France somehow bigger price than England to win 2012

Spain are worthy favourites to win Euro 2012 at 5/2 given their past record at major tournaments, but punters looking for some value would do well to look beyond France, who appear way overpriced at 10/1 to triumph.

Like England, France head to the Euros looking to atone for a miserable World Cup, where they somehow managed to fair worse than Fabio Capello by finishing bottom of their group with just one point.

Also like England, they have looked to the future since, dropping a host of star names of yesteryear to pick a far more youthful squad, with the appetite to succeed.

Among them is talented French midfielder Yann M’Vila, Newcastle’s Yohan Cabaye and Marseille striker Loic Remy.

But unlike England, France have been rewarded for appointing a manager well in advance to prepare for Euro 2012, to enforce his personal playing style on the squad and as a result embarking on a prolific run.

Laurent Blanc’s tenure as manager did not start on the best footing with two straight defeats, but he has since led France on an 18-match unbeaten run and they seem to be peaking at the optimum time.

While England were still experimenting in losing at home to Holland, Blanc was guiding France to an away victory in Germany, which was largely the same German side that taught England such a big lesson at the World Cup.

This success alone should make France shorter than 10/1 in the Euro 2012 odds to triumph, while there does not appear a logical reason as to why they are a bigger price than England at 8/1.

France seem to have far more midfield creativity and are beginning to adopt a similar approach to that which has worked so well for Barcelona, in terms of interchangeable midfielders who are good at retaining possession and can unlock defences.

If nothing else on current evidence, France look well worth backing to beat England in their Group D opener at 7/4, while 13/8 seems reasonable that they progress to the quarter finals as group winners.