After a dismal showing in Brazil where they picked up just one point, the Three Lions have won all six of their games since and top their Euro 2016 qualification group
- woe – great sorrow or distress.
- dismal – depressing; dreary.
England manager Roy Hodgson feels positive about the future of his team as he looks to put memories of a dismal World Cup behind him.
Hodgson’s men took just one point from group matches with Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica at this year’s finals in Brazil to crash out amongst widespread criticism.
- amongst – antara
After the World Cup, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard announced their retirement from the international scene, as England focused on the likes of youngsters Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley.
England have made a fine start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, with four wins out of four in Group E.
Friendly victories over Norway and fierce rivals Scotland mean Hodgson’s men have won all six matches since the World Cup, and the 67-year-old is feeling upbeat about what lies ahead.
- fierce – having or displaying an intense or ferocious aggressiveness.
- upbeat – pukulan yg tidak keras
- lie ahead – berada di depan
“Fortunately we’ve managed to redress the balance somewhat since the World Cup,” Hodgson told the Football Association’s official website.
- redress – remedy or compensation for a wrong or grievance, ganti rugi
- somewhat – to a moderate extent or by a moderate amount; agak, sedikit
“Obviously the team has been even further renewed. We lost one or two senior players at the end of the World Cup for one reason or another.
“That’s forced us to look at what’s available and many of the players available these days are the younger ones and luckily they’ve repaid our faith in them during this autumn period.
“Certainly on paper we’re the best team in the [Euro 2016] group and as a result it will be our duty to make certain we qualify.
“Nothing I’ve seen so far has led me to believe that’s not possible. But we’ve got our feet on the ground. We know we’ve got work to do, we know we can get better, we know we can improve.
“The players are working very hard at the moment to make certain that we become as solid and unified a team as we can possibly be.
“I’m pleased that we’ve had a good run of games now. I’m pleased that the team, in my opinion, is playing some good football and showing signs of a bright future.”