“I don’t think I have to look after the younger players, but if I can set the right example around the hotel or on the training pitch, then they will see that”, he said while prepping for the Euro 2016. “We have to improve and in tournament football you have to improve to win games”.
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Hodgson explained the “split strikers” were to help defend the wide areas and was prickly when asked about the system during the post-match media interviews. Predictable Hodgson refused to stoke the fire saying only that “I am happy I have got 16/17 good players and happy with the options available to us”.
Pundits were critical of manager Roy Hodgson’s tactics, but the Southampton player said that the game changed when Bruno Alves was sent off for a wild challenge on Kane.
England played with Vardy and Kane up top and skipper Wayne Rooney in the number 10 role at the tip of a midfield diamond, but both front men found themselves on the flanks too often. Not 40 minutes had gone by in the match before 34-year-old Alves channeled his inner Nigel de Jong to fly in on a 50-50 tackle with the England striker.
“Maybe we could have moved the ball a bit quicker but we showed patience and got the result in the end”.
“I know one thing that’s worked: we kept a clean sheet”.
“We’ve dominated the game, we’ve had a very, very lion’s share of possession”.
“I have no reason whatsoever to be dissatisfied at this moment in time, quite the reverse”.
“We’ll see what formation the manager picks against Russian Federation and we will just do our best”.
“Our composure throughout the game was good”, added Hodgson as he accentuated the positives.
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Fernando Santos: “The England game will be a great test for us and important for the coach to understand his best team going to the Euros”.
