Wednesday, 4th December, 2013
England will be looking to use their unseeded status to positive effect beyond Friday's World Cup draw and into Brazil 2014, according to captain Steven Gerrard.
England were arguably in a similar position before Euro 2012 when coach Roy Hodgson had had very little time to organise training and preparation.
Though the circumstances are a bit different – not least with England's rankings – the Three Lions go into Friday's draw with the potential to be part of the proverbial 'group of death'.
And unlike previous World Cups, England remain relative underdogs this time, with Gerrard telling FIFA.com: "We’re not one of the favourites, I think we know that.
relatedNewsStory
"At the same time, you have to go into this tournament with a bit of belief and confidence and give it your best shot.
"Of course, there are better teams out there than us. You just need to look at the rankings to see where we are, but we need to go there and give it our best shot."
England are also part of Pot 4 for Friday's draw, which means they could be pre-drawn into Pot 2 that would entail facing one of many traditional, yet unseeded, powerhouses in Italy, Portugal, France and Croatia.
Overall, when asked if the pressure had been lifted from his shoulders for next year, Gerrard added: "I think it will be.
"You go into a World Cup where people judge you fairly and they’re not blowing you up to what you’re not and there’s not too much pressure or expectations on the players. I’m sure that will help us."
Top tips from tipsters who know the game and betting match previews. Make sure you visit Inside Bet!
