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2014 World Cup Is A Write Off Says Glenn Hoddle

Former England Manager Glenn Hoddle has advised England to forget about winning the 2014 cup, but instead use it as a springboard for future success.

Chris Brunskill

Nobody likes to hear that you can't do something, however being a realist, Glenn Hoddle is probably right. No European team has ever won a World Cup that has been held in South America, that's the first issue. Issue number two.... we haven't even qualified yet and we have two difficult games over the next week to secure qualification. Issue number three....we don't have a good enough team to do it, yet!

Speaking to the BBC:

"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,"

"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."

Now despite the historical figure, I would put Spain's chances of success a little higher than 35%, but that's just me. If you are there, you have a chance, it's as simple as that. Hoddle may not put a percentage on it, but I would put it at less than 5%. We all saw what happened in the heat of South Africa, Germany were at full speed for 90 minutes and the England team looked like they were running through mud.

However Hoddle has an excellent point. If we do make it, we should use this tournament as a springboard for success at the 2016 Euro's. Get players like Sturridge, Barkley, Wilshere plenty of experience. Get them used to tournament football. It's a quick turnaround that players need to learn to deal with, recovery is vital, especially after a very long domestic season.

Hoddle who is now a member of the Football Association Committee has grand plans for the future development of English talent. Speaking to the Guardian, Hoddle explains that a Quota system on home-grown players in the Premier League is a necessity:

"I think it has got to come," Hoddle said of a quota system. "We need to be bold and say enough is enough, there have to be x amount of English players in a squad of 18, or in the 11. Germany, Spain, Italy, France – they don't have our problem.

"There are a multitude of ideas that I've got that need to change things in the long term. In the short term, 68% of foreign players playing in the Premier League is a major concern and we need to do something about it.

"We do need help, maybe from the government. We need to change the rules – it's OK having a wonderful brand in the Premier League, which it is. The English players do learn from the foreigners but the problem is there are English players who are as good as, could have been as good as, or are better than, the foreign players that are coming in.

"They are being blocked, so that is something that we really need to change. Whether politically and financially that happens, I don't know, but it's up to us in this commission to try and make these changes."