Hodgson: England need to be ruthless against Iceland
Roy Hodgson says victory, and a continuation of England's Euro 2016 campaign, is all that matters against Iceland on Monday and expects his players to bring a "brutal focus" to the game.
Hodgson's side arrived in the sun-kissed Cote d'Azur on Sunday and engaged in their traditional on-pitch walk around at the Stade de Nice knowing the next time they take the field, the stakes will be higher than ever.
England were unable to turn possession into maximum points in group games against Russia and Slovakia - sides who were both summarily dismantled in subsequent games.
But stalemate will not suffice this time.
For the winners, a tantalising quarter-final against hosts France in Paris; for the losers, an early exit.
And while Iceland would not be pilloried for the latter England, and Hodgson, would not be so lucky.
Defeat in the last 16 to the lowest remaining side in the draw would surely see his hopes of a new deal go up in smoke, despite the support of Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn over the weekend.
And Hodgson is not hiding from the importance of remaining in the competition, regardless of style.
"We need to be as ruthless as we can possibly be because we know there are no prizes, unfortunately, for playing what some people might think is good football," he said.
"It's all about winning or losing and staying in or going out and we have been very brutal with ourselves in that respect and we have a very brutal focus.
"We made it very clear amongst ourselves that it doesn't matter that we, in our eyes, are playing well.
"All that matters is that we haven't won, and when you don't win you get criticised and perhaps rightly so because there's always a reason why you haven't won.
"Unfortunately in a tournament, in particular, even more than in qualifying, it's all about if you win or do you not win. Tomorrow is the ultimate test because if we don't win tomorrow that's the end for us."
Iceland's joint manager, Heimir Hallgrimsson, was in tub-thumping form at a pre-match press conference involving his coaching partner Lars Lagerback as well as star player Gylfi Sigurdsson and captain Aron Gunnarsson.
Hallgrimsson, the qualified dentist who will inherit sole control of the side at the end of the tournament, was outgunned for star power by his colleagues but did not lack for colourful imagery.
Responding to a question about the 'Cod War' fishing disputes involving Iceland and Great Britain between the 1950s and 1970s, Hallgrimsson said: "I think it was the only time Iceland has gone to war.
"We are too few to have an army, we would probably be easily defeated if we were to go to war, lacking manpower.
"So these guys (the players) are the Icelandic army, that's why everyone is supporting them.
"The physical battle, we're not afraid of that one. I think the boys have shown that they can match everyone in that area."