England manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that he is feeling the weight of expectation going into tomorrow's crunch World Cup qualifier against Montenegro.

The Three Lions boss said that the entire country "expects" the national team to make the finals in Brazil, and revealed that taking part in training sessions helps him cope with the pressure.

"The nation wants us to be in Brazil. They expect us to get them to Brazil. It cannot come quickly enough and we'll be ready for it," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying.

"We are one of the big nations. We are expected to qualify for World Cups and European Championships.

"If that doesn't happen, you'll get criticism. If you're wise, you realise there'll be criticism during qualifying as well. How does anyone stay sane? The training sessions lift me."

Both England and Montenegro can still make the finals as Group H winners, as can the Ukraine, and Poland, whom the Three Lions face next Tuesday.

Written by
Mark Langshaw