“We hope we can do better, definitely than we did in 2014 (at the World Cup)”, he added, referring to England’s dismal group-stage exit when they finished with just a single point from three matches.
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Roy Hodgson has been given the backing of the Football Association to take the England team through to the 2018 World Cup.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn said ahead of the draw that Hodgson is “our man” for the World Cup in 2018, but another poor performance at a major championship could change the thinking.
The 68-year-old has yet to have an in-depth discussion about his future, but has made it clear that he is determined to remain in coaching.
“Despite having coached over 100 matches at this level with three teams (Finland, Switzerland and England), I have never come up against Russia, Slovakia or Wales”, said Hodgson. It will be my 41st year next year, which I’m very proud of.
England’s Euro 2016 game against Wales in Lens could be rescheduled, with broadcasters keen for the Group B fixture to be moved to an evening kick-off rather than its current 2pm slot.
“We know all the Wales players-almost all of them play in England”.
Coleman was sold by Blackburn before Hodgson got the chance to see him play but the England manager said they had become friends since.
“I had been counting on [Danny] Welbeck, [Jack] Wilshere, [Fabian] Delph, [Daniel] Sturridge, [Luke] Shaw until he broke his ankle”. On the same day England meet Wales, Germany and Poland will meet in Group C at the Stade de France as they renew hostilities after encountering one another during qualifying. “You could also add Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain to that as well”. “The pressure will be on us to get something in that first game because we know what is coming next”.
“It’s not the hardest, it’s not the easiest, but it’s fine. I just hope there’s no fear”.
“If we see progress, and I’m very confident that we will, this will make us feel that Roy is the best person to take this young team forward and really fire at the next two tournaments”.
Wales lost that play-off 1-0 over two legs but complained to UEFA – unsuccessfully – after it was revealed that Russian midfielder Egor Titov had played in the second leg despite failing a drugs test after the first.
England, who have twice reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 1968 and 1996, were placed in Group B alongside Russia, Slovakia and fellow home nation Wales.
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“We are the favourites and want to win the group”.
