Viv Anderson England are capable of beating anyone

England should stop worrying about what Luis Suarez and Mario Balotelli can do to them in Brazil.

Instead they should focus on what Wayne Rooney and Co. can do to Uruguay and Italy.

All the talk since Roy Hodgson’s team was drawn in what was instantly labelled the Group of Death has been on how to stop players like Suarez, Balotelli, Edinson Cavani and Andrea Pirlo sending them spinning home early from next summer’s World Cup.

But former England full-back Viv Anderson believes there’s been too much emphasis on who we should fear.

He reckons not enough has been made of the Three Lions players capable of giving our Group D opponents nightmares.

“I can tell you now that Italy and Uruguay would not have wanted England in their group,” says Anderson, who went to two World Cups and won 30 international caps.

“They will be worrying about us this weekend as much as we are worrying about them. On their day, England are capable of beating anyone.

“Rooney rates alongside Suarez as a world-class player. They both have the consistency to be in that bracket.

“Balotelli can be brilliant but you never know which Balotelli will turn up.

“We also have a big advantage in that there’s little our players don’t know about Suarez and Balotelli.

“Defenders like Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka face Suarez two or three times a season and see him every week on television.

“The same applied to Balotelli until he went back to Italy.

“Cavani is perhaps more of an unknown quantity, but by the time England face Uruguay, they’ll have watched him dozens of times on tape.

“I’m convinced that Rooney is up there on the same level as Suarez, but England also have other players who on can trouble anyone.

“Daniel Sturridge, Theo Walcott and Andros Townsend have real pace, and that’s a precious commodity in the modern game.

“In the climate they face in Brazil, it might suit England to sit back, keep their shape, be patient, then hit hard on the break.

“Roy says that we shouldn’t be scared of anyone and I agree with that.

“I was brought up under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest and he would never have been intimidated by any opponent’s reputation.”

Anderson is still mulling over making the trip to Brazil, even though he returned from watching Fabio Capello’s team in South Africa let down by their failure to perform.

“I went as a fan with 12 mates and I came back feeling bitterly disappointed,” he recalls.

“But there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be positive this time.

“The big thing is not to lose the first game. If you get off to a bad start, it’s very difficult to recover.

“A lot’s been said about the Italy match being in Manaus in the Amazon Rain Forest, but we’re up against another European side and they won’t like the humidity either.

“We don’t want to be going into the final match against Costa Rica needing to win, because at this level you don’t want that pressure.

“I accept that the draw looks difficult and that there are two other really good teams in the group.

“Don’t forget, though, England are a good team too.”