THE ROAD TO BERLIN | Euro 2024 | Boro Breakdown EP 1

In this new series, the Boro Breakdown team switch their attentions to England’s EURO 2024 run and give their thoughts on the squad announcement, select their England XI’s and give their predictions for the tournament.

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#England #euro2024 #southgate

00:00 – Start
00:30 – How we’re feeling about the EURO’s
05:10 – Breakdown of the England Squad
19:00 – Our England XI
29:25 – The Defeat to Iceland
35:00 – EURO Predictions
46:13 – End

where do we start with England and this dearle well that was the worst performance I’ve ever seen from an England team ever the long long wait is over a wemble roar to hail England’s history [Applause] makers hello and welcome to the board breakdown podcast the road to Berlin um this is a bit different for us if you haven’t uh listen to our podcast before we are midd for football club podcast but we’ve decided to give England a wh and follow their Journey on the road to Berlin in the Euros uh in the summer um but guys as always for this podcast and we always give our feelings in normally one word but I feel like I’ll give you three for this time um but Dan how are you feeling about the the Euros in three words oo nice little return to the the three words there Johnny um I’m going to go with hopeful no actually excited intrigued and guarded because I think you have to be guarded with England they are very nearly team intrigued because I think we go into this tournament with a lot of questions a lot of Fitness issues a lot of selection queries and then excited because if you’re not excited for this then you may as well just be what watching golf because I absolutely love tournament football I get proper engross in it I remember my first tournament that I watched was Euro 2008 in which I think Toni went in goal for turkey at one point and I distinctly remember Wesley Schneider had a hand cast on for one of uh one of the games and so I tried to go to school with a hand cast on just like him however I wasn’t allowed so I compromised and went to school every day wearing sweat bands because of Wesley Schneider so yeah you get proper hooked on tournament football and yeah that’s that’s never really left me so quite excited to to get into it and see where England finish and uh for you Matt how are you feeling uh about the the Euros it’s a tapping right three words England it’s coming home I can’t believe I missed that I’m not going to say that I’m going to um I’m going to just used two actually cuz I couldn’t think of a third one to tap on the end but I’m going to say cautiously optimistic um for exactly the same reasons as what Dan has just said I feel like there are bough parallels here um going into a campaign tournament League whatever feeling optimistic about what’s going to happen but extremely cautious because you’ve been scarred too many times and you’re just terrified it’s going to happen again so like with our beloved Hometown Club I feel exactly the same about England going into this tournament we’ve got every reason to be optimistic but I think we’ve got equally just as much for a reason to be incredibly cautious as well yeah I feel if Tom was here as well I feel like he’d probably Echo you there m say it’s coming home as well think he’s optic about it he’ll appear he’s G to appear in these uh in in this little series that we’ve got but uh for me as well I think I’m I’m going to go with Southgate last Harrah I think you know it’s it could it’s an interesting one isn’t it I think I’ve always wanted to speak or G more about a Bor podcast and I’ve always thought like how would I was sure like like stack up when we were managed by Southgate how things were feeling were we going to do well or were we not going to do well and then when you know we sold all of our best players and then got aonso Alves and you know that group um would been just a record on on that side of things but I think this is um in an England perspective definitely Southgate probably the last tournament especially if we don’t win it I think if if we don’t win it I think he’s going to go it’ll be interesting to see who eventually takes over um but it would be nice I think it’ be a good full circle moment for him to probably win the Euros based on you know him missing that penalty people him and I wonder Johnny how many times is G Southgate relegated middlesburg GNA get mentioned throughout this tournament because I feel like if you were to maybe do some Trends there’d be a massive upturn in the amount of times that middles and G Southgate mentioned in tandem on Twitter so that’s going to be quite quite humorous yeah well you know he’s he managed Mills for 10 years ago I got had over 10 years ago and got them relegated is it was 2008 2009 we got relegated um yeah prob it’s G up 15 years ago then isn’t it right was a long time but again like no one knows the whole context of that but anyway that is for another time we’re here to chat about the Euros um and we’ll start with the introducing the squad um so there was one player has recently just joined the team and was part of the train training staff and it was Tom heon so when I seen Tom heon being called up to England I was like what is going on um but we’ll start off with the with the goalkeepers of cartin Henderson John pfin and Aaron ramsdale in defense we’ve got leis dung Joe Gomez Mari and enw K kza Luke sha John stores Kieran trippier and Kyle Walker and then going the Midfield with tr Alexander rold Conor Gallagher Kobe Manu Dean rice and Adam Jude Bellingham as well he’s been put down as a forward alongside jarro Bowen e foran Gordon Harry Kane Co