The whole world put pressure on England’s back, Southgate Blog – Vassilis Samprakos

On the occasion of a TransferRoom study into the estimated transfer value of footballers, which highlighted England as the most expensive team at Euro 2024, Vassilis Samprakos wrote of the “unliftable” weight of the candidate carried by Southgate’s squad.

Reading a study conducted by TransferRoom on the expected transfer value of national team footballers participating in Euro 2024 starting, I was thinking about how much weight of expectation or even demand is being placed on the shoulders of Gareth Southgate’s England squad. It is a burden that under these circumstances is likely to prove unmanageable, that is, if the coach and his players fail to manage it.

One can easily understand the facts that the coach has in mind, when he hears him say that this will be his last event if the national team cannot lift the cup. Why all this pressure? On the one hand, because he practices it himself, saying, “The coach cannot constantly ask for time, it is time,” and on the other hand, because the environment practices it on him. Not just the world, England fans, but also the market. The high society of analysts, most of them English, have described the national team as favourites. And now the market is telling us that England are the most expensive team to go to Germany in terms of estimated transfer value. According to TransferRoom, England’s roster is worth €1.18 billion. They are followed by the French (1.02 billion) and the Portuguese (925 million euros). Only the French and Portuguese have been able to lift titles in recent years, unlike the English.

How is expected conversion value (xTV) calculated? From evaluating economic value, based on factors other than playability. With a comparative rating against similar player transfers – players in the same position. And with the use of unique data that captures a picture of current market conditions.

England doesn’t just hold the title of “most expensive” team. It is also a favorite among bookmakers. France, Germany, Portugal and Spain are the next favorites. Does all this constitute a manageable burden for 21-year-old footballer Jude Bellingham, who impressed for a while with Real Madrid but was not decisive in any of their crucial Champions League matches? Is it manageable for Harry Kane, who has yet to win a trophy and now sees himself as a candidate to top the scorers’ list alongside Kylian Mbappe?

In the eleven most expensive Euro 2024 tournaments, in terms of expected transfer value, there are four English footballers: Rice, Bellingham, Foden and Saka. And there will be Kane (who is among the top 10 footballers with the highest estimated transfer value) if Mbappe does not overtake him. However you look at it, England enter the Euros with a greater “outsider” weight than any team in this tournament. With a heaviness that seems unbearable if you add to it the eternal “it’s coming home” pressure that the English put on themselves. How can this burden be controlled? The only one capable of achieving this, due to the experience he has for 8 years leading this team, is Southgate. For the 54-year-old England manager, this tournament represents a turning point: it will either lift him off the ground and turn him into England’s Sir Alex, or send him into unemployment.