Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo has acknowledged that England are legitimate Euro 2012 contenders.
“The chances are always the same,” said the Portuguese. “England has fantastic players, now a new coach, it will be amazing.
“I always expect England to win a big tournament. England is always there because always has one of the best teams in the world. They will be top.”
Ronaldo’s revelation is certainly backed by the bookmakers, which have England as 10/1 to win the 2012 European Championships.
In comparison, only Spain (11/4), Germany (3/1) and Holland (13/2) are bigger favorites to win this summer’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
Now then, let’s see how England’s squad compares to the likes of Spain, Germany and Holland.
Goalkeepers: Robert Green, Joe Hart, John Ruddy
In goal, England are arguably as good as it gets with Joe Hart between the posts. As for their backups, let’s just say that they’re not as good as Spain’s second and third choices.
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott, John Terry
England are certainly not rock solid at the back, but they’re good enough if the midfielders do the job. However, that is a big “if”.
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Ashley Young
When you compare England to the likes of Spain, Germany and Holland, the Three Lions’ biggest disadvantage is surely the midfield.
No disrespect to long-time internationals Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, but they do not compare favorably to Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil.
Thus, England will need their midfielders to be on scintillating form if they are to defeat any of the aforementioned favorites.
One last thing, how on earth did Roy Hodgson select Stewart Downing over Daniel Sturridge or even Adam Johnson for that matter.
In 36 English Premier League appearances in 2011-12, Downing failed to score or record an assist.
Statistics don’t mean everything in football, but that is an absolutely woeful tally for a winger.
On the other hand, Sturridge netted 11 goals and three assists in 30 league matches for Chelsea, while Adam Johnson tallied six goals and two assists in 26 games for league champions Manchester City.
For England’s sake, let’s just hope Downing doesn’t get any games at Euro 2012.
Strikers: Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck
Wayne Rooney’s two-match leaves England with another glaring disadvantage.
The Three Lions’ next best option is probably fellow Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck, who totaled 15 goals for club and country in 2011-12.
With that said, Rooney will be available for the knockout stages unless he picks up a red card in the final game of the group stages.
As many of you already know, Wazza is one of the best strikers in the world when he’s on form.
All things considered, England have a chance to pull off an improbable Euro 2012 triumph if their midfield plays well. But once again, that may be too tall a task.
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