Former England boss Roy Hodgson reveals he had to repeat instructions to Three Lions flops, saying: ‘I overestimated players understanding what I wanted’
Ex-boss takes a swipe at players who cost him his job, saying they simply did not understand what was expected of them
ROY HODGSON has sensationally blasted England's stars, claiming: I overestimated them understanding me.
The ex-Three Lions boss, 69, has taken a swipe at his flops after the humiliating loss against Iceland at the 2016 European Championships, blaming them for not properly taking on board his ideas.
Hodgson suggested the England players at times simply did not understand what was needed of them.
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The former Fulham and Liverpool chief said: "One of the things I've learned in the last two years was overestimating players' understanding of exactly what you want.
"You have to make certain that they themselves take ownership of the situation.
"In the last couple of years with England, we filmed the training sessions, we filmed the games in wide angle, and we started having meetings in smaller groups.
"The goalkeepers and the defenders. The midfield players and the attackers. Sometimes defenders and midfield players. Sometimes midfield players and attackers.
"We went through things but we got them to tell us back what we had been telling them."
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Hodgson added players need to 'take ownership', by not just doing what they were told, but also realising what is needed - and expected - of them.
He added: "We will work on it in training but then I want the player in the unit meeting, when he sees fit, to say ,'I should have gone out there, I should have gone quicker there.'
"Or "I've gone too fast. I should have slowed down there. I've gone so quickly. That the guy's gone past me before I can hold him up with the ball.' That type of thing.
"We got the players to take ownership."
Since Hodgson's departure, England have been led firstly by Sam Allardyce - who was sacked after just 67 days after his corruption scandal - and now by Gareth Southgate, who has been handed the Three Lions job on a four-year deal.