Saturday 16 / November / 2024
Lens: England manager Roy Hodgson has hit out at critics who have questioned his team's patriotism and desire ahead of their European Championship clash against Wales in Lens on Thursday.
Wales striker Gareth Bale last week said his team had "more passion and pride" than England, who "big themselves up before they've done anything".
Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev also labelled Hodgson's men the weakest seeded team in the Euro 2016 prior to Saturday's draw with England.
"I've been in the game sufficiently long to know every opponent has got an opinion," Hodgson told reporters.
"The other day it was Akinfeev saying we were the worst seeded team and now it's Gareth Bale. They can have those opinions but I don't have any doubts personally about our patriotism or desire and that's the important thing."
England midfielder Eric Dier, who scored the opener in Saturday's draw, said the match against Wales was identical to a Premier League game.
"I think it might be a bit less like an international game and a bit more of an English game, especially with the players involved," said the Tottenham Hotspur player.
"It might be a bit different to all the other games you've seen in the tournament, so I think that's good for the spectators as well. It's a massive game for them and for us."
England, who are bidding for their first major international title since the 1966 World Cup, will end their Group B campaign against Slovakia on June 20.
'Kane not good enough'
Harry Kane's performance against Russia was not good enough and he could have no complaints if Jamie Vardy replaced him for England's Group B clash with Wales in Lens on Thursday, former England striker Alan Shearer said.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker, the Premier League's leading scorer last season, failed to shine in England's opening match and, according to Shearer, lacked energy.
Leicester City's title-winning striker Vardy had to kick his heels on the bench in Marseille where England were held 1-1.
"(England coach) Roy Hodgson would be within his rights to tell Harry Kane that his performance in Saturday's draw against Russia was not good enough and he has to improve or he will change things up front -- and rightly so," Shearer told the BBC.
"I am a huge fan of Kane, and he has had another fantastic season for Tottenham, but he looked very leggy and tired against Russia on Saturday."
Shearer still expects Kane to lead England's line against Wales, but says he needs to step up.
"I would not alter anything about England's starting XI or the system they played in Marseille for their next game against Wales," he said.
"I would tell Kane -- and also Raheem Sterling, whose final ball was yet again very poor -- that, although I am going to stick with you, if you do not do better then I will make those changes during the Wales game. It is up to them to respond."
Kane played as the central prong in a three-man attack against Russia with Adam Lallana impressive on the right and Sterling less so on the left despite plenty of the ball.
Kane only touched the ball once in Russia's penalty area.
"Just because you have one bad game does not mean you are a bad player and Kane will be looking to Hodgson to give him another opportunity," Shearer said.
"But Hodgson has a lot of other strong options, particularly in the centre-forward positions."
Shearer said he had been impressed with England's midfield in which captain Wayne Rooney often dropped deep to allow Dele Alli the license to roam forward but still could have scored a couple of goals.
"He played the new position very well and combined well with Eric Dier and Dele Alli too," Shearer said.
"Dier sat in but Rooney and Alli had to decide when to stay and go forward -- and they got it right."
