S B C R A C I N G B O O K M A K E R O F T H E Y E A R 2 0 2 0 • F I T Z D A R E S. C O M • F O U R T E E N T H E D I T I O N, S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 • N O U N D E R 2 1 s
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BY HENRY BEESLEY
BY SIR GEOFFREY BOYCOTT
THE MAN
Gareth Southgate’s new generation of England stars offer the tantalising possibility of success on home soil this summer, says broadcasting legend and fan John Motson be a festival of football for England HEN I WAS A COMMENTATOR, I loved the job and felt very involved in the set-up with millions of people tuning in. I used to have to bottle up my feelings, although when you were commentating on England you were allowed a little bit of patriotic involvement. I remember when David Beckham scored that free kick against Greece in 2001 – Trevor Brooking and I just lost it completely, running uncontrollably down the commentary gantry. Nobody could stop us. It was always a pleasure and privilege to cover England. Now, as an fan, I can’t wait to enjoy what lies ahead for this talented and exciting England team. Before we get too carried away, you can’t compare this England team to Alf Ramsey’s World Cup-winning side of 1966, or even Sven Goran-Eriksson’s squad of the early
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2000s. The latter side was packed with world-class quality all over the pitch. No, this England squad is by no means the best we’ve ever had. However, in my view it’s by far and away the most promising. By that, I find it astonishing how many young players Gareth Southgate has brought through during his time in charge. As fans, how could we have known so many young players would have emerged from the woodwork in the three years since the World Cup? I certainly didn’t see it coming. Maybe Gareth did. All that promise has put them right at the top of the market as joint favourites with France, which is probably about right, considering England’s home advantage. Most of their games will be at Wembley, especially if they make it all the way to the final. They will be playing and training in very familiar surroundings.
That said, playing a major tournament at home is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the expectation on Gareth’s men is stratospherically high, from both the fans and the press, which can incur huge, even unrealistic, pressure on the individuals. On
What’s really exciting about this team, more than anything, is that our attackers really can ‘do things’ on the ball. the other hand, the team should be spurred on by plenty of encouragement from such a patriotic crowd, especially in the moments before games. The frenzied waving of flags as fans flood the team bus, or the deafening roar at Wembley, should provide that necessary dose of adrenaline. It promises to
supporters, much like how we remember the iconic Euro ’96 tournament. What’s really exciting about this team, more than anything, is that our attackers really can ‘do things’ on the ball. They all create and score in equal measure, none more so than Harry Kane. Then you’ve got Jack Grealish, Mason Mount and Phil Foden, our midfield maestros with their magic vision. While Foden was on the losing side in the Champions League Final, you could argue he has the highest ceiling of the three. The ability of Grealish is also outstanding. This has been aimed at lots of players in the past, but I really think he’s the nearest thing we’ve got to Paul Gascoigne, who we found very difficult to replace. I’d worry slightly about Jack’s fitness if he is to take up the mantle. However, when he’s at full speed with his socks rolled →