Euro 2020

DAVID SEAMAN let out a trademark chuckle when it was suggested most of this current England team may not remember Euro 96.He laughed: “If they are having trouble, they can give me a call, don’t worry — I’ll let them know how it felt!”
England legend David Seaman in action against Germany at Euro 96
Seaman consoles England boss Gareth Southgate after his penalty miss in the semi-finalCredit: PA:Press Association
The old Wembley. The weather. The semi-final. The Germans. The penalties. The anguish.
Iconic moments from one iconic summer 25 years ago.
Most of Gareth Southgate’s squad were not even born to see one of English football’s most beloved and heart-breaking nights.
But it remains an embedded part of their upbringing
Rising through the ranks they would have seen the clips, heard the stories and felt the emotion.
They will now experience it first hand and become a part of that history as England face Germany at Wembley on a major tournament stage once more.
But former Three Lions keeper Seaman — in goal for that famous 1996 shootout and named in the initial squad for Italia 90 — now wants history rewritten.
He told SunSport: “Even the younger lads will get it, they will realise how much it means.
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“And if not, Southgate can tell them what it means and how bad it can feel if you get beat by them, especially with what he went through with his penalty — but it won’t be all negative.
“It will be, ‘Just think what can happen if we beat them’. It is a chance to write their own history, become heroes and get used to beating the Germans.
“They haven’t experienced getting beat by Germany in a big tournament like we did in 1990 and 1996. I don’t want them to lose another. I want them to be victorious and march on.”
Unlike most Englishmen, Seaman helped us to competitive wins against the old enemy.
The 1-0 victory in the Euro 2000 group stage, the 5-1 World Cup qualifying rout in Munich.
But would he swap that to have won on penalties at Euro 96?
He added: “I would, because of what it could have led to — England winning a trophy.
“It has been so long since 1966 and I’ve been retired a long time.
Seaman says his England team of 96 had to deal with the pressue of the World Cup win 30 years prior
“I am getting the feeling that I really want to be around when England win a trophy.
“I know how much it would mean to the players and the fans — there would be quite a few smug faces from that 96 team if England were to finally get one over Germany.
“It’s one of those things I don’t want to happen to England again, especially not this team.”
This current crop of Harry Kane and Co are reminded of Euro 96 at every possible turn and Seaman admitted his side had the same pressures.
He said: “It was always there but you will never eclipse 1966 unless you win the World Cup. We knew that but the Euros is as close as it gets.
“At Wembley, to walk up that tunnel where the England team of 1966 did when they won it, it is iconic. You need to embrace that history, use it positively and use it as an encouragement.
“I don’t want this England to have that losing feeling. I want them to feel positive feelings of beating Germany and going on and winning a tournament.
“But don’t be ignorant of the build-up and the history.

