Euro 24: Tale of Two Brackets

The English press may have no use for Gareth Southgate, but the scheduling gods certainly have a soft spot for the English Manager. After an entirely uninspiring series of three group matches, the path through the knockout stage seems paved with gold for the Premier League centric squad. There is a definite disparity between the two sides of the Euro 24 bracket. On one side are tournament front runners Germany, Spain, France and Portugal. On the other side of the bracket is…England. Despite all the often-warranted criticism levelled at the English team, Southgate’s squad did top their division, something that France failed to do. By winning the group, England faces Slovakia rather than Germany in its Round of 16 match.

Things are not all rosy for England, of course. There is the small matter of their non-existent attack which was expected to be a strength entering this tournament. Jude Bellingham has disappeared after scoring in England’s opening match. Harry Kane opened the scoring in the second match before becoming his otherwise anonymous self in these European Championships. Bellingham has not been creating from his Number 10 position. Harry Kane has been continually dropping back into the midfield rather than being the point of England’s spear. Phil Foden appears lost on the left wing as he enviously watches Bellingham patrol Foden’s desired turf in the center of things. Cole Palmer, even in limited minutes, provided more than Bukayo Saka on the right of the attack when the Chelsea star was finally given a chance late against Slovenia. Anthony Gordon came on with Palmer and looked a much better option than Foden on the left side.

Still and all, the grinding, painful to watch goalless draw with Slovenia was all England needed to claim the top spot in its group and ease its path forward. In fairness to England, its desultory form was partly attributable to group opponents who were quite happy to sit back and absorb pressure, not having the weapons to go forward as the English are at least thought to possess. Breaking such opponents down requires creativity, such as the seldom used Palmer can potentially provide, and pace which Gordon can surely provide.

Ironically, England’s outmatched Round of 16 opponent, Slovakia, might well be expected to come out in a low block as well. Should England advance, their possible quarterfinal opponent in either Italy or Switzerland are also clubs which present more defensive solidity than attacking flair and will have stopping England’s attack at the top of their to do list. Italy, of course, knocked England out of Euro 20 in game deciding penalty kicks after a grinding 1-1 deadlock. England may not face a club willing to come out and play with them until reaching the final against one of the other tournament favorites. Given the stakes at that point, both finalists may play conservatively. If England can slog through to such a final, Southgate should get some plaudits despite the seemingly easy path on paper.

Some of the powers on the other side of the bracket have failed to cover themselves in glory this tournament. France fell to second in its group when Manager Didier Deschamp’s squad drew 1-1 with an already eliminated Poland in France’s final group match. The French press is as unhappy with Deschamps’ unimaginative approach as the English are with Southgate. The French, like the English, drew twice after an opening win and scored just two goals in group play. Kylian Mbappe’s broken nose contributed to that. Unbroken was a France defense which allowed just a single goal over those three matches. Arsenal’s William Saliba has emerged as a monster in back for France after a long stint in Deschamps’ doghouse. Former Chelsea star N’Golo Kante has been a feel-good story in a triumphant return to France’s midfield. Unlike England, France fell victim to an overperforming side in their group.

Austria shocked the Netherlands 3-2 in their final group match to leapfrog over France with a second win of the tournament while the Frenchmen were drawing with puckish Poland. Former Manchester United and current Austria Manager Ralf Rangnick is being acclaimed as a hero after leading his club to the top of the group over more highly regarded France and the Netherlands. Austria and the Netherlands could now face a rematch in the weaker side of the bracket should the two sides survive their next matches versus Türkiye and Romania, respectively.

France, on the strong other side of the bracket, will face Belgium before a possible quarterfinal matchup with Portugal. The Portuguese, another tournament favorite, turned in an ugly performance in their final group match. Manager Roberto Maritnez made eight changes to rest numerous players against Georgia on Wednesday. Portugal had already clinched the top spot in its group and had nothing to play for from a seeding standpoint. The momentum of a team playing well in the tournament was shattered, however, in a 2-0 loss to Georgia. Numerous starters will now return to the pitch as Portugal will try to regain its form against Slovenia in the Round of 16. Success there could lead to that glamor match with France.

