Why he’ll only get bigger 

 This past Saturday Connor McGregor made UFC history by becoming the first man to hold two titles at the same time, the Featherweight title and the Lightweight title by defeating Eddie Alvarez by TKO in the second round.

McGregor from Dublin, Ireland accomplished this feat in the famous  Madioson Square Garden’s in New York the first event the UFC had put on in New York after finally being legalised by state law. The reason the promotion and President Dana White went with McGregor as the first person to headline this card was simple he draws lots of money and even McGregor knows that himself. McGregor famously nicknamed The Notorious MMA has become one of the biggest box office draws of all sports, people all round the world tune into to watch him and has more people into the sport and has a whole country behind him which always helps. His press conferences are always entertaining and he always seems to have great lines and destroys his opponents verbally as well as physically, some will say he does for UFC what Muhammad Ali did for boxing. He has a very exciting style of fighting some would compare to Mike Tyson as both come out like a bat out of hell and can take you out in the first round and you wait with anticipation for it to happen.

Since signing with The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in 2013 McGregor has slowly built a following that is phenomenal and has reached levels unseen before in the sport for a guy who fights lower weights. His PPV buys in Amercia are huge especially for his fight against long reigning Featherweight King José Aldo who he knocked out in a record 13 seconds. The fights he is in are normally in the millions category, this also helps with his KO power and his character which by all means is no act. His fighting style has been helped by his long time trainer/coach Joe Kavanagh, they have a very good understanding of each other and at times seem joined at the hip which makes victory even more special for both of them.

Where does he go next? 

It’s interesting to wonder where McGregor goes next after this Triple H the COO (Chief Operating Ofiicer) of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) was pictured at the Garden so in the short term an appearance at Wrestlemania next year could be in line. In terms of his fighting career he’s most likely to give up his featherweight title as he’s said that he has cleaned up in that division, a few defences of the lightweight title will be the most likely route. A move up to Welterweight and a third fight with Nate Diaz who he’s had two epic fights against this year both winning one fight. So we could see a final fight to end it all or he could pursue that divisions title and become a three weight champion which I wouldn’t put past him. He talked after his last fight of having a stake in the company after it was sold by the Fertitia brothers who owned it for years to WME-IMG a sport and entertainment consortium for $4bn so McGregor could be playing his cards here to prove how much of a big player he is in this business which is hard to argue against.

 Why he’s only going to get bigger: 

McGregor will only continue to thrive and get bigger because of the draw he is and his charisma which are always key things in sport. You can only imagine bigger numbers over the next few years with his fights which could be on Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson levels whichever division he is in and you can always guarantee a large portion of Irish fans going wherever he fights. We still don’t know how bigger Connor McGregor will become over time by I can definitely say it will be an interesting watch just to see.

A game that neither dare lose

This Monday at Anfield sees the coming together of England’s two greatest teams in a match that neither player, manager or fans want to even think of losing. This match is arguably the biggest game in England Because of the rivalry and history between these two fantastic teams that have defined different generations for football fans all round the world and you never get tired of this encounter whether your neutral or cheering for someone.

 Why is it such a big match? 

There so many things that make this game so big that I could go on forever. The main reason this game is as big as it is because it’s a clash between England’s two greatest ever sides. For the last 60 years these two sides from the North West have dominated the English game winning 38 titles between them, 8 Champions Leagues, 17 FA Cups and 12 League Cups. The honours are only a part of what makes this match so big, the long history between the two city’s only add to spice in terms of culture, shipping and music. These two sides have had some of the biggest players to ever grace the game playing for them, players like George Best, Kevin Keegan, Bobby Charlton, Alan Hansen, Dennis Law, Kenny Daiglish, Graeme Souness, Ian Rush, Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, Michael Owen (who played for both clubs), Roy Keane, Xabi Alonso, Robbie Fowler, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo. This game has the incentive of huge bragging rights, neither team will want to lose this one especially both sets of fans who passionately wait in baited breath for this game on the fixture list. This game will be broadcast to many countries worldwide with loads of people watching with anticipation.

Jose Mourinho vs Jurgen Klopp: 

One big reason two watch this game is the big personalities of both managers Jose Mourinho (Man Utd manager) and Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool manager). These two have been up there with the best managers in the world over the last ten years with both having a big passion for the game and are willing to do anything to win and building teams that will die for both of them. For United boss Mourinho this is his first taste of this game, he’s been speaking well ahead of this saying that: The rivalry is nothing to compare: he has managed some of the biggest games and Derby’s in Europe including the Madrid derby, Milan derby, El Classico and Manchester derby and won a lot of these games. Mourinho is in many ways very disliked on Merseyside due to his two spells at Chelsea so managing United will put him in a different level of dislike amongst Liverpool fans but he won’t care one bit he’ll perhaps love it all. On Liverpool’s side of the pond is Jurgen Klopp a man with fiery passion on the touch line and a personality that could motivate any team. For Klopp this will be his third time in charge of this game having been in charge for a full year now. He is another big game manager who thrives off occasions like this having beaten Bayern Munich with his Borussia Dortmund team countless times and since becoming Liverpool boss beating Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester and Everton. A win in this one and Klopp can start thinking about a potential title run but only if they win (you could argue the same for United).

With this game being at Anfield you’ll expect both managers to be commanding the touch line and ordering their players on the pitch to keep going and with a loud atmosphere expect both to thrive off it.

Key Player battles: 

Batte of Midfield:  

This one will be the most key battle of the whole game with both possessing a powerful midfield. In central midfield you’ll likely have Jordan Henderson vs Ander Herrera, both can be key factors for their teams. Lately Herrea has been key to United’s play, breaking up play and getting the ball to United’s creative players, his best asset will be is his endless work rate and never ending determination to keep going when something seems lost. With Henderson it’ll be a similar case of work rate but more driving forward and getting on the end of the box. Being captain will have a bigger baring on Henderson in this game when so many greats have worn the armband in the game he’ll be hoping for a good game otherwise the Kop end will verbally kill him.

Another midfield battle that’ll be worth the watch will be Phillip Coutinho vs Paul Pogba. This will be a big factor in this game with both expected to either assist goals or socre them. Coutinho has been excellent for Liverpool since joining them scoring some memorable goals and providing great assists, the little Brazilian will be called upon again to help Liverpool to another big victory and you wouldn’t be surprised if he did. With United you have the big tall Frenchman Paul Pogba who returned to United from Juventus for a world record £93.25m last summer. If Pogba can produce the early performances of his Juve ones then Liverpool will have huge task on their hands to stop him as he possess quick speed and powerful strength plus he scored a screamer for France recently which will perhaps give him tons of confidence ahead of this which might work in his favour.

