For months now speculation has been intense among critics and fans alike as to who will go to France and who will unfortunately have to stay home, with most of the focus being on the England team. As expected, there are undoubtedly highs and lows in the latest reports for both the players and spectators; one team member thought to be disappointed is Arsenal midfielder, Theo Walcott.
The 27 year old could find himself without a place in France as it is said that Roy Hodgson is swinging towards picking Newcastle United’s Andros Townsend instead. Despite there being a couple of weeks left until the final team deadline, it is suspected that Hodgson will select a group of 25 before dropping two prior to May 31st.
As Walcott has been suffering from various injuries throughout this season, dropping him seems like the most logical choice, although not a widely accepted one, as shown by Arsene Wenger’s plea to send the Arsenal ace to Euro 2016.
While it seems the England manager still has his work cut out on deciding who makes the grade, Ireland’s manager, Martin O’Neil, appears to be making his choices with ease. According to recent sources, 27 year old Seamus Coleman is currently down as one of 35 strong squad released by O’Neil earlier this month; listed as first team material ahead of their match against Holland, tips galore are setting bookmaker’s like Coral ablaze as fans flock to have their say. Having been suffering from a hamstring injury, Coleman looked like an unlikely choice for many, but luck appears to be on the defender’s side presently. Nevertheless, with Ireland looking set to be an underdog for punters to potentially avoid, it seems the club has bigger decisions to make before the competition begins.
One international team that seems to be revelling in the countdown to UEFA rather than worrying is Wales. Given that international tournaments aren’t a regular experience for the club, it would be natural to assume that they too are worried about how they’ll fare when matches begin. However, you’d be wrong. David Vaughan, one of the 23 presently down to make the first team for France, is firm in his belief that, with the combined efforts of all players, their previous experiences will be enough to move them forwards and not backwards at Euro this year.