Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
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Despite all the despair down the years, England fans should count themselves lucky to have the luxury of supporting one of the best international football teams. While many of us simple dream of seeing our teams qualify for a big international tournament, England fans, despite a few blips down the decades, are almost assured that their team will be represented at World Cups and European Championships.
And yet, it was never enough. Since 1966, England have failed to deliver when it mattered. There were agonising defeats, such as the ones in Stadio delle Alpi in 1990 and Wembley in 1996, and some awful performances, like the one against Iceland in Euro 2016. The insatiable sports media in the UK banged the drum incessantly, celebrating overachievers and being much too harsh on the players and coaches who were simply never good enough.
2016 and that humiliating defeat to Iceland was something of a turning point, however. There was an acceptance that England had no divine right to winning, and even the tubthumping tribal press seemed to change its tune. By the time the 2018 FIFA World Cup came around, expectations were so low that the media, incorrectly, ran the narrative that England were underdogs. A team outclassed in the Semi Final was venerated as heroic. Despite that, England were fun to watch again.
England now favourites with bookmakers
Over the last 18 months or so, England has built on that World Cup ‘success’ and become an accomplished side under the steady hand of Gareth Southgate. In fact, such is the progression of this young team, 888sport has now made it favourite at 5/1 ahead of Belgium and France (6/1) to win the European Championships.
As you can see by the latest online live betting, things can change in an instant in football. So, teams like Germany (9/1) and Spain (7/1) should not be ruled out getting things right again by the time the tournament comes around. However, there has been such a remarkable turnaround in England’s fortunes that it is difficult to disagree with them being favourites, even if it is ahead of the World Cup winners France.
Indeed, it must be stressed that there is a sense that England are improving in areas beyond the pitch. The atmosphere that emanates from the England camp is one of togetherness. The performance that sticks out most of all was the 6-0 thrashing of Bulgaria in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. England were supreme on the pitch, as the scoreline suggests, yet it was all the more impressive to see England remain so professional when the players were facing racist taunts from the home crowd in Sofia.
Media has been more responsible with this young team
That sense of togetherness has even filtered through to the national sports media, which for so long felt like an albatross around the team’s neck. Will it hold up should things start to go awry? Who knows, but there is a sense of calm around the reporting; a feeling that there is no need to build the team up artificially, and then knock it down again as in the past.
There is, however, one more concrete reason for England’s role as favourites in this tournament. The Euro 2020 Semi Finals and Final will be played at Wembley. Home advantage can be crucial in these tournaments, and England will have incredible support should they make it to that stage. The passion from fans who seemed to fall in love with England again at the 2018 World Cup might be enough to give this talented side the chance to finally put to bed its big tournament hoodoo.
