This article is part of the Guardian’s Euro 2024 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 24 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 14 June.
Prospects
Let the psychodrama commence. England are the best team in the world. It would be an act of high treason if they fail to win Euro 2024. It would be because they’re woke. It would be because their players once took the knee. But also, is anyone else worried about the lack of available left-backs and the problematic third midfield spot? Wait a minute. Are England even going to get out of their group? Why are all the defenders injured? Did Gareth Southgate watch Harry Winks this season?
Opinions can be extreme when it comes to assessing England before a tournament. The reality is that they are probably the second-best team in Europe. A potential rematch with France, who knocked England out of the 2022 World Cup, would be fascinating. England were close to winning the quarter-final in Qatar. They may well have gone through if Harry Kane had scored that second penalty.
The margins are impossibly fine. England should have won Euro 2020, only for caution to prove their undoing when they lost on penalties to Italy in the final. Since then, though, the squad has improved. They breezed through qualifying, finishing comfortably clear of Italy and Ukraine, and boast a wealth of attacking talent. Supporting Kane will be Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden, with Declan Rice patrolling midfield. Cole Palmer could be around for a penalty.
But the usual doubts persist. England’s main left-back, Luke Shaw, has missed most of the season. The defence could be vulnerable against elite opposition. The right balance in midfield remains elusive and Southgate still has to prove he has the tactical chops to win a really big game. The idea they should waltz to the trophy is nothing more than the usual overheated hype.
The coach
This could be Gareth Southgate’s last hurrah. His contract expires in December and he almost walked away after the last World Cup. Perhaps he goes out in a blaze of glory. Maybe he slinks out after another quarter-final exit. Maybe he simply keeps the FA happy by staying for the 2026 World Cup. The FA won’t want Southgate to go. There are legitimate questions over his tactics, and he does seem to have a blind spot with a certain Manchester United centre-back, but the 53-year-old remains an asset. Players once dreaded international duty. Southgate, a constant beacon of calm, dignity and intelligence, has turned the camp into a happy place.
The icon
“His mentality is incredible,” Southgate says of Jude Bellingham, the 20-year-old superstar who has spent the season tearing it up at Real Madrid. A host of clutch goals, a collection of man-of-the-match performances, a first Champions League final: it’s not the worst way to announce yourself after joining the biggest club in the world for £88.5m. “For us, obviously he’s the best,” says the Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, although it remains to be seen if Bellingham can drive his country to glory. One slight concern is hints of a temper. Let’s hope he isn’t having an early bath after stamping on a winking Cristiano Ronaldo.
One to watch
Kobbie Mainoo showed no fear when he made his full debut against Belgium in March. The 19-year-old midfielder was cool in possession and was a rare positive for Manchester United last season, scoring one of their goals in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City. It takes something to shine in that environment. England must be a doddle by comparison. “He is taking everything in,” Southgate said in March. “Talking to him tactically, he seems able to take all those concepts on. You can see his comfort with the ball and receiving in tight areas.”
The maverick
The youngest of four brothers, Conor Gallagher learned how to toughen up from an early age. The siblings often played football in the garden and one of his brothers, Jake, once said: “We would beat him up so many times, and he would just laugh at us. He was a madman.” A tough central midfielder, he does not always know when to stop on the pitch and was sent off after two yellow cards in the first half against Brighton this season. But Mauricio Pochettino showed faith in him and even gave him the armband at Chelsea this season. Blues fans are not impressed with the club’s decision to listen to offers for him this summer.
The spine
There is a familiarity to elements of the team. Jordan Pickford has been England’s No 1 since 2018 and has never let the team down. John Stones is vital in central defence, Kyle Walker’s speed at right-back makes him a mandatory pick and Southgate will not want to imagine a world in which Harry Kane, captain and record goalscorer, is injured. But the emergence of others have helped the side develop. Declan Rice has become undroppable in midfield. He wins the ball back and allows Bellingham to drive forward. The worry is that England lack a replacement for Rice. They are lucky he is so durable.
Probable starting XI:
Celebrity fan
Who can forget the half-time entertainment during England’s win over Wales in Qatar? Those present at the Janoub Stadium watched in awe – or confusion – as 90s pop sensation Chesney Hawkes performed that song he does. “This is the first stadium gig I’ve done in 30 years,” he said before the big show. “It’s just the one song and no guessing for what song I’m going to do. I could probably sing that song in my sleep.”
Culinary delight
Something fried, covered in hot sauce, in a bun. Yes, you’ll have the extra cheese. And the bacon. Crispy onions too. The kind of thing that fills food influencer Eating With Tod’s Instagram feed. It has to come from a food court and be accompanied by loaded fries, served by a trendy tattooed man called Milo who keeps saying “My guy”. Once finished, head to a big screen, buy some overpriced beer, throw it on someone when England score. Also throw it on someone when England lose on penalties.