Palmer Baka Ian Tony and finishing off uh with Ole Watkins um start off with an open question guys um how are we feeling about the the England squad for the Euros do we think it’s a good squad are we concerned about the defense of course no no McGuire no stones of course well he’s doubtful at the moment and Luke sh was training today um but how we feel about the the squad in general I think it’s worth mentioning before I say anything else that this is a talented Squad and in and amongst the chat about who hasn’t been called up I do think that’s maybe been lost in that discourse but yeah the more that I think about it the more I do tend to focus on who hasn’t gone because I think you you look at Harry McGuire I think he’s a massive massive Miss because whenever I think about G South Gates England the what you can kind of hang your hat on is that John McGuire Center back PA he isn’t there because of a calf injury I think is a huge huge mess and it’s going to be really interesting to see who will stand in his place and see how they do because remember Harry McGuire in Euro 2020 was injured and Tyron Mings came in for the first few games so so I think that’s going to be really interesting I think Mark gear he may may get that nod he’s just come back from a longterm injury at Palace so there’s another kind of question how is he going to Fair coming back into the squad but yeah I think left back is is a problem for us obviously with Luke Shaw’s injury Kieran Tripp is probably going to play there but it’s a right footer on the left and also he’s not in good form tari Mitchell I think is probably one of those that can consider himself hard done by not being considered well he might be might have been considered but not being called up because for me he should have been picked and then the whole discussion around brwi over dunk I’d probably agree but I’m not as passionate about it uh as others I mean it is kind of Tapp in surely a left footed Defender there coming in brw play has played really well for Everton this season um so yeah it’s it’s one of those where I think there’s certain parts of it Midfield as well when we were when I was racking my brain thinking about what the team’s going to be there’s two positions that are really problematic it’s left back and it’s who’s going to partner de and rice so yeah I think we’re going into it looking at the squad a little bit maybe unbalanced and slightly like I would say underprepared but the timeline hasn’t really um done well for England here because there’s certain players that are injured or lacking match sharpness so yeah talented Squad but certain parts it I think may be our fall down in this competition yeah I’d Echo that as well like I think the the midfield for me I was looking at I was going right okay like this is talented but it doesn’t fit right you know you’d always have like a a standout pairing I think where you know when you have that Midfield and you know we’ve seen that Calvin Phillips and Dean Rice have been that double pivot and they’ve been really strong as well theyve gave Inland That Base to and we are blessed with an amazing group of players going forward and you know there’s it we are probably blessed with too many of them um but that in itself can play a part in that like you saying there that balance of how do you get the right amount of attacking players with that much talent on keep them happy and and keep them engaged with with the group but also how would you make sure you’ve got that solid like that solidity in can’t get words out you can solidify the Midfield with the two double pivots and have a really good strong back four as well and we’re going in the tournament as well with a back four that actually isn’t I would say um not not as not steady as we’ve had we are we have all we’ve seen in the in the last in the last few tournaments really when you know when you look at the back three or back four that we’ve played or even a back five um you always had that Kyle Walker John Stones Harry McGuire and you’d either have Luke Shaw or you’d even have like Kieran trippier um and then you’d have either play with a wing back or you’d go with the flatback four and that was like steady but now it’s a bit like our defense looks a bit weak midfields a bit unsure um but we do have a lot of talent in that and if you’ve got the confidence in the team to do it they can fit that system hopefully pull out the bag but it does feel a little bit distracted M have you got any any thoughts on it is there any standout players for you of course in in the in the squad yeah there’s a few I mean I agree that the emissions have arguably took more of a more of the spotlight over the players that are in the squad I feel like the Dilemma South Gates had is Talent over hang your hat on experience and in the past he’s been criticized because he’s maybe been too loyal to certain players and not picked players on form and then this year I feel like he’s picked players who are in form and possibly Left Behind players who he’s relied on quite heavily in the past like Harry MaGuire and and arguably maybe Jack greish as well so it it might come down to just hoping that these extremely talented players hit form and remain in form for the tournament because yeah there’s a couple of question marks I think over the experience of playing at a level such as this with the pressure such as this like I agree we’ve got Jon stones trippier and and Walker but who Partners John Stones someone who probably hasn’t had too much experience playing at this level at a tournament like the euros and it’s the same with Dean rice we’ve always kind of had Calvin Phillips alongside him or Jordan Henderson