England face the twin threats of a disqualification warning if their fans misbehave and a super-motivated Gareth Bale ahead of their Euro 2016 showdown with neighbours Wales in Lens today.
The bloody clashes between rival fans that marred England’s opening 1-1 draw with Russia in Marseille at the weekend left Roy Hodgson’s side facing the threat of elimination from European governing body UEFA.
England midfielder Adam Lallana said that such an outcome would be “devastating” and Hodgson and team captain Wayne Rooney have released a video message pleading for calm. But with England and Wales fans having been advised to base themselves in nearby Lille, where Russia lost to Slovakia yesterday, the build-up to the game will be wreathed with tension.
Police numbers will be boosted in Lens, an industrial city in northern France, with 2,400 security personnel on the streets. Extra officers are being deployed from Britain to provide support, while a ban on alcohol sales has been announced and all local schools will be closed.
The Football Association and Football Association of Wales have both urged fans without tickets not to attend, but despite Lens’s Stade Bollaert-Delelis holding only 35,000 fans, between 40,000 and 50,000 British supporters are expected to descend on the city.
England’s players witnessed the violence firsthand on Saturday when Russia’s fans charged their English counterparts at the final whistle, but they are doing their best to deflect attention from the issue. “The scenes weren’t nice to see at the end of the game, but the people in charge will be dealing with that,” said left-back Ryan Bertrand.
Of equal concern to Hodgson will be the danger posed by Real Madrid forward Bale, whose stunning 25-yard free-kick against Slovakia in Bordeaux set Wales on their way to a 2-1 win. With England having dropped points against Russia, a second Group B defeat would seriously compromise their chances of remaining in the competition, as well as propelling Wales into the last 16.
Lallana, a former Southampton teammate of Bale’s, says that England must avoid giving away “silly fouls” around the box, but he believes it would be foolish to focus all their attention on the Welsh number 11. “You don’t want to leave your team too vulnerable on the counter-attack with players like Gareth Bale playing, the strengths and the quality that he has. But it’s not a one-man show,” said the Liverpool midfielder. “They’ve got plenty of other good players. I’ve got the pleasure of playing with Joe Allen. I know what a talented player he is. Aaron Ramsey, another player who’s very talented. So we can’t just put all our focus on Gareth and then get sucker-punched by one of their other good players.”
Bale raised the temperature even before his team’s meeting with Slovakia, saying that England “big themselves up before they’ve done anything” and that Wales play with “more passion and pride”. It drew a rebuke from Hodgson, who described the remarks as “disrespectful”, but Bale is standing by what he said.
“It’s good that they bit,” Bale told a press conference in Dinard on Tuesday. “I really don’t care what they say, to be honest. We know we’re a good team and we know we can beat them on our day.” Asked how many England players would get into the Wales team, he grinned: “None.”
Wales manager Chris Coleman has a fitness concern over goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, whose absence due to a back spasm against Slovakia saw 22-year-old Liverpool player Danny Ward make his first start.
Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu are both pushing for starting roles after coming off the bench against Slovakia, the latter scuffing in a raucously celebrated 81st-minute winner. Raheem Sterling’s place may be under threat for England after a poor display on the left flank against Russia. England’s failure to kill the game off, meanwhile, could open the door for Daniel Sturridge or Jamie Vardy.