WE’LL LOSE IN FANTASY FOOT-BAWL

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BALANCING ACT: Kalvin Phillips and boss Southgate

ENGLAND fans expecting to see fantasy football from the Three Lions at Euro 2020 are in for a shock.

And anyone who expects Gareth Southgate’s men to win the tournament needs a reality check.

England face Croatia tomorrow having never won their opening game of a European Championship.

And Southgate’s No.2 Steve Holland claims that while there is a quiet confidence around the camp, a dose of reality is needed to.

Pundits have been urging the England boss to throw caution to the wind and play all of his exciting forwards – such as the likes of Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling – and go for broke.

But Holland (inset) said: “This is not fantasy football. You can’t just throw four or five players together.

“Going back to the 2018 World Cup, for example, Argentina had Dybala, Di Maria, Aguero, Higuain, Lionel Messi.

“So you have an amazing array of talent, but they went out in the round of 16.

“What that team ■ by PAUL BROWN showed is that if you try to cram too many in, you don’t even get the best of the individuals. If you play with fewer, they can provide.

“So our challenge is clear – we have to find the right balance. That will differ from game to game.”

England reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup and many of Southgate’s stars have been talking up England’s chances of going all the way this time. But Holland said: “There is a reality check there. We get optimistic. It is what we do. “But we have not managed in my 50 years on the planet to consistently get close in major tournaments with England.

“That is what we will give everything to achieve.”

Holland also revealed that being able to make five subs means Southgate has two sets of players in mind for each match – starters and finishers.

He said: “The five subs could be good for us. The importance of starters and finishers to a game has never been greater.”