Who should Roy Hodgson turn to for England's Brazil 2014 qualifying campaign?

Roy Hodgson should concentrate on youth over the next two years

Roy Hodgson's attentions will now turn to the 2014 World Cup qualifiers following England's Euro 2012 elimination and it would not be a surprise to see some younger players given a chance.

Jack Wilshere will be a key player for Hodgson if he returns from long-term injury as good as he was before, and he could be England's answer to the likes of Andrea Pirlo in midfield.

Kyle Walker was unlucky to miss out on Euro 2012 through injury and will battle Glen Johnson hard for the right-back slot.

Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill were also ruled out of the tournament, while Phil Jones failed to feature despite being named in the squad, and those three will fight it out with John Terry and Joleon Lescott for the central defence places.

Terry's international future may depend on the outcome of his upcoming trial, but by 2014 he will be 33 so Hodgson may decide to invest in the future and make the brave decision to drop him for the qualifiers.

Ashley Cole looks certain to continue as left-back until 2014 while Joe Hart is an easy pick in goal, but Ashley Young and James Milner could find themselves under threat after poor tournaments.

Milner is likely to stay in Hodgson's plans due to his work-rate and versatility, but the future form of the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could put Young's place in doubt.

With Wilshere seemingly an automatic pick in the centre of midfield, Scott Parker may struggle to make future squads as he will be 33 in 2014.

Steven Gerrard will be 34 then and England are unlikely to go with two ageing midfielders for the World Cup, so Parker could find future opportunities limited.

Gerrard has once again proved his worth in this tournament and will be eager to have one last crack at the World Cup, so his place looks secure.

Gerrard was devastated by yesterday's defeat but has vowed to fight on as England skipper

Wayne Rooney struggled in his two appearances in Ukraine but he remains England's best player and is sure to retain his slot in the side.

Hodgson has plenty of striking options to partner him, but Danny Welbeck appears in pole position after impressing at the Euros.

Jermain Defoe is unlikely to make the squad for 2014 due to the emergence of the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Andy Carroll, while Darren Bent should be available for Hodgson's next squad after sitting out Euro 2012 with injury.

Adam Johnson is likely to have more of an international future than Stewart Downing, while Jordan Henderson and Micah Richards will also be in contention.

Young players who should be given a chance in the next two years include Tom Cleverley, Jack Rodwell and Kieran Gibbs, while Raheem Sterling, Jack Robinson, Ross Barkley, Nick Powell, Adam Lallana, Martin Kelly, Connor Wickham, Josh McEachran and Ryan Bertrand have the talent to make the breakthrough by 2014.

The international careers of Frank Lampard, Peter Crouch and Rio Ferdinand appear over as Hodgson needs to look to the future and concentrate on youth.

He will take the positives from Euro 2012 but if England are to progress any further than the quarter-finals in future tournaments, youngsters need to be blooded into the squad now.

That process has already been started with the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck and Jack Butland, but Hodgson should be eager to include more youngsters over the next couple of years.

Here is the squad I would like to see in 2014 (providing England qualify, of course):

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Jack Butland, Fraser Forster.

Defenders: Ashley Cole, Kyle Walker, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Gary Cahill, Kieran Gibbs, Micah Richards, Steven Caulker.

Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (c), Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott, Tom Cleverley, Nick Powell.

Strikers: Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll, Daniel Sturridge.

What does the future hold for England after Euro 2012 heartbreak?

Ashley Young and Ashley Cole missed crucial penalties as England crashed out of Euro 2012

Turin. London. St Etienne. Lisbon. Gelsenkirchen. Kiev.

The above list of cities sound like idyllic holiday destinations, but for England fans, they represent only one thing. Penalty agony.

In truth, Kiev should not have joined that list last night. Italy should have finished England off well before the referee called time on 120 goalless minutes.

Roy Hodgson's side offered very little going forward except for a decent spell in the first half and allowed Andrea Pirlo the space to dictate the game from midfield. They were poor and extremely fortunate to take the game to spot-kicks.

