By Tom Pilcher
WARSAW, June 11 (Reuters) – Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine will
be out to show coach Oleg Blokhin they can shoot and tackle when
they take on Sweden after old rivals France and England get
Group D underway on Monday.
Blokhin has spoken of attacking and defensive concerns but
on the eve of the 1845 GMT kick off against Sweden in Kiev he
said his players were “chomping at the bit” to get started.
The co-hosts have shown little recent form and have watched
helplessly as political rows and clashes between fans have
marred the start of the tournament in their country, giving them
even more incentive to impress on the pitch.
Preceding the Kiev clash is the intriguing encounter between
France and England in Donetsk (1600).
Unbeaten in 21 matches, France look strong under former
defender Laurent Blanc who played for Manchester United and
believes he knows what to expect from Roy Hodgson’s team.
Hodgson, appointed on May 1, has had little time to shape
his team but has a wealth of coaching experience and the rare
chance to lead England free from the usual burden of expectation
heading into a major tournament.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
