Can the Three Lions roar?

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The country that gave football to the world has ironically only perpetuated despair to their passionate fans.

What is likely to cause further anguish to a nation that has inured itself to years of incessant failure is that there is nothing on the horizon to suggest a monumental triumph that will immortalize the ‘Three Lions’ is in the offing.

With just months preceding Euro 2012, there was a major upheaval in England. What was initially thought of as a storm in the tea cup led to the sudden resignation of their surly manager Fabio Capello.

The Italian took a dim view of the FA’s decision to strip John Terry of his captaincy and gave vent to his ire for not taking him into confidence.

The FA didn’t take kindly to Capello’s outburst and acted in double-quick time to give him the pink slip.

Former greats and renowned football analysts wasted little time to talk up the chances of Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp to fill in the void left by Capello.

And Redknapp himself on innumerable occasions made no secret of his desire to manage England before calling time on his managerial career.

So it did come as a surprise when the FA chose Roy Hodgson over the Spurs boss, who also seemed to be a fan favourite.

Hodgson is an accomplished manager in his own right and has acquired a reputaion of being hands-on in his nomadic coaching life that has taken him to countries such as Switzerland, UAE, Italy and Finland.

The exclusion of centre-back Rio Ferdinand from the squad of 23 sent out a strong message to the players that past performances will count for nothing and current form and fitness will be the only criterion to earn a place in the starting eleven.

Mercurial forward Wayne Rooney’s unavailability for their first two matches is bound to hurt England’s prospects.

But in the form of strapping Liverpool striker Andy Carroll and Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck, who was one of the bright spots in an otherwise uneventful season for the Red Devils, Hodgson has two hungry players.

The manager can rest assured that on their day the two forwards can be a handful to even the best team in the world as was evident in their friendly win over world champions Spain in November.

Unlike their calamitous Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, the Three Lions’ path to Poland and Ukraine was without any hurdles.

It was England’s best qualifying record till date. Chelsea duo John Terry and Ashley Cole lend solidity to England’s defence.

Manchester City’s Joe Hart is fast earning his stripes as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.

The news of holding midfielder Gareth Barry’s torn abdominal muscle that has resulted in him missing out from the showpiece event couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.

At 32, captain Steven Gerrard knows all too well that time is fast running out for the last of the ‘Golden Generation’ brigade to bring smiles on the faces of their impatient supporters.

In all likelihood, the forthcoming Euro could well prove to be the swansong for the likes of Terry, Gerrard and another of the old war-horses Frank Lampard.

Can England put an end to their excruciating wait of nearly half a century of despondency and usher in a new era of pre-eminence?

Group D: England, France, Ukraine and Sweden.

Fixtures: June 11; vs France; June 15; vs Sweden; June 19 vs Ukraine.