Euro 2016: Roy Hodgson defends decision to drop captain Wayne Rooney as Lions blow top spot
Three Lions finish second in Group B but boss believes his side are ready to catch fire in the knockout round of the tournament
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ROY HODGSON watched his team fire blanks to finish second behind Wales – but claims his team will batter a team at Euro 2016.
England suffered a night of frustration and will play in the last 16 in Nice on Monday against the runners-up of Group F with Hungary the current leaders.
Hodgson said: "It is a little bit embarrassing. It has been attack v defence in all three games and I never thought I'd see England dominate three games like we have done. Soon we will make someone pay, we will score goals one day.
“But we'll wait and see. We're in the knockout phase which is where we wanted to be. Now we have not only to pass the ball reasonably well and control the game, but score goals as well.”
Hodgson also defended his six changes which included Wayne Rooney being dropped to the bench.
The Three Lions boss said: “Had Wayne started, would he have scored the goals the others missed from his left half position? Wayne and Dele Alli and Harry Kane came on and created chances. The six changes amuses me. We finished the game against Wales with Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge front, and people said that was positive.
“I'm happy to play anybody. It would have been nice to finish top of the group, because the three performances we've given merited that. We haven't. Now we play the second team in Group F. We'll be happy to play Hungary, or anyone else. Whoever we play it'll be a tough game. But at the moment, the way we're playing, whoever plays us will be looking at a tough game on their hands.”
Asked whether England are practising taking penalties ahead of the knockout stage, he added: “They get taken every day, so we wait and see. Penalties in training, and penalties in front of a lot of people... that's two different things.
"We're not doomed yet, we're not doomed to penalties, we're not doomed to not take our chances. I believe we will if the team continues to play with the intensity and domination we've shown in these three games. We're capable of winning a game in normal time.”
Hodgson also defended the performance of Jack Wilshere who started.
He said: “I think he's a very good footballer and will be a very important member of our troop and squad. If we can stay beyond the next round, I think you'll be speaking of him in a different light because that's the player he is. He didn't set the world or field alight.”
Roy Hodgson was left frustrated at a missed opportunity to top Group B
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Defender Gary Cahill said: “I don’t think the changes played a role.
“You saw the rhythm and we had the ball constantly. It’s disappointing, we didn’t quite have the cutting edge to open them up.”
But ex-England striker Peter Crouch said: “Resting the full-backs and changing midfield, I thought it upset the rhythm.”
