By Gareth Jones

Last updated at 14:15, Tuesday, 12 June 2012

THERE is one word that best describes the opening stages of the last World Cup – drab.

Gareth Jones

18 out of the 36 group games in South Africa finished with one goal or less being scored.

Stalwarts such as Carles Puyol, Fabio Cannavaro and William Gallas all featured in the tournament, but will be missing this time round.

Arguably, the standard of centre-halves featuring in Euro 2012 is lower than two years ago and even the top teams have problems at the back.

Italy – masters of the ‘catenaccio’ defensive system and producers of greats such as Facchetti, Baresi and Maldini – will likely start with a back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Angelo Ogbonna and Daniele De Rossi.

Chiellini is the best of the three but has slightly rough tendencies, Torino’s Ogbonna is at best untried and at worst shaky, while De Rossi is known for being a playmaker rather than a stopper.

Many Italians will be choking on their pasta at the prospect of this lot facing Iniesta and co. tomorrow.

Defenders on show will include Per Mertesacker (who has the turning circle of a jumbo jet), Chelsea flop Khalid Bhoularouz and 25-stone Villa man Richard Dunne.

The hope is the strikers will prevail and hopefully we’ll see goals galore to light up the dreary June evenings which we look set for in Barrow.

AS a proud Scotsman living south of the border, I am always posed with the perennial pre-tournament question – will you be supporting England?

My reply is always one of nonchalance.

I feel no great tie to the England national team, but equally no great desire to see them crash and burn.

So why are so many of my countrymen eager to see England fail?

Firstly, there is the small issue of 305 years of occupation, but we’re getting over that.

The main reason is the constant references to reclaiming the ‘spirit of 1966’.

England should not be focused on past glories but on the future and enjoying being in the tournament.

So smile England, have a pint and bask in glorious failure like we do.

Wojciech Szczesny, despite securing his place as Arsenal’s number one over the last few years, put his country’s hopes very much at risk with his two woeful errors in last night’s opener.

FOOTBALL is very much a game of heroes and villains, and already Euro 2012 has both.

But deputy Tyton made up for his colleague’s errors with a fine penalty stop.

And as with previous tournaments, the referee again left one nation feeling aggrieved with a weak sending off less than 45 minutes into Greece’s campaign.

First published at 10:42, Saturday, 09 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk