Source: team_talk
Don't stop believing - Gerrard
Steven Gerrard is refusing to rule out the possibility of England winning World Cup 2014 in Brazil - but he admits they will need a miracle.
Built up for every World Cup they enter, this time expectations are low.
Part of that comes from yet another tournament when England failed to progress beyond the quarter-final stage.
A rather more sizeable portion is the knowledge that South America, for any European country, is uncharted territory.
Many good European teams have tried and failed. And, despite their present status as third in the FIFA rankings, most do not feel England are a good team.
However, Gerrard, who admits his final tilt at football's greatest prize will begin in Chisinau when England take on Moldova in Chisinau on Friday night, is refusing to abandon all hope.
"I am realistic and honest," he said. "We are not one of the favourites to win the World Cup.
"That doesn't mean you stop believing, working hard to improve, and learning from the mistakes you've made at previous tournaments.
"This team has every chance to get better in the next few years, with some players coming through and others with the experience.
"We have to have that faith and keep believing.
"You never stop believing in football. Miracles do happen. It's been proved."
Miracles are not to be relied upon though.
In a group containing Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, plus a dangerous Montenegro outfit that held England to a couple of draws in qualification for the European Championships, it is performances and results that are going to count.
And, arguably, they will count even more than they did this summer, in what, given the unusual manner of him getting the job, many felt Hodgson had a free hit.
Not that he sees it quite that way.
"I don't know there are 'free hits'," he said. "If I had some, I'm happy to have had them.
"But I'm fully aware the task of qualifying is the all-important one.
"A World Cup in Brazil has a slightly greater allure than a World Cup in some of the other countries where it's been held recently.
"We know what we have to do. We're going to try and do it.
"But this is football. You don't get what you want by talking about it and saying the right things. You have to be good enough.
"We all accept that. We're an experienced group of players, some up towards 100 caps, so they don't need reminding there are plenty of banana skins out there.
"If you don't hit that level, you'll be criticised."
Hodgson has declared himself satisfied with the pitch, which looks a bit odd and does require a cut prior to kick-off.
And a strange training session, which featured no actual match, seemed to be focused on getting balls into the box from flank positions, a typically English trait which, in the absence of Andy Carroll, Hodgson does not have a particularly obvious exponent at.
It plays to a stereotype though, a Moldovan one at any rate.
"We scored off a few of them, didn't we?" said Gerrard, with Hodgson moving in for the follow-up.
"You've got to remember the first 10 or 12 years of my coaching career was spent defending the English game to the Swedes, saying that we don't just play kick and rush football.
"I spent 12 years doing that. I'm not going to respond to Moldovan criticism now.
"They can think whatever they like about our game. We'll see what happens tomorrow night."
Hodgson's midfield is expected to feature his three old stagers on Friday; Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick.
Manchester United's Danny Welbeck is set to operate as a lone striker, with James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott vying for the flank positions.
