Walter Finch
ONE would think a team featuring the European Golden Shoe winner, the La Liga Player of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Year should be among the favourites for Euro 2024.
Not according to Spanish football fans.
The hotly-anticipated tournament kicks off with hosts Germany taking on Scotland in Munich on Friday, with England set to play Serbia on Sunday.
However, a potential starting eleven that features the stellar names of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden was widely derided on Spanish X.
“This team is inhuman – the only way England doesn’t win the Euros is if they self-destruct,” wrote user Mando Sanabria Roa.
However, Sanabria was soon put in his place by his fellow Spanish football fans.
“The only way they don’t win the Euros: It is England – it’s already enough,” laughed one user.
Another reader agreed: “England is their own worst enemy.”
A third said: “They are English! It’s not hard for them to fail.”
Various readers dismissed England as pecho frio, which describes players who don’t perform under pressure and could translate as ‘bottlers’ or ‘chokers’.
One commenter pointed out how ‘it already happened in Russia 2018, Wembley 2021 and Qatar 2022.’
“They were dominating Croatia, they backed down absurdly against Italy and they had France on the ropes and then lost anyway.”
According to the Spanish fans, England should be breathing a sigh of relief that injured Manchester United defender Harry Maguire didn’t make the squad after they identified him as a major weak link.
“No matter how well he has played, there will always be the question of when he will turn into Mr Hyde again.”
England manager Gareth Southgate was next in the firing line.
“They are led by this donkey so best to move on to something else,” wrote one above a photo of Southgate.
“England has always stood out for its star names, but it does not have a coach at the level of its players.”
Southgate was then compared to Italian coach Massimilliano Allegri.
“Although England may be a more dominant team, I see Southgate similar to Allegri: neither were well liked because they are not very aesthetic, but they are effective.”
Then the current selection was unfavourably compared to England’s failed ‘golden generation’ of 2004 to 2006, which featured a host of mega stars.
“The generation of Terry, Lampard, Gerrard, Cole, Beckham and company was better and they turned out to be duds.”
Another agreed: “They were a thousand times better and they didn’t win anything.”
Of the individual players, one claimed that bar Walker, Bellingham and Kane, ‘the others are overrated.’ “And taking out Bellingham, there is no real star (I know that X loves Kane, but if he is considered top 10, the bar is very low).”
Saka, Rice, Shaw, and Pickford were described as ‘little players’.
“Stones too – he passes it nicely but he is a sieve. His slip ups make Maguire transform into Beckenbauer For England.
“Alexander-Arnold is a hotshot, but putting him next to Rice and England lose the midfield. Verdict: they don’t beat France.”
However, other observers dismissed the detractors as ‘animals’ and shared a more nuanced take on the England team.
“Pickford is the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in the Premier League in a team that is fighting relegation.
“The one who served up the Euros on a little silver platter with the penalties he took. The one who grows when he plays with England.
Another said: “The biggest mistake to make about Maguire is to think he is bad or not up to it playing for England.”
