ENGLAND Robson: England must beat Italy

There are a number of high-profile contests in the first few days of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, and England vs Italy takes a backseat to none of them. The game, to be played in the Amazon venue of Manaus, is a genuine clash of titans.

As far as former England captain Bryan Robson is concerned, victory against the Azzurriwould represent a massive step toward the Round of 16 for his former side. In an exclusive interview with FIFA.com, the legendary midfielder shared his thoughts on the current England team, his own experiences playing on football’s biggest stage, and some likely stars here at Brazil 2014.

The former Manchester United talisman was positive when asked about the quality in Roy Hodgson’s England team. “The squad contains the best players currently available to England, and there is a nice blend of old heads and young talent,” said the veteran of Spain 1982, Mexico 1986 and Italy 1990. “I think that’s fundamental to the success of the team.”

“We’ve got Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard, whose international experience and quality go without saying,” Robson added. “And then there’s also Daniel Sturridge, Jack Wilshere, Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson, who lack experience, but will make up for that with their determination to prove themselves against the best players on the planet.”

Only win will do against Italy
For Robson, the opening match against Italy is crucial. “The first game is always hugely important in terms of qualification, and even more so when you’re in a group like this one. England need a victory that will convince them that they can reach the knockout stage. A defeat, on the other hand, would be very hard to recover from.”

Despite facing a trio of tricky opponents, the ex-West Brom manager is confident about his country’s chances: “I think that this group of players can show us something a bit different.”

Could the English go as far as they did in Italy 1990, when Robson and co lost in a tight semi-final to West Germany? “We were better than the Germans on the day, and deserved to reach the Final, where anything could have happened," he said. "I hope that this team will follow in our footsteps.”

As to which performers will stand out at this upcoming World Cup, there are two names on the Englishman’s lips. “I think the spotlight will shine on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said “Those two have been the biggest stars of our game in recent years and I suspect their rivalry will continue in Brazil. Their failure to do well at the last World Cup will certainly be a huge source of motivation, and I see them really stamping their names on the tournament.”