Last night's game proved England are nowhere near good enough to have a serious chance of winning a major tournament and that Hodgson has a lot of work to do in the next two years before the World Cup in Brazil.

However, he is sure to take the positives from England's experiences in Ukraine.

Going into the tournament, expectations were at an all-time low and Hodgson was only appointed manager in May, so to reach the quarter-finals was something of an achievement.

Many predicted England would crash out at the group stage but they showed a tremendous spirit to top Group D ahead of the much-fancied France, co-hosts Ukraine and England's traditional bogey team, Sweden.

Even in the group stage though, the signs were there that this England side was not good enough.

France monopolised possession in the opening match in Donetsk and perhaps deserved to win the game despite falling behind to a Joleon Lescott opener.

In the second game, England collapsed at the start of the second half against Sweden and a 1-0 lead became a 2-1 deficit, but Theo Walcott inspired them from the bench with a goal and an assist for Danny Welbeck's late winner.

Welbeck's winner against Sweden was one of the highlights of the tournament for England

Walcott's substitute performance against the Swedes was one of the high points of the tournament for England but he struggled to make an impact when called upon in other games.

England sneaked a win against Ukraine thanks to Wayne Rooney's header, but they weren't convincing and Rooney himself looked off the pace in his two appearances after returning from suspension.

Against Italy, England were fantastic defensively but couldn't get any sort of grip on possession and were comfortably second best.

Hodgson will return home devastated by the penalty heartache but buoyed by other aspects of England's play.

He will have to work on the possession side of the game, but defensively, England looked solid throughout the tournament barring the shaky 10 minutes against Sweden.

John Terry justified his selection with some fantastic displays while Lescott looked at home beside him.

Glen Johnson may not have been first-choice right-back had Kyle Walker been fit, but he had a good tournament both defensively and going forward.

Steven Gerrard inspired England from the centre of the park and will be in contention for the team of the tournament, while Danny Welbeck impressed in his first major international tournament.

Some players failed to impress, like Rooney, Ashley Young and James Milner, and Hodgson's thoughts will now turn towards the World Cup qualifiers which start in September.

The bulk of this side will remain in contention but it would not be a surprise to see some younger players given a chance.

Russia: Euro 2012 dark horses?

Roman Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to seal the win for Russia

In 2008, Russia lit up the European Championships with their attractive, attacking football.

They were the surprise package in Austria and Switzerland, and yesterday's terrific 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic suggests they may again be dark horses in 2012.

Apart from a 15 minute spell at the start of the second half, the Russians were dominant and their performance evoked memories of their run to the semi-finals in 2008.

It was a hugely impressive way to open the tournament and their form looks ominous for the other two teams in Group A, Poland and Greece.

The game between the co-hosts and the 2004 champions was enthralling and full of controversy, but as far as performances go, the Russians put them in the shade.

Andrey Arshavin was the inspiration behind the display of Dick Advocaat's side as he pulled the strings and looked back to his best.

Arshavin showed a desire - something severely lacking in his game over the last couple of seasons with Arsenal - and set up a number of fantastic chances for his team.

When he is on form, his performances look almost effortless and he certainly looks more comfortable in this Russia side than he ever did at Arsenal.

Gunners fans must have watched the game last night scratching their heads but perhaps it is his loan spell with Zenit St Petersburg which has given him the confidence to produce displays like this.

Alan Dzagoev scored two of Russia's four goals and looks a real prospect.

He has been widely touted as a star of the future over the last few years and looked dangerous throughout against the Czechs.

Dzagoev scored a brace to help get Russia off to the perfect start in Euro 2012

Dzagoev also showed an unerring finishing ability and looks set to be one of the players of the tournament if he continues in this vein of form.

Former Chelsea player Yuri Zhirkov also had an impressive game with consistent forays forward from left-back, but this was a real team display from a vibrant Russia.

The only real negative for them on the night was the form in front of goal of Aleksandr Kerzhakov.

He failed to record a shot on target from seven attempts despite a good all-round display.

