Hodgson blasts Three Lions' comparison to 'defensive' Italians

London, June 24 (ANI): England Boss Roy Hodgson has rejected suggestions of his Three Lions team being as defensive as the Italians, after Italian journalists suggested the two teams are alike ahead of tonight's Euro 2012 quarter-final clash.

"Don't dare compare us to them," The Sun quoted an irritated Hodgson, as saying.

Italy are famous for their negative and defensive tactics, and England have played in a similar fashion so far to a draw with France before narrowly beating Sweden and Ukraine.

However, Hodgson denied England's plan was to be conservative.

"I don't know what they mean when they say we play like the Italian team. They'd have to explain to me what qualities they see in our play to suggest we have the same qualities we see in the Italians' play," he said.

Hodgson instead paid tribute to England's survival instincts.

"I don't think at this level of competition there is ever going to be a match when you are always in the ascendancy. We have to try to break the hoodoo. It's a nasty statistic because it's a very negative one," he claimed. (ANI)