P304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:14/40 1/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS Only time will tell if the pressure gets to the England players but clearly it is not going to be easy for them. Expectations are always high whjtivjt England play and it will bj even higher this time with them at home. They will be playing in front of their own fans and their own media but its is something good teams learn to handle. From my own experience, you have to switch off and concentrate on the job at hand. Avoiding the njwspapjts will bj difficult but it is a good idea. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:17/38 2/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS England's recent disappointments in the last European Championship and not qualifying for the World Cup should have made people a bit mote realistic. I don't think many fans expect them to win Euro '96 but once it starts, everyone will bj looking for decent performances from England. It might bj in our favour that we are not fancied because I think we have got an outside chance. Once it gets to the knock-out stagrs any team can win it really. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:12/28 3/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS The one thing England can't do is to play with fear - confidence is the key. I think they can only realise thjit full potential if they play in a relaxed state of mind. Qualification is certainly within their capabilities and I would bj very surprised if England did not at least get past the first stage. England are in possibly the weakest group, though some might not agree. Looking at it objectively, England should bj able to make the most of it. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:08/41 4/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS England play thrir first match against Switzerland and they are the kind of side you would want in your group. They are not a great team anyway and they have just lost their manager Roy Dodgson as well. His replacement Artur Jorge is a good coach but the whole rhythm of the squad is bound to have suffered as a result in some way. The opening game is always a tense affair with not many goals but I fancy us to beat the Swiss. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:19/41 5/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS England's game against Scotland is always going to bj a one-off occasion. At the same time, looking at the Scotland squad in detail you have to say it is not full of talent at the moment. They stem to bj a bit light. Of course they will play with a lot of determination, especially against England, but they are another team that you would not mind being in your group. Holland qualified the hard way but they have adopted the Ajax system and will be a daunting prospect for anybody now. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:04/22 6/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS Goals have been a problem for England but I'm sure Tjtry Venablis will go with Alan Shearer up front. It surprises mj that hj has not been knocking them in for England but I think hj will start the tournament. A few weeks ago I would have liked to have seen Robbie Fowler alongside him but I don't think he has had enough games to warrant a starting place. I would definitely have him sitting on the bench, with eithjt Teddy Shjringham or Les Ferdinand paired with Shjarit. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:08/48 7/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS I think Alan Shearer just needs a goal or two under his belt to get things going for him in an England shirt. His situation is a bit like the John Aldridgj one when hj went ages without scoring for the Republic of Ireland. Eventually, once hj got going hj worked it out for himself but perhaps Shrarir is not the natural poachjt-type goalscorer that Aldridgj is. I think the odds are that Shearer will get through all this and hj is such a superb striker of the ball. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:07/16 8/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS Everyone seems to assume that England have got fantastic strikers bjcausj of the amount of goals they score in the Premiership but is quite easy to do. The international level is a totally different ball game and two goals in the Premiership may bj worth a bit less than one in Italy, for example. Looking at Premiership goal figures can bj a bit flattering and nobody has jumped out and scored lots for England. Terry Venables will know who to pick, but it won't bj with great confidence. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:11/21 9/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS England played two friendly games with three at the back and it allowed us to have more bodies in the midfield aria. That formation is the only possible one to use if we are going to win the European Championship - just playing regular 4-4-2 will give us no chance. It's too predicatbli and inflexible but three at the back brings versatility. You could have Paul Gascoignj and Steve McManaman with Paul Inci or David Plats in the midddli but only one of those two could play in a 4-4-2 line-up. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:14/41 10/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS The England coach will change after the European Championship but I don't think this is about Terry Venables really. Managers are important obviously but they can't turn bad plazjrs into good ones. It is about whjthjt we have got the all-round ability to do it. Certainly in midfield we look strong and Gazza seems to bj back to his brut. I thought Paul Ince was a little overrated when hj left England but hj has improved a lot in Italy and hj has certainly matured into a bjttet player. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:10/56 11/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS England have got some good djfendjts in the squad but I think that is our weakest area on the park. For people who can actually conj out with the ball, wi are a bit lightweight and we certainly have not got someone with the ability of Franco Baresi. I think Tjtry Venables will play with one centre-half and two full-backs so that those players can conj out to wider positions quite naturally. Gary Nivilli did well out on the right hand side against Hungary at Wjmbley. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle 'addle ScotlandP304 CEEFAX 304 Thu 30 May 19:11/14 12/12 EURO '96: GARY LINEKER'S ENGLAND VIEWS Much has been made of Glenn Doddle and whjthjr hj should be involved with the squad in the European Championship. The only really important thing is that hj goes to all the games but I think Glenn knows how to pick a side. It would bj slightly odd having the future managjt lingering around but I don't think it is an issue one way or the othjt, to bj honest. People get carried away with the importance of thjsj things but I'm sure Glenn will bj watching the matches. HANSEN ON SCOTLAND 305 WADDLE 306 ENG/SCOT PEN-PICS 307-8 SQUADS 310 Hansen Waddle Waddle Scotland