England captain Steven Gerrard claims there can be no excuses for failing to deliver against Italy in their World Cup opener.
Gerrard has heard the concerns about the pitch, the weather and the threats of a more experienced Italian side - but he's not listening.
"There's no excuses, it's time to walk the walk," he said.
"In general it's easy to look for an excuse, point fingers and blame other people.
"But we have no reason to do that. The FA have put everything in place for us, everything has been provided for these players to perform at this World Cup.
"As each moment creeps closer to the game, a sense of excitement grows. We're ready to give it everything we've got."
England's captain also brushed aside concerns about the pitch in Manaus. Over-fertilisation has made the grass appear dry - with organisers painting brown surfaces green to make them appear easier on the eye.
"The pitch is totally fine," he added.
"The grass is the perfect length and the sun is off the pitch at half-four and we don't kick-off until six o'clock."
Roy Hodgson also insisted the pitch was in 'good condition'.
"It is very flat. I don't see reason to have any concern about it at all," he said.
"We are quite happy to play on that pitch and I think it will suit both teams.
"The grass is very short, it is very flat and it will be possible to play good football on it."