The last midfield battle is a battle of the number 10’s Adam Lallana vs Juan Mata. This one will again be a key factor as both have a goals in them. Lallana’s best assets can be his energy and getting behind the forward men. Lallana has hugely benefited under Klopp since he took over and has scored more goals than he ever did under previous boss Brendan Rodgers. If payed behind the forward men Lallana will hope to get on balls outside the box and try and add to his tally this season and if he does expect him to run over to Klopp celebrating. On Man Utd’s is the litte Spanish magician Juan Mata who loves these games having scored three goals in this game including a spectacular bicycle kick which perhaps made him a United legend already, Mata’s best strengths are getting into the box passing and scoring goals. If he is played in his preferred role you would expect him to play a huge part in this game and if he does expect Mourinho to hug him afterwards and with their (supposed) history you wouldn’t be shocked.

Striker vs Defender: 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Joel Matip:

Expect this one to be two of the big striker/defender battles. With United’s attack expect the big Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic to be the leading the attack line for them, with his tall powerful strength and poacher instinct Zlatan is one the best strikers in the world and at 35 continues to get better. Zlatan in some sense is the captain without the armband and has scored goals in loads of big games throughout his extraordinary career so expect him to dominate the box for United with Marcus Rashford and Jessie Lingard/Anthony Martial operating between him. Leading the Liverpool defence will most likely be Joel Matip, the young German who arrived from Schalke on a free has been establishing himself as the anchor of the Liverpool defence and could be the glue that stops the United attack from scoring which is huge pressure on his shoulders but Germany has a very good bunch of defenders so don’t be surprised if Matip has a good game.

Sadio Mane vs Eric Bailly: 

Last but not least, this will be the quickest battle on the pitch. With Sadio Mane who has been Liverpool’s best signing at £34m combining his lethal pace with excellent finishing. Mane will be a big factor in this game if he is given the chance so expect Mourinho to devise a game plan to try and stop him. If Mane can do something special then he’ll be remembered amongst the Kop for a long time. In the United defence expect Eric Bailly to be marking Mane because of his pace and awareness to get back and mark people. Coming to Old Trafford practically unknown from Villarreal at £30m Bailly has been another good purchase already establishing himself, sometimes erratic but very good at tracking back Bailly is on his way to becoming another great centre-back at United. If he can mark Mane and stop him from running at the goal then he will get top ratings in Tuesday’s match reports, only time will tell.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-3 Man United:

I’m going for this prediction because of Mourinho’s experience as a big game manager and Liverpool’s defence. I’m going for Ibrahimovic, Rashford and Pogba to get on the scoresheet for Man United and Firmino and Mane for Liverpool. I just think the goalkeeping experience of De Gea will be vital as well, expect Mourinho to play a chess game with his team and set up to counter attack whilst Liverpool try and blitz United in the first 25 minutes. I expect this to be an enthralling game that we’ll remember but with Man United coming out on top.

We’ll find out on the night.

His impact, now and the future 

This week marks a year since Liverpool appointed Jurgen Klopp as their manager after sacking Brendan Rodgers. In that time Klopp has brought the passion back to the Kop and the fans have taken to him and so have the players, in this I’ll analyse what his impact has been and what he can achieve now and in the future.

 What has his Impact been so far: 

When Jurgen Kloop arrived at Liverpool over a year ago you have to take a look at the team that he was taking on, a team that had become very stale under Rodgers and looked a shadow of the team that nearly won the title two seasons ago. They were missing a leader having lost long time captain Steven Gerrard the previous season, so when Klopp took over his stock was more higher than the whole squad and he immediately breathed an air of enthusiasm, swagger and confidence. The same three things that brought him two Bundesliga titles defeating Bayern Munich twice and pushing them to the limit. His impact could be seen straight away with his famous high press and fast pace game being implemented into the team and the players taking it on straight away and responding brilliantly, results sometimes showed a different story but every fan and neutral could see what Klopp was bringing into Anfield. One of the many impacts was two cup finals in his first season in the League Cup and Europa League which Liverpool unfortunately lost in different ways but it was a sign of things to come. Another thing of Klopp’s impact was suddenly turning Adam Lallana, Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi into three of the best players in the team which was a big success as those three had been not viewed as decent additions to the team having been signed by Rodgers but Klopp has certainly made them better, you can’t imagine a Liverpool starting eleven without them. Of the other things with his impact has been making Anfield sound like a Cathedral of noise again the same noise that took Liverpool to 18 titles and five Champions Leagues, when Anfield is noisy and rocking it can be one of the best atmospheres in the world in all sport. One thing for sure about his impact is it definitely won’t be forgotten.

This season and now: 

This season can definitely be better for Klopp and Liverpool with new additions like Sadio Mane and Joel Matip joining Anfield and already making an instant impact you could argue for Liverpool challenging for silverware this season, with the season still young you’d be best making a title prediction argument come December or January. So far Liverpool have beaten Arsenal, Chelsea and drawn with Spurs despite battering them on the pitch which is shows more progress for Klopp and his team, with bigger tests against Man United and Man City and a Merseyside Derby to come against a resurgent Everton under Ronald Koeman which will be feisty. For this season Liverpool don’t have European games so can focus on League and cups which puts them as one of the favourites for the League and FA cup, in terms of the League you can see them absolutely challenging for a top 4 spot but like I said before the season is still young and need to see more but don’t rule them out of a challenge.

The Future: 

Now here’s a good topic the future and what it can hold. For Liverpool and Jrugen Klopp the future looks very bright indeed, if Klopp can continue building Liverpool like he built Dortmund in Germany then you will no doubt see Liverpool win either a CL or the League. One of Klopp’s best qualities is building a castle that is hard to take down and with the support of the Liverpool faithful that castle can become a fortress. In terms of the long term future I can definitely see Liverpool being a long time contender and threat to all the other big teams and bringing back European nights at Anfield which some would say are long overdue. We don’t know whether he’ll bring back any sign of the glory years under Shankly, Bob Paisley or Kenny Daiglish but with what he is currently doing and the players he could get in the future it is mind boggling to believe it can happen again. As long as the fans, board and players continue to believe in him Klopp will go from strength to strength with Liverpool but patience is required. The only flip side argument to make against Klopp and Liverpool is the mass competition they have but on the other side Klopp has a good record in big matches especially against Mourinho and Guardiola.

