Tag Archives: Lions

Lions heading into Tigers’ lair

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The Championship is a notoriously difficult league to predict and the phrase ‘anyone can beat anyone’ goes almost hand in hand with England’s second tier but there are always a few games that stick out, on paper at least, and we fancy home wins for Hull City and Middlesbrough this weekend.

Hull impressed with a 3-1 win over 3/1 promotion shots Bolton Wanderers at the KC Stadium prior to the international break and Steve Bruce’s men should be too strong for the visiting Millwall on Saturday. Bruce secured a few impressive signings over the summer, including Ahmed Elmohamady and Abdoulaye Faye, and could well be worth considering at 11/2 to win promotion themselves.

Millwall did manage to pick up a home win over Middlesbrough in their last outing and should not be underestimated. The Lions appear to be a more attacking side than they were last season and will take the game to Hull, but Bruce has a well organised outfit that should be able to cope with the pressure. The Tigers came back from a goal down to beat Bolton and, even if Millwall do grab an early lead, Hull are strong enough to come back and get something from the game.

Hull are evens to take maximum points and this appears to be the best bet in this particular fixture, the draw can be backed at 12/ 5 and the visitors are 11/4 to secure the win.

Middlesbrough remain unbeaten at home in the Championship (albeit after just two home games) and Tony Mowbray’s men host an Ipswich side who conceded six on their last away day. The concern with Boro is they seem to lack an out and out goal scorer, which may be something Mowbray will seek to address in the loan transfer window.

Boro’s home form could well be key to their season and they will expect to beat teams like Ipswich and the 11/10 on offer for a home win looks great value, the draw is priced at 23/10 and the Tractor Boys are 5/2 to come away with the points.

Peterborough and Burnley both seem set to struggle this season after disappointing starts.Indeed, the Posh are yet to pick up a point to date and the Clarets impressive win over Bolton on opening day has been followed by three defeats to leave them in the bottom three.

Burnley will fancy their chances against Peterborough, who are yet to score on the road, but this has the potential to be a tight and cagey affair after the uninspiring starts both sides have made. Burnley are 8/11 to seal the win, while the visitors are 7/2 to do the same but the 11/4 on offer for the draw could well be worth some consideration as these two early candidates for relegation go head to head on Saturday.

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Lions look bet of the weekend

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It looks like being another unpredictable weekend of Championship football as punters study the form book before it traditionally gets thrown out of the window come Saturday afternoon. However, with some shrewd selections, profit really can be achieved from this notoriously tough to call division.

Coventry v Birmingham City (12.30pm)

Birmingham have scored 13 goals in their last three away games in the league, winning all three  but Coventry are tough to beat at the Ricoh Arena, winning five and losing just one of their last seven home games in the league.

However, the most telling statistic lies in their head-to-head results, which have seen four of the last five encounters finish in 1-0 scorelines. Expect this to be another tight encounter with a solitary goal deciding it in favour of Birmingham – who can freshen up their line-up significantly from the midweek FA Cup defeat to Chelsea.

Birmingham to win 1-0 is 6/1.

Brighton and Hove Albion v Portsmouth (3pm)

The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last six Championship games on home soil and should easily overcome a Pompey side that have won just one of their last eight on the road, losing three of the last four and scoring just one goal in the last four away trips.

The 4/6 about a Brighton win is certainly backable but go for Craig Mackail-Smith (4/1 in the First Goalscorer market) to net first – 90 per cent of the goals he has scored since his move from Peterborough have been the first in the match.

Burnley v Crystal Palace (3pm)

Burnley have lost four of their last five Championship games while Palace arrive on an unbeaten run of seven league matches. The Clarets have lacked a killer instinct of late and rely heavily on Jay Rodriguez (8 in 10) to get them their goals.

For this reason, it is tempting to back Rodriguez at 15/8, but why not double it up with the 1-1  draw as a 25/1 Scorecast.

Derby County v Watford (3pm)

Watford have kept just one clean sheet in their last 13 league matches so don’t expect them to shut Derby out, but they can grab a half-time lead at Pride Park.