The other quarterfinal on the strong side of the bracket could feature a tantalizing Spain versus Germany matchup. Spain was the only club to win all three of its group matches and now faces surprising Georgia in the knockout stage. Italy also advanced from Spain’s Group of Death which saw Croatia fail to advance after two heartbreaking draws in which the Croatians conceded the tying goals against Albania and Italy in the 95th and 98th minutes, respectively. Luka Modric exits the tournament after he became the oldest player to score in the European Championships in Croatia’s draw with the Italians.

Germany’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland ignited a debate familiar to Premier League fans. Kai Havertz has begun missing chances in recent matches reminiscent of his days at Chelsea. Niclas Fullkrug, a true striker for Borussia Dortmund, entered the match versus Switzerland in the 76th minute and delivered the equalizer in stoppage time, his second goal of the tournament as a substitute. Will Manager Julian Nagelsmann adjust his line-up to incorporate a true striker when the Germans face Denmark on Saturday? 

Euro 24 Second Group Stage Matches: England Sputters; Poland Punted; Host Germany Rolls; Spain Ekes by Italy in Group of Death; Ronaldo Ties Assist Record; Belgium Creates Group Chaos

England, unbeaten in the tournament to date, was subject to a storm of criticism after an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Denmark. Harry Kane scored his first goal of the tournament to give England an early lead over the Danes at the 18-minute mark. The Three Lions, however, then appeared to go into a defensive shell and seldom threatened for the balance of the match. Kane himself helped to negate his early scoring strike. The English captain gave the ball away to trigger Denmark’s match tying counter. The pursuant long-range launch by Denmark’s Morten Hjulmand found the net for ironically the longest Euros goal since Denmark similarly victimized England from range in their Euro 20 semifinal. England would come back in that match to win on a Kane goal in extra time.

Heroics were not to be found on Wednesday, however, as the match would end with the sides tied at a goal apiece. A desperate substitution, whereby Southgate lifted all three of his forward players with 20 minutes to play, failed to yield results. As in their first match, a win over Serbia, England’s midfield was muddled, and its attack lacked cohesion. Trent Alexander-Arnold was lifted for Conor Gallagher for a second straight match after the Liverpool defender again seemed uncomfortable in an unaccustomed position and in his partnership with Declan Rice. The experiment to make Alexander-Arnold a full-time England midfielder appears to be a failure.

What comes next in England’s midfield is an open question with Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton all representing potential next steps as Southgate continues to tinker with the crucial engine of his lineup in the midst of a major tournament. England fans were both perplexed and outraged after Southgate lamented the difficulty of replacing Kalvin Phillips in the center of The Three Lions midfield. After a lengthy period of invisibility buried on the Manchester City bench, Phillips could not crack the West Ham line-up this past Premier League season. Surely, England can do better. Southgate has also been playing Phil Foden and Kieran Trippier out of position as the manager seems to be treating this tournament as a science experiment. Undefeated England is still on course to advance and could be a threat in the tournament if they can figure things out.

Poland, however, is out of time. The Poles became the first team to leave Germany when France and Netherlands played to a goalless draw, mathematically eliminating a Poland side which was hammered 3-1 by Austria on Friday for its second tournament loss. France faces Poland in its final group stage match with the French needing a win to top the group and a draw to clinch second. Despite former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante controlling the midfield for France, the Frenchmen still could have lost the match but for a controversial interference decision by English referee Anthony Taylor which disallowed a potential Netherlands winner. English VAR official Stuart Atwell declined to have Taylor take another look at the questionable call which found an offside, yet seemingly uninvolved, Dutch player to have interfered with French goalkeeper Mike Maignan on the goal. France’s attack, meanwhile, was pedestrian without the keen goal sniffing nose of the injured Kylian Mbappe. They should be fine to advance without him, but he is clearly needed if they are to make any noise in the knockout stage.

