Euro 2016 Draw: Russia and England Should be Weary of Wales and Slovakia

Should Russia and England be throwing a party with this draw?

You look at Wales who are entering their first tournament in over two milennia, and Slovakia who really only have Hamsik. So you would think that Russia and England who some may say are "better" or "bigger" names, should see this as a routine group to go through and think about the knockout stages.

That would be a mistake.

Slovakia managed to beat Spain in their qualifier, and if things click for them, they are very capable of beating England or Russia. It's not as if both of those teams are favorites for the cup, and to add, neither managed to get past the group stage in the World Cup. So if Hamsik can be on his game and inspire a team effort, then they can beat these teams.

Where Wales are concerned, it begins and ends with Bale. With him, they are a threat. They won't go far or even make the semis, but they have a good chance of making it to the next round with him in the team.

However, if Bale isn't in their ranks then Wales might as well not turn up for the competition. That is just how important Bale is to them, and for me personally I hope and pray that he is fit and ready for the Euros next year.

The Bale-meister might be struggling in the La Liga at the moment, but the boy just has that explosive power in him. From out of nowhere, he can produce a defining moment in a match and he isn't reliant on a system or being surrounded by quality in order to get his point across. For Wales, where it's really only Ramsey and Williams at the back who are of any note, it's a perfect opportunity for Bale to express himself. As a fan, I would love to see just what he can do against these teams in the group and if he can somehow lead them into the knockouts, which won't be easy.

England and Russia should be on a redemption mission in this tournament. They underperformed greatly at the World Cup. Russia really should have advanced ahead of Algeria, and even though England were never bearing Uruguay or Italy, their performance was so average that their fans will expect more. It could have been a lot worse for them, so they are somewhat lucky but overconfidence will be their undoing. They need to come in with their A game and be prepared to be at their best against Wales and Slovakia who will be playing with no pressure, and will play with a lot of passion and heart.





Comment below using your Facebook or Twitter Account. 

 HH