Lallana: Winning all that counts

England flew to France on Monday ahead of Euro 2016 with expectations dampened despite having won all three of their warm-up games and boasting a 100 per cent record in qualifying.

Roy Hodgson has lost just seven of his 52 games in charge of the Three Lions, but the 68-year-old arrives at his third major tournament under pressure after a disastrous World Cup in 2014, when England finished bottom of Group D with a solitary point.

Hodgson’s 23-man squad make the journey to their Chantilly training base amid uncertainty over how they will approach their Group B opener with Russia in Marseille, with the former Liverpool boss torn between two formations, his favoured 4-2-3-1 and a midfield diamond, accommodating Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.

All three started for the first time against Portugal at Wembley last Thursday, but after a drab 78 minutes the trio were promptly hooked.

Chris Smalling’s glancing header four minutes from time was enough to spare their blushes, but the exercise seemingly raised more questions than answers. Substitute Raheem Sterling provided an inch-perfect cross for the Manchester United defender and it was his introduction alongside Jack Wilshere and Adam Lallana that flickered England into life underneath the arch.

Speaking after receiving his new PUMA evoSPEED boots for the tournament on Friday morning, Lallana conceded, “they made it hard for us” in his hotel room, which was walking distance from a cloudy Bournemouth sea front. “It’s always exciting wearing two different coloured boots,” he said. “It might not be everybody’s cup of tea but it’s something different and I can’t wait to start wearing them.”

“We’ve had three great results,” said Lallana. “You want to get in the winning habit and have a winning mentality.

“In every game we feel we could have played better, but it’s not always about performance. Against Russia I’ll take a bad performance and a win.”

It will be Lallana’s first appearance at a European Championships after making his international debut in 2013 in a 2-0 defeat to Chile, and he has been highlighted by former Barcelona playmaker Xavi as the key player if England are to go all the way to the final.

The winger began his career with Southampton after being spotted playing for Bournemouth’s centre of excellence but regularly returns to his hometown on the south coast to visit his family. Accompanied by his three-year-old son, Arthur, who was busy kicking a football at the wall and running up and down the corridors dressed in a full England kit, Lallana insisted the squad will be ready come June 11.

“All the team’s focus will be on Russia now,” he told Sky Sports News HQ.

“It’s the first game, you don’t want to lose your first match and it’s important we get off to a good start and build from there. I think it’s important to treat it as much of a normal game as you can.

“There’s always going to be hype but if we concentrate on our football and don’t get too caught up in the emotion and what comes with it then I’m sure we’ll be fine.

“There are three games and I’m sure six or seven points will definitely get you qualified. I think you just …

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