A team continuing to make noise is host Germany. While favored by some betters for their clear home advantage, Germany had not impressed in recent international tournaments. They have looked the best of any contenders in their first two matches in this tournament, however. The Germans followed up their opening 5-1 demolition of Scotland by defeating Hungary 2-0 in their second match to become the first qualifiers for the knockout stage. Former Manchester City and current Barcelona player Ilkay Gundogan assisted on Jamal Musiala’s opening score and then found the net himself for the insurance goal in Germany’s win. Germany’s seven goals after two matches now exceeds their total output across Euro 20. Hungary lost for a second time despite a bright performance from Liverpool midfielder and Hungarian captain Dominik Szoboszlai.

One of the best tournament performances to date was put in by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in a losing effort versus Spain. The PSG keeper had eight saves to frustrate a Spanish side which launched 20 shots in total to the Italians’ meager four attempts on the day. An own goal by Riccardo Calafiori, however, proved the Italians undoing and qualified Spain for the knockout stage as group winners. Italy, meanwhile, now needs a result versus Croatia on Monday if it is to survive the Group of Death.

Portugal punched its ticket for the next round, becoming the third team to qualify with a 3-0 waltz over Turkiye. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva scored the opening goal before Türkiye committed just the second own goal by a team from outside its own box in the history of the Euros on an incredibly poor back pass from distance. Cristiano Ronaldo then became the joint all-time Euro assists leader by setting up Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes for the match’s final goal.

Belgium established Euro history in its last match, infamously being victim to the tournaments’ greatest upset. To their credit, the Red Devils responded and have a chance to advance after a 2-0 win on Saturday over Romania. Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne provided Belgium’s first goals of the tournament in the win. With Ukraine beating Slovakia 2-1 on Friday, all four teams in Group E now have three points and qualification will come down to Belgium’s match versus the Ukrainians and Slovakia’s battle with Romania, both matches to occur simultaneously this coming Wednesday. 

Down Goes Belgium: Slovakia Notches Greatest Upset in Euro History; Albania Scores Fastest Goal in Euro History; Eriksen Makes Emotional Euro Return; Germany and Spain Dominate; England, France Meh; Mbappe Injured; Portugal Narrowly Escapes

The Golden Generation for Belgium no longer glitters. An aging roster which still includes stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku tripped out of the gate on Monday. The Red Devils, third in the FIFA rankings, were defeated 1-0 by 48th ranked Slovakia in the greatest upset in Euro history based on the difference in ranking. Ivan Schranz scored in the seventh minute for Slovakia’s goal. Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku turned the ball over in Belgium’s end. An ensuing Slovakian shot was then parried by Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels into the path of Schranz and the rest was literally history. Belgian Manager Domenico Tedesco will be left to rue whether goalkeeper Thibault Courtois would have done better. Courtois, who has had past run-ins with the manager, was controversially left off the squad just weeks after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid. Martin Dubravka, with over 150 matches in goal for Newcastle United, backstopped a tenacious Slovakia defense in preserving the clean sheet. One-time Premier League goal scorer Romelu Lukaku, still a Chelsea property though having played in Italy the past two seasons, revived memories of his futile World Cup performance in 2022. Lukaku missed several first half opportunities for an equalizer and then had two second half goals ruled out on VAR review. Group E is now in chaos as the Belgian loss followed Romania’s 3-0 upset of Ukraine earlier on Monday. Romania was ranked 24 places below Ukraine in the FIFA rankings.

Host Country Germany opened Euro 24 with the biggest win on the weekend. The Germans demolished Scotland 5-1 in a serious statement of intent which reflected the most lopsided scoreline for an opening match of a European Championship. Five different players, including Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, scored for Germany. Scotland was already down 2-0 when Havertz made it three with a penalty kick in first half stoppage time after a red card saw the Scots go down to 10 men.

