England manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that the Three Lions will not play exactly how he would like them to at Euro 2012.
The former West Brom manager took over the reins in May, giving him just over a month to pick a squad and prepare for the Euros with two international friendlies.
The 64-year-old insisted that his side to face France on June 11 will be well prepared and well thought out, but admitted that it would be impossible to get the perfect fit in just two weeks.
| ENGLAND CAN WIN - MIGNOLET |
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The Belgian goalkeeper believes Roy Hodgson's men can win a major tournament |
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He told reporters: "When I decide the team against France, I want to have covered all the bases - know why I've chosen the players [and] what I'm looking for.
"As a football coach who's worked year after year, I find it very hard to understand how anyone can remotely imagine that, in two weeks and five training sessions, you could get a team playing the way you'd like them to play.
"The players have responded well and have an idea of what we're looking for, I think they'll be OK, but you don't model a team in two weeks. It's not possible."
With Frank Lampard recently joining Gareth Barry on the list of central midfielders ruled out of the competition due to injury and Scott Parker also struggling for fitness, Hodgson will have to re-think his team selection for the tournament.
The England boss hinted that he may therefore pick a more defensive side that will be hard to beat, naming a more solid midfield instead of choosing the attacking flair players on the wing such as Theo Walcott or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
He added: "All the wide players we've got need to try to embrace the principles we want to work on defensively, whether they are regarded more as offensive than defensive.
"I would contest that Jordan Henderson is not less of a winger than any of the other players in the squad. [James] Milner, who has made his name as an attacking player, isn't less of a winger, either."
Henderson was granted his spot in the squad after scans revealed Lampard will not be fit enough to travel to Poland and Ukraine. Hodgson conveyed his disappointment at the injured players but remained confident that the Liverpool midfielder can add something to the team.
"You have to be philosophical," he said. "It is a blow, going into the tournament, but I'm more disappointed for the players.
"I've chosen Henderson because I think he's very capable and can give the competition to the two more senior players, [Scott] Parker and [Steven] Gerrard.
"I'd be very sad if people thought I was using this tournament as experimentation for the future."