Low Expectations From Public as England Arrive in Poland

England arrived in Krakow in Poland yesterday with the realistic general public back home suggesting that they will not have a successful tournament at Euro 2012. The 23-man squad will begin training at FC Hutnik Krakow’s stadium on Friday after the team’s visit to Auschwitz where many concentration camps were based during World War II. The FA helped to improve their temporary training base which brings a drastic change to when they first visited the site after qualifying for the tournament. Prior to England's arrival, there have been numerous events that have caught the eye of the media and fans alike. 

TRANSITION: England's training camp in Krakow

To begin with was the appointment of former West Bromwich Albion boss Roy Hodgson as the new manager replacing Fabio Capello after the Italian resigned in February. For me, Hodgson was the correct choice for England with the amount of experience in international football including taking Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup in the USA. His CV also states that he has managed in Sweden, Finland, Italy, Denmark, Norway and the United Arab Emirates where the FA felt he was the only candidate for the job. When the squad announcement came along, there were some criticisms from fans suggesting that a few of the players that were selected shouldn't have been in the squad at all. Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Martin Kelly have got every England fan's mind boggling of their selection however the biggest omission from the England squad was Manchester City right-back Micah Richards. It is a questionable decision from Hodgson as Richards wasn't a popular choice during Capello's reign either. Hodgson has also had to deal with injuries to key players such as Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshire, Kyle Walker, Gareth Barry and most recently Gary Cahill. They are all big blows however the England squad must believe in themselves if they can get through to the latter stages of Euro 2012. 

PRIMING FOR SUCCESS: The England squad

In terms of the opposition that England will be facing in Group D, they have been placed alongside former World and European champions France, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine. The Three Lions play France in Donetsk on Monday knowing that avoiding defeat will increase England's chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals. It will be a very tough game against 'Les Bleus' as they have been in a remarkable run of form being unbeaten in the last 21 matches. Despite Hodgson being in charge for two games, both of them wins, he has made England into an organised unit and looking difficult to beat however when it comes to tournament games, it's a whole different ball game. The staff and players will be looking to win the tournament however the main priority is to get out of the group and by taking one game at a time. It will be interesting to see how England fare in the tournament with the general public having low expectations on the squad. Despite having one of the youngest squads at Euro 2012, they are determined to do the best that they can, but then again, when have we all heard of that before? 


As mentioned earlier, some additions did cause a few stirs however there has been praise for Hodgson for his selection of players who have fully deserved their place in the 23-man squad. The main man who headlines that is 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Arsenal. After moving to the Emirates for an estimated £15m last August from Southampton, the teenager found it hard to get into the Arsenal first team however after a few appearances in the Carling Cup and Champions League, Arsene Wenger gave him the opportunity to play in the Premier League where he has put in some outstanding performances. His pace and skill are the key factors to his play which will give any defender a living nightmare. If given the opportunity at Euro 2012, he will definitely be one of the players to watch at this year's championships. 

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

For me, I feel that England will have to keep as an organised unit to stand any chance of qualifying for the latter stages of the European Championships. It is no surprise to anyone that they go into tournament with most of the public feeling that they will have a hard time in Ukraine. I have asked England fans on Twitter on their views: 

@Fuller_Saints: "Better than expected, will be efficient but not flashy, could work very well." 

@petersaint76: "If we get to the quarter-finals with the injuries and missing players, it will be an impressive performance." 

@MaryWillis28: "Must keep moving the ball forward. Working an opening is ok but got to lead somewhere." 

@Saint_dabbsie: "I genuinely think that we'll struggle to get out of a really tough group. Hope I'm wrong but think we're severely lacking up front." 

@BenCoupe: "Draw with France. Beat Sweden and Ukraine. Will win the quarter-final if we avoid Spain but will be out in the semis." 

@MrAlexWard: "If we're lucky, we'll get to the quarter-finals." 

@BradleyBakerMFC: "We will win, mainly cause I'm patriotic and always say this. Greece did it (in 2004), so why can't we? We have more heart than anyone else." 

@markbisping: "S***! But it's good we finally have a major tournament with no scandal building up to it and no expectations." 

@Ryan_House_94: "We won't make it through the group stage, lose to France and Ukraine, beat Sweden. Ukraine and France to go through."