England navigate elite demands in bid to retain European Under-21 crown
It summed up the lot of an England Under-21s manager when Liam Delap confirmed he would compete for his new club, Chelsea, this summer rather than join his international teammates in Slovakia. The Club World Cup has provided a fresh headache for Lee Carsley, a further example of the barrelling dominance with which elite club football overcomes its alternatives. Something special may be required over the next two and a half weeks if his team are going to make any impression on the public consciousness.
Fortunately, England and Carsley have a record of producing exactly that. They kick off their Uefa Under-21 Championship campaign as the title holders and, if anyone needs enthusing, a look back at their win against Spain in the final two years ago should have the right effect. James Trafford's last‑minute penalty save in Batumi was a genuinely thrilling moment that broke 39 years of underachievement on this stage and did no harm to the careers of a squad packed with recognisable names.
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This time Carsley accepts he must 'be creative with our team selection', although in truth it was ever thus given the varying demands of clubs and senior call-ups. Jobe Bellingham's move to Borussia Dortmund could mean a further key player ups sticks for Gianni Infantino's pet project. Jamie Gittens and Rico Lewis are among others who will be turning their attention to the US, while Adam Wharton and Jaden Philogene are recovering from injuries and will not be available. At least James McAtee has opted to join the national team.
The Manchester City midfielder will captain England when they open against Czech Republic in Dunajska Streda on Thursday. This tournament still represents a clear shop window for a player who appears likely to leave City. The class of 2023 have largely thrived since carrying away the trophy: a squad including Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Gibbs‑White, Curtis Jones, Levi Colwill and Trafford, a target for Newcastle, was always going to be a serious proposition. Now the task is to make hay with a much-changed group.
Only Harvey Elliott and Charlie Cresswell, the Toulouse defender, remain from those heroics in Georgia. But England are hardly short of options in most departments, even if without Delap their only specialist centre-forward is Jay Stansfield. The prospect of Ethan Nwaneri, who made his bow in the goal-laden March fixtures against France and Portugal, getting a concerted run this month is mouthwatering. Omari Hutchinson had a much better season at doomed Ipswich than some of the statistics suggest and may sense his own platform to greater things. Elliot Anderson and Archie Gray are among others who have grown hugely in stature over the past 12 months.
Perhaps it will help that, for all the upheaval, six of Carsley's selection have happy memories of a Slovakian summer. England Under‑19s won their age-group title in 2022 by defeating Israel in Trnava; this time they are aiming for a final in Bratislava's 22,500-capacity Tehelne pole, the national stadium, which held Champions League matches involving the local side Slovan earlier this season.
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Slovakia last hosted an under-21 championship in 2000 and there is no doubting the public's appetite. While Tehelne pole was less than half full for the final back then, the showpiece this year is among seven matches that have been sold out. Almost 220,000 tickets have been sold for the 31 games, meaning Uefa can hail a pre‑tournament record. Many of those fans will pour over the border from the Czech Republic, while there has also been notable uptake from Finland, who have progressed this far for the first time since 2009.
Assuming England, who have lost only twice in 15 games since becoming champions, master a lively environment against the Czechs they will be set fair to progress from Group B. Slovenia should be dealt with on Sunday but a highly favoured Germany, who include Brighton's Brajan Gruda and the highly sought Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade, will present an early test of their credentials three days later. Qualifying for the quarter-finals in second place would probably mean an inconveniently early reunion with Spain.
France and Portugal, paired together in Group C, appear characteristically strong. An open Group D includes a welcome appearance from Ukraine, whose striker Vladyslav Vanat will be watched closely, and the Netherlands side coached by Michael Reiziger that may possess dark-horse qualities.
It may be Spain who lay down an early marker when they set the competition in motion against Slovakia on Wednesday evening. If that becomes broadly lost in the Club World Cup hubbub, England hope to seize the narrative when it really matters on 28 June.
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