The Rams ability to storm back into matches was shown again in midweek when they turned around a half-time deficit against Blackpool, a few days after they grabbed a point from 2-0 down at Birmingham.

Nigel Clough’s side may have to do it the hard way again on Saturday so back Watford/Draw at 12/1 and Watford/Derby at 25/1 in the HT/FT market.

Hull City v Ipswich Town (3pm)

The Tigers have failed to score in seven of their last 11 league games, but Ipswich have been conceding goals away from Portman Road.

Hull have drawn four of their last six matches and that may be the result that they can best hope for against an improving Ipswich.

This looks like a tight game to call so go for the draw at 23/10 or take Draw/Draw in the HT/FT for a 4/1 payout.


Nottingham Forest v Millwall (3pm)

Forest have kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 Championship matches and face a Millwall side who have just won their last two on the road, beating Burnley 3-1 and Peterborough 3-0.

The 5/2 about a Millwall win is the standout price on the Totesport Championship football coupon and ought to be backed with confidence.

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Lions to add to Bolton woes

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The FA Cup returns this weekend with a host of intriguing fifth round fixtures to look forward to. Could we finally have a couple of upsets in what has been an FA Cup where shocks have been few and far between thus far?

Chelsea v Birmingham City 12:30pm

Depending on which Blues you support you are either rather depressed or pretty optimistic about what the rest of the season could bring. For Chelsea fans you’ve seen your team win just two of the last ten in the Premier League and are perhaps considering a season without Champions League football next year.

If you are a Birmingham fan then a 13-match unbeaten run has given you hope of bouncing back at the first time of asking and maybe causing another FA Cup upset. Blues have already claimed one Premier League scalp, when defeating Wolves at Molineux, and are now setting their sights on another.

Chelsea look to be a team in turmoil, with manager Andre Villas-Boas hinting this week that not everyone is happy with his plans for the future at Stamford Bridge. A player revolt is the last thing Villas-Boas needs and as such Birmingham fans might feel as though they have chance.

Chelsea will be without John Terry, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and Salomon Kalou, while Villas-Boas could rest some players with the midweek trip to Napoli in mind. Birmingham are without their main goal threats in Marlon King and Nikola Zigic, so one goal is about as much as they are likely to manage.

A Chelsea win is priced at 2/7, with a Birmingham upset 9/1. However, the draw looks to be as close as we will get to an upset, which is available at 9/2. No matter the result Frank Lampard has a good record against lower league opposition and can be backed at 5/1 to score first.

Millwall v Bolton 3pm

After last week’s disastrous defeat to Wigan the last thing Bolton would want is a tough FA Cup tie at the New Den. Given the Trotters current position in the bottom three, the FA Cup might be seen as something of a distraction and as such you’d expect Coyle to rotate his squad for the clash.

Millwall had found themselves in a similar position to Bolton recently, but a run of just two defeats in the last eight has seen them make steady progress away from the relegation zone. They caused something of an upset in the last round when they won at Southampton and at 7/4 are worth a punt to make it through to the quarter-finals.

Lions manager Kenny Jackett has promised to attack from the off and he will hope to have topscorer Darius Henderson fit after a number of weeks out. Over 2.5 goals at even money could also be worth a look given Bolton’s poor defensive record.

Sunderland v Arsenal 5:15pm

The Black Cats should be licking their lips at the prospect of Arsenal coming to visit on Saturday. They might have lost the Premier League encounter between these two last week but after the Gunners took a beating at AC Milan they look right for the picking.

The last few seasons for Arsenal have followed a familiar pattern, with everything going wrong in February. Last season they started February in four cup competitions and ended it with no hope of any silverware. This season could be a similar story, with Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill desperate for his team to go on a run in the FA Cup.

The Gunners once again have defensive problems with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker sidelined, meaning the unreliable Johan Djourou could get a run out. Sunderland have been boosted by the news that Lee Cattermole is fit to return and on his day he could prove to be a thorn in Arsenal’s side.

Sunderland are 15/8 to defeat Arsenal, with the Gunners 7/5 and the draw 12/5.