With a year gone by for Liverpool and Klopp it will be an intriguing watch to see if this great character of man can lead a once great name back to the top table of world football.

The Key taking points:

As we come off another Premier League weekend there have been a few taking points at the top and bottom of the table. In this edition I will analyse the five key taking points of this weekends games.

Mourinho and United get it right:

In the first game of the weekend the lunchtime kick off saw Manchester United take on the Champions Leicester. After a few weeks of bad results and small criticism from the press Jose Mourinho and Man Utd bounced back big time with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford, The first minutes where  cagey but once Chris Smalling scored from a corner United where utterly dominant with more goals from Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and a first goal for world record signing Paul Pogba killed the game before half time. Leicester scored a consolation goal but it wasn’t enough. The talking point will be United showing the old dominant signs and looking great on attack, the other talking point was Mourinho finally dropping Wayne Rooney to the bench. With Rooney on the bench United looked better then ever and this will be a vindication for United fans who’ve waited for him to be dropped. Some will argue that this is the beginning of the end for Rooney but others will say he could be good off the bench. With this big win and the team gelling well the best advice for Mourinho would be to stick with this team especially Herrera and Pogba in midfield and Mata in his No.10 role.

Arsenal triumphant in Wenger anniversary game: 

In the week since he took over Arsenal 20 years ago Arsene Wenger will have been hoping for a convincing win to help ease the usual pressures he has and my god he got it. In a first half display reminded of the old Arsenal the gunners tore apart old rivals Chelsea in scintillating  demolition job with Alexis Sanches, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil all getting on the scoresheet. You can argue that if Arsenal keep this up they can be contenders but then it is Arsenal. For fans the hope is that the team will finally kick on. On the Chelsea front they need to simply sort the defence. For Wenger it will be a huge relief that he has beaten a rival he hasn’t had great pleasure in beating for a long time and with his anniversary this week he will be glad to celebrate it with a win.

Sloppy Hammers: 

For West Ham things just seem worse. With all the hope of and expectation of the new stadium and the potential it has been a season to forget so far for the Hammers. For Slavian Billic a 3-0 home defeat to Southampton just pounded on the pain. With injuries to key players and everything around the new London stadium it’s not what anyone expected from West Ham. What also hasn’t helped is a not so good window where they tried to sign strikers but got turned down. For West Ham fans the hope is once players like Creswell, Carroll and Ayew come back from injury the team will gel but that is the hope. For the Hammers and Billic the best thing to do is see the rough with the smooth and dig results out just to get a winning feeling back into the team otherwise this new beginning could turn into a nightmare.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Liverpool: 

For Liverpool things seem to be on the up after a thumping 5-1 win over Hull. For manager Jurgen Klopp we are starting to see more of his heavy metal press style system, and starting to feel that Liverpool could be on the way back amongst the big boys. New signing Sadio Mane is looking scintillating atm Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino are looking on fire as well. Joel Matip looks like a bargain, and the Brazilian Wonderkid Phillipe Coutinho again produces another great strike. Another wonder is James Milner at left-back which doesn’t look bad and Gini Wijnaldum is looking like a midfield general. If Klopp can continue this then you’d have Liverpool as title contenders come February/March which would have every football neutral interested, for every Liverpool fan the advice would be to just enjoy this period and they perhaps will. The bigger tests lie ahead including Man Utd and Man City but after two victories against three of their rivals you’d start fancying Liverpool for top 4 or a trophy this season.

Sunderland Woes Continue 

For David Moyes and Sunderland things just continue to get worse. After conceding a 2-0 lead the Black Cats went on to lose to a Christian Benteke header in the last minute which put Sunderland bottom of the table. ATM it seems like Groundhog Day for fans who have put up with a relegation fight for the last few seasons now. With manager David Moyes already talking about a scrap for survival the mood around Sunderland might be down but if there is a team better at the survival it is the Black Cats. What they have to improve on is keeping a lead and maintaining it until the final whistle because too many times Sunderland have conceded leads late on, the hope is that when January comes round Moyes will be able to add to his squad and find the exact players he needs. But up until that point Moyes and Sunderland need to either win matches or it could be a worrying state of affairs before Christmas.

Two games you cannot afford to miss

Saturday 10th September 2016 is a day all football fans will look forward whether a fan of the teams involved or a neutral you are going to want to watch wherever you are in the world. These games bare so much significance for so many reasons and some different, in this edition I will analyse and preview these two enormous matches that will have us taking and will be the talk of the back pages in both England and Scotland.

Rangers vs Celtic: A fierce rivalry renewed 

This match is one of the most bitterly contested games in all of sport to which so much is on the line and so much pride at stake for winning this. It ain’t just about dominance in Glasgow it’s about or might win the league who can rise to the occasion and who feel the pain of defeat. As a long time fan of this match its one of those that I look forward to because of so many things some include the atmosphere, the high intensity, and the feel of a big occasion that you will never know unless you attend. This game also known as the Old Firm has been described as thunder lightning by many journalists and players who have played in this, you can expect many things in this match some maybe a Red Card, some scuffles and managers going at each other some of the things you would expect.

Why is it so important:

This match is Absaloutly important to both sides for a whole load of reasons pride, silverware and bragging rights. For some fans this game is their life to which they wait day in and day out for. In some parts of Glasgow some pubs are exclusively to Rangers or Celtic fans and don’t allow opposite fans in, these games can make players and ruin players it can make a manager great or get him fired. Players like Graeme Souness, Paul Gascoigne, Mo Johnston, Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson have made their names in this match and can tell anyone what an occasion it is and how at times you sometimes can’t breathe during the game. It’s also important because these are the two teams are expected to be challenging for the league title so it can go a huge way in deciding whether the title will be heading to Celtic Park or Ibrox come May. For Managers Mark Warburton and Brenden Rodgers this is the biggest games of their managerial careers and they will both have butterflies when they wake up knowing that they will either be a winner or a loser come 3pm.

Key Battle: 

In terms of the key battle on the pitch the tussle we are all expecting to see is Joey Barton vs Scott Brown in the midfield. Brown has been Celtic through and through and is the linchpin of the team and captain, he doesn’t shy away from a battle on the pitch with whoever squares up to him. Brown ain’t everyone’s favourite but he would perhaps say that he doesn’t really care as he only lives to give his all for Celtic and expect him to that on Saturday.

