Euro 2016 Steve McManaman exclusive: Iceland is as good as a bye for England - defeat is unthinkable

If England lose their Euro 2016 last-16 game against Iceland on Monday, the fall-out will haunt everyone involved forever more.

Roy Hodgson cannot believe his luck as he is on course to get into a Euro 2016 quarter-final after a run that has seen his side take on three pretty average sides in the group stages - with the greatest respect to Wales - and now they are up against one of the competition’s minnows in Iceland.

This is as easy a draw as any top nation could wish for to get themselves into a tournament and ready to challenge for the big prize at the end, but can you imagine the fall-out if it all goes wrong against Iceland in Nice on Monday.

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England’s failures in major tournaments tend to stick in the mind for a long time, with the infamous defeat against USA in the 1950 World Cup and the penalty shoot-out defeats over the last couple of decades are painful memories that are talked about time and again, yet this would be something else.

Iceland is a country with a tiny population that lacks any real track record of success in international football, so there can be no excuses this time; England have to beat them and set-up a probable Euro 2016 quarter-final against France.

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There was a lot of talk last week about an England v Portugal game in the second round and while I think that game would have been winnable for Hodgson and his players, this match against Iceland is a far more attractive option.

The Cristiano Ronaldo factor would have come into play in a match against Portugal and while they have not impressed in this tournament so far, I would have been far more concerned as an England fan about that game that I would be heading into the match-up with Iceland.

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Give them credit, Iceland did well to get through their group and had every right to celebrate their last-minute winner against an Austrian side that had given up defending in a bid to stay in the competition, the truth is they do not have too much that can hurt England.

MEET THE ICELAND SQUAD

Gylfi Sigurdsson will be a threat from set-pieces, but they have not impressed me too much in this competition so far and England should have way too much for them.

That said, this game is laced with peril for Hodgson and his England team, who have struggled to break down opposition that sits back and plays counter-attacking football in this tournament.

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Iceland will do just that at the weekend and you would hope that Hodgson and his players show a little more invention than they have managed in their first three games to get the job done with a little more efficiency this time.

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Defeat is unthinkable in this game and the tournament will start in earnest for England if they make it through to the quarter-finals, but first we need to see them shake off their inhibitions and play as we all think they are capable off.

The warm-up matches are done for England….it’s time to get serious.