Elsewhere, Everton host Blackpool in what should be an intriguing clash in which the Toffees should come out on top. Everton are struggling defensively while Blackpool score for fun so over 2.5 goals at 4/5 could be worth a few quid.

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Bristol City to tame Lions

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Derek McInnes has worked wonders since taking over at Ashton Gate and he will be looking for all three points on offer when his Bristol City side take on Millwall in the Championship on Tuesday (Bristol City 5/4, draw 12/5, Millwall 21/10 – match prices).

The Robins will still be on a high after they beat high flying Southampton last week at St Mary’s, to end the Championship leaders’ 25-match unbeaten run at home.

After the first weeks of the season it looked like Bristol City could be playing in the third tier of English football at the end of the 2012, however the club start this year with plenty of optimism in terms of performances on the field.

There are concerns with financial issues at Ashton Gate but they may be eased with the likely sale of Nicky Maynard in the current transfer window, as the striker’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

For now the 25-year-old is still a Bristol City player and once again he will be a major threat to the Millwall defence, as he hopes to add to his seven goals in the Championship this term and could be a good bet for first goalscorer at 11/2.

Bristol will be without their skipper Liam Fontaine, so Louis Carey is set to continue in the heart of the Robins defence, while Stephan Pearson is to play his last game for the club before his current loan deal comes to an end and he returns to Derby County.

The victory over Southampton was the perfect response to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of struggling Coventry City, and McInnes men will be confident as they get set to host a Lions side who have struggled to continue the momentum from last season.

Having earned promotion from League One, the London outfit adapted quickly to life back in the second tier of English football last term.

However, it has been an inconsistent start to the season and manager Kenny Jackett and his men find themselves battling at the bottom end of the Championship table, just two points above their opponents on Tuesday.

Millwall go into this game on the back of a frustrating 1-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace in the south London derby on Saturday.

The men from the New Den are struggling for goals this season but that was not the case at this points last year.

Jackett’s side ran out 3-0 victors on their last visit to Ashton Gate but that was last season when the ferocious Lions were battling for every point, as they enjoyed their first campaign back in the Championship.

Under McInnes, Bristol City are a different beast and they should just edge this one at home, as they look to pull further away from the relegation zone (Bristol 5/2 to win at half-time and full-time).

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Young lions looking dangerous

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England under-21s will be looking to keep up their 100% record in qualification for the European Championships when they travel to Belgium on Monday (Belgium U21 3/1, draw 5/2, England U21 8/11).

Stuart Pearce’s side have made a perfection start in Group 8, taking the maximum 12 points available from their first four games.

Belgium U21 v England U21 (19:45)

England look a class above any side in Group 8 and should be taken to make it five wins from five against Belgium at 8/11.

Pearce will be delighted with the way his young lions have performed so far in scoring 16 goals in those four games, conceding just one goal along the way. They have proven to be a real force at this level.

One of the stars of the year for the under-21s has been West Brom defender Craig Dawson. The 21-year-old signed for the Premier League side in the summer after making the switch from his home town club Rochdale, where he helped them secure their first promotion in 36 years into League One.

Dawson has stepped into the England set-up with relative ease and looks more than comfortable in Pearce’s back four. Despite playing at centre back, he has scored four goals in five games for his national side and looks a real threat in the air from set pieces.

Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another who has proven how comfortable he is at playing international football. The former Southampton youngster was subject to a lot of attention from a number of Premier League clubs before he made the move to the Emirates.

The 18-year-old was outstanding against Iceland when he went away with the match ball after scoring a hat-trick and could be a prominent member of the full national side in the future.

This England side really do have plenty of options on the attacking front. This was evident against Iceland when Gary Gardner came off the bench to score two goals in the game. Usually, the Aston Villa midfielder is forced to settle for a place on the bench, such is the quality Pearce has at his disposal.

Belgium have failed to qualify for the European Under-21 Championships in their last two attempts and they have a difficult task to make it this time around after picking up just five points from their opening four games.

Although they have only lost once so far in this campaign, they have drawn games from which they should have been taking maximum points.

When England travel to Antwerp, it will be the home side’s biggest test to date and it will be difficult for them to contain the young English side.

