England assistant boss Gary Neville says he will do all he can to ensure the Three Lions do not fall foul of complacency ahead of their meeting with San Marino on Friday.
Roy Hodgson’s men host the minnows at Wembley, knowing that they’re expected to record an impressive victory over what is likely to be a team largely made-up of amateurs and part-time players. Indeed the latest betting news suggests punters expect England to score at least six goals without reply.
England famously missed out on qualification for the 1994 World Cup after conceding an early Davide Gualtieri goal during a qualifying match in the tiny republic and despite winning the game 7-1, the team were blasted for their perceived complacency.
However, Neville is adamant that there will be no similar slip-ups this time around and has called on his players to prepare in the same manner as they did for last month’s win over Moldova. He insists that the fans at Wembley Stadium, at home watching on TV or even logging-on to watch live football online will see a professional and committed England team take to the field.
England also face Poland in this batch of international fixtures and the former Manchester United defender says it’s vital that his side take match against La Serenissma seriously, as it will help them prepare for Tuesday’s game in Warsaw
“People can look at the San Marino game and think it's a formality and I'm not going to stand here as an England coach and say I'm not fully aware of our responsibilities to win this match,” he said.
"But when I was a player playing in this type of game in the past the way I prepared for it was to scare myself and think of what would happen if we didn't win and that's enough to get you focused.
"And we certainly don't want to go into the Poland game with anything other than a very good victory on Friday," he added.
