England picked up their eighth victory in Group E of the Euro 2016 qualifiers with a 2-0 win against second-placed Switzerland at Wembley. The impressive result maintained the Three Lions’ 100% record in the group so far, while taking their clean sheet tally to six. Booking their place for next year’s European Championships with three games to spare, England could hardly wish for a better qualifying campaign under manager Roy Hodgson, so should the national team boss be given more credit for such improvement?
Before a ball was kicked, critics deemed England’s group as straight-forward, highlighting Switzerland (away) as the only fixture they could likely drop points in. But the Three Lions enjoyed a 2-0 away win against the Red and Whites in their opener, and it has set the tone for near perfection in the qualifiers since. The impressive defensive record is something to marvel at considering how errors at the back were previously highlighted as something Hodgson needed to fix. The 68-year-old has finally settled on a defence, and it’s lead to a number of watertight displays in the qualifiers.
England have won eight from eight in Group E, and have conceded just three goals in this period. They couldn’t be in better form ahead of the finals in 2016, but the Football Association aren’t hashing out the coach’s future until after the tournament. Chief Executive Martin Glenn said: “Roy more than anybody knows that it is a results game. My philosophy is you pay for results, you create a tension where results have to happen, but at the same time you have to give confidence and support to the people involved. We have got a very good relationship. I think he is by far and away the best coach that we could have for England.”
After England’s embarrassing exit in the group stages of the 2014 World Cup, few could have predicted such a turnaround. But despite a perfect record so far in qualifying, still Hodgson isn’t getting his due. It’s certainly worth taking into account the strength of the England side, as many would agree it is lacking stellar talent compared to past squads of major international tournaments. Wayne Rooney is the last of the media-dubbed “Golden Generation”, but there aren’t many in the side looking like they could emulate him. Nevertheless, Hodgson has worked wonders with the side, and is on course for perfection in Group E, so does he deserve credit for England’s resurgence?
