What can we learn from Euro warm-ups? England's previous campaigns -and what happened next

Rooney overtakes an Iceland player
Wayne Rooney's displays in the Euro 2004 warm-ups confirmed his place in the starting XI Credit: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Should the exuberant teenage forward be given his chance? Will an important first-teamer be fit to play? Should England stick with a trusted formation, or accommodate late-blooming players in a new team shape?

These are the questions troubling Roy Hodgson ahead of England’s final match before Euro 2016 - and he is not the first England manager to face these dilemmas. Against Portugal on Thursday, the England manager has his last chance to come up with some answers.

What can we learn from pre-tournament friendlies, and what bearing does it have on the team’s performance when it comes to the crunch? Telegraph Sport looks over the preparations for England’s last three Euros - rain-soaked qualifying defeat to Croatia excluding 2008 - to find out.

Rashford emerges from team bus
Marcus Rashford has a chance of emulating young Euro entrants like Rooney and Gerrard Credit: Lee Smith/Reuters

Euro 2000

The warm-ups

Boxing promoters could hardly contain their excitement when it appeared that Paul Ince and Dennis Wise would be duking it out for the tough-tackling liability role in Kevin Keegan’s midfield. Named in the 26-man preliminary squad for friendlies against Brazil, Ukraine and Malta, exciting young colts Steven Gerrard and Gareth Barry were hoping to hang onto their places for the Euros proper. Up front, captain Alan Shearer, like Wayne Rooney today, faced calls for him to be dropped, while Robbie Fowler, rushed back from injury, was competing with Andy Cole for a backup role.

Michael Owen nets against Brazil
England put in a deceivingly balanced performance in their 1-1 draw with Brazil Credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images

The Brazil match was little help in whittling down the squad, as Keegan stuck with his proven players in holding onto a 1-1 draw. Gerrard and Barry made their bows in a 2-0 victory over Ukraine notable for being England’s last friendly at the old Wembley. It was also notable for a botched experiment with a 3-5-2 formation that didn’t persist for the final warm-up, a 2-1 victory over Malta in Mediterranean heat.

Robbie Fowler and Emile Heskey’s goals in the last two games helped them squeeze out Andy Cole, while square peg Dennis Wise had been wedged into left midfield against Brazil. Steve McManaman, fresh from winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, made his case for inclusion on the left with a decent performance against Ukraine, but Nicky Barmby’s bright displays made him another option. Sol Campbell and Martin Keown looked shaky at the back against Malta.

Alan Shearer motors past a Maltese defender
A stodgy display against Malta was rather more instructive Credit: Lino Azzopardi/AP

What happened next

England got off to a flying start, taking a 2-0 lead against Portugal with a starring role from McManaman, given the nod on the left wing. But it all went pear-shaped. England shipped three goals, McManaman was injured, and a victory over Germany in their second game, with the redeemed Shearer scoring the only goal, was undone by a collapse against Romania in the decider.

The 3-5-2 formation was never wheeled out as Keegan attempted to tighten things up after the Portugal game, with defensively-minded Wise taking over from McManaman on the left. With only three centre-backs in the squad, Keegan might have wished he’d taken Rio Ferdinand, especially since his trio of back-up strikers, Fowler, Emile Heskey and Kevin Phillips, made little impression.

Keown tugs at a forward
Martin Keown struggled to get to grips with the Romanians Credit: Russell Cheyne/The Telegraph

England were a bad Phil Neville tackle from escaping the group stage, with Romania’s last-gasp penalty securing their progress. But Keegan’s side never looked able to see out a game. The lesson from the warm-ups? Waste less time on unlikely tactical experiments, and more time rehearsing a shape the team is settled in. Keegan resigned not long after the tournament - though he was right to keep faith with Shearer.
 

Euro 2004

The warm-ups

A sunny three-way jamboree at the City of Manchester Stadium was England’s send-off. Frank Lampard’s 17 goals in 2003-04 had set up a duel with Manchester United ballwinner Nicky Butt for a place in England’s midfield, and the Chelsea man got the nod in the warm-up games. With Rio Ferdinand ruled out by an eight-month suspension for missing a drugs test, John Terry looked to have beaten Jamie Carragher and Ledley King to a place alongside Sol Campbell in central defence.

Elsewhere, the squad was fairly settled. 18-year-old Wayne Rooney had been in the side since the beginning of the year, and started an unsteady 1-1 draw with Japan. The then-Everton striker scored a brace in the next game, a 6-0 bludgeoning of Iceland. Understudy striker Darius Vassell also bagged two, with Lampard also getting on the scoresheet.

Nicky Butt leaps over a tackle
Nicky Butt would get few further opportunities after Lampard's emergence Credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

What happened next

When Butt was ruled out with a knee ligament injury, the temptation of stuffing Lampard into a midfield already containing Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes became irresistible. In a tournament in which nearly every other half-decent team played two defensive midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation, England bombed forward at every opportunity in a deliriously entertaining group stage.

Inspired by four-goal Rooney, Sven’s men ran France close in a 2-1 loss, pasted Switzerland 3-0 and ding-donged Croatia 4-2 to book a quarter-final against Portugal. Lampard notched his third of the tournament in a see-saw tie that turned on Rooney’s metatarsal injury. Trusted to replace him, Vassell put in a quiet performance and missed the crucial kick as England lost on penalties.

Rooney and Lampard kicked on from their early tournament exposure to become free-scoring Three Lions centurious, and, looking back, Euro 2004 was probably as good as it got for the Golden Generation. But it could have been even better. If Sven was encouraged by Vassell’s two goals against a weak Icelandic side, he shouldn’t have been: the Aston Villa man wasn’t good enough. England needed more balance in midfield, and a tougher warm-up might have helped.

Vassell clutches his head after missing his penalty
Vassell could not reproduce Rooney's impact and missed a penalty as England went out to Portugal on spot-kicks Credit: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

Euro 2012

The warm-ups

Suddenly bequeathed Fabio Capello’s collection of tarnished Golden Generation alumni, new manager Roy Hodgson threw in 18-year-old Arsenal tyro Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain when he named his squad.

The main problem was that Wayne Rooney’s two-game suspension, incurred in the last qualifying match, meant a stopgap striker was needed. With the prize a starting berth alongside Ashley Young - how England’s striking options have changed - Hodgson let Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck and Liverpool blunderbuss Andy Carroll have a crack.

Barry walks off injured
Gareth Barry's injury forced England to rethink their options in central midfield Credit: Lee Smith/Action Images

Young scored the only goal in an grinding defeat of Norway, but veteran Gareth Barry was lost to an abdominal injury and was soon joined by Frank Lampard. Oxlade-Chamberlain burst into the starting XI in time for the Belgium game, with Welbeck scoring the winner and Scott Parker stepping into midfield next to Steven Gerrard.

What happened next

Lampard’s injury was to some extent a boon for England as there was no possibility of a last hurrah for his mismatched partnership with Gerrard. Scott Parker anchored the midfield, and an organised England side let in a respectable three goals in four games.

Oxlade-Chamberlain performed brightly in their opening match, a 1-1 draw with France. Welbeck was selected over Carroll in the first game, but both started - and scored - in England’s second game, a 3-2 win over Sweden.

Carroll leaps highest to head home
Andy Carroll made a rare tournament appearance for England Credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Wayne Rooney returned to score the winner against Ukraine, putting England through to a knockout tie against Italy. Facing a superior team, England fielded James Milner over Oxlade-Chamberlain, sat back deeper than ever, and humped the ball up to Andy Carroll at every opportunity. They were deservedly dumped out on penalties.

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