There looks to be real value in the 13/8 on offer for England to be leading at half-time and full-time at Olympisch.

For those searching for even more value, look no further than England to win the game 3-0 at odds of 12/1.

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Odds stacked against Three Lions

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There will be no better yardstick for England to assess where they stand in world football than when they take on the mighty Spain at Wembley on Saturday evening, with the kick-off at 5.15.

Vicente Del Bosque’s men comfortably top the world rankings as both world and European champions and are the 5/2 favourites for more glory in Poland and Ukraine next summer, which is no surprise having romped through their qualifying group with a 100% record.

Of course, the groups are not necessarily the hardest for the seeds to make it through as winners but England still managed to look unconvincing at times in Group G, despite ultimately finishing six points clear.

Fabio Capello’s men could not beat runners-up Montenegro home or away, while Switzerland also took a point from their Wembley venture after letting a two-goal lead slip.

Wales were perhaps unlucky to get nothing from their trip to England and Capello has intimated in the past that his players feel the pressure more so at home, which does not augur well for the visit of the best side in the world.

There will undoubtedly be plenty who will see the fact that Spain are priced up in the match betting at 5/6 as a good thing, with England a huge 10/3 to make home ‘advantage’ count and the draw is on offer at 5/2.

There will not be too many who would argue with the odds, given the fact that the Spanish side put out Wembley is going to be based largely around the galaxy of stars at Barcelona, regarded as the best side in the world now, and arguably ever in the history of the game.

Real Madrid are not too shabby either while David Silva, who is currently tearing up the Premier League with Manchester City, is merely a fringe player for his national side, finding it hard to break through into the starting team on a regular basis.

By contrast, England will be without a number of their more experienced players as Wayne Rooney has been left out, while the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard have been ruled out through form and fitness respectively – and captain John Terry will only be on the bench.

Now that may work in Capello’s favour as the players on show will be looking to prove their worth ahead of the Euro 2012 finals next year and will be keen to make an impression, while they will not be weighed down by previous failures – such as the disastrous World Cup campaign last summer.

England have enjoyed some degree of success with new players breaking into the side but experience counts for a lot, particularly against such a strong side as Spain, and it would be a brave man to be confident in supporting the home side, even at the price.

There have been suggestions from the Spanish players that they will not be expecting an easy ride in London, but Del Bosque’s men should ultimately prove too strong.

However, the Three Lions may at least be able to keep it close on Saturday with none of Spain’s last three victories on the bounce being by more than two goals (Under 2.5 goals 8/11, Over 2.5 goals Evens).

David Villa and Fernando Llorente scored the goals in a 2-0 win in February 2009, but both successes prior to that were by a solitary strike, including Spain’s last visit to England in 2007 – although that game was played at Old Trafford.

Villa is the current 5/1 favourite in the FIrst/Last Goalscorer betting, while he is 11/8 in the Anytime Scorer market, alongside Chelsea’s Fernando Torres, but it may pay to take a chance at bigger prices with Silva, who bagged twice in the recent win over Scotland including the first goal, available at 8/1 to open the scoring.

Darren Bent, who has scored four in his last five internationals, is expected to lead what will be a very inexperienced attack and is priced at 8/1, alongside Daniel Sturridge, to get England up and running with the first goal and 3/1 to break his Wembley duck and score at all during the 90 minutes.

However, recent history suggests England will find it hard and Spain are available at 2/1 to win to nil, while punters can get 9/2 on a 1-0 scoreline for Del Bosque’s men and 13/2 on 2-0.

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Pearce’s young Lions to roar on

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Stuart Pearce’s England Under-21s can continue their good start to their Euro 2013 qualifying campaign when they meet Iceland in their second Group 8 game on Thursday (England 8/13 – match prices).

Pearce’s side kicked off their bid to qualify for the Euros in two years’ time with a thoroughly-convincing 6-0 win over Azerbaijan at Watford’s Vicarage Road last month and, while they are likely to be asked more questions in Reykjavik, another victory looks on the cards.