so you’re sort of looking at whether Gallagher or M or Warton can step up having not really played much at this level I think attack is probably the only place where we’re absolutely spoiled with ridiculous levels of talent and again that’s even a strange problem to have in itself because how’ you fit them all in and get the best out of them all you know F and Bellingham Kane e is a player I like sacka I feel has to start so there’s there’s a lot of different problems in this England team and it’s all about whether Southgate can knit them together because I feel like he probably does have the pieces it’s all about whether he can actually put the jigsaw together um it’s a good squad let’s not make any bores I mean the emissions are are massive but it’s still a very very good squad I don’t know if you mentioned Jack Gish because I did lag out a little bit but just to kind of put my my kind of 50p in there about that I think that’s crazy that he’s not brought Jack Gish not because of performance levels but mostly because Jack greish like for Christ’s sake he’s like the face of Helman he’s on that advert so the marketing guy at Helman must be fum he must be sick as a pig that he hasn’t been brought to German El man God that is the replacement for Tom and a half there that’s exactly what Tom would say but yeah it’s just really strange that like it’s a big balls decision from Southgate to admit greish I actually think he would have been beneficial different profile on that side so obviously he was the clamor guy of Euro 2020 got into the team made an impact then you think okay Jack greish has maybe not established himself as a starter but he’s established himself in the squad so the fact that he’s not even in the you know the the selection of players for Euro 2024 I just think is like is a weird reality shift where previously I think we’ve maybe criticized Southgate for picking the big Club players but this is this is a Twist on that and yeah I just find that that’s a huge shock to me not bringing Gish there interesting start actually sorry Johnny there’s an interesting start just on the back off the back of that that I think I saw this is the uh the England squad with the least number of top six footballers in it since 1992 which was a start I stumbled across on Twitter so he absolutely has just gone for who he sees on form and not just gone for the big names which hopefully has a clever decision and one that that won’t backfire there’s four from Crystal Palace isn’t there the most amount from a single club which yeah that’s um well some some people will probably say that that’s his Crystal Palace bias there G Southgate being a former player and the the Brighton fans will be fuming with that of course because there’s a rivalry but yeah um big big decision there from Southgate yeah and like it would have been five then if if T Mitchell got in there as well so being really interested but it sh like the turn on they had in the Prem uh towards the back end of the season but I think on in terms of uh the emission side of things you know when we look at like Gish she hasn’t hasn’t came to the Euros Henderson again someone who’s been a main ster in the squad hasn’t went to the Euros Calvin Phillips had a really poor season and he being in trental in in the group of last couple years Raheem Sterling as well who has probably never really let England down to be honest and in that last that year Wars um in England where he just couldn’t stop scoring and was probably England’s best player I would say of the tournament and and he again hasn’t hasn’t came with the Euros but there is so much attacking Talent how do you you know pass on the bat to these young players who have had fantastic Seasons like Cole Palmer who’s coming and is is a really really strong player um but in terms of like any other missions like James Madison as well uh bran I thought was unlucky um but what’s what’s everyone’s thoughts on Madison not potentially getting it because again a Midfield profile creative might not have been as strong probably in the back end of the season but it’s a little bit of surprise do you think Matt that um that that Madison hasn’t G the squad as well yeah a little bit I think he’s form maybe towards the back end I think he even admitted it himself that maybe his form coming back um from possibly an injury he seems like he’s always injured um but his most recent injury at least I think he admitted his form’s not being great but yeah I still think he’s a good options Dawn to have um I mean yeah Adam warton’s come into great form and I think he’s he had something different kobby Manu was a one he’s an interesting one though because I’m sure he was actually only training with the under 21s and might have even been scheduled to be going away with them up until late on so having him in there over Madison as well um yeah there’s there’s an element to me as to why but again is he more of a a steady safe Pair of Hands and and someone who offers something that little bit different in Midfield where we are a bit light alongside rice because I don’t think there’s room for him any further forward than that so it’s so tough it’s really really tough honestly the the quality I mean rashford’s another one he’s you know had a terrible season but was another instrumental player that people were crying out for and I think he he did really well in the last tournament too so what a great problem to have I guess yeah it really is it’s a great problem to have but on the more defensive side then and I mentioned it earlier around um Henderson and Carin Phillips have been that main stay England squad to be replaced by Adam won and KOB man obv Adam