Paul Merson predicts starting XI for England's Euro 2024 opener against Serbia
England kick off Euro 2024 with an intriguing clash against Serbia at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen and all eyes with be on Gareth Southgate as he aims to get his starting XI bang on the money. The England boss admitted earlier this week that he'd probably step away from his role if they fail to win the tournament, making it imperative for the Three Lions to get off to a flying start.
Serbia aren't the quickest team in the tournament, but they have a fantastic target man in Aleksandar Mitrovic up front, who has been banging in the goals since swapping England for Saudi Arabia last summer.
England's starting XI is the talk of the town and it is a tough job for Gareth, but that's what he's paid to do!
Goalkeeper - Jordan Pickford
Jordan Pickford is one of the first names on the team sheet and hasn't let England down at a major tournament so far. That said, sometimes I worry about him as his concentration levels tend to drop at times. I could be wrong, but sometimes, it looks to me as if he gets bored when he doesn't have much to do, so he tries too hard to make an impact and that could prove to be detrimental for England.
That said, the likes of Dean Henderson and Aaron Ramsdale don't really stand a chance of usurping the Everton man between the sticks.
Defenders - Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi and Kieran Trippier
Kyle Walker is an absolutely outstanding professional and I wouldn't want to play against him as an attacker. There's also Trent Alexander-Arnold for the right-back spot, but he could play in midfield, so Walker is another absolute shoe-in.
As for the left-back spot, if Luke Shaw is injured, Kieran Trippier will get the nod. Although I like what he's about, I think he affects the balance of the side as he's a right-footer playing on the left flank. His set-pieces are unbelievable and he can serve crosses on a platter for the attackers, but not having an out-and-out left-back in the starting XI could be a bit of a problem for England.
With Harry Maguire out of the squad, Stones and Guehi are set to be England's preferred central defensive pairing. Serbia are a big team and will look to use set-pieces to their advantage, so the England duo will have to be wary of the threat posed by their opponents.
When Stones is on the ball, Serbia will drop back and his quality will really come to the fore, while Guehi's pace will be the perfect foil to the Manchester City man's ball-playing ability. Joe Gomez is another player who can play across multiple positions at the back, with the versatile Liverpool man predominantly playing as a left-back under Jurgen Klopp last season.
He's a better defender than Trippier, but England will have around 70% possession, so Trippier's ability on the ball could give him the nod for this game.
Midfield - Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Adam Wharton
Bellingham and Rice pick themselves and I've heard shouts that Alexander-Arnold will occupy the third midfield spot. I personally don't get that at all as playing as a deeper midfielder is one of the hardest positions in world football. Trent is undoubtedly England's best passer and he can win games with his quality on the ball, but he's barely played in midfield in his young career so far, so this is a huge gamble.
Curtis Jones played ahead of Trent in midfield for Liverpool and he was sent home by Gareth. Does Gareth know more than Jurgen Klopp? I just can't get on board with this decision! At right-back, Trent will see a lot of the ball, but in midfield, he won't have enough time on the ball and it'll be cramped in that area of the pitch.
I'd personally play Adam Wharton in midfield - he keeps things very simple and will make those five-yard passes quickly to get the ball into the attackers. He's a fantastic talent and is the right fit for the role. Kobbie Mainoo is another exceptional talent, but I'd definitely favor Wharton for a spot in midfield.
Attack - Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane and Phil Foden
If Harry Kane stays fit and gets hot at the start of the tournament, we have a chance of winning Euro 2024. My only worry with England's attack is if Phil Foden plays on the left wing, his combination play with Trippier won't be as good as what was the case with Manchester City as Trippier is naturally right-footed, so it'll take a second for him to switch the ball onto his stronger foot and make the pass out to Foden.
I doubt he will see the ball as much, but he's one of the most in-form players in the world currently and it'll be a joke if he doesn't play. Bukayo Saka is an automatic selection on the right flank, there's absolutely no debate there.
Gareth has so many options, so it could be horses for courses. However, the likes of Kane, Saka and Foden have gotten used to playing against teams that put 10 men behind the ball, so they are better equipped to deal with tournament football as they always come up with solutions.
Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze and outstanding players in their own right, but they don't play against such teams! England's hardest part of the tournament is the group stages because they have developed a notorious reputation for not breaking teams down. As for their most important player, I think it's Kane, full stop. He's the heart and soul of the team and if he doesn't turn up, turn the lights off. Gareth has solutions and multiple options across the pitch, but if Kane fails to score, they have absolutely no chance of winning Euro 2024.
Paul Merson's England XI against Serbia (4-3-3): Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Kieran Trippier; Adam Wharton, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham; Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Phil Foden