Can England finally step up and change the narrative about them at Euro 2020?
It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that football in England belongs in an exclusive class in Europe at the moment . This is not only because of marketing but also on sporting merits. Premier League clubs are making huge progress on the continent and you don't need an analyst to tell you that. Chelsea and Manchester City recently made it an all-English affair in the Champions League final. Manchester United also made it to the final of the Europa League. These achievements further set them apart from their rivals in other divisions who can only watch in envy as they continue trailing. The answer to this question is a simple no. There's no point going far in proving this. For more than two decades, the England team has been recognised to have a lot in common with mediocrity. This is as a result of their failure to make a statement on the international scene despite holding enormous quality over the years. Even during their prime period when the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham were all at the top of their game, they could only intimidate opponents on paper. The team failed to deliver when it really mattered and had nothing tangible to show for having such a beautiful generation of superstars. We are in June 2021 now. The European championship will get underway in less than a week. As the day draws nearer, questions are already being asked of the England set-up and they're all familiar. The fans will be motivated to throw their support behind the team as usual. It remains to be seen what will happen when the competition begins in Rome on June 11. We can already sense both worrying and encouraging signs from the build-up. Manager Gareth Southgate released his squad for the competition just a few days ago. Jesse Lingard's omission from the England squad raised many eyebrows. James Ward-Prowse and Ollie Watkins were also controversial absentees. The gaffer was heavily scrutinized for ignoring the above names and naming up to four players for the right-back spot. The players are Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James. Lingard missed out as Southgate released his squad for the tournament recently  Moreover, reflecting on the last friendly against Austria, it's obvious that their level of performance still leaves a lot to be desired. Although England grabbed the winner courtesy of a Bukayo Saka strike, they definitely needed to raise their game to match Europe's finest. The likes of France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain and Croatia won't be easy nuts to crack. Southgate has enough quality in his England side to stage a good fight against any team. The likes of Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and John Stones are all in scintillating form following decent outings with their respective clubs last term. The tactician simply needs to connect the dots and get his team fired up. Alexander-Arnold picked up a knock against Austria. Mason Mount has also withdrawn from the England group due to fitness issues. These spots offer Southgate the chance to put some things right from his squad selection. If the players also play their part well by giving their all on the pitch, there'd be no doubts over their chances of going all the way. Well, only time can tell. All we can say right now is that they've got a chance. Let's wait and see how they use it. Edited by Arnav Kholkar