Euro 2016: England draw Wales as FA back Hodgson to carry on

Two home nations can be upbeat about their groups at Euro 2016 but life will be tough for Northern Ireland

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For Roy Hodgson and England, it all starts with Russia, but after a favourable Euro 2016 draw, there is now every chance it will end in Russia too with the Football Association throwing their weight behind the manager to continue all the way until the World Cup in 2018.

Russia in Marseille, followed by Wales in Lens and Slovakia in St Etienne is the Group B fixture list facing Hodgson and his team in France.

Gareth Bale will be a clear and present danger to England’s aspirations in Lens – the second smallest venue with a capacity of just 35,000 – on June 16, but having been set the challenge of delivering progress and an ‘improvement on our last two tournaments’ by FA chief executive Martin Glenn, France 2016 started well for Hodgson with the draw in Paris.

England have avoided the unseeded Italians and dangerous third seeds Sweden and the Czech Republic, so the route map to a successful tournament has now been laid out for a nation that has become accustomed to heartache and failure since reaching the semi-finals of Euro 96.

"There was a very good chance we'd meet one of the home nations in the draw,” Hodgson said. “Whichever teams we got in that pot would have been tough, so why not have a tough one close to home?

"We know the players because all of them basically play in England, but we have a lot of respect for Wales and the other teams in the group as well

“But obviously the Wales game is the one that will excite the imagination – playing in Lens in northern France, in a tight and compact stadium, we are going to get a very British atmosphere as well.

“So as far as I’m concerned let’s bring it on now.”

For Wales manager Chris Coleman, who insisted prior to the draw that he did not want to face England, the draw has changed the whole complex of the tournament for his team.

“England is the one team I said that we didn't want,” Coleman said. “But it's all become very real and it will be a really tasty game against England, no doubt about it.”

The picture for England and Hodgson stretches out beyond France, however.

With the 68-year-old’s contract due to expire at the end of the tournament, chief executive Glenn had initially been reluctant to look beyond next summer following his arrival at the FA in May.

But despite the prospect of Hodgson being seventy when Russia 2018 arrives, Glenn insisted that the preference within the FA is for the manager to remain at the helm if England emerge with credit next summer.

“Yes, subject to there being a genuine story of progress,” Glenn said. “I expect, Roy expects and the team expects to do better than in the previous two tournaments, so we want to see progress.

“The key thing we have right now is a highly motivated manager.

“We’ve given him the opportunities to prepare a bit differently and it’s not pure propaganda. The most important message is that Roy has the full backing of the FA and the full support to deliver and go on.”

With Hodgson’s assistant coach Gary Neville moving into management earlier this month with Valencia, the former Manchester United defender has emerged as a potential successor once Hodgson vacates the position.

And Glenn admits that Neville’s move to Spain will only help his candidacy should he be keen to manage England after Hodgson.

“Gary has been a great asset to the England set up, Roy really values him, and this (Valencia) is good,” Glenn said. “I think it’s great -- he’ll also keep the same role in the England team, so we don’t lose him and I think we can only benefit.

“Will it enhance his prospects? Well, it doesn’t harm it at all because it’s real experience.

“I think I’ve been consistent. I think we’re going to have a good Euros, I think Roy’s going to continue in that role to the World Cup and I know he’s motivated to do it and I think we’ll be in that position.

“But I think it’s great that someone close to the team is having a critical new experience that will test him.”

With England due to be based in Chantilly, just north of Paris, for the duration of the tournament, travelling to Marseille, Lens and St Etienne will ensure Hodgson and his squad do not endure the cabin-fever of previous tournaments.

There are plans for the training base to be less restrictive, with players potentially even cycling to training, but Glenn admits that, after the recent terror attacks in Paris, security will be an issue at the top of the FA’s agenda.

“We will follow the line,” Glenn said. “We’ve got a very good head of security in Tony Conniford and are very well linked to COBRA and people like that.

“So, as far as we understand, we carry on as we were.”

As Hodgson and the FA hierarchy left the Palais de Congres following the draw on Saturday evening, however, there was a sense of calm satisfaction about the hand dealt to England.

The short-term prospect of tournament progress, potentially leading into the long-term stability of no change in the manager’s dug-out until 2018, ensured it was a draw without the fear and trepidation which marked the build-up to the last World Cup.

All Hodgson and his players must do now is deliver.