Watkins and England

We've got over a month to the season starting, but we do have England playing at the weekend so there deserves to be a post. But have we signed anyone else? 

And we're going to win on Sunday. Any by we, I mean England. And it will be good and long overdue. Even if we would have been quite fortunate.

But fortune favours the brave and we have .. okay, we've not been that brave. We have been lucky. But we did look better against the Netherlands even if it took a goal in the last moments to win it from a player that does that every week for us. 

And it's not just us that know that. Southgate has seen him enough times in the Premier League to know that is how he plays. And if Southgate had anything about him, he'd have known that a player playing in Germany, possibly carrying an injury, wasn't up to this tournament.

But I suspect, even if we had kept Kane on and it went to extra time, we would have won in the end. Our bench has players that should be starting and the starting eleven can not be matched by any side in the tournament. And that is why I think we'll win on Sunday. Not be default. And not in spite of Southgate, I mean he does have words of wisdom for the players

Ironically also because Southgate wont send the team out to play like he did against the Netherlands, he'll probably send them out a lot more like we have seen in this tournament and that might not be a bad thing against Spain.

And with 15 minutes to go, we'll chase it down and win it or take it to extra time. Hopefully not penalties. And ultimately win because we will be bringing on players that could or should be starting and they'll be bringing on players that are usually on the bench and not at the same standard, even if how they play will likely be more attacking.

And when we win, Southgate should get to stay on if he wants. Even if he's winning with the best set of players in a generation, he is the manager and even though this isn't the World Cup, how can you sack a manager that has just won the League Cup?

You can't and he should be allowed to have a crack at the World Cup. And yes, my views on England haven't changed that much, but there is a degree of excitement in this match. I mean, football is my love, Aston Villa is my Club. I happen to be English, so if we won, it would be fun.

And on that, I'll no doubt catch you on Sunday night.