--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-06-17T14:37:38.087Z last_updated: 2026-06-17T06:00:00+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/bristol-city/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnJpc3RvbHBvc3QuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvZm9vdGJhbGwtbmV3cy9yb3ktaG9kZ3NvbnMtdmVyZGljdC1haGVhZC1lbmdsYW5kcy0xMTAxNjc3MA --- # England among favourites and should be 'confident' says ex-City boss Hodgson - **Source:** - **Published:** 17 Jun - **Club:** Bristol City - **Original URL:** https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/roy-hodgsons-verdict-ahead-englands-11016770 Thomas Tuchel's team kick off their tournament in Dallas, Texas, this evening against Croatia. England find themselves in Group L alongside Zlatko Dalic's side, Antoine Semenyo's Ghana and Panama, who they beat in the group stage of the 2018 tournament. Hodgson, who took interim charge at Ashton Gate for the final seven games of the Robins' Championship season, led the Three Lions into three separate major tournaments over the course of a four-year stint as England boss, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. On that occasion, England were unable to get out of the group as they were beaten by Italy and Uruguay before drawing with Costa Rica. 12 years later, however, and having since reached two major finals under the guidance of Gareth Southgate, Hodgson is backing Tuchel and his side to be more successful. Asked how he felt the Three Lions would fare this summer, after his final game with the Reds, Hodgson replied, "They've got great players, they've got an experienced coach, and they've got a good record in recent years of reaching finals and semi-finals. "I think they should be very confident. There's no doubt that England will be a very, very tough team to beat. Nobody is going to look at England and think 'It's only England today.' [They'll say] 'Whoops, it's one of the favourites, watch out,' because they've got big players who score goals and good defenders. They're good right the way through and the squad's very strong and long, which you probably will also need in a tournament of this nature. "I'm confident they'll do very well. As I've said so many times, not least of all in a thing I did with [Gareth] Southgate, [Glenn] Hoddle and [Arsene] Wenger a couple of Mondays ago, it's a knockout competition, so never forget that. All the latest news, views, interviews, gossip and analysis concerning the Robins, delivered straight to your inbox. It's completely free and you can sign up HERE "You might be the best team in the competition and [be] very unlucky to go out through a bad refereeing decision, but it's a knockout competition, and unfortunately, games are judged from the result backwards. They're not judged on what's gone on through the 95 minutes." Although Hodgson's only World Cup in charge of his own national side wasn't particularly memorable, the 78-year-old had greater success earlier in his career when he was the manager of Switzerland for the 1994 tournament, also held in the United States. Switzerland finished second in Group A, a group that contained the hosts, Colombia and Ecuador, to set up a Round of 16 clash with Spain at RFK Stadium in Washington. Goals from Fernando Hierro, now-Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique and Aitor 'Txiki' Begiristain were enough for Spain to run out 3-0 winners and bring the Swiss' World Cup campaign to a close. Despite featuring at four World Cups since, Switzerland have never been able to make it any further than Hodgson's side managed in 1994. 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While Hodgson is certain Tuchel's side will be better prepared than he and his players were when they crossed the Atlantic three decades ago, he knows all too well the challenges that will be waiting for them, starting against Croatia. "The heat's going to be a problem, and the travel's going to be a problem," he said "There's no doubt about that. "The euphoria of the competition helps you deal with those things, but there's no doubt that - for us in particular - the travelling was very, very important. The heat was unbearable. Inside the Silverdome, indoors, when it was 36 degrees outside, and God knows how many degrees with a dome over your head. "Then in Palo Alto at midday with the sun coming down upon you; we found that very, very difficult. Players had to, almost all of them, have infusions after the game to recover because they'd lost so much fluid. But the teams are so well-organised for that now. "They'll be travelling in the best possible way, they'll be recovering in the best possible way, they'll have the best sports science. It was good when I did that in 94'; put another 30 years on it and it's even better, so I don't have any fears in that respect."