On the other team you will have Joey Barton for Rangers. Barton arrived in the summer on a free from Burnley and isn’t afraid of taking a good game throughout his career. Barton is controversial figure in british football who could describe him like Marmite some love him and some hate him. Barton hasn’t had a brilliant start to his time in Scotland since he arrived but you can imagine this as the game he would love to get going in in his career at Ibrox, he isn’t afraid to speak his mind on anything with it being religion, society and politics and very vocal on Twitter. If Barton can do his usual role of doing the dirty work and playing the sweeper role then and get the ball to Niko Krancher who can unlock passes then Barton will have a good game.

If Brown and Barton clash then expect fireworks, I for one will be surprised if either of these two don’t get sent off which will be the taking point of the highlights.

Whatever the result sit back and and enjoy this match as its unlike any footballing experience you will ever see.

Prediction: Celtic 1-2 Rangers

Manchester United vs Manchester City: A Derby that both want to win but not to lose:  

Another Derby on Saturday will see the two Machester clubs come face to face at Old Trafford during lunchtime and I can say this is perhaps the game of the season and could decide who is top for the first half of this season and it’s one that you will be glued to.

José Mourinho vs Pep Guardiola: Best friends now Bitter Enemies: 

One massive thing about this match is the managers and arguably the two best managers in the world right now.

Pep Guardiola was announced by City as far back as February even though it was the worst kept secret that City hierarchy made up of some his friends at Barcelona where courting him and he finally agreed to join them to to the joy of City fans all over the country. Guardiola is regarded as one the best managers in the world having dominated at Barcelona and Bayern Munich and winning countless trophies and introducing systems that we hadn’t seen before, Pep took over a Barcelona team in 2008 that wasn’t in great shape and shipped out a few names and revamped everything about the team, as a student of Johan Cruyff and his dream team Guardiola has played a lot of the Dutch legends system in his teams. Pep has won two Champions leagues and multiple league titles and league cups with both Barca and Bayern which is why City wanted him a lot and why he’ll perhaps win a lot at City to.

On the Red side of Manchester is Jose Mourinho a manager who is renowned as the one of the best modern managers today. Mourinho has won trophies everywhere he has been including Portugal, England, Italy and Spain he is a manager who will do anything to win and doesn’t care how he does it. Mourinho dubbed the special one can be devicesive he is known for making digs at other managers and dividing opinions amongst everyone. As a student of Sir Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal Mourinho can play really exciting football at times and football that might not but Mourinho won’t really care if it wins the match, all in all Mourinho will want to win this match because he is a winner and that’s what he was brought into Man United to do and you can guarantee that he will bring glory back to Old Trafford very soon.

These two managers have known each other for twenty years since Mourinho was assistant and translator for then Barcelona manager Sir Bobby Robson and Guardiola was captain of the team, it is said that the two where very close and would decide how the team played. The recent history between the two was in Spain when the Barcelona job was vancant in 2008 and Mourinho was being looked at by the Barca hierarchy and was very close to getting the job but a few Barca directors and Johan Cruyff advised then President Juan Laporta to appoint Guardiola who had done well with the B team and he did to the disgust of Mourinho. After this Mourinho took over at Inter Milan but it was two years later that these two finally crossed paths in the Champions League semi finals to the shock of loads of Jose’s Inter knocked out Barca in the Nou camp and what is remembered of that game is Mourinho running out onto the pitch to celebrate to which that caught of the eyes of the hierarchy at Real Madrid Barca’s deadliest rivals. What followed between Mourinho’s Madrid and Pep’s Barcelona for the next two years was some the most aggressive, feisty and physical encounters between these two teams ad both managers wanted to win so badly and did not want to lose and you normally saw a red card or a tussle between both teams, both managers made digs at each other with Mourinho flaming that Guardiola didn’t enjoy his football because he was bald and Pep calling him the fu***** chief of press conferences.

Wth both managers now managin these teams and this match you’ll be hoping for fireworks between both but this game is as much about the players as it is the managers. So let’s just hope for a classic that we’ll be taking about in many years to come.

Euro 2016 Final Preview: The culmination of a great tournament. 

Tonight we come to the end of Euro 2016 a tournament that I have throughly enjoyed watching and writing some previews on. We now reach the final between Portugal and host nation France, I’ll openly admit that I expected France In the final and where my prediction for the Tournament but didn’t expect Portugal but we have a great match ahead of us tonight at the Stade De France.

Ronaldo vs Griezmann:

One thing to look out for tonight is the showdown between the two teams star players Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal and Antoine Griezmann for France. These two apply their trades for both Madrid clubs Real & Atletico in La Liga which slightly spices it up a bit more.

Ronaldo is the bigger player In this match as he at times has carried Portugal to the final, he can change a game just by the way he runs into the box for a header. Whatever the outcome Ronaldo will forever go down as one of the greats of this game, tonight is chance to do something his long time rival Lionel Messi hasn’t done and that’s win a a major tournament for his country he just has to rise to occasion again and scored free kick, a header or a one on one with the keeper. One thing France will be trying to do is stopping this man from scoring which isn’t the easiest task in the world.

France main threat in front of goal is non other than Anoine Griezmann who has scored six goals and you can argue for being player of the tournament. Griezmann has been a joy to watch at times with his awareness in the box and his all round game. He originally was a winger but has recently at Atletico Madrid become more of a winger/forward and has also done that for France, he is the apple of the whole French team despite never playing professionally in his home country having been scouted by Spanish club Real Sociedad after being turned down by numerous French clubs he is perhaps the one inspiring a lot of young kids in his homeland right now.

Which other players can make a difference: 

In terms of who else can make the difference for both sides there a few.

For France they have in midfield N’Golo Kante who is arguably the new Claude Makiklele with his engine and ability to win the ball back and start an offence and keep it going all match, this is one player Portugal should try and stick someone on if they want to win. Dimitry Payet is one player who has shone immensely in this tournament with a screamer of a goal in the opening game against Romania and has continued his form with another two more goals and brilliant passing, if France get a free kick you can bet that Payet will take one and don’t be surprised if he is MOTM tonight. Olivier Giroud is another who France will rely on for more goals, Giroud was suddenly made the main forward with Karim Benzema thrown out of the team for scandals off the pitch. Giroud has gone thought this tournament not being the French press favourite at times but that hasn’t stopped him from scoring three goals and contributing hugely to getting France this far and will deserve a medal if he gets one tonight. Last but not least we come to Paul Pogba who has been brilliant in this tournament having started slowly, Pogba posses brilliant bursting energy in the centre of the pitch which can leave fans mesmerised at times and his brilliant passing and knack for scoring brilliant goals when he gets the opportunity. I would describe him like Paul Scholes and Patrick Viera’s love child if they had one and I’ll leave it at that.

