Forget 2014 World Cup win - Hoddle



Glenn Hoddle says England should forget about
winning the 2014 World Cup but thinks success is
not very far away.
The ex-England boss is on a Football Association
commission looking at ways of improving the nation's
fortunes.
"It is unrealistic for England to think they can go and
win the World Cup in Brazil," Hoddle told BBC Sport.
"Let's first qualify, then get the youngsters experiencing
a tournament in Brazil so that in two years' time we
can have a real go at the Euros."
FA chairman Greg Dyke has also written off England's
chances of winning in Brazil next year and has targeted
success in the 2022 World Cup.
But Hoddle told BBC Sport's Ben Smith: "I know Greg
has said he wants England to win in 2022, but I think
we can bring that forward.
"I would hope to say we could expect to get some
success a little bit earlier than that."
The former England and Tottenham midfielder thinks
youngsters Ross Barkley, 19, and Jack Wilshere, 21, can
help propel England to future success.
But Hoddle says they need to be given the opportunity
to play regular international football first, starting with
next year's World Cup.
England will book their place in Brazil if they win their
final two qualifying games against Montenegro on
Friday and then Poland next Tuesday.
Roy Hodgson's side currently sit top of Group H, after
picking 16 points from eight matches, one point ahead
of Ukraine and Montenegro.
"I do believe we will be there, but it is about the
experience that the likes of the Barkleys, the Wilsheres
can get under their belt so that we can have a real
onslaught at the Euros," said Hoddle, who was England
boss from 1996 to 1999.
The 55-year-old thinks the chances of England or any
European side winning in Brazil next year are slim.
"No European team has ever won a World Cup in
South America," he said.
"Spain have Europe's best chance, but even then they
probably only have a 35% chance. England have got a
lesser chance than that. I don't want to put a
percentage on that."
Hoddle has been joined on the FA commission by
Danny Mills, Howard Wilkinson and Dario Gradi,
The former England and Tottenham midfielder believes
he can make a positive contribution.
"I really have got some exciting ideas that I want to run
across this commission and I hope people will get on
board with it," he said.
"It is something close to my heart, close to my heart
for many years."
Hoddle admits the number of foreigners in the Premier
League is a hindrance and thinks England has a lot of
work to do to catch up with other nations.
Responding to BBC Sport's State of the Game survey,
which has revealed that playing time for English players
in the Premier League has dropped to just 31.8%, he
feared the situation could get "worse and worse" if no
action was taken.
"We have got to produce better players so they become
as good as the Spanish kids, they become as good as
the French and the South Americans," he said.
"We will always create exciting players, like your
Ferdinands, your Owens and your Beckhams, but we
need 15 of these players every two years coming
through.
"That's what the Spanish have done, that's where the
French have done, so we've got a lot of things to
change if we are going to catch up. We've been stuck
for a very long time."
Hoddle also praised Dyke's leadership after meeting the
FA chairman and giving him "a vision of how we could
improve things".
Hoddle, who spoke with Dyke "a couple of months
back", added: "I am particularly impressed that Greg
wants to change things.
"He's very successful in what he's done as a
businessman and has a different outlook to some of his
predecessors."

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