sport news Graeme Souness: England are dangerous and France know it ahead of Saturday's ... trends now
Get those hamstrings well and truly stretched off! That's what England's physios will be telling Kyle Walker on Saturday as he prepares for the challenge of Kylian Mbappe and France. And he will certainly need every warm-up routine imaginable.
Though you don't want Walker to be in a race with Mbappe, it's unavoidable. We will inevitably see the speed that the 23-year-old Frenchman brings.
The way he gets close to you with the ball and tries to get you stopped — and then goes again with that explosive element that so far no one has lived with. He thinks he's two yards quicker than anyone.
England will need to get Kyle Walker's hamstrings stretched well ahead of Saturday's game
The England star (left) will face off against France's lightning forward Kylian Mbappe (right)
Sportsmail columnist Graeme Souness (above) has spoken ahead of the crunch knockout tie
Those hammys of Walker's will be sorely tested and at 32 he won't have the same muscular suppleness that he enjoyed as a younger man. Never have the words that the great Joe Fagan used to trot out most days in training at Liverpool seemed more appropriate than on a day like this.
'The first two yards are in your head, son,' Joe would say. It's about anticipation as well as speed when you're trying to deal with Mbappe.
That pace is only one part of the threat he brings. His goals against Poland in the last-16 tie showed how he sees a pass and can deliver what's in his mind's eye.
He can also operate in the tightest areas and get shots off with tremendous power and accuracy. So far, you'd have to say that Mbappe has been the star of this show.
That's why it will be important that England don't allow Mbappe to isolate Walker. Whoever plays in front of Walker must have his defensive head on. Walker must, at all times, be aware of Mbappe's position when the French player gets involved in build-up play.
Walker and his England team-mates will need to prepare for Mbappe to win the quarter-final
The Manchester City defender must, at all times, be aware of the 23-year-old star's position
I think we will see a really cautious game to begin with. England will try to get France up towards the halfway line, while France will drop off and try to do the same. When England lose possession in France's half, the French will try to get the two sprinters in wide positions — Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele — into a race.
Someone makes a mistake, or someone produces a piece of brilliance that results in a goal. Then the game becomes very different because the conceding team have to go for it.
Of course, it won't be easy for England. But I don't think there is any need for English pessimism because despite France looking to utilise their biggest assets, which is hardly rocket science, they do have some vulnerabilities.
I've never been an enormous fan of Hugo Lloris. When I watch him play, he does something which top goalkeepers don't do, by diving for a ball that is heading two yards wide of the post.
That's a sure sign that he's not quite sure of his angles a lot of the time. I'm sure Harry Kane has pointed out his Spurs team-mate's shortcomings to England's coaching staff and players.
I've never been an enormous fan of Les Bleus' captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (pictured)
While Adrien Rabiot's switching off means England can exploit France's defensive vulnerability
I think England can exploit a defensive vulnerability in France. I was working on the France v Denmark game for ITV and Adrien Rabiot was twice caught ball-watching for the Danish goal — once in the build-up that led to a corner and again when that corner came in.
Mbappe sometimes goes through the motions when it comes to the defensive part of the game. He