Portugal also possess other players that they hope can contribute to the game tonight. William Carvahlo is one that has impressed me in the tournament and could be Portugal Kante as he also finds quick passes and long ones. Carvahlo can play centre midfield and defensive midfield which helps in terms of versatility. Joao Mario is another who can also drift in roles, he can nutmeg players and start playing it out through the middle, Mario also do a role out wide and play a good cross when needed to which Portugal will be hoping he does that tonight. Renato Sanches and Andre Gomes will both be key to Portugal tomight, Sanches who moves to Bayern Munich after the final has impressed everyone with his very quick running and great understanding of his game at only 18 years of age. Don’t be surprised if you see Sanches bursting passed the French midfield and setting up a chance. Expect Andre Gomes to perhaps come on for him at some point, he also plays a similar game and will want to impress tonight with speculation that big clubs are after him. Nani is one who can rise for this one as well. Always looked at as Ronaldo understudy and pound shop version of him, Nani who has just signed for Valencia so he will want to have a good game to get ready for that. His best attribute perhaps is his ability to score a magnificent goal and crossing the ball into the box for a goal, if Ronaldo doesn’t step up then Nani could be the man to step up tonight.

What we can expect tonight: 

With a final we all hope for a match that will give us memories to last a a lifetime. One thing we all hope for is this doesn’t go to penalties which would just not be right, this match could be 1-1 or 4-3 but we just don’t know. For the winner it will be lifetime memories and the loser will want to forget this immediately, both teams are in the final and deserve to be here, as a football neutral I’m hoping for a good match and a deserving winner.

Prediction: France Victory 3-1

What to look out for at this years race 

Today is one of the greatest events in the sporting calendar and that is the British Grand Prix an event that I’ve had the pleasure of being at before and one you should all watch.

In this edition I will say what are going to be the best bits to look out for in this race and what will have you on edge, there are many things about this year that make this race pulsating at every lap of this race.

The Crowd: 

Out of all the races in the world Silverstone is the best for perhaps one reason the crowd. Like I said before I’ve had the pleasure of being at this great circuit in 2014 and I felt great being there as a fan and being amongst my fellow Petrolheads. This crowd always loves it’s racing and has more passion then any other crowd in the sport.

Hamilton vs Rosberg. The Mercedes War continued: 

After the events at Austria last week the eyes of all fans and journalists will be on the continuing fued between Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. These two are only 11 points off each other in the championship, they have collided three times this year and some feel the tension is building between the two to Senna/Prost level. With this being Hamilton’s home race Rosberg will be determined to beat him and dampen his confidence, Hamilton normally fairs better at this track having won three times. Whatever happens at the first corner will be edge of your seat stuff and one not worth missing.

Can Jenson Button finally get a podium at Silverstone:  

After sixteen years of being in F1 the one thing Jenson Button has never done is achieve a podium finish at his home race which seems like a travesty. Button is one of the most popular drivers amongst fans and he just seems to be unlucky at Silverstone, with a McLaren that hasn’t been on form this year it’s highly unlikely that Jenson will get in the top three but with the unpredictable whether at this track if Jenson and McLaren can pull of a master strategy then we might finally we JB on that podium which we can not predict.

The weather: 

One thing you can never predict about the British GP is the weather. This race can go from sunny to windy to rainy in the space of five laps, luckily I didn’t experience this two years ago as it was all sunny. If the rain does come down then every driver and their team must be able to come up with a masterful strategy when to come on or stay out which can easily ruin your race. If it doesn’t rain then most drivers can breathe a sligh of relief but if it rains then hold onto your seatbelts.

On thing you can guarantee about the British Grand Prix is that nothing’s for sure which is why this is the best Race on on the whole calendar.

A Spine tingling match worth watching  

Tonights game between Germany and France is a mouthwatering game between two European Giants and one which any football neutral should watch.

This is the abasloute standout of the semi finals IMO winner of this you could say will win the tournament on Sunday.

With this match you can make strong arguments for both to win this which makes it more intriguing and more watchable.

A litte fact I’ll bring up is that Germany are facing the hosts again in the semi’s twenty years after defeating England on their turf in a penalty shoutout which could be an omen for the French we don’t know yet.

For Germany this game will not be an easy one as they have recently lost striker Mario Gomez to injury and don’t really have a proper number 9 to fill his boots, throughout the tournament Germany apart from the Slovakia game haven’t been fantastic at times and have scrapped wins, you could argue that they where lucky to beat Italy in the quarters had it not been for penalties. The Germans though poses a really good defence and Midfield with Matt Hummels and Jerome Boetang occupying the centre back roles and the midfield consisting of Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos Bastain Schweinstiger and Julien Draxler Germany can easily find the goals from those areas which could help them significantly.

France go into this match off the back of a 5-2 thumping of Iceland in which they looked like the team everyone wanted to see. The French so far have looked decent and have always found a way to win, so far players like Antoine Griezmann, Dimitry Payet, N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba have all proved their value at this tournament all playing crucial parts in getting France to the semi’s. In this game I expect France to dictate things from the midfield with Pogba, Kante and Payet playing their roles, you’d expect Griezmann to play his usual role of winger\strker and playing off Olivier Giroud who will most likely play the number 9 role coming off scoring two goals in the Iceland thrashing. The one thing that could lose France the game is their defence which has at times looked shaky, but with Samuel Umtiti partnering Laurent Koschielny on Sunday you’d expect Didier Deschamps to go with that centre back pairing rather then bring back Adil Rami who hasn’t looked great so far. France are more likely to go on the offense with them being the hosts and wanting to get the crowd going which could help or lose you the whole thing altogether.

One thing to look out for is the goalkeepers in Hugo Lloris and Manuel Nuer who with their great goalkeeping accuracy could both saves vital shots that could send both countries to the final. In terms of comparing the two Nuer slightly outshines Lloris but the Frenchman will be eager to get his country to the final on Sunday and stop any German onslaught from going into his net. Whoever comes out on top in this will be an intriguing watch and could be the decider.

Thes two matches will be hopefully be two great games and give us a good preview of the final and it will hopefully be good TV viewing.

