Mention England these days and you get a much cheerier response. The sighs of old, following countless let-downs, have been replaced by genuine optimism, courtesy of those World Cup exploits and the exciting promise of Gareth Southgate’s young squad.
I, for one, will never forget the way England took Spain apart in October’s Nations League clash. To be in Seville that night was to witness one of the most exhilarating halves of football produced in recent times by the Three Lions.
The second half, granted, proved a bit of a nail-biter as Spain mounted a fightback. But that opening 45 minutes, when the visitors scored three, felt all the more thrilling because it featured England’s youngest starting XI since 1959. How can you not get carried away by something like that? The potential was obvious in that group of players, as it still is now.
Somehow, though, this feels like a new start — going into a Euro 2020 qualifying campaign comprising eight games against eastern European opponents. As for the Nations League finals in June, that gives us a chance to lift some silverware, while the tournament offers a safety net to qualification.
Suffice to say, England stand in a good position. Having not lost a European qualifier since the ‘Wally with the brolly’ episode against Croatia in 2007, you would fully expect us to get a favourable result against the Czech Republic before qualifying for the finals by finishing in the top two of this group.
But let’s stay in the present to look at Southgate’s Wembley options. After switching to four at the back with great success, you’d imagine that method would continue for the foreseeable future — although with John Stones and Joe Gomez out, Southgate would have to choose an inexperienced partner for Harry Maguire who, for me, still looks a little vulnerable on the international stage. Because of that, perhaps the coach has considered switching to a back three to give himself a little more insurance.
As for midfield, I wouldn’t be surprised, given Southgate’s track record for giving youth a chance, if Declan Rice makes his debut at some stage. Eric Dier, one option for the holding role along with Jordan Henderson, hasn’t played much because of illness. Rice, on the other hand, most certainly has and has played extremely well.
What a moment that would be for the West Ham youngster after all the fuss about swapping allegiance from the Republic of Ireland. There was more controversy yesterday when Rice apologised for an old social media post that made an apparent reference to the IRA. He will be just desperate to put this behind him and focus on winning a permanent place in the starting XI.
Further forward, Jadon Sancho is set to get the nod with Marcus Rashford injured. Making his first start would be fitting reward for the teenager’s outstanding form with Borussia Dortmund. And with Callum Hudson-Odoi on the sidelines, England’s new image as a vibrant project gains more ground.
A full house tonight confirms the notion. More than 80,000 people will be there, a testament to the renewed optimism. Watching from the TV gantry, I’ll be hoping this really is the beginning of something substantial.
Read Alan Smith’s weekend briefing every Friday in the Standard