Perfect start to the tournament. Straight into the next one! #euro2024 @DFB_Team pic.twitter.com/s9ANcX4Xzn

— Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) June 14, 2024

France, another tournament favorite, received a scare in its 1-0 opening win over Austria when Kylian Mbappe was struck in the face by an Austrian shoulder late in Monday’s match. The Frenchman’s nose was shattered but fortunately for the French it appears Mbappe will avoid surgery which could have ended his tournament. A presumably masked Mbappe, however, remains a doubt for the final two group stage matches. France was far from dominant in its win against the disciplined Austrian side directed by former Manchester United Manager Ralf Rangnick. A 38th minute Mbappe cross was deflected into the net by Austrin defender, and Leeds United man, Max Wober.

England was also less than impressive in winning by the same 1-0 score over Serbia. An otherwise lackluster match featured an electric goal off the head of an airborne Jude Bellingham for England’s winner.

No team in England’s group scored more than a goal as Slovenia and Denmark played to a 1-1 draw. An inspiring moment was provided early in the Denmark match when Christian Eriksen scored in the 17th minute of his return to the tournament where he fell victim to cardiac arrest three years ago in COVID delayed Euro 20. The Manchester United midfielder now plays with an internal defibrillator. The feel-good story was partially spoiled when Slovenia equalized in the 77th minute on Erik Janza’s deflected shot past former Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Spain scored all three of its goals in the first half of play in an impressive 3-0 win over Croatia in the tournament’s Group of Death. Assisting on Spain’s third goal of the first half was Lamine Yamal who became the youngest player to appear in a European Championship. Spain now moves on to face defending champion Italy in its second group match.

The Italians faced the earliest deficit in Euro history on Saturday when Albania’s Nedim Bajrami found the net in the first 23 seconds. Undaunted, the Italians rebounded to take a 2-1 lead by the 16th minute. That score held as the Albanians never had another shot on target.

Portugal narrowly avoided becoming the first tournament favorite to fall in the first round of group play. Czechia was defeating the star-studded Portugal team in the 62nd minute on Tuesday with Lukas Provod having scored with Czechia’s only shot on target. A reversal, however, was imminent for the Czechs. An own goal by Czechia tied the game in the 69th minute. After a possible Portuguese winner in regulation was ruled offside, a resurgent Portugal found the net again in stoppage time to take all three points with their 2-1 come from behind victory. Twenty-one year-old Francisco Conceicao, a late substitute, scored his first international goal for the winner in a match where Portugal’s’ 41 year-old Pepe became the oldest player to participate in the Euros and 39 year-old Cristiano Ronaldo appeared in a record sixth consecutive European Championship.

Euro 24 Begins

Euro 24 begins play Friday with 24 teams competing in Germany to win Europe’s premier international tournament. There will be matches every day to the conclusion of the group stage on June 26th. The top two clubs in each of six groups, along with the four best third place finishers, will advance to the Round of 16 knockout stage which begins on June 29th. The final is July 14th in Berlin. Over 100 Premier League players, led by 14 Manchester City participants, populate the rosters of the competing national teams, more than 40% concentrated in the top five favorites for the title: England, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain.

Host nation Germany opens the competition Friday versus Scotland. Ironically, the match will be played at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena where Julian Nagelsmann once managed the iconic German club before an ignominious dismissal. A Euro championship would do wonders for the young manager’s redemption arc. The Germans, despite their home advantage for the tournament, remain fragile despite some encouraging recent results under Nagelsmann. Die Mannschaft did not make it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups and was knocked out in the Round of 16 in Euro 20. The Germans, like Arsenal, will attempt to use Kai Havertz at striker for lack of better options. Former Manchester City and current Bayen Munich star Leroy Sane is nursing an injury, a damaging blow as the speedy Sane is one of the few players with pace on the German side.

Spain’s opening match on Saturday could be one of the more challenging this weekend as La Roja faces an aging but still dangerous Croatia. Spain is always a threat with its technically proficient possession-based style though it joins Croatia and Italy, along with Albania, in what is regarded as this tournament’s “Group of Death.” Manchester City star Rodri is a dominant figure in a Spain’s midfield which is the strength of the team. The Spaniards lack scoring punch, however, evidenced in an unhealthy dependency on team captain and former Chelsea and current Atletico Madrid forward Alvaro Morata. Spain’s 16-year-old Lamine Yamal is poised to become the Euro’ youngest player ever to appear in the tournament.

