Euro 2024 column: Can England sort out their left in time?

England view: Elliott Jackson It wouldn't be England at a major tournament if there wasn't an over-the-top meltdown, would it?

Now, don't get me wrong, I was as uninspired as the rest of the nation watching Friday's snoozefest, which ended in a 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley. Hardly the 'send-off' everyone was looking for.

But the reality is that those games mean very little, in terms of the final score-line. What is more weighted is the performance, which was admittedly tepid at best.

For a team blessed with so much goal-scoring talent, England could've continued playing through the night and not scored. It was one of those games, which Gareth Southgate knows they can't afford in Germany.

That said, England could've easily won. Harry Kane would convert Cole Palmer's cross nine times out of ten but miscued it over. The Chelsea playmaker had a similarly gilt-edged chance in the second half which he normally tucks away with ease, on this season's evidence.

Despite the malfunctions in attack, England fans' greatest concern is about the back door. It has always been the weakest area of the team and that's why Southgate has flipped between a back four and five during his tenure.

With Harry Maguire, who might finally get the recognition he deserves in his absence, out of the squad, Marc Guehi looks set to partner John Stones. Or so we thought, only for the Barnsley Academy graduate to miss training due to illness on Tuesday.

Stones returned with all 26 men in the squad completing training on Wednesday. So he's a bit of a doubt but might be ok after all.

The balance of the defence is a concern, with Kieran Trippier naturally right-footed. He will collect the ball and naturally turn in-field, passing square to the centre-back or midfielder.

Phil Foden looks set to be shoo-horned on the left wing but will drift into central paces. It means England will lack much width or drive down that flank, which strengthens the case for Anthony Gordon.

That is far more of a concern for me in these early matches than the two centre-backs. It's important to remember that England will dominate the ball in the group games, particularly against Serbia and Slovenia, with their task to break down a low block.

Without sounding arrogant, Stones and Guehi, or even Ezri Konsa, Joe Gomez or Lewis Dunk, if the former isn't fit, are more than capable of handling the attacking threat of their group opponents.

Sure, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Benjamin Sesko are dangerous. But they're also forwards that will rely on the quality of their team-mates to fashion chances for them. They aren't Kylian Mbappe types, wide-forward types, who can create something from nothing.

Whether you think it's the strongest pool of centre-backs, and it isn't, or not, they are more than capable of handling the threats they'll face. All of them are regulars in the Premier League and important cogs in their defensive unit.

The bigger dilemma for Southgate is finding the right balance on the left side and directly ahead of them, rather than worrying about the centre-backs themselves.

Now, once we get past the group stages and into the knock-out rounds, that is when I'd have more concern about the quality of England's back line. But by then, Luke Shaw should be fit and Stones will hopefully have more rhythm after a less-than-ideal end to the season with Manchester City.

The message is: let's not overthink this. Yes, England's defence is weaker than we'd like but it should still have more than enough to handle what the group stage will throw at them.

Beyond that, nobody knows how the land will lie in 15/16 days' time.

Keep an eye on Scotland's John McGinn, says Dan Barnes (Image: PA)

Euro view: Dan Barnes

Scotland have a tough start against Germany – but Steve Clarke’s side have what it takes to cause a few surprises this summer.

The Scots were impressive in their qualifying campaign, picking up a shock victory against three-time winners Spain.

There is a lot to like about the Scotland squad. Andy Robertson is an obvious starting point, having played at the very top of the club game with Liverpool.

The full-back failed to reach his previous standards this season but there is no denying he has the ability to change games.

John McGinn is another player to keep an eye on. The midfielder’s talent often goes under the radar compared to more ‘fashionable’ names but he should not be underestimated.

Not long ago I would have been ridiculed for suggesting Scott McTominay could be a main source of goals but the Manchester United man proved his doubters wrong last term, finding the back of the net 12 times.

There is plenty of talent elsewhere in the squad looking at the likes of Kieran Tierney, Billy Gilmour and Ryan Christie, although the Beating the Germans is a tough ask but most fans will probably agree it is best to get that game out of the way first.

The Scots also have fixtures coming up against Switzerland and Hungary and, on paper, it is a good chance to finally make it past the group stage. I think this might be the year they do it.

It's great to see Graeme Souness listed in the ITV pundits for this summer's Euros (Image: PA)

TV View: Marc Iles

THE battle of the pundits starts tonight – and there are a few new names for us to love or hate at the half-time interval.

ITV have first dibs with the Germany v Scotland game and presenting duties will be split between two good operators in Mark Pougatch and Laura Woods.

As usual, they have plundered Sky Sports’ roster with the addition of Gary Neville and Roy Keane, and I’m delighted to see Graeme Souness back to provide a bit of sense.

Eni Aluko and Karen Carney have decent experience and we also have US referee Christina Unkel to give some insight into the officials, which I hope is better than the Mike Rileys or Peter Waltons of this world.

Ange Postecoglu should be an engaging guest – so long as he can avoid calling everybody “mate” – and Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl is a budget wildcard.

We have to wait until Saturday night to see the Beeb’s first line-up, and it is no surprise that Gary Lineker will be fronting up the coverage for his 25th year. Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman and Alex Scott will deputise.

With Alan Shearer shifted to co-comms, the punditry options are quite wide-ranging. The omnipresent Micah Richards will be chuckling his way through the tournament along with go-to regulars like Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Williams, Ellen White and Cesc Fabregas.

I don’t know what we’ll get from Scot Rachel Corsie, nor Brentford boss Thomas Frank, but I have a good feeling about Joe Hart, who has recently retired and fancies getting into the media.

David Moyes is out of a job, so on the carousel again, and new Plymouth boss Wayne Rooney is also on a character reboot. Finally, we can only hope that Frank Lampard treats us to the old funny quip/serious point switcheroo that we have come to know and love.

In recent years, ITV’s in-studio stuff at major tournaments has really improved, even though the ad breaks make it difficult for any real debate to get going. Their line-up has more of an edge about it, but Keane, Neville and the old vet Souness will be doing the heavy lifting.