Euro 2012: Roy Hodgson is pleased by fledgling team’s progress

Published on 20/06/2012 02:29

ENGLAND manager Roy Hodgson, who had just two matches in charge before the start of the tournament, stressed his team were still a work in progress despite topping their group.

He was, though, pleased that Wayne Rooney made a goalscoring return from a two-match suspension.

“This is a fledgling team as far as I’m concerned,” said Hodgson. “But we’re working at our game and showing composure on the ball and in attacking areas is always the most difficult part.

“That’s where you need your Wayne Rooneys. This game will be good for him.

“He played well, worked hard and could have had several other goals. On the counter we were dangerous enough but we could have been more dangerous.”

Rooney was visibly buoyed by his return to the side.

“Obviously I was delighted with the win and to score,” said the Manchester United man.

“I haven’t scored at a major tournament for a while [since 2004] so it was nice to get a goal which won us the game.

“We stuck in well at times against a difficult crowd and overall we deserved the win.”

Asked how he felt about Italy in the next round, Rooney was more eager to stress his own side’s qualities. “I said before it doesn’t matter [who the quarter-final opponents are]. The main thing was to get through the group and to finish top,” he added. “We know our qualities and what we’re capable of. We’ve worked hard, done a lot of tactical play in training. We’re difficult to beat and I don’t think any team will fancy playing us.”

England captain Steven Gerrard believes the side are slowly hitting form at the right time.

England now face Italy in the quarter-final on Sunday and Gerrard said: “It was a difficult group and the idea was to try and win it. No-one believed in us at the start but we’re gaining momentum at the right time.

“I don’t think tonight’s performance was fantastic, but we stuck together, got the job done and won 1-0 against a good team.

“We’ve been criticised in the past maybe for not turning up, under-performing and we can take that, we’re man enough. But you saw a reaction.

“When you get criticised it’s not nice and you have to react by playing better and I think that’s what we did.”