• World Cup

Players must not get cocky - Hodgson

ESPN staff
October 14, 2013
Fate in England's hands


Roy Hodgson has warned his England players of overconfidence ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifier against Poland.

England head into Tuesday's match knowing three points will seal a spot in Brazil next year after thrashing Montenegro 4-1 on Friday.

But Hodgson is making sure he lays down the law ahead of the Wembley showdown.

"The one thing that anyone would want to guard against, and I'll be saying it now until I'm blue in the face, is complacency," he said.

"But I don't imagine there will be any, certainly after the things I said to them after the Montenegro game, I think they've got a pretty clear idea where I stand on that subject."

Goals from Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, man-of-the-match Andros Townsend and a Branko Boskovic own goal against Montenegro ensured England keep their fate in their own hands.

Hodgson added: "The lads were satisfied [with the win]. They knew they'd done the job as they thought they should do it - and that's a great start but they also recognised it was only half the job.

"It was a mood of quiet satisfaction, but I was very keen to point out one of two things to them, so it wasn't anything of a celebratory mood.

"I was probably quite harsh.

"Sometimes it's easier to be harsh when people have done well and harder to be harsh when they haven't done well."

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