Roy Hodgson has called for England to be more “clinical” with their attacking play when they face Sweden in Friday’s Group D qualifier in Kiev
England reach a crossroads on Friday night on one of the world’s oldest trading routes. The road they have chosen to go down involves sweeping in crosses from the wide acres, seeking to shred a Swedish defence which has conceded nine of its last 11 goals to airborne assaults.
England, a slight rush of adrenalin now slipping into their veins, want to play a game of heads and tails up. Andy Carroll could prove the ace in Roy Hodgson’s partly-reshuffled pack.
Victory would guide Hodgson’s side closer to the quarter-finals of Euro 2012, confirming they have chosen the right road.
Draw or defeat would leave England stuck at the perennial crossroads since 1966, still nervous about the correct direction ahead.
For Hodgson, preparing the tactics against a nation he knows so well, the Sweden game also represents a crossroads. The former Malmo manager may assay a far more attacking style than initially suspected by those who watched his steady but unspectacular Fulham and West Bromwich Albion sides.
England were far more defensive against France in the opening 1-1 draw but now is the time for letting off the handbrake.
He is not one to resent publicly a barb against his team but Hodgson will surely have heard the slightly snide remark from France’s coach, Laurent Blanc, last night that his team must not “repeat the first 30 minutes against England.
If we had played against a really good side it would have been over”.
Hodgson is big on respect in word and deed. “I would be surprised if teams weren’t taking England seriously,’’ he said.
“With the reputation of football in England, not least of all the quality of the Premier League and the famous names in there, I don’t think we are ever going to be taken lightly. In fact, we run the risk of a country like Sweden, who spend a lot of their time watching the Premier League.
They get extra motivation to beat England because they like to
show that these highly paid superstars are no better than our own players.
“It makes them exceptionally dangerous because they have got the organisation, the discipline, the work ethic, and then they have got players [such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic] whose talent would probably get him into a lot of other teams in this tournament.”
The atmosphere will be against the English, who have only 5,000 fans and their liberated brass band against 18,000 Swedes.
Yet England have Hodgson, who has yet to lose in four attempts against Sweden as an international manager, having two wins and a draw while managing Switzerland and a draw with Finland.
Five England managers have failed to defeat Sweden – Bobby Robson, Graham Taylor, Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan and Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Hodgson managed it with the Swiss in qualifying for Euro 96. He plots another at this charismatic crossroads in Ukraine tonight.
Latest Team News
England’s Wayne Rooney is still suspended for the Three Lions, but will be available for their third and final group match against Ukraine next week. Rooney’s absence was certainly felt as England struggled to capitalize on the French defense which, at times, was certainly exposed.
Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain was a surprise starter for Roy Hodgson’s men in their first match, but was strong on the wing and will likely start again for England. His pace and attacking strength is of short supply in the England squad, and with plenty of natural ability he could open up the Swedish defense.
Projected Lineups
England : Joe Hart, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole, Joleon Lescott, John Terry, Alex Oxlade-Cheamberlain, Steven Gerrard, Scot Parker, Ashley Young, Andy Carrol, Danny Welbeck Formation 4-4-1-1
Sweden: Isaksson, Lustig, Mehlberg, Granqvist, Olsson, Larsson, Elm, Kallström, Toivonen, Elmander, Ibrahimovic Formation: 4-4-1-1
Key Players: Steven Gerrard England, Rasmus Elm Sweden
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