[Devongone]

Mr Hodgson did make some mistakes for our last game, but if an early chance had flown in we'd have won easy and there'd have been pressure to keep much the same team against somebody better. Everyone wanted and expected Sturridge and Vardy, Mr Hodgson picked them, and they gave Slovakia a clean sheet. Mr Hodgson himself would love to find a place for Wilshere, but I think he's now convinced himself only injuries will now get Jack off the bench. Unfortunately his biggest success was Clyne and our first-choice full backs are currently both doing well.

So far our defence looks capable. Our midfield is genuinely good. We need to settle on the right front man/men for the right game and for our defenders to succeed we need the real Joe Hart back.

Germany's only option at centre forward is a 104 years old Turkish exile and they persist in playing a fat little boy who did well at the World Cup. Spain's centre forward wouldn't get in the England team would he? Italy is an excellent organisation in search of talent. Portugal is a nation overawed by the talent of one its own players and he all too often substitutes posing for self-belief. Croatia can never quite decide upon the right balance between sublime skill and thuggery once the chips are down. And France can put out a team which on paper lacks any obvious weakness but on grass sometimes clones them. Maybe if Deschamps just said, "Give it to Payet," they'd sail through.

ALL the teams here are beatable, and most left to their own devices will beat themselves. Like all of the above England could actually win it, but like the rest of them we very much have the capacity to lose to a Portugal, Hungary, Iceland or Austria.