there is only one Andriy Shevchenko.
And he isn't English. It seems oddly pertinent to point that out given the Ukrainian striker's goals in the win over Sweden earlier this week not only shook supporters inside the Olympic Stadium but also disturbed the view that the Swedes pose the greatest threat to England securing second spot in Group D, an assertion founded on an understated strength within Erik Hamren's squad.
There always has to be a minnow in every group, it is just that each side will grow or fall in stature depending on their results. Sweden lost their opening match to the co-hosts and all of a sudden not even the posturing frame of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is enough to suggest they can recover against an England side that drew with France.
It is unnecessary to belabor the Swedes' defeat by Ukraine as it will have little relevance when they walk out to face England later today. Roy Hodgson will also be aware that the English national team tend to find life hard against them – seven meetings in major finals having past by without the Scandanavians suffering defeat. There have been reports of disharmony within Hamren's squad, yet that could just as easily be defined as a sharpened competitive edge.
It would take a decidedly ardent fantast to discount Sweden as mere fodder, with Gareth Southgate keen to warn against complacency. "That would be a big mistake. You have to respect every opponent you come up against," said the former England defender, who earned 57 caps for his country. "Sweden have some very, very good players and, in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they have an outstanding forward. When you get to this level at a tournament you never play against a side who are not capable of hurting you.
"You always need to be prepared and can never take the opponents or any result for granted, as we have seen with Holland against Denmark and some of the other matches. You really have to put to one side what was done against the French, when the expectation was different.
"The difficult thing now is people expect the next two games to be easier and I don't necessarily think that will be the case. Sweden have to win against us and we saw how powerful the home support is going to be for Ukraine. I think we need to beat them."
Southgate's concerns were likely coloured by the continued absence of Wayne Rooney, who will complete his two-match suspension tonight. There are also questions regarding the fitness of Ashley Cole – who is working through his own training regime – Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker following their exertions against the French, and their absence would likely impel Hodgson to start with Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson. He is not exactly the jewel of the England support.
"We don't know if Roy is going to make any changes, but if we go with the likes of Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the manager has got players who can create chances," said Southgate.
"That side of things will come. It was so important not to lose the first game and then you build from that in the tournament."
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