Goalless draw against France would not be a disaster

The opening group game against France this afternoon is all about avoiding defeat, argues chief sports writer Martin Swain.

Two years on from their World Cups of misery, England and France today begin the quest for redemption at Euro 2012.

It is difficult to believe that any nation under-performed more than Fabio Capello's squad in South Africa – a plodding progress through a weaker group than that which challenges them now before that capitulation to the Germans.

But France, ripped apart by a civil war triggered by Nicolas Anelka's infamous rant at coach Raymond Domenech, probably managed it. They returned home in even greater shame to be greeted by fines, suspensions and a scalding verdict from a furious public.

Nevertheless, when these two old rivals begin their campaigns by squaring up to each other in Donetsk it will be the French who can claim to have enjoyed the better rehabilitation.

The comic figure of Domenech gave way to the more serene presence of former defender Laurent Blanc, who began by suspending the entire mutinous World Cup squad and paying the price with a shock defeat to Belarus at the Stade de France in his first game.

But an undefeated 21-match streak has followed, the longest current unbeaten run for any of the nations arriving at Polkraine and French confidence is surging once more.

"This France side has the potential to do something really good at the Euros," said the celebrated Zinedine Zidane. "With the Franck Ribery-Karim Benzema duo in such good form, they could really put on a show."

Ribery himself agreed: "I would have liked my relationship with the France team to have always been this good... it's very good with Karim. We can find each other with our eyes closed. What's more, we get along really well away from football. We all want to go as far as possible in the Euros."

If this means it is the French, and not England, who will carry the psychological burden of expectation into tonight's game then it will be music to Roy Hodgson's ears.

It has fallen on the 64-year-old former Albion head coach to pick up a Three Lions standard tattered and torn by a decade of under-fulfilment on the international stage during which the power of the Premier League and its players have dovetailed with an over-bearing media to produce perhaps one of football's most toxic challenges.

The Hodgson regime has, however, co-incided with a squad of such thinning quality no-one seriously expects a challenge of any substance to the major powers that are Spain, Germany and Holland.

These championships merely represent the hors d'œuvre before the main course mapped out by Hodgson and FA boss David Bernstein – to shape a competitive future England team from the post 'Golden Generation' age. Anything that England gain from this tournament will be seen as a benefit towards the longer game of restoring credibility to our international fortunes.

This sense of a manager hastily cobbling together a challenge for the Euros has been reinforced by the almost freakish series of unfortunate events which have jarred this most meticulous of coaches.

Injuries to key figures removed Gareth Barry, Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill from consideration – and England are not so blessed with quality to be able to absorb these setbacks easily – aggravated problems inherited from previous regimes.

That he must plan two games without Wayne Rooney but then hope England's best player can be easily assimilated into the third is vexing enough, but derives from the Manchester United forward's needless loss of discipline against Montenegro. That is a little glimpse of the culture of entitlement which has flourished with England.

Then, of course, we have Rio-gate. Hodgson's decision to leave out Ferdinand both originally and following the injury to Cahill has produced outrage typical of the trappings which come with the post.

That Hodgson ignored requests to deal with the hype surrounding his decision until the day before today's game shows a quiet contempt for the demands of the media circus. That is surely to be welcomed and encouraged to remain unaltered.

The death of Jermain Defoe's father, plunging his impact striker into personal grief, was just one more sad spike in the process of getting a team ready for battle but Hodgson has already shown his most trusted ally for the contests ahead will be his pragmatism.

Gone is the fantasy of an England team sweeping all before them; gone is the notion that we should go toe-to-toe with the greater technique and depth of talent available to many opposing nations. England are the new Sweden – their second opponents in the group – and crucially the nation's football public know it.

Today is all about not losing, a strategy we can expect England to conduct on the back foot with each player drilled to within inches of where they should be at every given moment.

Blanc is concerned that his defence suffered some discomforting moments in an 'easy game' against Estonia last week and has demanded improvement from Mathieu Debuchy, Adil Rami, Philippe Mexès and Patrice Evra. But really, the onus will be taken up by the French as England withdraw into the defensive trenches which we saw being dug against Norway and Belgium.

A goalless draw would be dull for the public but a delight for Hodgson. He will have surveyed the group and realised that going up against Ukraine in the third match with Rooney available is an opportunity. It is up to England to ensure they reach that match still able to progress.

The difference is if they don't, I'm not sure anyone will be too surprised.

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