Kerzhakov's movement was thrilling and that created a number of fantastic opportunities for himself, but it goes without saying he needs to sharpen up in front of goal if Russia are to be one of the tournament's dark horses.

Roman Pavlyuchenko came on for Kerzhakov and showed him how it is done with a thumping goal and an assist for Dzagoev, and his cameo may have earned him a starting spot for Russia's next game, against co-hosts Poland.

However, Kerzhakov did a lot of good in the game and shouldn't be judged solely on his poor time in front of goal, as his performance allowed the likes of Arshavin and Dzagoev to prosper and on another day, he could have had a hat-trick himself.

If Kerzhakov's finishing had been better, it is quite possible Russia could have scored seven or eight, but Advocaat won't be complaining.

Advocaat couldn't have wished for a better start to the tournament from his Russia side

The 4-1 win allows Russia to ease their way into the tournament and they should now have very little trouble qualifying from Group A, probably as group winners.

That would give them a likely quarter-final against Germany, Holland or Portugal, but with Russia in this form, they are capable of beating most teams.

They are certainly potential semi-finalists at least and they beat Holland to reach that stage in 2008, so should feel confident of a similar outcome this year.

It will be interesting to see how they cope against better attacking sides though, as the Czechs didn't offer much going forward and struggled to get Tomas Rosicky into the game.

Russia won't be able to afford to switch off for a period of the game like they did yesterday and will certainly need their striker to take the kind of opportunities Kerzhakov passed up, but this is a superb start for them and gives them a great platform to progress in the tournament.

As was earlier mentioned, Russia shouldn't have any problems making it out of the group so they can build up confidence in their three group games before taking on one of the big guns.

The likes of Germany, Holland and Portugal don't have that luxury and will have to play three high intensity games before their quarter-final, whereas Russia should head into that game full of confidence and still with plenty of energy in the tank.

It would be great to see Russia become a contender to win the Championships and on this performance it isn't impossible.

With Arshavin and Dzagoev in this form, Russia will be feared and look set to be one of the dark horses.

Technically, they are excellent. It is going to take a fine team to beat them.

Why England can have a successful Euro 2012

Roy Hodgson has endured a tough start to life as England manager

The controversy surrounding the non-selection of Rio Ferdinand in Roy Hodgson's squad for Euro 2012 has added yet another chapter to England's hellish preparations for the tournament.

Hodgson is only a month into the job yet his honeymoon period - if he had one in the first place - is now well and truly over.

However, there are reasons to be positive going into the Euros for England.

There is a distinct lack of expectation on the squad to go far in Poland and Ukraine, and while this is far from positive, it could spur the players on to prove their doubters wrong.

England are in a tricky group, of that there is no doubt, but should have enough to reach the knockout stages.

Their toughest game will be against the resurgent France, who should top the group, but on paper Sweden and Ukraine are eminently beatable.

England may have never beaten Sweden in a competitive international, but their starting line-up hardly inspires.

Ukraine may be the co-hosts, but have no star quality.

If England do make it out of the group, they are likely to face Spain or Italy in the quarters.

Spain would surely be a step too far for this developing team, but Italy are in disarray and engulfed in a match-fixing crisis, so a semi-final appearance is certainly not impossible for England.

In truth, reaching the quarter-finals would be a success for the Three Lions, especially considering their farcical preparation for the tournament.

To not have a manager or captain in place going into May was madness, and several decisions since then have been perplexing to say the least.

I still feel Hodgson is the right man for the job and certainly the outstanding English candidate, but he has made some strange choices in his squad for Euro 2012.

It's a mystery why Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson have made the plane after their utterly mediocre seasons for Liverpool.

The presence of that duo hardly inspires, particularly when players who have had successful seasons, like Michael Carrick and Daniel Sturridge, are sitting at home (or, alternatively, on a sun lounger in the Caribbean).

Hodgson has also tried to justify the non-selection of Rio Ferdinand in the squad by stating he was overlooked for "footballing reasons".

