Roy Hodgson is ready to upset the armchair pundits and trust his own World Cup instincts.
England complete their preparations for Brazil at Sun Life Stadium tonight, with the Three Lions chief expected to name his likely team for the opener with Italy in Manaus.
That probably means Ross Barkley back on the bench, despite his superb display against Ecuador, as Hodgson’s team confront the sauna-like conditions facing them in the Amazon next weekend.
And the England boss believes his men are ready to show they can carry the nation’s hopes deep into the tournament. “Without wishing to exaggerate, I feel I am where I want the team to be and where we as a group should be,” said Hodgson after training at Barry University in Miami.
“I’ve got the headache all coaches say they want. We don’t just have 11 players but players who are forcing their way into the team and will divide opinion.
“My favoured side for Italy might divide opinion. That’s good for a start. It’ll give us enormous opportunities on the bench to change things around.
“I would really like to finish off the three weeks with a good performance and a good win.
“What I want is to get through this game without any injuries, even if it doesn’t excite me enormously. This is a warm-up game – and our eyes are on Italy.
“The sharpness, engagement and enthusiasm of the players enthuses me and gives me great hope. But what I really want to see is good things on June 14.”
The mood around the England camp is positive and focused and Hodgson hopes to agree a water break after 30 minutes of each half, replicating the match conditions in Manaus.
He added: “Most teams won’t be able to get through three 90 minute games with the same team. I have the opportunity to make changes.
“We’ve got the impact players. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Raheem Sterling and Ross could come on and make a big impact.
“The heat, though, is standard for everybody. We’ve all got it. Even the South American teams find it quite hard so it’s not purely a problem for European sides.”
