Hoddle upbeat as England leave for France

LONDON, June 8 (AFP)

Coach Glenn Hoddle jets into France with his England squad on Tuesday knowing the hopes of a nation are on his shoulders-and admitting he can hardly wait. As he put his players through their paces at Englands training headquarters near London for the last time before setting foot on French soil, Hoddle could not have been more self-confident. "I know theres big expectations on us," said Hoddle. "That started after we qualified in Rome, and its one I like, and one the players are going to enjoy as well. This week when weve been going to training the people have been outside their houses to see us go by. That shows how much it means to everybody. Were going there with so many positives, on the back of Euro 96 and Rome and what weve done in the last two years. If it goes wrong, it goes wrong, but the approach has been right-as its got to be." Its all been done, planned right the way through to the final. Thats not arrogance, just professionalism. Its got to be done and youve got to make the players think that way. "I know what I want, I know what I want the players to achieve and the most important thing is to make them know that. Ive seen us build as a side, although we can still improve."  After the controversial omission of Paul Gascoigne, Hoddle is taking a squad to France which has no experience of playing in a World Cup. Hoddle admitted that was not ideal, and it does put extra responsibility on the coach. He was in the squads in 1982 and 1986 and he is determined the lessons learned in Spain and Mexico are put into practice. "We didnt go into those tournaments with fear, but perhaps with an attitude that we werent sure how it would go. It was like having a car in neutral, rather than turning up in first gear ready to go through second and third and driving on. If things do go wrong in the first game there will not be any panic buttons hit by us. Just look at the past. Germany in Euro 96 were poor at the start and nobody would ever have said Italy were going to win in 1982 after the group situation. If youve experienced that and taken it on board you can keep an even keel. I probably wont realise the tension beck home, because Im going to be out there in France, every day will be just another one at the office," he added. "Of course its the World Cup, and I wont be able to switch off, but I wont feel the pressure I mightve done if it had been at home. The fact that were away means we might be cocooned a little. If wed been going into it without the likes of David Seaman, Tony Adams and Alan Shearer, if theyd all been injured, Id have said our chances were slim," Hoddle conceded. "A coach is only as good as his players, and if youve got good players and a good coach youve got the right formula. After the way we qualified after last summer, theres no reason not to be positive. Were prepared better than any other England team has been."

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