EXCLUSIVE: England will crack under pressure at Euro 2020, says Scottish pundit

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Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist believes the pressure will be piled on Gareth Southgate and his England side as they play on home soil in Euro 2020.

Speaking exclusively to TEAMtalk at a Green King event, McCoist told us that Steve Clarke’s Scotland has already achieved their goal by making it through to their first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup finals.

Now they have been presented with the ultimate chance to make history against England at Wembley on June 18. And McCoist is convinced the home side will be weighed down by expectation.

“All the pressure is on England at the Euros and that will be magnified when they play Scotland,” said McCoist.

“Everything that goes with being the home side playing in front of your own fans, they are already looking to get to the semi-finals at worst. The beauty for Scotland is we don’t have that pressure.

“Man for man, England are clearly a better side and this is the best set of players they have had in a long, long time. I’m genuinely worried they might do very well this summer and I’m sure people in Ireland have that same fear!

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“They will be one of the most talented teams taking part in Euro 2020, but that kind of suits Scotland. We are better as the underdogs and we are just so pleased to be in the tournament.

“What Scotland have on their side now is a handful of players who are operating at the highest level of the English game each week and that’s why we have seen signs of improvement.

 

“Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Scott McTominay and John McGinn have all been playing well in the Premier League and that depth of talent gives Scotland a chance.

“To have players who are performing week-in, week-out in that company, it is the reason why we look better than we have done for a number of years.”


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Euro 2020 with your mates

McCoist is supporting a campaign to encourage football fans to get back into pubs and watch games with their mates, with that age-old pastime lost amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We all want to get back to sharing the experience of a match with our mates. Whether that is going to football or watching it in pubs, or even in someone’s house,” he added. “We have all missed the camaraderie of getting together and enjoying the shared experience of watching a match.

“Just seeing and hearing fans back in stadiums over the last few weeks has been incredible. And we want more of it at the Euros.

“I’ve been lucky to get to games over the last year, but there have been certain games when it has just not felt right. The Rangers v Celtic game was one in particular, as that, is not a football match that should ever be played in an empty stadium.

“Now I can only imagine the scenes we will see in the pubs up here in Scotland when the Euros get underway. It’s going to be brilliant.”

Ally McCoist, Ashley Williams and Jamie Redknapp represent each of the participating home nations in Greene King’s Euros campaign. As “your home of pub sport”, Greene King will be showing games at more than 1,000 pubs, celebrating the return of international football.

Secure your seat at: https://www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/euro-2021

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