Ferdinand had a strong end to the season with Manchester United

Every England fan knows why Ferdinand was left out, yet Hodgson and the FA are still trying to convince them that Martin Kelly was chosen ahead of Ferdinand on merit.

Kelly is a good player, but not ready for an international tournament.

He certainly isn't good enough at this stage to be considered a suitable centre-half back-up. It would have been better for Hodgson to call up Stoke's Ryan Shawcross or West Ham's James Tomkins.

Hodgson clearly decided to choose between Ferdinand and John Terry for a place in the squad, to avoid any animosity between the pair flaring up at the tournament and creating an unnecessary sideshow.

However, he has made the wrong choice in selecting Terry.

He is the accused in a race trial, not Ferdinand.

Ferdinand is merely the brother of the alleged victim, so surely if anyone was to miss out on the tournament it should have been Terry.

His inclusion in the squad is sure to be divisive, while he is certainly no longer the fantastic defender he once was.

If Terry had anything about him, he would have stood aside until the conclusion of his trial, which would have spared Hodgson the extremely difficult decision he has had to make.

He has been unlucky with injuries and if Gary Cahill had been fit, the spotlight would have been taken off him slightly on the Ferdinand-Terry issue.

However, the decision to replace Cahill with Kelly just seems ridiculous and leaves England hopelessly shy of experience at the back.

Joleon Lescott will probably slot in alongside Terry at centre-back, with Phil Jagielka and Phil Jones as the main back-ups, but Ferdinand would have added something extra and it seems ridiculous to leave him out.

Micah Richards reportedly refused to be on the stand-by list but probably should have been in the squad anyway based on his form this season for Manchester City.

However, despite all this negativity, this England team has potential.

Joe Hart is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and will be looking to prove that in what is his first major international tournament.

Hart picked up a Premier League winners' medal this season with Manchester City

He will want to test himself against the likes of Manuel Neuer and Iker Casillas, and certainly doesn't lack the confidence required to come up trumps for England on the big stage.

As well as Hart, there is the consistency of Ashley Cole, brilliance of Steven Gerrard, frightening pace of Theo Walcott, industry of James Milner and Scott Parker, the exuberance of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck, versatility of Phil Jones, the different option of Andy Carroll, great form of Ashley Young and, of course, Wayne Rooney.

Rooney may be suspended for the first two games but he will be fresh from then on and is still England's top performer.

He will feel it is time for him to produce his best form in a major international tournament after disappointments in 2006 and 2010, but he did well in his only Euros campaign to date (2004) and is sure to be feared by most defences in the tournament.

England must perform well without him and pick up at least one win against France or Sweden, otherwise Rooney's presence against Ukraine will be irrelevant.

However, with Welbeck leading the line, ably supported by Young, in Rooney's absence, England should still be in with at least a fighting chance.

If England do reach the quarter-finals, their history suggests they will go no further.

They have never won a Euros knockout game without the help of a penalty shoot-out (they won one of those against Spain in 1996), so Hodgson and co have the chance to create a small piece of history this summer.

However, merely getting out of the group should be considered a success given the farcical preparation for the tournament, and a decent showing in Poland and Ukraine would improve the nation's morale going into the qualifying for World Cup 2014.

The World Cup is surely Hodgson's primary objective as England's chances of winning Euro 2012 are minimal to say the least, but that doesn't mean the tournament is worthless to them.

Reaching the knockout stages would be a decent start for Hodgson, who has already instilled tactical discipline and made England difficult to break down.

The narrow friendly wins over Norway and Belgium may not have been enthralling, but if England are going to have any sort of success this summer, that is how they will have to play.

They are simply not good enough to tear teams apart at will - that is something Hodgson could aim to achieve by World Cup 2014 - and the calamitous preparation has weakened their chances, so the manager has to make the most of what he has got at his disposal.

Winning the Euros is an almost impossible task - although let's not forget Greece won the competition in 2004 - but England can have a successful tournament without winning it.

Just getting out of the group would be creditable.

