Piccadilly Pulse: Can England win Euro 2012?

EURO 2012: Can England win?

By Adam Ryder

England’s Euro 2012 campaign gets underway on Monday with their first match against long term rivals France.

They enter the group stage on the back of two friendly victories against Norway and Belguim.

But Manchester United striker Rooney is banned for their first two group stage matches and they are playing under recently appointed manager Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson has not had long to get to know and organise his players, and with injuries ruling out key players Frank Lampard, Chris Smalling and Gareth Barry he has been left with fairly young and inexperienced squad.

England are currently sixth in the FIFA world rankings but despite this the manager has been downplaying England’s chances against France.

Hodgson said: “I don’t think we’ll go into the game as favourites to be frank – not in terms of what France done in the last couple of years vis-a-vis what we have done.”

With that in mind MM took to the streets to ask the question: Do you think England can win Euro 2012?

Here’s what you had to say:

Paul Jones, 19, student, Fallowfield, said: “I hope they win but they never do – they never win anything.”

Don Macke, 19, bricklayer, County Durham said: “Not a chance in hell of winning.”

Tom Moakler, 30, teacher, Salford, said: “I don’t think it’s likely that it will happen they’ll be lucky to get out of the group stage.”

Colin Bridges, 67, Ancoats, said: “I think they will do better than normal as there’s not much expected from them but it’s still a no.”

Lee Tyler, projectionist, Manchester, said: “No I’m not interested in and I don’t care.”

Dan Nwadzuzu, student, Fallowfield, said: “It’s not going to happen, no chance.”

But there was still an optimistic supporter among the crowd, Andy Simon, 30, carer, Manchester, said: “I reckon they have a good chance anything can happen in football so you just don’t know.”