In charge: Roy Hodgson is steering the ship

‘There’s nothing we can do to take that weight off except make certain we embrace the tournament and are not afraid of it.’

Bold pre-competition speeches are hardly virgin territory either but this campaign has been consistently underpinned by an almost fatalistic acceptance that England no longer have the right to strut into a tournament with optimism.

After 46 years and counting, history has dictated a different approach. This time, if it ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.

« Previous1234567Next »