A Battle of Britain in Lens  

This Thursday the eyes of England and Wales will be on Lens, France for a game that is huge for not just the players but the fans. This game is the first time that England and Wales have met in a football tournament ever and the stakes could not be higher for both teams with both needing the win and neither wanting to lose.

 With both opening games ending in different results for both sides with the Welsh dragons winning against Slovakia and England throwing a 1-0 lead to Russia in the last minute on paper England will baldly want to win this but Wales will also badly want this in terms of pride and history. From a sport perspective of England and Wales rivalry stems more form the Rugby pitch where the two sides play each other every year whereas the football sides haven’t played each other for five years with that being a 1-0 win to the Three Lions.

The Managers

For the Managers this is perhaps their biggest games as managers in their careers. For Chris Coleman who took over the project left by the late Gary Speed in 2012 this is a dream for him, since taking charge Coleman has slowly built a team and a unit that can beat anyone and isn’t afraid or intimidated by whoever is their opponent. Coleman has earnt huge praise from fellow countrymen Robbie Savage, John Hartson, Craig Bellamy and Ian Rush for being the man to finally get Wales to a tournament for the first time in 58 years which has been a long time coming for the Dragons.

With England manager Roy Hodgson this could be his defining moment as a manager. Hodgson has managed all round Europe including Inter Milan, he has had good spells and bad as England boss which is what it usually comes to with being in charge of the circus that is the England team. Hodgson has at times been accused of playing too defensive or boring then getting England key victories over Germany and France, Hodgson will also want this win if he is to get a new contract after this tournament with his current deal expiring after the Euro’s. Most England managers either shine or burn on the big occasion for Hodgson he will hope to shine.

The players 

Big matches normally require big players and in this one none get bigger then Wayne Rooney vs Gareth Bale. For Wales Gareth Bale is the man that makes everything happen if it wasn’t for him the Weslh wouldn’t perhaps be at the tournament. Bale has come on leaps and bounds since leaving Tottenham for Real Madrid for a world record £85m, he has won two Champions Leagues and one Copa Del Rey’s and one World Club cup. For Wales to win in Lens they will hope Bale has the game of his life and blitzes England from the right hand side which will be a handful for any England defender, Bale is a player for the big occasion and this game will be one he is licking his lips at the thought of. This could make him an icon for Welsh football forever if he produces the performance we usually see from him in Madrid.

On England side there are a lot of big game players but none stand out more then captain Wayne Rooney. For Rooney this is more then just a game for England it is the chance for him to to shine at a major tournament for the first time since bursting onto the scene at Euro 2004 at the age of 18. Since then pre tournament injuries and pressure have hampered Rooney at a major tournaments which have led to doubts from fans and pundits about whether he can cut it at another tournament. Rooney has always been a big game player for Manchester United and scored the goals that mattered, he has recently started playing a midfield role so don’t expect him to socre but expect him to be starting offences off with passes to Delli Ali, Adam Lallana or Rahem Sterling and expect him to link up with Eric Dier and maybe try and get a few tackles in on Bale to slow him down. If we see him on his game and focused Wayne Rooney can nearly guarantee an England win because nobody loves these occasions more then Rooney.

Why Both need to win and neither can afford to lose 

This will be a game that neither will want to lose as their coaches arrive at the stadium in Lens with the feeling of both countries in their hands will be going through their spines and minds as they warm up and go back to change and then walk on to the pitch and know that for 90 minutes the weight of their destines in this tournament will be defined by this match.

In terms of who needs the win more England need it to go top of the group but anything less then a win for England will not be accepted by England fans. The English press will absolutely hammer Roy Hodgson and his side if a win isn’t achieved so you can say that England have to only go for the win to not just get the press and fans off their back but also reinstate the fact that England is the dominant football nation of the British Isles.

For Wales they to will want the win a lot but might need it less because of their position in the group but don’t think that they won’t want this win more than England. For Wales they have as I said before waited a long time for this moment so they want that tournament defining moment, and what better moment it would be for them the to beat their neighbours who have looked down on them throughout footballing history because of them being at tournaments all the time and Wales just watching. Wales could easily play for a draw but most people including me don’t think for one second that Wales will do that, they will 100% play for the win and go for it.

Prediction: England victory.

The best of Europe come together  

This week sees the start of Euro 2016 and we will all admit to being excited about it, all country’s in the tournament will have expectations and dreams of how far they can go. Fans will come with a partisan feeling bearing flags and face paint and marching bands.

There are so many things to talk about with this tournament one of the first things is to look at the favourites and dark horses to win the tournament and which star names will rise. I’m going to look at who the favourites are and how they could win and the dark horses who could surprise us and who I would say are the players we should watch and look out for.

The Favourites 

France:

To begin this we’ll start with the hosts France who on paper have a massive all star team if you look at it, France have a reputation for either coming together and being brilliant or completely blowing up and destroying one another. This year they are under Didier Deschamps who won the 98 World Cup and Euro 2000 with one of the best teams that football has seen. When people ask who are the main players that could lead the French to glory the five players you have to say are Hugo Lloris, Laurent Koschielny, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Anthony Martial. These players will perhaps be France’s spine this summer and three or them Pogba, Griezmann and Martial could all light up this tournament and be remembered forever but to they must find that chemistry that previous French sides had when they won it. The standout players for the French going into this tournament would have to be Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Anthony Martial. With Pogba all eyes will be on him the man who said he wants to be the best midfielder in the world goes into this with the same expectation fellow countrymen Zinedine Zidane went through in 1998 when France hosted the World Cup of that year which they won and Zidane shone in the tournament, a similarity between the two would be that they are they are at the same clubs when this happened because Pogba like Zidane applies his skill and trade at Juventus the same club Zidane was at in 98. In Turin Pogba has perfected his ability as a brilliant central and attacking midfielder with passes and short passes that are reminiscent of Paul Scholes and Andrea Pirlo in their primes. He also has great physical strength along with his ability and scores a few good goals as well in his time, if France are to win this Pogba will have to produce world class performances on a regular basis which he is capable of.

Another young top player for France is Antoine Griezmann who has spent his development in Spain under Real Socieadad which isn’t your usual way for a player to come through but he was rejected by Lyon. His years in San Sebastián paid off as his pace and eye for goal, these skills earned him interest of many big clubs and chose to move Atletico Madrid in 2014. The last two seasons have seen him excel even more under Diego Simeone and he has become a vital part of Atletico transitioning from pure winger to a more Ronaldo role of winger/forward and in this role he has scored more goals and got Atletico to within a Champions League and League Title, who knows what this man can do this summer but he is definitely one to watch this summer.

