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Euro 2012 Comment: A tough test but England dare not fail again
Three Lions must beat plenty of familiar faces in bid to qualify...
7 Feb 2010 14:58:00
By Gill Clark
Whilst England produced a near flawless qualifying campaign to make it through to this year’s World Cup finals, they look to have a far tougher task ahead of them after being paired with Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro in Group G of the draw for Euro 2012.
Having failed dismally to make it to Euro 2008, the Three Lions dare not miss out again yet manager Fabio Capello has already warned that, whilst he prefers being in a group of five, the draw is “very tough”.
Perhaps the most eye-catching tie will be the two games against Wales, which should see plenty of familiar faces going head-to-head and is the first tie between the sides since 2005, when England narrowly won 1-0 in Cardiff in a World Cup qualifier.
While England will undeniably be favourites to beat John Toshack’s young side the “derby” [as Capello called it] nature of the tie makes it an intriguing prospect for fans and players alike and should see some great atmospheres at Wembley and the Millenium Stadium alike.
The toughest game in the group may come against Switzerland, a nation Capello acknowledged as “one of the best teams at the moment” and will bring memories of his first game in charge of the Three Lions.
The Italian replaced Steve McClaren as the helm of the national side for the first time at Wembley against the Swiss, a game which ended in a 2-1 win for the new manager thanks to goals by, perhaps surprisingly with hindsight, Jermaine Jenas and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Whilst a similar result would be welcomed, England must be aware that the Swiss topped their World Cup group, losing just once along the way and will certainly provide stern opposition.
Although Capello is likely to know plenty about the Swiss, he may know less about Montenegro, a side England have never met, ranked 72 in Fifa's rankings, but with plenty of firepower in their side, particularly with Roma striker Mirko Vucinic in the ranks.
Bulgaria too, who include Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov and Manchester City's Martin Petrov among others, have more than enough quality to upset the English who must learn the painful lessons from failing to qualify for Euro 2008 and continue the improvements that Capello has, so far, successfully implemented.
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Having failed dismally to make it to Euro 2008, the Three Lions dare not miss out again yet manager Fabio Capello has already warned that, whilst he prefers being in a group of five, the draw is “very tough”.
Perhaps the most eye-catching tie will be the two games against Wales, which should see plenty of familiar faces going head-to-head and is the first tie between the sides since 2005, when England narrowly won 1-0 in Cardiff in a World Cup qualifier.
While England will undeniably be favourites to beat John Toshack’s young side the “derby” [as Capello called it] nature of the tie makes it an intriguing prospect for fans and players alike and should see some great atmospheres at Wembley and the Millenium Stadium alike.
The toughest game in the group may come against Switzerland, a nation Capello acknowledged as “one of the best teams at the moment” and will bring memories of his first game in charge of the Three Lions.
The Italian replaced Steve McClaren as the helm of the national side for the first time at Wembley against the Swiss, a game which ended in a 2-1 win for the new manager thanks to goals by, perhaps surprisingly with hindsight, Jermaine Jenas and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Whilst a similar result would be welcomed, England must be aware that the Swiss topped their World Cup group, losing just once along the way and will certainly provide stern opposition.
Although Capello is likely to know plenty about the Swiss, he may know less about Montenegro, a side England have never met, ranked 72 in Fifa's rankings, but with plenty of firepower in their side, particularly with Roma striker Mirko Vucinic in the ranks.
Bulgaria too, who include Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov and Manchester City's Martin Petrov among others, have more than enough quality to upset the English who must learn the painful lessons from failing to qualify for Euro 2008 and continue the improvements that Capello has, so far, successfully implemented.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
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