England v France
UEFA European U19 Championship, Final
Windsor Park, Belfast
29 July 2005, 7pm

England U19s are thankful for a left-sided combination that gives the side width and balance as they go into their European Championship final against France.

Martin Hunter's side play an attacking 4-3-3 formation and one of the major positives of the system is the way that Andrew Taylor and Lee Holmes link up down the left flank. The duo have started all four of England's matches, and have developed a great mutual understanding.

"I link up quite well with Lee on the left, which started in the qualifiers and we've carried on from there," Middlesbrough defender Taylor told uefa.com. "It's working well. We understand each other's runs, when to come short or go long, and we've done really well together."

England have been building both fitness and performance with each match and they will be hoping that they hit their peak when they whistle goes for the match at Windsor Park.

"We've been getting better every game, and we're going into the final hoping we can improve a little bit more," Derby County winger Holmes said. "With every game, we've got sharper and fitter. It took us a couple of games to get into it, but we've got going now."

The Middlesbrough left-back agreed: "I think the team's getting fitter as we go along. We'd done a bit of running before we came, but it's not the same as match fitness and now I hope we're just starting to reach our peak and that we can carry that on against France."

England met France in the opening game of the tournament and also played them at Barnsley back in November 2004, and Taylor and Holmes both believe England have an edge over their old rivals.

"France are a very good team, but we did well against them in the first game and I think we should have won that really," said Taylor. "We've got the ability to beat them, but anything can happen on the day. Hopefully we'll come out on top."

And Holmes was confident that an improved England will come out on top given a second crack at the French: "I didn't think we played that well, even though we got a reasonable result.

"We seemed to tail off a bit in the second half, although they didn't play as they can do either which maybe helped us. But if they look at the semi-final, they'll know they're in for a good game in the final.

"We've got every chance of winning [and] it should be a good game. Both teams have got better and better as the tournament has gone on and I think the improving standard of play means it'll be a totally different game from the first. I think there'll be more goals, and the stronger team defensively will win."

And Holmes' left-back colleague is equally positive ahead of the big match on Friday, which England Head Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is expected to attend. "This is the European stage with the continent's best players, so it'll be the biggest and, I think, hardest game of my career so far," he said.

"I feel ready for it, and I think the lads are all ready to go; we're all full of confidence, all together and we're ready."