Then again, if this were England's team, we could win it:

- - - - - - - - - - Hart

Richards - Ferdinand - Lescott - Cole

- - - - - Carrick - - - Wilshere

Walcott - - - Chamberlain - - - Young

- - - - - - - - - Rooney

Well what I was implying is that you need a combination of a few world class players AND a good team ethic. What always held Spain & Holland back in the past was that they had lots of quality players yet the dressing rooms were highly divided. Spain sorted that out and now they're both world & euro champions.

You look at Germany & Italy too, not exactly brimming with world class players but they have 3 or 4 and seem to win tournaments even when nobody expects them to.

I do agree on Spain/what it takes to win a tournament, where we disagree is that you put England are in the same bracket as Holland and Spain of previous years. Whereas I would say England are in the same bracket as France and Italy in general, but probably more Czech Republic and Croatia as of right now. Generally average, with one or two great/world class players.

I also don't think England have many internal problems that really have an impact on the pitch. They are generally quite a mild bunch that just gets on with it.

We also disagree on Germany. They probably have the second best squad in Europe behind Spain.

I'm not really talking about current squads I was more referring to past tournaments where I can definitely remember Italy & Germany being written off at the start of a tournament for having an average squad & seeing them end up winning it.

Yeah, agree on that.

But how great are Spain going to be without Puyol and especially Villa (he is so vital up front)

I'll give my thoughts behind selecting Russia, bearing in mind I'd have backed Scotland had they made it. I also want to see England do well by the way.

Russia are a solid all around team they have great world-class calibre players in almost every position.

Igor Akinfeev may be one of the best shot stoppers in the planet, but is still not guaranteed a place in the starting line up.

Sergei Ignashevich is a solid centre half who plays a similar style to Man.Utd's Nemanja Vidic. He'll be a stalwart at the back for them along with Yuri Zhirkov, the only other defender of note whom I'm sure many of you are acquainted with.

At only 22 years old, Alan Dzagoev has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City, although I have seen very little of what this guy can do, I've heard the stories and they're frightening. He'll be the one to watch.

Russia have the most to offer in the striking department with Andrei Arshavin, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Alexander Kerzhakov who are all capable and proven goalscorers with Arshavin likely to assume a wider position with Kerzhakov and Pogrebnyak through the middle.

Russia as a whole play a fluid brand of passing football, there are no egos in the team and each player works as part of a unit, unlike countries such as England & France and they have a steady hand in Dick Advocaat as their coach.

Their group consists of Czech Republic, Poland and Greece, none of whom will exactly give the Russians much to worry about, especially after they whupped Italy 3-0 last night.

Remember you heard Mankycaaant call it first: Russia, Euro 2012 champions ;)

I've numbered the frailties in this team.

If I were England manager I'd go for;



Richards

Walcott

The only problem with that team is you have 4 central midfielders playing that have zero pace and you effectively have a 7 man defence.

@ Manky - That team is woeful. You can't class Wilshere as a frailty but have Barton and Parker in central midfield, or putting Milner in over Young.

@ Soldier - Puyol is not a big miss. Pique and Ramos are, when on form, far superior central defenders. Villa is a big miss, but Spain still have better strikers than anyone else in the tournament.