Carra's Euro 2012 preview

WRITES: JAMIE CARRAGHER

You can talk all you want about the need for inspiring England leaders, courageous tacticians and expert man-managers, but there is always one essential quality every international coach needs. Luck.

I don't care how good a manager is, whether it's Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola, there will be moments in their career when they are hostages to fortune.

For Roy Hodgson to be a successful England manager he also needs to be a lucky one. He may currently feel destiny is not favouring him. He has taken over England during a period of transition, parachuted in at a time he wouldn't have expected and already having to cope with difficult circumstances.

The loss of four players through injury, Wayne Rooney's suspension and the furore over Rio Ferdinand's omission - all circumstances he has inherited - are hardly indicative of Hodgson taking charge during a high point in England's football history. England's best players are approaching the end of their international careers, and the youngsters have barely any experience.

His first two games, low-key warm-up victories against Norway and Belgium, offered an insight into how Hodgson's England will approach the tournament.

Those games were typified by performances demonstrating solidity rather than flamboyance, where the orthodox was preferred ahead of the maverick.

If England maintain the habit of winning 1-0, the manager will be hailed for his expert organisation and meticulous planning. If they play in the same manner and lose or even play dull draws, the criticism will flow and murmurs about a defensive style will grow.

I don't foresee any significant tactical changes when the competition starts. Fundamental to how Hodgson's teams set up are the wide men, or more specifically the 'wide-working men'.

No-one is expected to work harder in a Hodgson team.

Theo Walcott is going to struggle to get a place in Hodgson's starting line-up. Not because he isn't a good player, but because Roy is adamant his wide midfielders must tuck in and perform as hard defensively as in attack.

Roy will always refer to what he calls 'the pockets'. It's that area between the lines of the touchline and centre of the pitch. That's where he wants his wide midfielders. He doesn't want them getting chalk on their boots. That's why James Milner will be a Hodgson favourite, the type with the energy levels to get up and down the pitch, but disciplined enough to fulfil his defensive duties. When England does not have the ball, it will seem like they have four central midfielders protecting the defence. They will be the definition of the phrase 'compact'.

This has always been Hodgson's way, partially because I don't believe he's ever had a world-class winger at his disposal. I've often thought to myself, particularly during our time together at Liverpool, whether this philosophy would have been significantly compromised if an Arjen Robben or a Cristiano Ronaldo was available. Some players are so brilliant they have to be indulged, no matter how individualistic they can be. You can't ask Robben or Ronaldo to tuck inside and defend like central midfielders without the ball. There are occasions when you have to recognise your winger can do so much damage to the opponent, you have to release the shackles and give them license to do so.

I'm sure Roy would justifiably point out there's no-one of similar class available to play on the wing for England so there's no decision to me made, but I'd be curious to see what he'd do if he was ever faced with the dilemma. My theory is when you've been coaching over 30 years, sticking by philosophies which have served you well, you're hardly going to start ripping it up and starting again at the age of 64.

If you're expecting width in a Roy Hodgson side you'll have to keep your eye on the full-backs. Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson will be asked to overlap and should be perfect for his system given their fitness levels and attacking ability.

Against the strongest nations such as Spain, Holland or Germany, we've got to be honest and admit England will be the underdogs. We know how it will be; two banks of four, men behind the ball and hit on the counter attack.

The challenge for Hodgson when assessing the current England squad is how to ensure this group of players can dictate games rather than be dictated to.

All managers are only as good as the players at their disposal.

Against Sweden, the onus will be on England to be more adventurous. I see France as more of a '50-50' game, but as the friendly performances show, it will be very cagey. The real tactical examination won't come when England score first and have a 1-0 lead to protect. When England are required to chase the game we'll see how effective the problem-solving from the bench is.

Expressions of surprise at Hodgson's tactics won't make sense since everyone who has followed his career, particularly his recent success at Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, knows how he operates.

Obviously he tried during his brief time at Liverpool to introduce the same methods but it didn't work. Naturally, I'm always asked why it went wrong so quickly for Roy at Anfield and it was due to a combination of circumstances.

First and foremost, I must be honest and say he was let down by the attitude of some star players who've since left the club. But it is also fair to say not everyone in the squad bought into his philosophy.

He wasn't perceived as the right type of manager for Liverpool. When Brendan Rodgers was appointed last week he talked about his feeling of Anfield being his 'destination' - revealing it was his ultimate ambition to manage us.

With Roy, it was perceived England was his real 'dream' job and even a move to Liverpool was another step in this journey. Even had he succeeded at Anfield, you felt he would have wanted to eventually accept an England offer later on. Our supporters would never tolerate feeling second best, especially not to England.

Being a successful manager is often about being in the right place at the right time. Roy certainly wasn't that at Liverpool. For his sake, I hope his timing is better for his country.

Source: The Telegraph