ROBBIE SAVAGE believes it would be a failure if England do not reach the Euro 2020 final.
He also hinted at The Three Lions playing “dull” football, but was impressed with England beating Germany despite Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Jack Grealish not being named in the starting lineup.
Savage also praised the balance Gareth Southgate has struck between defence and attack, but expects the quarter-final against Ukraine to be a tight affair.
In his column for the Mirror, Savage wrote: “Make no mistake: England have a fantastic chance of lifting the trophy at Wembley next weekend, but it would be a massive failure if they don’t reach the final now.
“Some people think England’s results have been better than the performances, and it’s true they have sometimes been dull.
“But Southgate has to strike a balance between staying solid and reckless misadventure, and so far he has walked the line well.
“I admire Southgate for ignoring the clamour to go gung-ho and opt for all-out attack. He’s stuck to his guns and he’s my man of the tournament for doing it his way.
“Just don’t expect the game in Rome to be a white-knuckle ride with goals galore. Look what happened to France when they got involved in an end-to-end game of pinball with Switzerland.”
The BBC pundit also points out that Grealish, Foden, Mount, Jude Belligham, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Jadon Sancho all have the potential to be game-changers, with the latter set to start in Rome.
As a result, Savage says he would be surprised if England do not make the final, with Denmark or Czech Republic the potential semi-final opponents.
England vs Ukraine betting special
A win over Ukraine means England would reach the semi-final of a European Championship for the first time since Euro 96.
And it would mean back-to-back semi-finals in major tournaments for Southgate.
Mason Mount is also expected to return to the starting line-up against Ukraine with the team switching to a back four.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
