Here’s why England will benefit from a Euro 2020 delay

Euro 2020 will inevitably be delayed until 2021 due to COVID-19, but while this is bad news for fans, the England national team might benefit from it.

If you’re reading this, I am going to go ahead and assume you love football. I’m probably right about that. If you love football, you probably miss it right now, and you were probably excited for Euro 2020 this coming summer, which was scheduled to be held from June 12th to July 12th across 12 different countries in Europe.

Now, the Euros will be held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic that is currently occupying the eyes and minds of everyone in the world.

While it’s disappointing we won’t get to see one of the biggest football tournaments on our TV screens this summer, postponing it is the correct decision, and I believe the England national team, probably along with the Netherlands, are quietly taking a sigh of relief – and maybe a skip of excitement too.

It’s disappointing for them to have to wait an extra year, sure, but both nations are almost guaranteed to be in better positions to succeed next summer than they currently are. To focus on England, 2 of their main attackers, captain Harry Kane and lethal young winger Marcus Rashford, are out injured and were major doubts for the tournament.

If Euro 2020 went ahead as scheduled, and England was forced to play without the pair, they would have been significantly weaker up top. Kane and Rashford will feature next summer, likely in starring roles for the Three Lions.

Another reason that 2021 is better for England, is that their best player Raheem Sterling is currently in some really poor form. The winger has no Premier League goals or assists since the New Year, and in general, is not producing the sorts of numbers he normally is.

With a player as talented as Sterling though, you know it’s just a bump in the road, and it’s very likely he will be in better form come summer 2021.

Lastly, England have something of a golden generation coming through, but not all of these players have found their feet consistently enough at the top level to be considered starters for the national team just yet.

The likes of Phil Foden, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Bukayo Saka, Mason Mount, and Mason Greenwood have immense, potentially world-class potential, but none of them were quite ready to take up starring roles for Southgate’s team this summer.

Foden and Saka especially play in positions that are currently weak for England, and if they, along with the rest of the u21 crop, have good 2020-21 seasons in the Premier League, then England will have a stronger core heading into Euro 2021.

So there you have it. England fans, you might be a little disheartened that the Euro’s are postponed, especially after a great 2018 World Cup run. But trust me, this will benefit you in the end.