The French left back has come out and poured cold water over the belief that http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899 have an inherent advantage going into their opening tie of the 2012 European Championships as they are set to face an England side which will
be without http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wayne-Rooney-c36736...
With Rooney set to miss England’s opening encounter of the European Championships due to his three match suspension, many thought that France will relish this advantage and take on the Three Lions without any fear and attack them
with all the might in their http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429. However Gael Clichy has come out and made it clear that such is not the case as despite the fact that England will be without their most potent striker, the Three Lions still have a lot of depth in their offensive department
and they can call upon other players to an equally devastating effect.
Rooney’s exclusion will obviously allow Roy Hodgson to offer game time to some of his other offensive options such as Jermaine Defoe and Andy Carroll but it remains to be seen what final formation England will employ against France.
Clichy who won the Premier League title with Manchester City in the recently concluded league season has experienced of playing against the likes of both Carroll and Defoe, therefore he is well aware of the threat these strikers pose when wearing an http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/England-c749
shirt.
The Manchester City left back said, "I don’t think it makes any difference. People think it’s better to play them without [Wayne] Rooney, who is suspended, and in their first competitive match under their new coach.”
He added, "But we’re talking about a very experienced team that has players like http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Steven-Gerrard-c34196, who could pretty much play without a coach. Rooney’s absence could be an advantage for us, but they have so much quality
that it doesn’t really matter whether we play them at the start or at the end.”
Whosoever wins the opening encounter between these two European powerhouses will undoubtedly be a favourite to top the group and go into the quarterfinals with a better chance of facing a weaker side such is the way that the competition
has been designed.
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