we watched Adam won play for for Blackburn this season um in in the championship but how he’s made that step up and really flourished at Crystal Palace but you think are they are they ready for the the Step Up of International Football yet or do you think it’s just a tournament too soon well you like to hope that they are ready because they’ve been selected I mean the truth is is that we won’t know until we see them on this big stage if we do I will say that I love that g Southgate selected them though I’d much rather have a kobby Manu and an Adam W than a Jordan to be honest I think with those players he’s picked that upand cominging crop that are also performing at a good level in the Premier League and I think that’s just rewards for obviously breaking through and taking your opportunity and I really hope that they do take well to this International stage mostly because one of them is in my England 11 so yeah and the truth is is we we won’t know but yes they are experienced inexperienced but it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time that England bring an inexperienced player to a major tournament and they kind of have that breakthrough campaign so I’m yeah fingers crossed that they make an impact I’m not expecting them to be one of England’s best players but if they get on the pitch I hope that they’re a positive for us because I think they’re two players with really Bright Futures ahead and and those Futures are really not too far in the not too far in the future yeah 100% well you alluded to it there Dan that one of them is in your starting 11 so I feel like we should go to this because obviously on Father’s Day we we do kick off our tournament against Serbia um and it’s it’s a really big game for me I think we have to restart this home uh well but be really good to see what you guys have picked for your starting 11 so Matt I’m going to start off with you first um and be got to take me through your your 11 and your system and what’s your strengths your weaknesses and any any areas of concern what do you think what are you going to go for well I sort of started by looking at what we’ve been playing recently and although our form hasn’t been great I wouldn’t want to change things up too much from what we’ve we’ve had uh recently with the 4231 and I guess the back five um the center backs obviously uh alongside stores was a question mark I I sort of alluded to earlier but I would probably just stick with gy in there because they’ve played together most recently um and then fullback I kind of agree with you Johnny I know I don’t want to spoil your 11 but if if Shaw’s fit I probably would lean towards him but I don’t think he will so I’d have Tripper in there for now I’d keep Walker at right back I think just because if teams are going to sit in on us and try and catch us on the transition on the counter his ability to cover is really really important I feel like and and his Pace too so I’d have him in there and then the the other big question mark As we mentioned was alongside Dean rice and I’ve put Alexander Arnold in there because I feel like again when we’re playing teams that maybe have a very low block who I think we clearly do struggle to break down at times he has the ability to pick out some really good passes and create chances in various different ways and I think he’s proven with England he is quite an effective Center midfielder so I’d put him there and then I think the front four picks itself I mean part of me wanted to put Bellingham alongside rice and maybe squeeze Palmer into the three behind Kane somewhere but I want to play Bellingham as far forward as I can in behind Kan obviously and then I think sacka and foron are an absolute given um sacka especially on the right foron coming in off the left you know hasn’t maybe been as effective in an England shirt as as we’d like at times but you’ve got to try and fit that them four players in the attack for me and I think that’s the best the best way of doing that so yeah as I alluded to and as we have Center back back and and Center mids clearly a big question but that’s probably what I’d go for more so just consistency of what we’ve had of late not trying to change things up too much yeah it’s good it’s a good 11 um it’s a good 11 but let’s going to Ys dner as well because Ys is slightly different uh to Matt what so what are you going to go for yeah I’ll read it out first so pford in goal Alexander Arnold right back walker Right Center back J Jones got Z johnes on my mind there uh John Stones left Center back Joe Gomez left back rice and Adam Warton as the Midfield to Bellingham just behind Harry Kane and then sacka on the right and foran on the left so my reason behind this I think Trent Alexander Arnold is best at right back he plays as that inverted role for Yan klopp I think that’s really where he’s best suited and where England could get the best out of him and I think there’s also the potential there for him to really partner Bay Saka because when Trent goes forward Saka could come inside his favored left um and Chip those balls to the back post or Alexander Arnold uh can overlap so I think there’s just that that slight difference there in approach I think both players are smart enough to know kind of when to uh overlap and when to maybe dictate from Deep because that’s what Alexander Arnold can do he’s a a chief Creator a world class Creator and there’s a lot of discourse around Alexander Arnold and what he like his shortcomings and I I just feel like it’s such a tired conversation because he is a world-class talent in possession so why not focus on that obviously I do think we have to to know um his deficiencies at times