Football News: England Confident Ahead of Euro 2024 Despite Iceland Defeat, Austria Tipped as Dark Horses
In the lead-up to the highly anticipated Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, former England goalkeeper David James has insisted that the Three Lions should not be overly concerned about their pre-tournament defeat to Iceland. Instead, the 53-year-old is tipping Austria, led by former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick, to be the dark horses of the competition.
James, who represented England at Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup, believes that the home loss to Iceland in England’s final warm-up game will not have a significant impact when Gareth Southgate’s men take on Serbia in their opening match of the Euros on Sunday.
“I’m an England supporter, so the easiest way I look at the Euros is England are the winners until someone beats us,” James told FFT. “The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden are going to be pivotal to any success we have. With the injuries, when you’ve had such disruption to what was a very consistent starting line-up and squad, will there be a shift in the way England play?”
Despite the setback against Iceland, James remains confident in England’s ability to succeed in Germany, highlighting the team’s attacking flair with players like Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and Declan Rice.
Looking at the wider Euros landscape, the former Liverpool goalkeeper is tipping Portugal to be “very good at this tournament,” while also expressing his belief that Austria could be the surprise package.
“My dark horses are Austria – I think they will do well. They’re going to be very well organised, very difficult to beat. It sounds a bit cliched, but they had a very successful qualification campaign,” James said.
As for the hosts, Germany, James believes they will struggle to replicate the success of the last home team to win the Euros, France in 1984. However, he still expects the German side to reach at least the semi-finals.
With the tournament set to kick off on June 14, 2024, football fans around the world will be eagerly anticipating the action, with the reigning champions, Italy, looking to defend their title. As the countdown continues, the stage is set for an exciting and unpredictable European Championship.
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