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EXPECT A REVOLUTION

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England manager Roy Hodgson has said that the England fans can expect a revolution when England take on Italy in a friendly match in August. The former Liverpool and West Brom manager took over the national team as the replacement for Fabio Capello. Despite having very little time to prepare for the Euro 2012, he managed to do extraordinarily well at this major competition. Even though England were once again eliminated from a major competition at the quarter-final stage, not many expected them to reach the quarter-final stage in the first place. Roy Hodgson managed to instil a discipline within the squad that has not been witnessed in previous tournaments.

However, there has been criticism aimed at the former Fulham manager due to the negative football England played at the Euro 2012. Roy Hodgson, though, has said that it was done due to the lack of preparation. However, the England fans can expect a much different team and style of play when England take on Italy in August in a friendly match in Vienna. This will be start of the preparations for the qualification campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Roy Hodgson is expected to use a number of young players for this qualification campaign.

“With regards to the August 15 friendly, you will definitely see some revolution there. That game is the ideal opportunity for me to look at some players who weren’t with us here and can add to the quality of our team. The first thing I have to do is really evaluate some of these other players who haven’t been here. Many are the younger ones we probably would have taken for the experience had they been fit,” said Roy Hodgson after returning from a holiday. The likes of Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand are not expected to be part of the England team in the future.

HODGSON CREATES CODE

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Roy Hodgson is to create a code of conduct that he expects his players to stick to during the European Championships. The FA will help him compile the document which will outline their expectations of the players along with the warning that anyone caught breaking it will be putting their England future in jeopardy.

Hodgson’s expectations were simple and clear enough. “Not only do I expect them to behave as adults, I am going to demand it.” He has pointed to the controversy that surrounded the England Rugby Union team on their recent World Cup campaign. A disappointing display on the field was made all the more frustrating by a series of incidents off the pitch.

England will be staying close to the centre of Krakow and Hodgson realises that his players are going to be coming into contact with members of the public on a regular basis and they will be under constant observation from fans of all competing nations. The 2010 World Cup saw England staying out in Rustenburg, two hours outside of the nearest major city of Johannesburg after criticisms of their behaviour in the more central base of Baden Baden in 2006 – Wayne Rooney‘s wife Colleen was blamed the most.

Hodgson has stressed that he does not intend to keep his players locked up or stop them from enjoying the experience of visiting a country that many of them will have not experienced before. He is stressing the importance of them behaving well when they are out and about, he is fully aware that people with camera phones will be everywhere, ready to capture any misdemeanours on camera to pass on to the world’s press.

Hodgson is keen to give his players freedom to enjoy themselves, to stay relaxed and to “see something else other than their room-mates, me and the coaching staff” during their down time. Captain Steven Gerrard agreed with the new code.