but he’s so good on the ball so get him into that team and from the brief view in that saw against Iceland both he and Sack are really influenced that game when they came on because Alexander Arnold is in that team and will get forward I’ve gone with Joe Gorman left back now this is a problem position for England because we don’t have a lot of good options there and Gomez has played 19 of his 51 appearances this season at left back 31 times in his whole career has he played there which isn’t ideal but I’d prefer him over trippo because I think he’s a better Defender and trippier has played there once uh in his Club career and 13 times as he played left back uh for England so I think it allows England to build up with that 325 with Trent pushing into Midfield as I said he can create from deepo overlap sacka when he moves on to the inside Wharton is in Midfield and it is a risk as we mentioned that in experience but England need a passer alongside Dean rice so yeah Trent will get the nod there uh by reports that that have come out from Matt Law of the telegraph but I prefer or I would prefer Trent at right back so that’s why I have got him there and Warton in Midfield I think it’s a it’s a massive problem position for England right back sorry left back and in Midfield but I think the passing ability of Warton despite his inexperience I think would be particularly beneficial for England here and then Bellingham number 10 I did have him a long race along longside race but he does play almost as a false nine for Real Madrid this season under Carlo angelot and I think the fact that he’s played in that position I think would benefit when Kane drops deep to to play make so obviously kan’s a is an obvious pick and and nothing else needs to be said I should have said at the beginning though that um no matter what I say I’m wrong and that this team will not play and yeah no matter what combination I come up with it’s not the right one yeah I was say I’m read by Walker is Right Center back to be honest I know you understand the 325 as well um but I was like if if 325 comes in like who is the midfielder that pushes up with the forwards and then it’s like a balancing again isn’t it with the would Warton go or would it be Dean rice would it be Trent that goes up there with them it’s it does caus like there’s so many like positional issues I would say that we could potentially see with with both systems that we had had there as well with Matt as well but again back to that say yeah Trent would would obviously drift into Midfield I think rice is is quite well-rounded and he will probably be the one that that gets forward I I think the the problem with it is the out of possession stuff and kind of how would Adam Wharton play in that defensive role I mean this is why I’m cursed in the sky that Calvin Phillips joined Man City because that’s a huge slide in D’s moment for England because he would get alongside race if he um didn’t make that move and and yeah and kind of or went to a team that plays him because his career is kind of curtailed hasn’t it since so yeah it’s it’s an issue but I think I’ve gone with Wharton purely because of his passing ability and I think he’s a fantastic passer of the ball um and he’s very space he’s very aware of the space around him as well a good technician so I think I would go for him despite his inexperience okay then and then I’ll move on to mine then we’ll finish on Tom so we can all dissect Toms and rinse him for his um since he’s not here so I’ll go on I’ll go on to mine um and then we’ll see what I’ve picked so I put Jan Pickford and goal I’ve went with a back four um of Luke Shaw trippier If he if Shaw’s still injured kza stones and Walker a double pivot of Dean rice and Alexander Arnold and then the same front four as you guys of for on the left Bellingham sacka and Harry Kane there’s a couple of like things where I’ve came away and had to think about this is I think England could easily play back three um for this tournament as like a setting back three and then adjust it as the as the game goes on and you know he could start to play um Alexander r on the right hand side you put the back three of Walker stones and kza if you want if if Luke Shaw was F you could put on the left and then you’d maybe put sackur and Ford and just in behind Kane with rice and Bellingham and being in the center so he could play that system um but there’s a lot we can do and there’s players that I feel like unlucky to myself because I feel like Anthony Gordon was a brighter spark in the defeat against Iceland in the friendly which I’ll come on to a moment but I feel like he could stretch teams and get in behind especially when Kan comes in at the Midfield as well and with that team as well you’re looking and going like you were saying there didn’t it when it’s when the when we haven’t got the ball that is where England will really struggle I think um I don’t think they’ll struggle in the first couple of games I think obviously the Ser game I feel we have more possession we’ll see a similar game to what we we had with Iceland earlier last week and overall I think that is probably going to be the team or in and around that team I feel like we’re not going to be too far away um but you know we could be wrong in that but I Echo your thoughts there denner on the on the out of possession stuff I just want to mention real quick on that I think it it has to be mentioned that there’s probably not a lot of teams that England will um not dominate the ball against especially in the group stages like we will dominate the ball against each of the teams that that we face so it might not be as big of a problem initially as