In the Fifa World Rankings England are the 4th best European team. Yet expectations are low for the team, for a change.
So according to those rankings England should make the semi-finals. No-one is really predicting much beyond the group stage. So different and so much better for the team this time around. Will it change as they progress, and how far can they go?
Roy Hodgson is shrewd. He may not be the popular choice for the role, but he knows his stuff. And maybe, after Liverpool, he can tolerate the gratuitous personal insults that come with being England manager, that come no matter what your track record or ability is!!