Why Brendan Rodgers must be given time at Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers has been given a huge opportunity at Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers' appointment as Liverpool manager is extremely encouraging.

It's hard to recall the last time one of England's top clubs gave a young British boss the chance to lead them forward, and make no doubt about it, Liverpool remain one of the top clubs in the country.

They may have had three seasons of relative mediocrity by their standards, but only Manchester United can rival their history on these shores.

Liverpool's American owners, led by John W Henry, have taken a gamble on Rodgers but it's good to see them taking a chance on a talented young British manager.

The last two appointments at Anfield were not successful, and Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish both brought with them a wealth of experience.

Chelsea went down the young, foreign route with Andre Villas-Boas, and that didn't work.

No top club has seemed willing to go down the young and British route, but the appointment of Rodgers at Liverpool could open the floodgates for other British managers should he succeed on Merseyside.

Rodgers has a huge job on his hands though, but may benefit from some lowered expectations at Anfield.

Last season was Liverpool's third successive finish outside the Premier League's top four, so nobody is expecting Rodgers to come in and deliver the title immediately.

In fact, realistically it may take Rodgers the entirety of his three-year contract to break into the Champions League places, with other clubs looking formidable at present.

It is difficult to see either Manchester club dropping away any time soon, Chelsea have been buoyed by their Champions League triumph, Arsenal are always there or thereabouts and look set to strengthen significantly this summer, Tottenham have established themselves as a major force in England and Newcastle have fought their way into the group with a successful transfer policy.

Rodgers' quest is to overcome each of those challenges, one by one.

He will feel confident of finishing ahead of Newcastle next season by tweaking his squad, particularly if the Magpies sell some of their prized assets, but faces a huge task in overturning the others.

Sixth place would be progress for the Reds next season, followed by fifth place the season after.

Then Rodgers could realistically shoot for the top four, when he has had the time to stamp his authority and philosophy on the club.

Of course, Liverpool could surprise and quickly finish in the top four, but as far as expectations go, Rodgers should not be under serious pressure to reach the Champions League until the third year of his contract.

Many would say Dalglish was sacked for not finishing in the Champions League places this season, so Rodgers should expect the same this time next year should he not deliver it, but the Northern Irishman has youth on his side and represents the future of the club.

Dalglish's Carling Cup success was not enough for Liverpool's owners

Dalglish seemed stuck in his ways and too stubborn, while he failed to handle a number of occasions in the way a Liverpool manager should have.

He delivered the Carling Cup and should be praised for his work in doing that and delivering stability to the club in the first six months of his reign, but it was hard to see him turning this situation around.

Liverpool's board trusted him with a huge transfer budget and Dalglish - along with Damien Comolli - blew it on expensive flops like Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam.

That's another reason why Rodgers will struggle to deliver the success Liverpool crave immediately.

The aforementioned quartet may have a future at Anfield, but it is clear the club cannot continue to spend the types of sums they did on them.

The board clearly thought spending fortunes on players would provide them with a quick fix and a swift return to the elite, but with the Financial Fair Play rules set to be enforced imminently, Liverpool's transfer policy will have to change.

Rodgers will have money to spend but it is unlikely to be anywhere near the bounty Dalglish was afforded.

He may bring players with him from Swansea, like Joe Allen and Gylfi Sigurdsson (although there are claims Rodgers has made an agreement not to sign any Swansea players for a year), and while those names are unlikely to set Liverpool fans' pulses racing, they are the type of signings Rodgers will have to make.

In truth, he doesn't need to spend fortunes on Liverpool's squad.

Pepe Reina is a fantastic goalkeeper, Martin Skrtel had a terrific season last time out, Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique are fine full-backs, Steven Gerrard is as dependable as ever when fit and Luis Suarez is a magician when he lets his football to the talking.

Carroll and Henderson both have potential just waiting to be unlocked, while Downing was excellent for Aston Villa and Middlesbrough before joining Liverpool.

There are also youngsters like Raheem Sterling, Martin Kelly, Jack Robinson and Sebastian Coates, so the picture is not all that dark at Anfield.