“There is no use thinking, ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about’. This is a lot of fuss.”
Seaman was on Peter Crouch’s Year-Late Euros show for Germany’s group climax and laughing at the thought of facing Hungary before the inevitable happened.
He sighed: “I was like, ‘Oh man!’ I didn’t want them at this stage. But it’s the Euros, at Wembley, against Germany. It doesn’t get much better.”
 Seaman Says Podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Smart Speakers. Follow the podcast at @SeamanPodcast.
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WORLD CUP winner. European Championship finalist. Fifteen years of managing some of the world’s top stars.Not a CV to be, erm, sniffed at.
Joachim Low is not ready to retire but no club has made a move for the World Cup-winning Germany boss
But Joachim Low, 61, is preparing for what could be his final match in charge of Germany on Tuesday and the offers of work are fewer than the number of sunbeds on a European poolside at 10am.
At a time when there has been a spate of managerial vacancies at clubs across Europe, serial achiever Low does not appear in the race for any of them.
In his homeland, Low was barely a consideration for Bayern Munich when they replaced Hansi Flick, 56, with 33-year-old Julian Nagelsmann — whose former club RB Leipzig also went elsewhere.
Real Madrid were a club not seduced by fresh young talent, instead opting to take Carlo Ancelotti, 62, back to the Bernabeu but again Low was never in the picture.
And while three Prem clubs have seemingly gone through a rapidly decreasing list of potential managers this summer, the name of Low has never been among them.
It appears proven international pedigree counts for nothing in the corridors of power at clubs, not least Tottenham, Everton and Crystal Palace.
In the case of Spurs, chairman Daniel Levy has come up with a whole raft of candidates, many of whom have little to no pedigree.
Meanwhile, Low would be available as a free agent to walk straight into work this summer. Few coaches have managed to consistently produce teams capable of mounting serious challenges at tournaments as Low has done with Germany.
Low led Germany to the World Cup in BrazilCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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Over the course of eight years and five World Cups and Euro finals between 2008 and 2016, he led his sides to at least the semi-finals in a remarkable run of tactical acumen and consistency.
If England beat their old rivals in the last-16 clash at Wembley on Tuesday Low will quietly exit the international stage.
He insists he is not heading into retirement and the hunger is there to continue day-to-day work on the training ground.
Seemingly having spent the best part of two decades in the inter­national game, cautious domestic owners do not regard Low as a viable option
He is not helped by a questionable record in club management.
Perhaps the grim viral internet videos of him with his hand down his trousers before sniffing his fingers have stopped any chairman wanting to shake said hand.
It was in his first full job at Stuttgart in 1996-97 where Low achieved his best results.
He won the German Cup during his first year and then led the side to a European Cup Winners’ Cup final in 1998 when they were beaten by Chelsea.
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Things started to go sour and he moved to Turkey to join Fenerbahce that summer, only to leave just a year later having led the club to third in the table.
It was hoped a return to Germany with Karlsruher may revive his fortunes but he was sacked six months later having won just once in 18 games.
The misery continued back in Turkey in a three-month winless spell at Adanaspor.
Those failures have long stood out on his CV, and overlook the success he then went on to enjoy in Austria when he led Tirol Innsbruck to the title.
And when he quit Austria Vienna in 2004 to become Jurgen Klinsmann’s No 2, they were top of the table.
It seems the club struggles Low had, coupled with poor Germany results in recent years, have combined to damage his credentials.
He could be scratching around after this tournament. Hopefully, by Wednesday morning . . .
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IF England versus Germany goes down to a penalty  shootout, do not expect Gareth Southgate’s men to be cool, calm and collected.They will have been practising and analysing and leaving nothing to chance to prepare for such a huge moment.
Troy Deeney blasted home his FA Cup semi-final penalty against Wolves – but revealed his leg was shaking because of the pressureCredit: AFP
England stars are preparing for Tuesday’s crunch match against GermanyCredit: Reuters
But even if you are a regular penalty-taker, as I am, you simply cannot replicate the extreme pressure of a situation like that — the crowd noise, the expectation and the fear of missing a crucial penalty at Wembley.
When Watford reached the FA Cup semi-final two years ago, we were 2-1 down to Wolves in the 94th minute when I was fouled and the referee pointed to the spot.
Now I’ve taken dozens of penalties and I haven’t missed too many but that was something else.
People talk about trying to block out the noise but in my experience that’s pretty much impossible.
I had to let VAR do its thing and I had to take myself out of that situation. Then I can remember trying to regulate my heart rate with deep breaths.
But I could still feel my leg really shaking, even though that wouldn’t happen when taking a penalty in a ‘normal’ situation.
As I stepped up, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and blasted it down the middle.
It was extreme relief when the ball hit the back of the net and we went on to win in extra-time but I am not going to pretend I was cool as a cucumber — not even close.
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It’s not that I think this England team will be burdened by those shootout defeats by the Germans in the 1990s.
I remember Euro 96 so well as I was just eight and that was the tournament that really got me obsessed with football.
The memories are indelible — Football’s Coming Home, the Twin Towers of the old Wembley, Alan Shearer on fire, Paul Gascoigne’s magic, that grey Umbro kit and for me, as a wannabe forward never blessed with genuine pace, I always recall my dad telling me to watch and learn from Teddy Sheringham.
But Southgate missed that crucial spot-kick because England hadn’t prepared for penalties like a modern-day team would do.
They will have been practising — replicating that long, lonely walk from the centre circle to the penalty spot that you get in a shootout.
And they will all know where they are going to put the ball. I don’t think you’ll see too much indecision from players.
England have plenty of experienced penalty-takers and they will trust their technique. Harry Kane will put his laces through it and aim for the corner, Marcus Rashford opens up his leg and uses his instep.
A player like Rashford might find himself coming on five minutes before the end of extra-time specifically to take a penalty and that brings an added pressure all of its own.
Harry Kane regularly tucks away penaltiesCredit: EPA
England will have prepared  psychologically but, like I said, even that might not stop their legs from shaking uncontrollably!
I’m not saying I expect Tuesday’s game to go to penalties. If I had to make a prediction, I’d take a tight England victory, maybe another 1-0. In many ways, the roles are reversed from those games in the 1990s.
Back then Germany were favourites and were renowned for their efficiency.
But this time England are favourites, they are ranked higher than the Germans and their form has been better.
This time, England are an efficient team. They haven’t excited us too much yet but they have topped their group without conceding a goal and got the job done.
Germany will test England’s defence like they haven’t been tested for some time.
Marcus Rashford recently converted from 12 yards against RomaniaCredit: AP
I like Serge Gnabry, who had a point to prove after failing to crack the Premier League but always seems to turn it on against English sides and is a Champions League-winner with Bayern Munich.
Former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane has had some criticism in Germany but he could turn it on.
I think Southgate will go with a back five to match Germany’s system.
He likes the balance of Tyrone Mings as a left-footer alongside John Stones and Harry Maguire, whose return to fitness is really welcome.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Jordan Henderson starts too after playing 45 minutes against the Czechs.
I love Jack Grealish but I don’t think I’d start him in this match. If you have Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Rashford and Jadon Sancho on the bench, you can really make full use of your five subs and use pace against tiring legs.
Serge Gnabry scored four against Tottenham in 2019Credit: AFP or licensors
Leroy Sane has the talent to turn it onCredit: EPA
I fancy England and if they do win this, they will be favourites to reach the final. I can’t see them  losing a quarter-final to Sweden or Ukraine, although Holland would be tough in a potential semi-final.
Still, first things first, let’s concentrate on the Germans and a rivalry like no other for England.

