, Sol Campbell, Jamie Redknapp and, indeed, Gareth Southgate bolstering mainstays such as Tony Adams and Paul Gascoigne.
A goal during a clash between Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest in 1891 (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty)
There’s a double meaning at play in the phrase “football’s coming home”. Firstly, it’s a reference to Euro ’96 being held in England – a return of a major competition to the country that invented the game and gave it to the world. Matches were held in Wembley, Old Trafford, Anfield, Villa Park, Elland Road, Hillsborough, City Ground and St James’ Park.
The other meaning is even more metaphorical: a victory in the competition would bring the trophy and the glory back to England – giving a sense of mastery and ownership over the beautiful game that was lost the first time a team outside the Home Nations started to excel. This meaning is less obvious in the 1996 original – but it’s important to the 1998 version, which is about a competition that wasn’t held in England.
Everyone seems to know the score, they’ve seen it all before
They just know, they’re so sure
That England’s gonna throw it away, gonna blow it away
This is a reference to the England fan’s defensive scepticism, still visible to this day.
But I know they can play, ’cause I remember
Three lions on a shirt
The 1966 World Cup winner’s jersey worn by George Cohen, on display in Christie’s, where it went on sale in 2006 (Photo: Getty)
The songwriters think back to the three lions badge worn by the 1966 World Cup winners. The three lions, as a heraldic device, constitute the “arms of England”, dating back as far as Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199), whose arms are properly described as “Gules, three lions passant guardant Or”.
The three lions are still in the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, twice, divided by a Scottish lion and an Irish harp.
Jules Rimet still gleaming
That’s the trophy they won, handed out to the winner of the World Cup from 1930 onwards. Originally called “Victory”, it was renamed after the Fifa President who inaugurated the competition.
England were the last team to win it before it went home with Brazil forever in 1970 as a reward for their third victory. Before the competition in England in 1966, the trophy had been lost for a week before being found in a bush by a dog named Pickles. It was finally stolen in 1983 in Brazil and has never been recovered.
What’s the new World Cup trophy called? Boringly: the Fifa World Cup Trophy.
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming
Thirty years was, at the time, the amount of time that had elapsed since England won the World Cup in 1966. It’s now 52 years – unless England win, in which case the clock could potentially reset to zero.
So many jokes, so many sneers
But all those oh-so-nears wear you down through the years
People are making light of England’s chances – but the songwriters are emotionally engaged with the team’s prospects. England’s near misses, including their loss to Germany on penalties in the semi final of Italia 90 and their encounter with Diego Maradona in the quarter final in 1986, weigh heavy on their minds.
But I still see that tackle by Moore…t
Bobby Moore, England’s only ever World Cup winning captain, famously tackled Jairzinho of the legendary 1970 Brazil team on the edge of the box after carefully watching and picking his moment. Tackles may not be celebrated in the Brazilian joga bonita – but England fans like them.
…and when Lineker scored…
Gary Lineker‘s equalising goal against West Germany in the 1990 semi-final. Lineker’s goal kept England’s chances of a first World Cup final since 1966 alive – for a while.
…Bobby belting the ball…
Charlton, not Moore, had a long-range strike against Mexico in 1966.
…and Nobby dancing
That’s England and Manchester United hardman Nobby Stiles jigging across the pitch with the Jules Rimet trophy.
(Chorus)
England have done it, in the last minute of extra time!
We reach some more positive commentators to counter the negativity from Hansen et al at the beginning. That’s commentator John Motson as David Platt scored against Belgium at Italia 1990
What a save, Gordon Banks!
Legendary commentator David Coleman on “the save” by England keeper Banks – denying Pele against Brazil in 1970.
Good old England, England that couldn’t play football! England have got it in the bag!
That’s commentator Harry Carpenter.
I know that was then, but it could be again
Nostalgia is one thing – but why can’t England repeat the feat? Euro 96, it’s coming home! (England were knocked out, in the semi-finals, by Germany.)
The new version opens with audio of England fans in the stands chanting the refrain from the 1996 song, showing how it captured the zeitgeist.
“The crosses of St George are flying all around me. Gareth Southgate, the whole of England is with you.”
Commentator Jonathan Pearce sets the scene for Southgate – then a defender, now England manager – stepping up to take the crucial penalty against Germany.
Gareth Southgate after missing his penalty (Photo: Getty)
“Oh it’s saved!”
Eintracht Frankfurt keeper Andreas Köpke guessed right as the penalties went to sudden death, putting England out of the competition.
We still believe, we still believe
We still believe, we still believe
Considering the songs back to back, it’s not difficult to understand what the first lines refer to: England lost again despite the buoyant mood and excellent song – but the songwriters haven’t lost hope, which is why they’re back with an updated version.
It’s coming home, it’s coming home
It’s coming, football’s coming home
It’s coming home, it’s coming home
It’s coming, football’s coming home
Football’s still coming home – not in terms of the competition being held in England, as the event in question in 1998 was the World Cup in France, but in a more figurative sense.
Tears for heroes dressed in grey
The England team that lined up against Germany in the fateful semi final were forced to wear a grey away strip so as not to clash with their arch rivals.
No plans for final day
Stay in bed drift away
England fans at Wembley in 1996 (Photo: Allsport/Getty)
We imagine ourselves back at Euro 96, with the songwriters eschewing the pub or friends’ front rooms during the Germany-Czech Republic fan and instead simply letting the day pass by.
It could have been all
Songs in the street
It was nearly complete
It was nearly so sweet
The songwriters are now imagining the victory that never happened, with singing in the street.
And now I’m singing,
(Chorus)
Talk about football coming home
And then one night in Rome
We were strong
We had grown
A strangely specific reference to a World Cup qualifier with Italy in 1997 which finished 0-0. Facing a team featuring the likes of Maldini and Zola, England’s fans felt they showed maturity by maintaining concentration and holding out.
And now I see Ince ready for war
A bloodied Paul Ince at the end of the Italy draw (Photo: Getty)
Paul Ince of Liverpool battled hard in the Italy qualifier.
Gazza good as before
Paul Gascoigne celebrates scoring against Scotland in 1996 (Photo: Getty)
The mercurial Paul Gascoigne, often spoken of as one of the best natural talents ever to play for England, was back to his 1990 form in 1996.
Shearer certain to score
Alan Shearer wheels away in celebration of another goal (Photo: Getty)
Alan Shearer scored five at Euro 96 and his domestic form remained impressive up to 1998.
And Psycho screaming,
That’s the famously angry Stuart Pearce shouting after scoring his penalty against Spain in the Euro 96 quarter finals.
(Chorus)
We can dance Nobby’s dance
The Nobby Stiles dance from 1966 again.
We could dance it in France
The World Cup was played in France in 1998. England played group games in Marseille, Toulouse and Lens before being knocked out – on penalties – in St Etienne.
It’s coming home…
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2UcwDQG
