Watford, United Kingdom--Stung by recent criticism, England hope to end the season with victory and a rousing performance when they tackle Slovenia in Ljubljana on Sunday in a 2016 European Championship qualifier.
With five straight wins behind them and a six-point lead over Slovenia and Switzerland in Group E, England already have one foot in next year's tournament in France and are bidding to finish a season unbeaten for the first time in 24 years.
Roy Hodgson's men were lambasted for an insipid display in last weekend's 0-0 friendly draw with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, but midfielder Jack Wilshere feels the outing did England a world of good.
"We don't take any notice of it (the criticism)," he told reporters at England's team hotel in Watford, north of London, this week.
"I said after the game that we needed the game and a few of the players had not played since the last game of the season. They had been away with their families, and they deserved to -- they played 40, 50 games.
"So they deserved that week to switch off. Then we came back on Tuesday. We trained a few days and training went well, but we always felt we needed a game.
"You can't get to the levels in training that you do in a game. We felt like we needed that game and we would be ready for the big one in Slovenia."
Slovenia took a 1-0 lead courtesy of a Jordan Henderson own goal when the teams met at Wembley last November -- the only goal England have conceded in the qualifying campaign to date -- but a Wayne Rooney penalty and a Danny Welbeck brace saw the hosts to a 3-1 win.
Arsenal forward Welbeck is currently sidelined due to a knee injury and with Daniel Sturridge also injured and Harry Kane, Saido Berahino and Danny Ings on duty with England's under-21s, Hodgson's attacking options are diminished.
Skipper Rooney, still two goals shy of Bobby Charlton's all-time England record of 49, is certain to start, but Liverpool pair Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling could lose their places after ineffective turns at the Aviva Stadium.
AFP