It’s my birthday on Tuesday and I can’t think of too many better presents than seeing Southgate’s men beating Germany.
Even if we do all have to suffer the ordeal of penalties!
Jack Grealish may have to drop back down to the benchCredit: The Sun
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LEICESTER CITY midfielder James Maddison has shown England boss Gareth Southgate what he’s missing with a sensational free-kick during summer training.The 24-year-old failed to make the provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2020 this summer as he was left out of the Three Lions set-up.
James Maddison composed himself before taking the free-kickCredit: Instagram / @madders
His technique was superb as he struck the ball up and over the wallCredit: Instagram / @madders
And it swerved perfectly before clipping the post and nestling in the netCredit: Instagram / @madders
But he is continuing to put in the graft during the off-season as he looks to stake a claim for a place in the England squad in the future.
Maddison, who scored 11 goals and assisted ten more in the 2020-21 campaign for Leicester, filmed himself whipping a wonderful free-kick in off the post and shared the footage with his Instagram followers.
Captioning the superb effort, he added: “Free kick fun after training today. Swipe for the outcome.”
Maddison’s video comes just days after Southgate admitted England’s set-piece delivery has not been up to standard so far at the Euros.
Speaking after their win over Czech Republic, the Three Lions boss said: “Our delivery hasn’t been good.
“There was the one where Stones hit the post which was bang on the money and Trippier’s delivery in the first game [the 1-0 win over Croatia] was excellent.
“We haven’t matched that since. It’s quite rare for us.
“We have gone four or five matches without a set-piece goal, and that’s an area we can improve on.”
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Maddison suffered a few weeks on the sideline in February and March due to injury.
And while he did play the last seven games of the Premier League season, he failed to assist or score any goals and was subsequently left out of Southgate’s squad.
England have a number of options in the No10 position including the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount.
And Maddison was the unfortunate one who missed out on selection, while Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard also failed to make the final 26-man squad despite a sensational end to the season on loan at West Ham.
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England have dream route to Euro 2020 final if they beat Germany More

JAMIE REDKNAPP wants England to take the game to Germany when the two sides meet at Wembley on Tuesday.The Sky Sports pundit believes England possess players capable of making the Germans nervous, such as Jack Grealish and Mason Mount.
Jamie Redknapp wants England to ‘have a go’ against Germany
(Left to right) Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Reece James pose with the AEW belts
Redknapp is keen for both to play, suggesting The Three Lions have nothing to fear.
He also argues that Gareth Southgate’s team have looked nervous so far, and pinpoints that as the main reason behind the draw with Scotland.
But Redknapp is anticipating a more open game against Germany and believes that will suit England.
He told Sky Sports: “Don’t go safe. Let’s go out swinging punches. If Mason Mount and Jack Grealish are played together, I’d be nervous if I was in the Germany side.”

Redknapp also gave a warning to Southgate, telling the England boss he will not want to exit Euro 2020 having only scored two goals.
Because of that, the former England midfielder wants Southgate to loosen the shackles a little, to “have a go” at Germany.
As a result, Redknapp is less worried about deploying a back five, unlike Gary Neville or Jack Wilshere, and he instead suggests Southgate should “go with what he knows”.
Gareth Southgate is under pressure to start Jack Grealish
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Gareth Southgate faces a decision between Mason Mount and Jack Grealish

Redknapp also has faith in Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips to continue in midfield, suggesting the forward options available are good enough to create problems.
However he also feels Grealish has to start, arguing Southgate must find a way to fit him into the team as he is a player who makes things happen, as Grealish evidenced with an assist against Czech Republic.
Meanwhile, England players have been posing with AEW belts in preparation for the Germany match, with the squad seemingly in high spirits ahead of the fixture.
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England train as Germany last-16 Euro 2020 tie edges closer More