READY FOR CHANGES … England boss Hodgson
Our Euro
2012 campaign ended with a whimper when we lost to Italy on penalties on
Sunday.
Boss Hodgson said: “If you’re asking could we have kept the ball better at
times and could we have made more use of the good situations we got into, I
would have to say yes. The players realise that, too.
“That is an area where we need to keep working and improving.”
Many fans believe the quarter-final KO was England’s worst display of the
tournament.
But Hodgson will not have to wait too long to make sweeping changes, with the
Three Lions’ next game a friendly against Italy in Berne, Switzerland on
August 15.
Hodgson said: “With regards to the friendly, you’ll definitely see some
revolution there.
“It is going to be the ideal opportunity for me to look at some players who
weren’t with us here and maybe feel they should have been.
“Many of those are the younger ones who we probably would have taken for the
experience had they been fit.”
Defenders Chris Smalling and Kyle Walker, both injured for Euro 2012, will be
among those selected.
Keeper John Ruddy — who broke a finger before the finals — will also be
included, while strikers Daniel Sturridge and Fraizer Campbell are set to be
given a chance.
England’s following game will be a World Cup qualifier in Moldova on September
7, where some familiar names will return.
The Three Lions host Ukraine four days later.
Hodgson added: “For the qualifiers, we’ll have to mix what I’ve seen and know
of the players who were here and what I’ve seen from Premier League football
of the other lads.”