No Russians would get in our team. We mustn’t fear them
1 WHY ARE ENGLAND NOTORIOUSLY SHOCKING STARTERS AT THE EUROS?
KEOWN: When you have been preparing for a tournament for six months, it can be very difficult to look past that first game. Sometimes we put ourselves under too much pressure — whether it be self-induced or the weight of expectation in the media. When I played at my first Euros in 1992 we opened with a 0-0 draw against eventual champions Denmark but the performance was far from convincing. I was booked after seven minutes!
We were an inexperienced squad with hardly anyone left from the 1990 World Cup and we felt exposed.
Then when I played eight years later under Kevin Keegan at Euro 2000 we started like a whirlwind — racing into a 2-0 lead against Portugal — but there was no balance between our attacking and defending and we lost 3-2.
REDKNAPP: It’s very difficult to put your finger on it. We had Switzerland up first at Euro 96 and everyone in our squad thought it was a game we could win comfortably but the pressure and nerves got to us a little bit and we drew 1-1. There will always be nerves before a tournament but this is a new England team, so there’s no reason why our past record should affect us.
CARRAGHER: What teams do start with a brilliant performance? The first games of tournaments are always difficult. It doesn’t matter whether it is England, every team are nervous and want to get the first assignment out of the way.
Your first objective is to make sure you don’t lose and then you can build from there. Results from previous European Championships will have no bearing on this squad.
2 WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM ENGLAND’S OPENER?
CARRAGHER: I’m expecting England to win. I would be pleasantly surprised if they produce a fantastic performance but the main thing is getting three points. Let’s not forget that Russia will be thinking exactly the same and that will make the game difficult.
I do believe we are better than Russia and, if we play to our capabilities, that should be enough to start the tournament on the best possible footing.
REDKNAPP: It will be cagey. As much as I hear this is a bold squad, Hodgson has never been a bold manager. Having made his name as a tactical, defensive coach, having so many attacking players at his disposal could be his worst nightmare. I hope he doesn’t shoehorn anybody in tonight or pick players solely on reputation — he has to pick players in their proper positions who are capable of winning the game.
KEOWN: Given the injuries to Russian midfielders Igor Denisov and Alan Dzagoev, I expect Roy Hodgson to pick a positive team which will allow England to play with no fear and win the match.
3 WHAT SYSTEM WILL HODGSON PLAY AND WHO IS THE KEY MAN?
CARRAGHER: He has two options. Either a midfield diamond with two up front or 4-3-3. He’s most likely to go 4-3-3 and the key player will be Harry Kane. When you play that system, you need your centre forward to hold the ball up, be a focal point and bring the midfield into play. He is our best striker and if he plays well, the team will play well.
KEOWN: The key man is Dele Alli — he has a phenomenal capacity to get up and down the pitch so can support both the attack and Eric Dier in shielding the defence. I’m keen to see how Raheem Sterling plays too as he finished the season in poor form for Manchester City. He burst onto the scene at the last World Cup but how many memorable performances have you seen from him in an England shirt since then. He’s not the new boy any more.
REDKNAPP: I’d like to see him play a 4-3-3 with an extra body in midfield and Sterling wide on the left. Kane should start as the central striker where he wreaked havoc for Tottenham last season with Alli (left) behind him. They are England’s two most exciting players and the team the manager picks must give them every chance to shine.
4 WHERE WOULD YOU PLAY WAYNE ROONEY?
CARRAGHER: I wouldn’t play him as a centre forward any longer for England and I don’t think he is best suited to the No 10 role, either. I would play him centrally in midfield, as he covers plenty of ground running — he showed that in the FA Cup final — and he has that class. He has to be in the team. If England get a crucial penalty, for instance, you wouldn’t want anyone else to take it. KEOWN: I would still play him
as a forward. he looks sharp and would get the role on the right of the attacking trio. That way he leaves the path clear for Alli to join the attack while still being able to come inside. He’s never played as a midfielder for England.
REDKNAPP: This is without doubt Roy’s biggest dilemma. I don’t like seeing Rooney in midfield but that’s the only way I can see him fitting into this team while allowing Kane and Alli to shine in the positions where they excelled for Spurs last season. What I really don’t want to see is a repeat of the Portugal game where Kane was forced out on to the
right wing. Rooney is thee captain so it is very difficult lt to drop him but Roy must playlay him in a way that benefitss the team as a whole.
5 ANYONE FROM RUSSIA SSIA WORRY YOU?
REDKNAPP: None of them would get in our team. I don’t fear them and England shouldn’t.
CARRAGHER: They are missing key players such as Dzagoev and Denisov so the main threat will be Artem Dzyuba, who is a 6ft 5in cecentre forward. He will be powpowerful and physical but our defedefenders should not be intimidatedidated by that, as they come up against players of that stature in the BarclayBarclays Premier League. KEOWN: Aleksandr Kokorin, who plays out wide and makes dangerous runs in behind. Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill will also have to deal with Russia’s direct balls in to the tall Dzyuba.
6 WHAT’S YOUR STARTING XI?
REDKNAPP: Hart; Walker, Stones, Cahill, Rose; Alli, Dier, Rooney; Lallana, Kane, Sterling. CARRAGHER: Hart; Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Rose; Rooney, Dier, Alli; Lallana, Kane, Sterling. KEOWN: Hart; Walker, Cahill, Smalling, Rose; Alli, Dier, Wilshere; Rooney, Kane, Sterling.
7 SO, GENTLEMEN, A PREDICTION PLEASE . . .
KEOWN: England to win 2-0 with Harry Kane and Alli getting the goals. REDKNAPP: England to win 1-0 with Harry Kane scoring. CARRAGHER: An England win. 2-1.