The Under-21s have plenty of Premier League experience within their squad with Liverpool pair Jordan Henderson and Martin Kelly, Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell and Arsenal starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among the players who have featured regularly for their clubs in recent weeks.

Add to them Manchester United defender Phil Jones and the return from injury of Spurs’ Danny Rose and you have a very capable squad at this level.

With talent such as this, it is likely Pearce’s side will have too much for an Iceland side that have won one and lost one in Group 8 so far.

The Icelandic youngsters kicked off their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Belgium, before slipping to a 2-0 reverse in Norway to suggest they will be harder to beat at home than on the road (Iceland 18/5 – match prices).

England will have to be wary of their opponents, especially early on in the Icelandic capital, but, with a bit of patience, a comfortable victory can eventually be secured to keep them top of the qualifying table and, looking at the markets for the game, Draw/England – HT/FT at 10/3 appeals.

Henderson, Henri Lansbury and Martyn Waghorn were all on target in the 6-0 thrashing over Azerbaijan but don’t expect a repeat scoreline in Iceland. A more realistic 2-0 to the young Lions looks a good bet at 13/2.

Pearce is set to make full use of his squad with another qualifying game coming up in Norway on Monday. With that in mind, Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfounso may get the nod to start up front in this one while Connor Wickham, who has struggled for action at Sunderland since his summer move there, will also hope to be in the first XI.

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Young Lions to roar against Israel

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After a superb start to their qualifying campaign, the England under-21s (2/7 to beat Israel) are back in action on Monday in a friendly against Euro 2013 hosts Israel and looking for another superb performance as they look to build form in their quest to qualify for the European Championships in 2013.

Stuart Pearce’s men (1/4 to open the scoring) opened their qualification with a convincing 6-0 victory against Azerbaijan on Thursday and look to have got over the disappointment of their poor showing at the European Championships in Denmark earlier this summer.

A number of that squad have subsequently moved up to the senior side but, as Thursday proved, there is no shortage of talent within the English game and the future certainly looks bright for Pearce’s young squad.

In the absence of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling from the squad, West Brom defender Craig Dawson netted twice on his debut for the young Lions and will be hoping for a similarly impressive performance in Monday’s match, as he looks to establish himself in the side.

Another man who will be looking to prove himself will be Jordan Henderson, who has bounced back from a difficult European Championships and now looks to have rediscovered his form. Henderson has been superb since his switch from Sunderland to Liverpool and, if handed a start, will be looking to take control of the match with the Israelis.

However, Israel (15/2 to win at Oakwell) shouldn’t be dismissed lightly and themselves have a number of talented youngsters who will be looking to make an impression.

Due to their automatic qualification as hosts, Guy Luzon’s side won’t have a competitive fixture until the first round of matches in the tournament next summer so will be using the match to gauge themselves against a team who will undoubtedly be one of the favourites to qualify for the event.

Central to their cause will be flamboyant winger Gai Assulin, who currently plays for Manchester City and will undoubtedly be their star man. Assulin was previously at Barcelona and was part of Pep Guardiola’s successful reserve team at the Nou Camp but opted to leave Spain after his contract expired and was quickly snapped up by the Citizens.

The 20-year-old is known for his quick feet and pace and, after failing to have any real effect on Roberto Mancini’s first team, may be looking at the game as a chance to prove himself and possibly gain a loan move. He has the ability to seriously trouble the England defence and Pearce’s men will have to keep an eye on him.

Despite the obvious threat that Assulin poses, and the changes that England will undoubtedly make, as the coaches look to preserve their players, the home side should run out with a comfortable victory in Barnsley and set themselves up for another successful qualifying campaign (England 25/1 to score seven or more goals).

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Changes needed for Lions

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It’s déjà vu for Stuart Pearce and his England Under-21s as they must win their last group game at the European Championships to progress to the semi-finals. Two years ago Pearce and his young lions found themselves in a similar position and pulled a rabbit out of the hat as they got the better of Serbia on their way to the final.

This time the Czech Republic stand in the way and to progress England must play with more freedom than they have demonstrated in their first two matches.