what maybe people might think but particularly when we get to the The Knockouts and we we face better teams quite frankly then yeah that might become a bit of a problem and then we’ll round things off as well with with Toms as well and Tom’s just went what I find really interesting all four of us have done different 11s which is really interesting but we’ve all picked the same front four um but his his def so his team is John Pigford and gold Joe G is at left back stores Walker and Trent Alexander Arnold kobby Manu and Dean rice as the double pivot and then with Ford and bellam sacker and Harry Kan so the one only one of us have picked kobby Manu uh to be alongside Dean rice which I think is really interesting um because you know we all um and especially with all the press that was from the Iceland game uh that he was not de good enough wasn’t got four out of 10 and uh he was considered the worst player of all time and no one ever wants to see him picked ever again uh but that is the English media for you um but I want to CH about the the the defeat T just very very quickly because I know it’s not the be all end all M but you’re con ConEd a little bit by the defeat against Iceland all I think it’s not just Iceland I think it’s the form coming in I think um we’ve looked a little bit lethargic a little bit um turgid in recent games struggle to break teams down I think um I didn’t see all of the Bosnia game in fact I missed when it got good but for the most part of that game again we we seem to be really slow and and and first half especially quite ponderous so I don’t just think uh it’s Iceland as an isolated defeat that that has me a little bit concerned I think it’s the form leading into it I think we’ve only kept two clean sheets in our last seven games in the leadup to it and um that’s that’s not ideal so yeah I think the biggest worry I got out of Iceland as a game itself was how many chances they they they had and on the Counterattack they got him behind us really really easily it felt like we had to play a 100 passes before we even got close to creating anything whereas they were seemingly creating chances having shots at goal at will really and on another day Iceland would have probably put another one or two passers which would have been quite disastrous so there’s an argument the score line could have been more flattering given that game in isolation but I think overall our form going in’s just not been great for a while and um we just need to hope that we can sort of warm up into the tournament you know get get get a few results early on but Hook by hook or by crook just so we’re not allowing any unnecessary pressure onto ourselves and hopefully we’ll warm up and really sort of Click into gear but you can’t deny it’s not the end of the world but it wasn’t a great viewing and um another start I saw I can’t recall the exact date but I think it’s the first time it might have even been since 1992 again actually um it’s the first time in a long time we’ve went into a tournament on the back of a defeat as well so it’s kind of Uncharted Territory in um in that respect for us at least in recent memory yeah 100% it does um and it might even dampened the the potential of its coming home uh do you think it has dampened it a little bit and especially the form as well it might was alluding to there like the clean sheet record that we have and appreciate context is needed some of them were friendlies one was a a dead rubber way to North Macedonia as well we drew one one so um has it dampened your your hopes all your hopes and feelings of of it’s coming home yearo success not really because I I’m not expecting it to come home to be honest it’s weird that were favorites for the competition actually I thought that France would be but yeah I mean I watched a bit of this game I must admit I just forgot that it was on um I was typically watching Fallout 4 videos on YouTube to be honest which um just sums up how my Summer’s going in between the football but yeah I think what I saw from it is that England I was going to say border they looked incredibly messy I think that’s probably the word that describes England going into this competition like structurally I think we were all over the place because actually much like bough you’ve got players that want to come inside all the time and want to narrow things we need a player or two to just hold the width which is why I think maybe Anthony Gordon has a shout of starting but I think we’ve got players wide Players whose profile is that they want to get into that the central areas or the half space they want to play there they want to play in those areas like even with Saka I think Saka can mix his game up but he’s left footed and playing on the right I didn’t realize that Zach was actually left footed until I looked at earlier but his strong foot is his left foot so you know he’ll want to come in but he can mix his game up go around the outside as well I think Metta has developed that for him um oh he’s developed that under M Letta sorry so yeah I mean it didn’t it wasn’t the best end preparation going into tournament because I think we just looked a bit all over the place and this is the thing like we’ve got talented players can we find that balance and even with the front four like you can say that it picks itself but I think there’s certain positions like Phil for and everybody wants Phil foron to play centrally but do you play him instead of Jude Bellingham because I think Jude Bellingham is better further forward so do you kind of sacrifice a bit of Phil foran’s ability to make sure that you get the best out of jellum personally I would because I think Jude Bellingham is