Getting Ready 💪🏾🔥 #euro2024 pic.twitter.com/camKdpK0Tr

— Lamine Yamal 🇪🇸 (@LamineeYamal) June 14, 2024

England takes to the pitch on Sunday versus Serbia. The Three Lions are favored by many to take home some long awaited silverware to their island nation. England came tantalizingly close when it lost in penalties to Italy the last time this tournament was staged. The star-studded English roster includes Bundesliga scoring leader Harry Kane, Premier League Player of the Year Phil Foden and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham who was voted the outstanding player by fans for a Real Madrid side which swept to Champions League, La Liga and Spanish Super Cup titles this past season. England has multiple weapons in attack, the potential to be quite good in midfield and an injury riddled back line which could prove its downfall.

An imposing France squad is led by perhaps the world’s best player in Kylian Mbappe. The young Frenchman, currently in transition from PSG to Real Madrid, is co-favorite with Kane to walk off with the tournament’s Golden Boot. The ageless Olivier Giroud, a former Premier League star for Arsenal and Chelsea, is expected to start alongside Mbappe in the 37-year-old’s likely last appearance for his country. Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate should start at center back for the Frenchmen but Arsenal center back William Saliba, one of the Premier League’s best defenders, has surprisingly found it difficult to crack Manager Didier Deschamps lineup. France opens against Austria on Monday.

A dangerous Portugal squad includes the timeless Cristiano Ronaldo returning from the sands of Saudi Arabia to compete in his sixth European Championship. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and Manchester City teammates Bernardo Silva and Ruben Diaz lend a Premier League flavor to the Euro 2016 winners.

Defending champion Italy is a longshot for this tournament though their 2021 win was a surprise as well. The Italians have said goodbye to legendary defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Georgio Chellini while former  West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca will need to have a big tournament if Italy is to pose a threat. 

England Rocked By Iceland

It was a most unfriendly friendly at Wembley Stadium on Friday when England’s tune-up for the upcoming Euros showed a squad seemingly not ready to face the giants of Europe in less than two weeks. A 1-0 loss to Iceland, ranked 72nd in the world, revived painful memories of England’s elimination from Euro 2016 at the hands of the small nation. This was just a friendly, but highlighted there is much work to do before England can be taken seriously as a Euro 2024 contender.

The Three Lions were able to manage just one shot on target at Wembley. Supporters, of course, will question Southgate’s squad selections which saw former England stars such as Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish left off this current version representing God and country. The midfield combination of Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice did not mesh and the 19-year-old Mainoo was caught out of position on the Iceland goal. Mainoo could see his place taken by Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher. Gallagher went unused against Iceland after playing 90 minutes versus Bosnia & Herzegovina. Trent Alexander-Arnold could also be in play to move in beside Rice but that seems a risky move in front of a shaky back line. Alexander-Arnold offers intriguing offensive possibilities but has never been a strong defender.

Emerging Crystal Palace player Adam Wharton, relatively untested at the international level, presents another possible but unlikely option. The beleaguered England back line has even more concerns after John Stones suffered an ankle injury in the first half. A rusty Stones had already been partially complicit in Iceland’s goal before his injury. If Stones misses time, a back line already missing Harry Maguire is thrust into further chaos. The center back tandem of Ezri Konza and Marc Guehi did not inspire confidence with Guehi’s wobbly performance versus Iceland particularly worrisome as he had been counted on to take a large step forward in the upcoming competition.

Southgate’s decision to cut Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite could come back to haunt the manager. Branthwaite’s omission from the squad surprised many with pundit Jamie Carragher dramatically (perhaps ridiculously….) calling out Southgate for cutting a young center back who represents “England’s present and future.” Brighton center back Lewis Dunk, still recovering from an injury, is unlikely to be anyone’s idea of a savior.