Another youngster to emerge and be a big star this season is Anthony Martial who can also do Griezmann’s role as well. For Martial who was a complete unknown to most fans twelve months ago that all changed when Manchester United payed £36m to Monaco for him, this caused a lot of shock and confusion amongst United fans and pundits as the question was why United were paying so much for an unproven youngster. Within the first month of his United career he had proved all the doubters wrong by scoring four goals including one on his debut against Liverpool, since then he has continued to amaze with his pace and skills which have reminded people of Thierry Henry in his prime which is music to any United fans ears, for this summers tournament you can only imagine Martial being a star if he plays enough he always finds a way to score and can play on the wing and as a centre forward which makes him versatile. One for sure is this youngster will be a star and this is his first of many tournaments you’ll see of him.

A wildcard of the French side is West Ham midfielder Dimitry Payet who was one of the stand out players in the Premier League last season, he was seen as the glue who held West Ham together and has scored unbelievable goals this season and some fantastic free kicks so don’t be surprised if he does something incredible as well. Two other players that you’ll see play a big role in this tournament for Le Blues will be N’Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud with Kante expected to do the Claude Makelele role and do the dirty work and Giroud expected to add more goals as well. When France host tournament they’ve won them in the past but we’ll see whether they can give their nation something to remember forever.

Germany:

With any tournament on the horizon you always have to back the Germans every time. Germany come off the back of winning the World Cup which will surely give them the experience of winning a tournament and knowing how to do it.

Jocham Lowe’s side tend to play dominating football which might not excite some but it works for them and gets them the job done and wins games which is what matters, the players you’d expect to be the difference for Germany would be your usual suspects that would be Manuel Nuer, Matt Hummels, Sami Khedeira, Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller plus all the pools of talent they have at their disposal.

Two key players missing out are Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus through injury but with guys like Draxler and Ozil at your disposal it won’t worry the Germans as much you’d think, the main though game they face are perhaps Poland in Group C in which the defence with Hummels in there will have to cope with dominant goal scorer Roebrt Lewandowski who is one the top three strikers in the world. If they can get thought that you’d expect them to go to the latter stages of the tournament which would be no surprise. I wouldn’t be surprised if Germany walked away with the trophy but,it won’t be easy but don’t be surprised as tournament’s go on Germany tend to get better so don’t forget that fact when it comes to the latter stages the this tournament.

Spain:

The holders Spain come into this off an appalling World Cup where they crashed out of the group stages so dramatically to the shock of the football world.

The Spanish come into this as a wounded animal which could make them extremely determined to win again and look like the dominant force they once where.

Coach Vincente Del Bosque has picked his team mainly of experience added with a few young players. In Defence Spain will once again go with the usual partnership of Sergio Ramos and Gerrard Pique with Jordi Alba at left-back expected to make runs and Hecor Bellerin coming in at right-back replacing Dani Carvajal who got injured before the tournament.

Midfield wise some of Del Bosque selections caused a few eyebrows to be raised when he left out Javi Martinez and Saul Niguez two players who have done well for their clubs this season but with the midfield Del Bosque has gone with experienced anchor Sergio Buquests who will fill in the dirty work and get the ball to Cesc Fabregas or Andreas Iniesta. The other three midfielders that stand out are Koke who has had another good season for Atletico Madrid and got to the Champions League final and David Silva who by everyone’s words didn’t have a fantastic season for Man City due to knocks but still put some solid shifts in and you would expect to do a steady job for Spain if needed. Thiago Alcantara Is another one who could shine if given the chance he has been rated as one of the best young midfielders in the world and has been well for Bayern Munich in the middle line and hopefully we get to see some of that.

Striker wise Spain are expected to go with Alvaro Morata who has had two phenomenal seasons for Juventus scoring vital goals in the Champions League and Serie A this young striker has a good all round game to him which can help Spain very well if used right, at the last World Cup Spain tried to play with false 9 system which was one of the reasons they went out plus Diego Costa barely did a thing during the tournament as well which is why he hasn’t been selected.

The main issue about Spain though comes down to the goalkeepers with David De Gea everyone’s first choice ahead of long time veteran Iker Casillas. The only problem that concerns me is that Del Bosque being known for his loyalty and that comes into this with Del Bosque giving Casillas his chance at Real Madrid years ago he admires him hugely and picked him for the World Cup which again was one the reasons they went out with Casillas looking like a shell of his old self but it’s his choice who he goes for But most people including me would pick De Gea who has been outstanding for Manchester United in the last two years but let’s see. With Spain getting out of the group stages will be the first aim and getting as far as the semi’s will be a big achievement but we’ll see as the the tournament approaches if Spain can triumph again.

Belgium:

Belgium are the new kids on the block in terms of favourites tag line with a rich pool of talent to chose from but could easily be their undoing.

When I look at Belgium I think of them in the Holland role as a team with a load of stars and big names but just enough egos that could ruin team morale. On the plus of this though Coach Marc Wilmots is perhaps licking his lips with who he can select for this tournament, in Goal you will expect them to go with Thibaut Courtois who by all accounts hasn’t been fantastic for Chelsea this season but that could be said for everyone in that team this season. Defensive wise captain Vincent Kompany is out with injury which is a blow to Belgium but they have backups in Jan Vortonghen and Toby Alderwereld who have been Tottenham’ back line for most of the season which could play to there advantage.

In the Midfield they are blessed with an enormous amount of talent, these talents I talk about would be the likes of Mousa Dembele, Radja Nainggolan, Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne. With a midfield like this you could expect any team facing them to have a look of fear on there faces when they see the team sheet, out of all those Midfielders to watch I’d look out for De Bruyne and Hazard both have the ability to make the difference and change games by being in the mood for it.

De Bruyne had an excellent first season for Manchester City after moving there from German side Wolfsburg for £55m and made an immediate impact for the blues despite a big injury in January which kept him out for four months but once he recovered from it he seemed like it hadn’t bothered him at all. With Hazard he had a pretty poor season through most of the year until the last month of the season when he showed signs of his form from last season that won him loads of praise and awards which for the Belgians will hopefully show at this tournament and help them to the latter stages of this tournament.

