LIONS FACE EURO DRAW JEOPARDY
ENGLAND go into today’s Euro 2024 draw fearing the sort of qualification danger they have not experienced in 15 years.
It could mean a return to the days when even one Three Lions star admits he was not sure they were going to the finals as the last group game came to an end.
Relegation from Group A of the Nations League means Gareth Southgate’s side are in Pot 2 for today’s draw in Frankfurt along with Scotland and Wales.
It is the first time since the World Cup draw in Durban in 2007 that England have not been among the top seeds, and they could be grouped with Italy, Holland, Belgium or one of the other top sides in Europe.
With the likes of Ukraine, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Iceland lurking in Pot 3, finishing in the top two could go right down to the wire.
And as Nigel Martyn reveals, that can cause panic and confusion. The ex-England keeper was at the other end of the pitch when David Beckham scored his famous freekick goal against Greece.
It booked a last-minute place at the 2002 World Cup with a 2-2 draw.
“In 2001 we had to match the German result in the final group game,” he said. “I celebrated when David scored, but presumed Germany were winning and it just meant we had given ourselves a couple of minutes to get another one.
“Rio Ferdinand kept kicking it back to me to waste time, but I kept booting it back up the field to Greece.
“Steve McClaren, an England coach at the time, was on the touchline shouting, ‘A draw’s enough!’”
But Martyn does not blame Southgate for the Nations League slip-up.
“Gareth wanted to experiment with some players and he was right to do so,” he added.