Hodgson's boys will polish off Poland then these fab four could have an impact in Brazil.

England’s performance against Montenegro on Friday night was just the tonic the team and the nation required. It might have been one of those awfully tense nights at Wembley but winning 4-1 in such positive fashion, and having Andros Townsend perform so well on his debut, sets up the game against Poland on Tuesday perfectly.
And I can’t see anything but an England win at Wembley — as long as they pick up where they left off. If we had scraped through 1-0, we would have got the points but people would wonder how we were going to play against Poland or fare in Brazil. But it was such a buoyant performance it will lift everyone.
The attacking ambition is the key. If ever there is game in which an early goal might determine the whole atmosphere, this is it.

Impressive show: England delighted fans at Wembley as they ran out 4-1 winners against Montenegro

England are on a high but, by contrast, Poland’s morale will be fragile after being beaten 1-0 by Ukraine and seeing their World Cup hopes disappear.
Their only way of picking up a point would be if England were nervous and cautious, which allowed them to relax and enjoy the experience of playing at Wembley with 15,000 Poles supporting them and no real pressure on them.
If England score in the first 20 minutes, I don’t think they will be up for the fight.
That’s why it’s so important that England seize the initiative again — just as Townsend did on Friday night. Though England dominated the game against Montenegro, there were times when they were huffing and puffing a little bit and, in those moments, Townsend gave them some verve and direction.
It was a bold decision by Roy Hodgson to start with him. When you are England manager you do spend your life going around the grounds watching your players. Sometimes you even arrive and wonder whether there will be any English players in the team.

Taking advantage: Andros Townsend grasped the opportunity given to him with both hands

But Roy has been a frequent visitor to White Hart Lane this season and he will have seen Townsend at his best. Against Swansea, he was Tottenham’s best player; he had an excellent first half against Chelsea; even against West Ham, when the team lost 3-0, he was electrifying at times.
That is when your instincts come in. You get him into training and see mentally how he copes with the big boys, under pressure.
Then you come to a point where you want him in the team. Roy trusted him and Townsend now has that magic, natural and legal performance-enhancing drug: confidence.
He will want the Poland game to start now — waiting until Tuesday will seem like an eternity.
And for Roy, there is now a stronger squad coming together. This kid has kicked it on a gear and even someone like Theo Walcott knows he has some real work to do to get in the team. When the manager looks at the bench now, he has Jack Wilshere, Michael Carrick or Ross Barkley to come on. All of a sudden, if everyone is fit — the big question-mark hanging over this England squad — there looks to be strength in depth.

Strength in depth: Jack Wilshere (right) started against Montenegro on the substitute bench

What I liked most of all about the performance, though, was not the adventurous attacking, good though it was. What impressed me most was when England conceded and it was 2-1. They didn’t go for the third goal and make themselves vulnerable; they took heat out of the game and slowed it down.
That’s what international football is about. They showed a lot of maturity. Carrick was instrumental in that. He was criticised in the away match against Montenegro but he showed his strengths on Friday.
I also enjoyed the performance of Daniel Sturridge. I know he wasn’t the headline story, and he did some strange things, but he is still only 24. I like his instincts: the little backheel he attempted; stopping the ball and feinting past his defender to win the penalty. If we saw Neymar try those, we’d laud his creativity.
It looks as though he has managers at club — Brendan Rodgers — and international level who believe in him and it seems to have made all the difference. He has always had that precocious talent — now it seems his attitude has changed. He’s less selfish and plays more with his head up. Here is a talent we need to nurture.

Hands in the air: Daniel Sturridge has improved immensely at Liverpool this season

The strength of this side is from the midfield onwards. With players like Townsend, Sturridge, Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney — with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wilshere behind them —there is no reason why this team, if they stay fit, cannot make a positive impression on the World Cup.
It’s not realistic to think of winning it. It’s one thing to play as we did against Montenegro, but keeping possession against the top sides, and controlling the game so we’re choosing when to counter-attack, will be a big step up.
But in Euro 2012 England were a team that sat deep, banking up in defence. Now they look as if they are evolving into a more expansive side.
And if we look to Brazil 2014 as a stepping stone to Euro 2016 and Russia 2018, then the team might come back from South America with a surprising degree of optimism.
That’s assuming England qualify, of course. But if they can stay on the front foot on Tuesday, I am sure they will.