Can England get off to a good start in the Euro 2016 qualifiers?
Qualifying for major tournaments is not always a foregone conclusion for England, with the nightmare of 1994 and 2008 lingering in the background as Roy Hodgson prepares the team for the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Being drawn into a relatively easy group may ease the pressure on a national team that has come under heavy scrutiny from fans and media pundits for an alarming slide in quality, form and level of performances which has created disillusion across the country.
A good start away to Switzerland was imperative to reignite belief and confidence in the England team that has been waning for a number of years. Pre-match pessimism and low confidence was eradicated by a positive performance which resulted in England’s first victory in a competitive match since March 2013. Having more shots on target in the first half than the previous two matches combined illustrates the impressive nature of England’s 2-0 victory in a game that was widely considered as the most difficult. Although http://www.bookies.com have England as strong favourites to qualify from Group E, there is plenty of work ahead for Hodgson to get the Three Lions roaring again.
Switzerland
Danny Welbeck’s brace – his first goals in an England shirt in a year – was decisive in a game which England looked extremely dangerous on the break, but still need to improve in defence. Joe Hart made crucial saves in both halves as Switzerland created numerous openings, with only Gary Cahill’s heroic goal-line clearance preventing substitute Josip Drmic from scoring after Welbeck had put England in front. Although Switzerland had more of the ball with 56% possession, England carried a greater goal threat through the energy, creativity and pace of Raheem Sterling who worked well with Wayne Rooney and Welbeck to create havoc going forward. It was a perfect start on England’s road to redemption, with a positive performance restoring an element of respectability and pride in the national team.
San Marino
Facing a team who are ranked 208th in the world and have only won one match – a 1-0 victory in a friendly against Liechtenstein in 2004 – in their history is arguably the best opponent for England to be ruthless against on home soil and show the nation that they are heading in the right direction. England put 13 goals past San Marion on their way to qualifying for Brazil 2014, although the tournament itself will not be remembered fondly by any England fan. The game on October 9th may provide Hodgson with a wonderful opportunity to provide numerous players on the cusp of the national team with a chance to prove themselves and show they have what it takes to represent England. Controlled experimentation may be beneficial for England in the future; selecting players such as Tom Huddlestone, Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge will provide Hodgson with a chance to see whether they can perform at competitive international level, and will gain more from doing so than selecting his strongest team against the second-lowest ranked nation in Europe.
Estonia
An away trip to Estonia, who are ranked 93rd in the world, three days later provides England with a great opportunity to begin their European qualification campaign with 9 points from a possible 9. Their 1-0 opening day victory against Slovenia could be followed with another 3 points away in Lithuania – a result which would provide Estonia with the belief they can get a result. History would suggest that an Estonia victory is highly unlikely as they have never beaten England in the two games played against each other, losing 3-0 on both occasions. However, a wonderful qualifying campaign put Estonia within touching distance of participating at Euro 2012, but unfortunately fell short in a play-off defeat to Ireland. It will not be an easy game for England as Estonia are much more effective on home soil, but gaining three points would allow Hodgson’s men to stamp their authority on Group E and take control to lift the doom and gloom.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Category: Student Sport
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