7 things to watch in Euro2024 qualifiers from England return to Odegaard's issue

23 March 2023 , 06:00

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7 things to watch in Euro2024 qualifiers from England return to Odegaard's issue

The problem with a bloated tournament featuring 24 teams in Germany next summer is a qualification campaign where the level of jeopardy is greatly diminished.

Take Group A, for instance, where two of five will qualify automatically but three teams are guaranteed a play-off spot regardless because of their performance in the Nations League.

It is not ideal and it means the biggest storylines entering this week’s first round of fixtures focuses on breakthrough stars and some familiar faces looking to roll the dice one last time.

Here is what to keep an eye out for this week and beyond.

Will England freshen up or does Southgate’s final act go stale?

Gareth Southgate considered leaving after the World Cup, sitting down with his family to discuss whether there was a will to go again, and no longer can the squad be considered young and for the future.

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Qualification, again, should be easy despite being in a group with their Euro 2020 nemesis - but there must still be signs of evolution from a group packed with talent but still with questions around the ability to be ruthless against the best.

France begin another cycle

Didier Deschamps has lost captain Hugo Lloris and second-choice goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to retirement. Centre back Raphael Varane has called it a day, too, since the World Cup final defeat to Argentina, while Karim Benzema has likely played his last game for non-footballing reasons.

But Les Bleus still have the most luxuriously talented playing pool available and Deschamps’ squad for the games against Netherlands and Ireland sees Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Khephren Thuram earn first call ups.

Factor in the expectation that Edouardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni will continue to make huge strides between the tournament in 15 months and the presence of new captain Kylian Mbappe, and the favourites for the tournament should be obvious. Whether Antoine Griezmann sticks around after being overlooked to replace Lloris however, is less clear.

Aaron Ramsey is taking over from Gareth Bale as Wales captain. (AFP via Getty Images)

What now for Wales?

Gareth Bale has passed the armband to Aaron Ramsey - and the retirement of one of Britain’s most successful footballers could easily signal the end of the country’s hopes to qualify for tournaments.

There are high hopes for a young core spearheaded by Brennan Johnson but Bale has arguably been the most important player to any national team over the course of his career.

He cannot be replaced, so head coach Rob Page must find a different route to success - and the fact they start this campaign with the toughest fixture, away to Croatia, snap judgments are not advised.

Coaching reshuffles

Southgate and Deschamps may be sticking around but Roberto Martinez has swapped Belgium’s serial underperformers for Portugal, Ronald Koeman is back in charge of the Netherlands and Luis de la Fuente has replaced Luis Enrique after Spain’s underwhelming World Cup. Will they introduce new visions to transform their new teams’ fortunes?

Norway denied dream axis

Norway have an almost unrivalled double act in Arsenal's most important player and the goalscorer set to obliterate all records.

But they will have to wait for a glimpse of how far it could get them with Erling Haaland forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury. Martin Odegaard will still be in action, but with limitations in every other area, the question is if their stars can double-handedly lead their team to a first tournament since 2000.

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Being drawn in a qualifying group with Spain complicates matters - but they should have enough to finish second, ahead of a Scotland team already guaranteed a play-off spot on account of their Nations League performance. However, being without Haaland will be a blow - and could give an indication of just how strong they are outside their stars.

Odegaard will need to be at his very best for them to get off to a good start but do his teammates pack the punch necessary in two testing away ties, against Spain and Georgia respectively, to get some early points on the board?

Norway boast two of the Premier League's best players in Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard

Do Ireland have a goalscorer?

Since Robbie Keane retired in 2016, Ireland have been crying out for a player who can consistently find the net.

But since the turn of the year Brighton ’s Evan Ferguson has become one of the Premier League ’s breakout stars and the excitement has become palpable ahead of his first start. In a group featuring France and the Netherlands, finishing in the top two seems a tall order. But should the 18-year-old, described by Albion boss Roberto de Zerbi as “unique”, continue to progress at the current rate, Ireland’s biggest problem in recent years should finally have a solution.

Brighton's Irish striker Evan Ferguson celebrates scoring against Grimsby in their FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday. (GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Countries for old men

Lloris, Varane and Spain's Sergio Busquets may be among those to have decided to retire so they can focus on prolonging their club careers and Virgil van Dijk, who continues to lead the Netherlands, may have recently warned about the game’s schedulers viewing players as “robots” while FIFPRO warned that burnout is becoming an increasingly large problem among the elite.

But calling it a day on the international scene is not a blanket feeling across the continent. Luka Modric, 37 and with 162 caps, remains committed to Croatia, Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in Roberto Martinez’s first Portugal squad and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 41, is still in Sweden’s group after retiring in 2016 only to return in 2021.

For all three this campaign must surely be their last.

Alan Smith