Euro 2012 betting preview - Group D - England 2/2

The English team's midfield and attacking players is what we will look at in this Euro 2012 betting preview. With lots of well-known players on the team, many people and especially the English public, will cheer for these players to do well and go as far as possible. Continue reading to get our opinions on the key players. In our previous England article we covered the available betting odds and the team's defence, you can find it here. 

Key Men: Midfield

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 90 caps,19 goals. Gerrard is an all action centre midfielder, and recently chosen as the new Captain. He is a box to box player who can also operate right midfield and behind the striker. Among his many strengths we can mention that he is an excellent passer of the ball over both short and long distance, has great energy and is a prolific goalscorer. Downside is that he has looked slightly jaded of late after sustaining a few minor injuries.

Ashley Young (Man Utd) 19 caps, 5 goals. Young is a very pacey and skillfull winger, and also an excellent dribbler and good crosser. Internationally he has performed well for England on left flank.

Theo Walcott (Arsenal) 22 caps, 3 goals. Walcott is one of the fastest players in the world. He plays as right winger, but seems more effective as striker. Poses real problems for left backs with his direct wing play, and is a good finisher in front of goal. Downsides are that he is often let down by poor decision making and also has poor crossing ability.

Midfield analysis: When we first wrote this piece Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry were both available for England. They have since been ruled out. Last man out was Frank Lampard. Jordan Henderson of Liverpool has been called upon to deputize. Phil Jagielka will come in for Barry. At least this means we will not have to listen to the old excuse of Gerrard and Lamps not playing well together. For England though it means they will have big question marks in midfield. Captain Fantastic, Steven Gerrard will have his hands full and will need to be at his very best to keep the Central Midfield standards up. The width looks to be taken care off easily with Young, Walcott and Downing bombing down the wings.

Key Men: Forwards

Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 73 caps, 28 goals. Rooney is England's star man and best player, but he doesn't play until England's third match. He is a fantastic all-round player, being fast, with excellent vision and clinical finishing. In addition he has a good shot from range and is capable from free kicks. The major problem is his temperament, as he is prone to rash tackles.

Danny Welbeck (Man Utd) 4 caps, 0 goals. Welbeck has good strength and ball-holding skills. He is a good finisher and has developed a good understanding with Rooney. Downside is that he is inexperienced at this level.

Andy Carroll (Liverpool) 3 caps, 1 goal. Carroll is a really powerful player with excellent aerial ability. He has a strong shot and is a willing worker. Although he was in terrible form until recently, a run of games coincided with a massive improvement in form. When on form he can be a real handful for the defenders.

Forwards analysis: By the time Wayne Rooney lines up for his 1st game England could already be out of the tournament!  It will be interesting to see if Andy Carroll's can continue building on his recent form and how this will affect the England game, as there is no doubt that if he plays well he will be almost impossible to defend against. Delivery from wide areas is key, Young is an excellent supplier but Walcott is not.

End notes

With some really big names such as Terry, Cole, Gerrard, and Rooney, a lot is expected by the English public and fans of English football from all over the world - as they do before every major tournament. Will they succeed this time? We have our doubts for sure, and envision some very difficult matches ahead for England. Some key points will be how they do without Rooney in the first two matches, and also how well Gerrard and Lampard work together. Needless to say - we are looking forward to all of the England matches and will keep you updated on all the betting opportunities that arise, so stay tuned for lots more Euro 2012 betting previews and tips!