England were fortunate to take anything out of their game against Spain, a late smash and grab saving them from losing their first match. Danny Welbeck’s goal could prove vital if the young lions can get a win against the Czechs on Sunday. While there were some positives to take out of the draw with Spain there were few to take from the goalless stalemate against the Ukraine on Wednesday.

It’s not surprising England have drifted to 6/1 to win the European Championships outright based on the game against Ukraine, which scarily reminded fans of the senior side’s 0-0 draw with Algeria in the World Cup last summer. The Under-21s played in fits and starts but still looked devoid of ideas, sending long balls over the top on numerous occasions to little affect.

England skipper Michael Mancienne was asked to play the anchor role in midfield and looked uncomfortable. Jack Rodwell also continued his recent downturn in fortunes and if England are to get the better of the Czech Republic then Pearce should think about changing both players. The England U21 coach has options, with Arsenal’s Henri Lansbury (9/2 to score anytime) having impressed when he has come off the bench. Fabrice Muamba could drop in for Mancienne, having become accustomed to that role while with Bolton. Scott Sinclair (5/2 to score anytime) and Marc Albrighton (10/3) are also waiting for their chances to impress. Expect Pearce to make changes to his team and their mentality for the must-win clash.

Both teams need to win to make sure of a place in the knockout stages and unlike England the Czechs have already proven they can win at this competition, with their victory over the Ukraine. They then tasted defeat against tournament favourites Spain but are still a dangerous side who can not be underestimated. Before Wednesday’s loss to Spain the Czech’s were unbeaten at under-21 level since 2008. Tomas Pekhart is the one to watch out for as far as they are concerned, the former Tottenham youngster having scored 16 goals at this level. He is priced at 2/1 to score anytime.

The head-to-head record is split one apiece in terms of wins, with the other two of four matches having been draws. Another draw in Viborg won’t be enough for England and to succeed they must somehow struggle out of the shackles and play with more freedom. England are evens in the match betting, with the Czechs at 23/10 and the draw at 11/5. If England don’t manage to discover their creative side then it could be another frustrating evening for Pearce, and the draw looks the most likely outcome again for the young lions.

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Time for Young Lions to roar

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England Under-21s

England Under-21s kicked off their European Championship campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with favourites Spain on Sunday. Now they must do better when they meet the Ukraine on Tuesday as they look to progress in the tournament (England 3/4, Ukraine 16/5 – match odds).

Boss Stuart Pearce would probably have taken a draw against the Spanish if he’d have been offered it beforehand but, after being outplayed for large parts of the game, he would not have been happy with the overall performance.

Danny Welbeck, who is a good bet at 11/8 to score anytime on Wednesday, gave the Young Lions what could turn out to be a valuable point with his late goal on Sunday, but England must now aim for all three on Wednesday as they look to stamp their mark on a competition that, it’s fair to say, has yet to set pulses rating.

The more established Premier League players, like Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool new-boy Jordan Henderson and recent Manchester United signing Phil Jones, need to show why they are rated so highly and get football fans, currently without much to watch, back in front of the telly and cheering them on.

And they should certainly have too much for Ukraine in midweek if they play anywhere near their potential.

Pearce could make a few changes but is more than likely set to stick with the players who earned a draw in the opener as he keeps faith in his side (England 23/20 to win Group B).

There are only four teams in each of the two groups in the competition so Pearce knows a defeat is likely to signal the end of the summer jaunt to Denmark for the youngsters ahead of a final Group B game to come against Czech Republic.

With that in mind, expect a much more robust display from England – and a victory (Go for a morale-boosting 4-0 win at 25/1).

Ukraine have a hard-working squad but it’s bereft of stars and England, with plenty of Premier League experience throughout, should come out on top. Pavlo Yakovenko’s side lost 2-1 in their first game to the Czechs and will know a defeat means their tournament is over so they cannot be underestimated in what is set to be a competitive clash.

However, after being given a lesson at times by the Spanish on ball possession, this should be England’s turn to dominate the opposition and a chance to kick-start a bid for glory in Denmark.

Pearce will hope so otherwise he could quickly find himself out of a job, never mind out of the tournament.

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