an incredible world-class talent that we absolutely I mean to be fair so Phil foren but particularly in tandem with Harry Kane if Kane drops deep Bellingham I think can be that that kind of um most important figure up front so yeah it’s just a bit of a mess at the moment and G Southgate needs to find that that balanced but kind of gone on a bit of a tangent there as per but it’s not really dampen my um hopes because my hopes are not very high anyways well we why are we doing this show then we’re trying to follow the Euro CL oh don’t worry I don’t think we’re gonna like not go out not go through the group stages but I just don’t think it’s coming home sorry spoilers well I was going to ask you for your predictions so can up part of our prediction short um as we move in and we we will do um reviews of all the games uh that we’re playing in this uh tournament but let’s start off with our prediction then for how far will England go um Matt I’ll come to you first I feel like you you mentioned it a little bit in your three-word review but are you actually going to predict that do you think football is coming home my heart says my heart says yes but my head is saying absolutely not um I did a predictor on the telegraph website they’ve got a really awesome predictor actually where it helps simulate where everyone’s going to go and you can predict literally where everyone finishes per group and um we are on a crash course if everything goes to plan to hit France in the semifinal and um I can’t there’s just nothing as positive as I as I want to be I just can’t convince myself that we would beat France in a semi-final I just look back at recent tournaments and I feel like we are such a nearly team it’s unbelievable you know Croatia I think back to that semi-final France in the World Cup um obviously we we were leading in the final of Euro 2020 I feel like we just when we need to take that extra that final step we haven’t been able to quite do it whereas France are a team full of experienced serial winners and I feel like when it gets to that semi-final if it’s France I don’t think we’ll get past them um and I think they’ll they’ll thwart our hopes of winning a major competition once again however I will be rooting for France to get knocked out at every opportunity prior to that because if we don’t play France in the semi-final then maybe it will come home but based off of the likeliest scenario I am going to go with my head and say that we’ll fall at the semi-final stage to the French yeah again was it the was it the 2010 World Cup that the French team had a revolt and like and they just refused to play like they fell out with the management staff and also was that 2010 World Cup it ringsell with friends to be fair it does do it they love an implosion yeah so maybe hope for one of that but I going to have to search it when I asked for your prediction Dan but how far do you think England will go you I think I you want to say semi finals as well right yeah I kind of maybe propped it up earlier as if I thought that England were going to go out of the round of 16 or something but no I think that we will reach the semi-finals and we will face fans it will be interesting because G Southgate he’s got him if this happens he would have a massive opportunity to avenge um obviously the World Cup but I just don’t know I think they’re an absolute Powerhouse aren’t they and maybe I’m kind of dampening England’s ability and talent as well but I just think that they’re better than us but they do have Adrien rabor and his mom who used to be his agent and I remember um me and my friend Jamie follow an account on Twitter called get French Football news I would definitely recommend following that because the French football is an absolute sin atic experience and Adrien Rab’s mom proper like went after killing mbappe’s family at Euro 2020 um I think she was shown on the camera like arguing with them so there was like this massive um tension behind the scenes or and in the France Camp actually between the players and the family and stuff like that so I’m hoping that that happens again and that they can kind of yeah implode and the drama from France kind of uh its head again so there’s always a chance with Adrien Rio’s mom involved I think but I I reckon that they will beat us in the semi-finals and that’s where England will finish yeah I’m semifinals as well but if you do beat France you win the whole tournament and I think if we do that I I’ll predict that but the next one is going to be who will be the tournament Dark Horses so this an interesting one uh I’m going put kick those off here I’m going to probably say Belgium now you might laugh at me because they’ve been favorites for the last couple of tournaments but they have had a bit of a fall off the they lost this golden quotation Generation Um which I feel like was a little bit ruined by Roberto miners but you know what I’m might say um but I feel like this time around they’re backed completely out of it the you know they’re about 20 to one I think I Sky B um and you I’m looking at the team itself it’s a young group of players who are really talented um you know like dietar up top um was a boy wonder in in Belgium a few years ago obiously made the move over to to AC Milan um really strong player Lukaku of course will always cause problems um but then you got Jeremy Dau a penda as well really good front line um and very Pacey as well but when you’re looking in the Midfield as well there is some really good talented players in there like y tons trads de bruyne uh and you’re looking at this going going yes defensively they might struggle and there’s no pressure on this time around so