Rodgers' job is to turn the potential of the squad into success, while his attractive style of football should endear him to supporters.

His teams pass their way out of defence and play fluent, possession football and Suarez, for one, should thrive.

Carroll may struggle, as his strengths are best emphasised by quick balls into the box, and that is something Rodgers doesn't generally promote.

Carroll is currently with the England squad preparing for the European Championships

Liverpool didn't deliver enough balls into the box for Carroll last season, and he is likely to get even less of that service under Rodgers.

Carroll certainly has potential - as he proved in the latter stages of last season - but it is hard to see where he fits into Rodgers' system.

Going back to the appointment of the Northern Irishman, Liverpool's board have certainly taken a risk.

Most fans seemed to disagree with the decision to sack Dalglish, while others called for the return of Rafael Benitez.

They are sure to give Rodgers a chance, but it goes without saying he will need a fast start to next season to ensure he doesn't suffer the same fate as Hodgson.

In terms of his managerial career, these are still early days for Rodgers.

He took on his first senior management position at Watford in just late 2008, and left them - on poor terms - to join Reading after just over half a season in charge at Vicarage Road.

Rodgers had saved Watford from relegation to League One, but struggled at Reading and they looked set for relegation before he was sacked in December 2009.

His failure at Reading - with his sacking just two-and-a-half years ago - shows he still has much to prove and that his career has not all been a glittering success.

He did a tremendous job with Swansea, of course, leading them to promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge before comfortable top-flight survival in his second, all while playing attractive football.

However, he has had just one season managing in the Premier League and that appears a very short amount of experience for someone who has just been given one of the top jobs in the country.

Rodgers clearly has something about him for Liverpool to place this much faith in him.

You don't have to look far to see well-respected football people falling over themselves to praise Rodgers.

Jose Mourinho worked with him at Chelsea when Rodgers was reserve team coach, and has already given his seal of approval to Liverpool's appointment.

In addition, seemingly every player who has played for the Northern Irishman are gushing in their praise for him, so it is clear Rodgers is highly valued by all who have worked with him.

He will need to be given time at Anfield to implement his ideas. He looks like a man for the long-term and Liverpool need to stick with him.

The aim should be for steady improvement before eventually fighting their way into the Champions League.

A title battle is still a long way off, but Rodgers could be the man to deliver it. Just don't expect it to be within his initial three-year contract.

His authority at Anfield has already been slightly undermined by the ridiculous conduct of Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, who has spent the last few weeks giving daily updates on Liverpool's managerial situation.

Whelan has become something of a joke figure in recent weeks

He claimed on more than one occasion that his manager, Roberto Martinez, had been offered the job at Anfield - he hadn't - and is still bleating on about how the Spaniard was Liverpool's first choice (which the club deny).

Whelan has been disrespectful and unprofessional, with his interviews becoming more embarrassing by the day.

He has enjoyed the circus he created. He has been on a desperate quest for publicity and is sure to have made Liverpool's board unhappy with his public statements on their desire to appoint Martinez.

Rodgers was the man Liverpool wanted and they've landed him.

It will take him time to bring the success the Anfield public crave, but he has said the idea of taking on the long-term project of making Liverpool champions again was a major factor in his decision to take the job.

He leaves Swansea in a difficult situation, without their talismanic leader and faced with the almost impossible chance of replacing him, but Rodgers had little choice but to take the Liverpool job.

A chance like this may never come around for him again and he can't be blamed for making the decision to join the Reds.

Liverpool will need to be patient and have stated they don't expect Rodgers to perform miracles.

He made a very good first impression today at his unveiling, but ultimately he will need to make an impression on the pitch to keep the supporters onside.

If Rodgers can get Liverpool's players playing in the style of his Swansea team and, ultimately, heading in the right direction, it won't take him long to earn the fans' respect.

Patience will be key though. Rodgers may have worked miracles in South Wales, but he can't be expected to solve all Liverpool's problems overnight.

This is a long-term job and Rodgers needs time - and plenty of it - to get it right.