Left back also remains a headache for Southgate. Luke Shaw is not yet ready to play and the use on the left of right footed right back Kieran Trippier appeared the patchwork solution that it was on Friday. Fortunately, there should be hope that the England attack will be better in the coming weeks. Jude Bellingham has yet to join the squad following Real Madrid’s Champions League final and he should hopefully bring some energy and cohesion going forward. His return will likely displace Phil Foden to the left of England’s attack after the Premier League’s Player of the Year struggled in the Number 10 role versus Iceland. Both Foden and striker Harry Kane were uncharacteristically poor on Friday and better things should be expected from both going forward. It must be admitted, however, that Foden has never shined for England in the manner that he has for his Premier League club.

A pleasant problem for Southgate to have is where Cole Palmer now fits in the squad. The Chelsea star was one of the few top performers for England in this latest match. Does Palmer start for England in place of Bukayo Saka? Newcastle’s Aaron Gordon’s seems destined for the bench despite some brief flashes before he was replaced by Saka in the 65th minute of Friday’s loss. Saka is still managing through a muscle injury suffered late in the Premier League season.

The many decisions for England’s manager must unfortunately be made without the benefit of more on pitch evidence and experimentation before the curtain rises on Euro 24. England begins play versus Serbia in just six days.

England’s Euro 24 Roster Includes Some Surprises

England’s Euro 24 roster is final, and a surprising Premier League squad has captured the most roster spots. The four players from Crystal Palace represent the largest contingent from any one Premier League side. Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, Marc Guehi and goalkeeper Dean Hendersen survived the final cuts made by England Manager Gareth Southgate on Thursday. Eze and Wharton’s inclusion in the side ensured there was no room for, among others, Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison. A disappointed Maddison admitted his league campaign never rebounded from a prolonged mid-season injury absence.
While Tottenham Hotspur flagged in the season’s second half, the Eagles of Crystal Palace soared under new manager Oliver Glasner. Eze was central to that success and a fairly easy choice to make the England team. Wharton’s presence on the squad is more surprising. He joined Crystal Palace in January from Championship side Blackburn and soon found himself a regular in Glasner’s lineup, starting the final 15 Premier League matches for the Eagles. Wharton, who has been lauded by England Manager Gareth Southgate for his playmaking abilities, made his first senior appearance for England just this week versus Bosnia & Herzegovina. Guehi, meanwhile, could play a pivotal role for Southgate in Germany.

The England defense is problematic. Long time starting center back Harry Maguire is ruled out with a lingering calf injury. John Stones is on Southgate’s squad but is coming off a troubled season where he was both injured and seemingly out of favor with Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola. Maguire’s teammate at Manchester United, left back Luke Shaw, has not played since February. Chelsea’s perpetually injured defenders Reece James and Ben Chilwell did not even make the preliminary 33-man England squad let alone the final 26 chosen this week.

Guehi, although having only 10 caps for England, is a three-year starting regular in the Premier League and the favorite to step in for Maguire at the heart of Southgate’s defense. Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, Brighton’s Lewis Dunk and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez are other, less attractive, center back options making the cut.

The axing of promising young Everton center back Jarrad Branthwaite from the final squad raised some eyebrows considering the thin England central defense. Perhaps Southgate is of the mind that Brathwaite’s contributions are exaggerated in Sean Dyche’s overly defensive Everton scheme.

Meanwhile, the strength of the England side should be in attack. A wealth of riches in forwards and attacking midfielders has seen England veterans Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish both excluded from the Euros squad after poor Premier League seasons. Surprisingly, Southgate is carrying two strikers behind captain Harry Kane. Ollie Watkins’ outstanding season at Villa saw him trail only Chelsea’s Cole Palmer in combined Premier League goals and assists. Toney’s selection is a bit more surprising with the Brentford player finding the net only four times in a Premier League season abbreviated by a gambling suspension. Palmer’s explosive debut season for Chelsea was a surprise. His inclusion on the England squad is clearly far from it. Palmer’s Chelsea teammate Conor Gallagher will also be going to Germany, bolstering a midfield with questions. Long time mainstays Jordan Hendersen and Kalvin Philips are gone.