maybe this is the opportunity for Belgium uh to do is good uh maybe a little bit better but there is some really good players in there um this time around and I feel like the building again and there is a lot of good players in the J pro league so I’m hoping they do a little bit better this year and maybe they are my dark horses but um Matt I’ll come to you who was your dark horse in this one see it depends if it’s dark horse to win it or just Dark Horse to to do really well and and maybe provide a few shocks I’ve actually gone with Hungary um okay I looked I looked at the the teams who qualified and them and Romania took me as a bit of a surprise by how they qualified top of their group unbeaten and maybe as well as a bit of I guess biased the fact that we’ve had some Shockers against Hungary of late I think we lost 4-0 to them in the Nations league and we couldn’t beat them in the World Cup qualifiers either but since the end of the qualifiers they’ve actually barring a loss to Ireland I believe they’ve won every single game so they’re coming in in good form they qualified relatively comfortably and I think they’re in a group with Germany Scotland and Switzerland to which I think they’ll get through quite comfortably I mean even though Germany are the home nation and maybe if they weren’t the home nation I’d feel more strongly but I I don’t know about Germany I just don’t feel that they’re at the peak of their power anymore and if Home Advantage doesn’t maybe help them as much as it could Hungary could quite easily win that group so I just got a feeling about them and again via that predictor there’s a very strong chance we could hit Hungary in the last 16 and like I said our recent results against them are shocking so maybe that’s the banana skin we need to worry about instead of France but yeah I’ll go for Hungary in there why not yeah I think what what really benefits Germany is nelman as head coach you know I think really really talented manager um you know probably incorrectly sacked at at a buy as well and interestingly they try to call back for him in the summer until the H Vincent company uh as head coach but then who are you going to go for who’s going to be your your darkhass for the for the tournament I’ve gone for Austria which is maybe a bit of a a large shout because they’re in a group with France the Netherlands and Poland but I think Ralph Ran’s obviously their manager and I I think that to go far in a tournament you need that buying of everyone and the style of player rather than just having big names now Austria’s big names are probably Marco anovich Marcel sabitzer Conrad lmer they’re the three that stand out so they don’t have the Robert leowski that that Poland had for example where it’s just literally that one big name and a couple of others uh but I just feel like that high press that ranc absolutely loves they beat Germany recently let me just pull up their results so they beat Germany have said recently it was in November 2023 they’ve beat uh Sweden they drew to Belgium they beat Italy as well so like it’s I feel like there could be a dark horse for me and so I’m going to go with Ralph rik’s High pressing Austria side who yeah they seem to have really bought into his style of play so I’m looking forward to well I’m intrigued to see how they go okay then I was put coup players I mentioned around Belgium as well just Maxim deop who I was buzzing about and I was hoping that Bor would sign him last summer as a left back and put his in my short list and he’s not being called up to the Belgium squads I was like great actually didn’t even realize until like about an hour ago um but and we’ll go on to the final two questions before I wrap up for the preview one um and it is who will finish Euro 2024 as the Golden Boot winner uh Dan I’ll come back to you who do you think’s gonna win the Golden Boot I’ve gone for mbappe I can’t stand mbappe so I’m just going to be absolutely ha watching him throughout the whole of this tournament but I think that he will probably end up the the gold boot winner yeah Matt you off for we’ve got to award England with something because you know we’ve not been too downbeat I’d say we’ve been realists but I’m going to give it to Harry Kane he’s going to bring it home being the Golden Boot not unfortunately the the actual title and I agree M I agree Harry Kane golden big winner and then finally who will be crowned the winner of the Euro 2024 um we’ve all said that England get knocked out in the semi so I don’t think anyone got England uh so I’m assuming and I’ll go first I want to say if england don’t win it I think it will be France uh is the natural I think recipient I think I think they’re going to probably do it um what Matt are you going to go for yeah to quote the legendary Soul Campbell on Sky Sports News I think [Laughter] France see I’ve gone for Spain I’ve gone Spain France final and espia in the uh Euro 2024 interesting interesting gol for spin I’m surprised by that but it’s just pure Vibes just pure Vib thinking woman’s analysis just pure Vibes just pure vibs um okay then guys thanks so much uh for joining me as always um as we always do our podcast but to listeners and viewers if this the first time you listen to the board breakdown podcast welcome um we do again like I mentioned at the start follow M football club homeway uh and to their games but this time started do an England one instead to follow the Euro but also we’re going to be putting some more content up there as well on YouTube where we start to sign more players um but for right now um this has been the board breakdown podcast and that was the first episode of the road to bing up the England