In the strikers department Belgium are once again blessed with a big crop of players with likes of Divock Origi, Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke and Romelu Lukaku to pick from, all of them have there qualities and are capable of tons of goals. The ones to look out for would be Lukaku and Batshuayi with both being linked with moves this summer both will want to impress any potential suitors with Batshuayi having scored a ton of goals for a poor Marseille team this season in Ligue 1 and Lukaku scoring more the. 20 goals for Everton in a pretty average season for the blues, Benteke will want to impress with it looking likely he’ll be leaving Liverpool this summer so he’ll want a good tournament to, Origi is coming into this off a pretty good first season at Liverpool having started shaky then progressed under new manager Jurgen Klopp scoring a ton of goals. With a team like this you’d think they could walk this but don’t be surprised if something comes unglued but enjoy watching this team when you can.

The Dark Horses: 

Portugal:

With Portugal it’s an intriguing case some will call them a one man team some will call them a young developing team either way they will be interesting to watch.

The one thing that everyone will watch Portugal for is their star player and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. For Ronaldo an international honour has always eluded him despite winning everything at club level its never clicked on the international stage for him, this could be looked at as his last international tournament to stamp his claim on and be the big player he is, because at most tournaments he’s played at he’s just been short of a top level performance mainly due to the fact he’s never had the team around him with Portugal that he has had at Manchester United and Real Madrid. Many people will be hoping that Ronaldo can produce the blistering form we are use to on an international stage but we’ll have to wait and see.

With the rest of the squad the Portugease have a lot of young good players coming through with players such as Renato Sanches, Joao Mario, William Carvahlo and Andre Gomes making there euro’s debut. These guys are expected to anchor the Portugease midfield for years to come when players like Ronaldo are gone.

With games against Iceland, Austria and Hungary expect Portugal to top the group but be interested to see how far they go if Ronaldo is on top form.

Italy:

The interesting thing with the Azzuri is that nothing’s for sure, the main interest from an English side of things with Italy is the coach Anthonio Conte. For Conte who will be leaving after the Euro’s to go and take the Chelsea job this will be a chance to show how good he could be as a coach on the big stage. Squad wise things haven’t been easy for Italy with Claudio Marchisio and Marco Veratti both getting injured before the tournament which was a huge blow to Conte.

With this blow Conte had to go with players Thiago Motta, Danielle Da Rossi and Alessandro Florenzi who can still do a good job but question marks will be raised about whether the first two can still deliver. Goalkeeper is once again the great Gianluigi Buffon who at 38 is still one of the best after surpassing a Serie A clean sheet record this season, this is expected to be his last tournament for his country but who knows more good performances could lead to two more years.

Striker wise expect Stephen El Shaarawy and Graziano Pella to fill the lines for Italy with El Shaarawy coming off great form for Roma and Pella the big man who has a good all round game to him.

With Italy this is the first post Pirlo era but don’t expect anything big from them best bet would be the quarters but like we all say nothing’s for sure with Italy.

Sweden:

With Sweden there is only one player worth writing about and that is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. For Zlatan this will perhaps be his last bow at international level having scored 50 goals for Paris-Saint Germain Ibrahimovic is in arguably the best form of his career, he will be the main man to hopefully fire Sweden into the latter stages of the tournament but in a group with Belgium, Italy and Republic of Ireland it won’t be easy to get out of.

With a move to Manchester United expected after the euro’s United fans will be watching and hoping that Zlatan produces many goals and gives them something to look forward to. Whatever you think of Zlatan Ibrahimovic he is box office whatever he does so be entertained when you watch him for perhaps the final time on the International stage.

Wales:

For Wales this has been a long time in the making after 58 years the Welsh Dragons will be hopefully blowing a lot of fire into their opponents. For Coach Chris Colman this will be a huge privilege for him and his team to be carrying the flag for the first time in years and for Wales this comes at a great time when they have two players who can easily deliver on the big stage.

When it comes to big players Wales can look no further than to Gareth Bale who helped massively in getting them to this Tournament with seven goals in qualifyers and who is also coming off a great season with Real Madrid where he has just won the Champions League for the second time with. That comes an extra layer of confidence which Wales will be glad with. For Aaron Ramsey this will be special as well being his first tournament, normally looked as Bale’s number two Ramsey can play midfield or number 10 which will hopefully help Wales if games are tight, Ramsey hasn’t had the season Bale has had but expect him to feature heavily in games when called upon.

For players like Ashley Williams and Joe Ledley who is just back from a broken leg this will be vital for them with defence a vital part of the Wales back line expect them two to have to do a hell of a lot of work when things get tight.

Wales will perhaps know that it will be tough but they go into this with no fear and that can be dangerous for any opposition so don’t be surprised if they cause a shock.

Northern Ireland:

To make one thing sure I’m not saying this team will win but why i put them in is because they could be upsetters in this tournament. For a country that hasn’t qualified in 30 years this couldn’t be better, for Michael O’ Neil and his team who achieved qualification by winning their group and going unbeaten this is what togetherness and team spirit represent.

The team in green have a goalscoerer on hand in Kyle Lafferty who was one of the top scorers in the qualifying stages and players including Johnny Evans and Steven Davies you wouldn’t be surprised if they knicked a best third place in this tournament because every game they play they will not be the favourites but will relish being the underdog.

What I can say about this team is nothing’s for sure and watch out for this team in Green in case a shock occurs.

England:

Last but not least my country England. With England it’s perhaps the usual uncertainty, for the three lions they have a good bunch of young players that include Delli Ali, Eric Dier, Harry Kane, John Stones, Ross Barkley and Marcus Rashford. Then you have experience like Chris Smalling, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney.

For Manager Roy Hodgson this will be a vital tournament after the group stage exit in last World Cup he will want England to look strong in group games as well as the knockout stages. For England they tend to be known as a team that performs well in one game and then drops the ball for the next and just scrapes through. For The Three Lions they will also have the pressure of the press and fans who can slaughter them verbally if things go wrong and praise them for victory. For players like Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy this will be huge for them with these two expected to lead the strike line for England, Delli Ali will have lots of eyes on him as he comes off a fantastic first season with Tottenham with comparisons to the likes of Paul Gascoigne Ali will hope to produce some good performances.

Another player who will hope for a good tournament is Wayne Rooney who now leads England as captain it can argued that Rooney hasn’t had a good tournament since Euro 2004 pre tournament injuries have prevented Rooney from taking a tournament by storm but he is injury free and will be hoping like his former Man Utd teammates Ronaldo to have a tournament that defines him.

With England the best advice is to just enjoy the tournament.

Tournament winners prediction: France