- England will go into this summer’s European Championship in Germany as one of the favorites
- Croatia’s former boss Bilic highlighted the wealth of term options available
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Slaven Bilic believes England’s wealth of attacking options makes the Three Lions one of the leading contenders to win the 2024 European Championship this summer.
The former Croatia and West Ham manager believes Gareth Southgate’s side should be considered among the favorites to win the tournament in Germany.
Bilic said England were in a “very positive” position after impressive performances at recent international tournaments, including reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the Euro 2020 final.
He admitted England may need some “luck” as the men’s national team tried to end their wait for a trophy, which dates back to the 1966 World Cup.
Speak with Bank scoreBilic highlighted the huge range of attacking options available to Southgate as one of the reasons why England can triumph this summer.
Slaven Bilic believes England’s goalscoring potential makes them Euro 2024 contenders
England boss Gareth Southgate has a wealth of forward options ahead of the Euros
Bilic warned that expectations could make or break England’s Euro 2024 campaign
“They need a bit of luck, they have the players, the ones who have been there and have the experience, as well as a new wave of players at Bellingham,” Bilic said.
“They have some players who are top scorers in different competitions, they have Harry Kane in Germany and Bellingham in Spain at the time.
‘Detached from [Erling Haaland] in the Premier League they do [Phil] Foden, [Cole] Palmer [Bukayo] Saka and Ollie Watkins.
“They have six or seven goalscorers in top form this season, which gives them good hope.”
However, Bilic warned that as one of the contenders, England face the challenge of managing expectations going into the tournament.
He suggested the Three Lions could either ride the wave of expectation or potentially be left broken by the pressure.
‘There are huge expectations and enormous pressure from the media, but that can be a huge advantage and a tailwind if things go well.
‘With that kind of pressure you can also break.’
Bilic said England have six or seven goalscorers heading into the tournament in Germany
Bilic managed Croatia from 2006 to 2012 and led his country to two European Championships
He compared Croatia to Real Madrid and mentioned their knowledge of winning big matches at tournaments
England will face Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia in the group stages as Southgate’s men look to go one step further than Euro 2020, when they were defeated on penalties by Italy in the final.
Bilic, who coached Croatia between 2006 and 2012, believes his country could also be ready for another run in Germany.
He compared the national team to Real Madrid for their knowledge of winning knockout matches, citing their experience of finishing second at the 2018 World Cup and reaching the semi-finals four years later.
‘Our players know how to play tournaments and you can’t buy that. Croatia reminds me of Real Madrid in the last few tournaments, not in terms of the way they play,” Bilic said.
‘Croatia knows how to win games. There is no panic, we have that stability no matter what happens during the match.”
