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'They can't have watched us lately': england football shirt boss Roy Hodgson dismisses long-ball taunts by Montenegro coach

'They can't have watched us lately': england football shirt boss Roy Hodgson dismisses long-ball taunts by Montenegro coach

A storm had turned the mid-afternoon sky dark when the plane carrying the Cheap england football shirt squad made its bumpy, jolting approach to Podgorica.

The brooding black mountains that encircle the Montenegro capital like sentries were vanishing in the gloom.

And after the rain and the hailstones had fallen, Roy Hodgson had to shelter from a deluge of taunts.

Tuesday night’s World Cup qualifying tie with the Group H leaders is the biggest game of the England football shirts manager’s reign so far.

It would be wrong to say it is a match that England football shirts cannot afford to lose, but things will get mighty ­uncomfortable if Montenegro beat them in the City Stadium.

That would leave the Three Lions five points adrift in second place and facing a fretful wait until the qualifying campaign resumes in the autumn.

But since he took over from Fabio Capello last May, Hodgson’s relaxed, inclusive management style has made light of the difficult moments they have faced.

And pre-match, he sent out all the right messages as he learned Montenegro coach Branko Brnovic had accused England of running scared while at the same time being arrogant.

Brnovic had mocked the visitors for worrying about the state of the pitch.

They need not be concerned, he said, because they were a long-ball team short on technical ability.

When Hodgson arrived at the Ramada Hotel on the city’s ring road, he used that attack to outline the principles he has tried to ­establish with England.

“If they think we are a long-ball team, they have not watched us play lately,” Hodgson said.

“If they are saying [we play] kick the ball up the pitch and chase after it, that isn’t what we do.

"Perhaps they are talking about players like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick, who can hit magnificent 40-yard balls that change the play.

“This will be my 15th match in charge of england football shirt and I take full responsibility for the way we play. I always have done.

"'ave it!" Lampard prepares to hoof it high, hard and hopeful (apparently)Mike Hewitt 

“I don’t have a dream scenario for the way we should perform, but I like to see teams that pass the ball well. I like to see teams that have good movement, recover position well and work hard when they lose the ball.

“I don’t think that makes me stand out particularly. I think 99 per cent of coaches would say that. We are moulding better as a team now. The more we play, the better we are working together.

“I don’t think there is a coach in the world who would say the team is exactly where he wants it to be.

“Even Spain and Vicente del Bosque will always be hoping to move things on a bit.

“I’m slightly wary of possession stats. I’m not that interested in passes from our right-back to our left-back that go nowhere.

“I hope our passes are going to cause problems for the opposition and we have the players who can do that.

“I’m lucky to be working with some very gifted players and that is the main reason I’m confident about the result here.”

Many, including Brnovic, see the battle between Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic and Steven Jovetic and England centre-halves Chris Smalling and Joleon Lescott as key to the match.

Hodgson was bullish about that, too.

“In Joleon Lescott, we have a man who helped Manchester city shirts to their first Premier League title in 40-odd years. And in Chris Smalling we have someone playing for the champions elect,” he said.

“I trust the pair of them. They will do very well. Equally Taylor or Caulker could come in and do well. We’re very well equipped.”

Pride of Lions: Chris Smalling can't have heard Hodgson's praise yetMike Hewitt 

Gerrard sat next to Hodgson at the hotel as he spoke and, as usual, he was keen to praise the manager for the positivity he has created in the squad.

They were simple things Gerrard mentioned – the way Hodgson treats the players like adults, the way he trusts them, the way there are no cliques.

Hodgson backed that up by talking about the players’ performance levels and saying they were bound to fluctuate.

“We’re not talking robots here,” he said. “We’re talking human beings.”

He said a draw might end up being a good result but that cheap england football shirts had come to Podgorica to win.

And he said that even if they did lose, even if defeat changed the mood of modest optimism that surrounds the team, the squad would withstand it.

“I can’t talk about the mood outside the group,” Hodgson added, “the mood of the nation or of the media. But I would be surprised if there was a change of mood within the squad if we were to lose.

“I don’t even want to contemplate defeat but if we had to qualify for Cheap brazil football shirt the hard way, I’m pretty sure we could dig in and do that.”

Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic says time is not really ideal for Jose Mourinho's Bridge return

Mourinho has become continually linked by using a move back to Stamford Bridge, and Roman Abramovich reportedly gave the Portuguese coach a £350,000 watch as a sweetener to tempt him.

Although Mourinho enjoyed three trophy-laden seasons at Chelsea, guiding them to two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and two League Cup successes, his time at the club ended on a sour note.

Ivanovic, who joined after the Mourinho era, wants the glory days to return to chelsea shirts and would welcome the chance to work with the Real madrid shirts boss.

He said: "I think, for a top club, for a big club like Cheap chelsea shirts, we need the best from the players and from the manager and maybe one day it will be a pleasure to work with him.

Jose Mourinho continues to be continually courted by Chelsea

He was a success and for him personally he's said that Chelsea is his home and that he loved the club

Branislav Ivanovic

"We'll see. You never know and it's not time for us to speak.

"He was a success and for him personally he's said that chelsea shirt is his home and that he loved the club.

"This is something positive and with that atmosphere you can have good, positive things for the club."

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Wayne Rooney will not fall foul to Montenegro wind-up merchants, insists Joleon Lescott

Wayne Rooney is as well mature for being drawn into one more spat with Montenegro wind-up merchants, in accordance with his Cheap england football shirt team-mate Joleon Lescott.

The Manchester United striker, who was banned for your very first two matches of Euro 2012 soon after petulantly kicking out at Montenegro midfielder Miodrag Dzudovic 17 months in the past, will return for the scene of your crime for Tuesday night’s crunch World Cup qualifier.

But Lescott insists the 27-year-old has learned from his previous mistakes and will not be sucked in by any mind games in Podgorica.

‘Wayne is older now. He is much more experienced and mature,’ the England football shirts defender said.

‘We all are. I don’t think there will be a problem.

‘We want to become disciplined and professional. With the calibre of players in this squad, I don’t think it will be a problem.’

Confident: England’s Joleon Lescott (Image: AFP/Getty Pictures)

Lescott is likely to keep his place in Roy Hodgson’s side right after being drafted in for your 8-0 win over San Marino.

Injuries to Michael Dawson, Phil Jagielka, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Cahill meant Lescott was handed a surprise start, and the Manchester city shirt man was even handed the captaincy just after Frank Lampard was withdrawn in the second-half.

‘I was disappointed last week when I didn’t get in the squad, but I was delighted to become involved and I ended up as captain,’ Lescott added.

‘It was definitely my proudest moment in international best football shirt.

‘I did it for your to start with time against Norway but to do it in a competitive game was even much more special.’