Wharton and Manchester United’s 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, both playing in their first major international tournament, are in. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, a defender and hybrid sort, is a candidate to start in the midfield alongside Arsenal’s Declan Rice. Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool teammates Curtis Jones and Jarrell Quansah along with Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford  joined Maddison, Grealish, Maguire and Branthwaite as the unlucky seven cut from the England roster this week. England begins Euro 24 play against Serba on Sunday June 16th.

Premier League Manager Updates

The Premier League slate of managers for next season is nearing completion after Chelsea formally announced Enzo Maresca as their new head man. Maresca piloted Leicester to the Championship title this past season and thus Leicester enters the market alongside Brighton as the only remaining clubs with open manager positions.

Of course, Manchester United’s Eric ten Hag remains in a form of limbo which seems crueler by the day. Still in place but seemingly unwanted, ten Hag awaits the determination of his fate by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group, the new sheriffs in town at Manchester United.

The Maresca appointment was no shocker as rumors had heavily circulated for more than a week, but it remains a bit of a head scratcher. Winning the Championship cannot be dismissed but Maresca had a strong roster to work with in Leicester’s first year post relegation from the Premier League and, despite a plethora of talent, the Foxes almost choked it away in the end. A 14-point lead in the table shrank to just a point as the Foxes just got by Ipswich to take the top spot. Declining performance in the second half of the Foxes’ season also saw increased complaints from supporters about Maresca’s possession based, often perceived by Fox fans as boring, style of play. Maresca has but one and a half seasons of senior management, having failed to last a season at Parma before his Leicester stint. He does have the Pep Guardiola stamp of approval, however, after spending time as an assistant at Manchester City where he worked with young players such as current Chelsea men Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia. Mikel Arteta, it should be remembered, was also a Pep assistant and had less head man experience than Maresca before succeeding at Arsenal. Importantly, Maresca is reportedly fully on board with Chelsea’s management structure which limits input by the coach upon matters such as transfer policy and roster construction, a key sticking point with former manager Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea is all in on its new manager, paying a substantial fee to Leicester to enlist his services and giving the 44-year-old a five-year contract. Maresca officially takes command on July 1.

Liverpool’s new manager took the reins this week as Arne Slot officially takes over from Jurgen Klopp in Merseyside. Slot is also a huge admirer of possession football and building from the back in the manner of Pep Guardiola sides. The Dutchman, however, is also fond of attacking with widely spaced wingers, a tactic which was more a part of Manchester City’s game in the earlier years of the Guardiola era. How Slot may integrate his approach with a Liverpool roster accustomed to more direct play under Klopp will be interesting to observe. Slot led Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title two years ago and Liverpool will certainly be hoping for a smoother transition to the Premier League than that experienced by other Dutch title winners such as ten Hag or former ill-fated Crystal Palace Manager Frank De Boer, both of whom won the Eredivisie and then found the Premier League just a bit more challenging.

Well under the radar in comparison to the Maresca and Slot signings was West Ham’s announced hire of Julen Lopetegui. The Spanish manager, who replaces David Moyes on the touchline at London Stadium, could actually have the best resume of the three new hires. Lopetegui won the Europa League and delivered three consecutive top four La Liga finishes as manager of Sevilla. His accomplishments also include a two-year unbeaten run as manager of Spain’s national team. On the downside, Lopetegui suffered an awkward departure from the Spanish national team, failed at Real Madrid, and walked away from Wolverhampton after less than a year in place last summer. Importantly, though, Lopetegui ensured Wolverhampton’s Premier League survival in the 2022/23 season. He took over a club that was at the bottom of the table in November 2022 and guided it to a 13th place finish. Differences with ownership then ended his time in the Black Country. Having already proved his effectiveness as a Premier League manager, Lopetegui returns to the league as one of several Basque managers who have experienced success in England. Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola also hail from the Basque region in northern Spain. Xabi Alonso, yet another Basque manager, won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen this past season. Like Maresca, Lopetegui will start July 1.