England go into Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania expecting to win, and continue their perfect start to the campaign. But perhaps worryingly, goalkeeper Joe Hart has admitted that he knows very little about his side’s opponents, currently ranked 94th in the world.
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If the unthinkable does happen at Wembley, and Roy Hodgson’s side lose to the minnows, then it will become the latest chapter in a surprisingly long list of embarrassing defeats down the years.
Here are six such humiliations:
USA 1-0 England (1950)
England missed the first three World Cups as they felt too superior to get involved. However, they were sent crashing back to earth with a humbling defeat in their second group game of the 1950 tournament. Joe Gaetjens grabbed the only goal, and England would miss out on progression by four points.
England 1-1 Poland (1973)
Alf Ramsey’s England went into the final game of their 1974 World Cup qualification campaign only needing to beat Poland at Wembley. However, an inspired performance from the visiting goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski denied the Three Lions the points required, and the World Cup winning manager of seven years previously was sacked not long after.
San Marino 1-7 England (1993)
An emphatic win for Graham Taylor’s side was overshadowed by one of the worst teams in international football scoring the opener after just 8.3 seconds. England needed to win the game comfortably, and hope the Netherlands lost in Poland. The Dutch won, and England failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup.
England 1-3 Australia (2003)
Australia came to Upton Park looking to cause an upset, but they battered the 22 England players used by Sven Goran Eriksson. The game will probably be best remembered for the debuts of both Francis Jeffers and Wayne Rooney. Jeffers scored England’s only goal, but never represented the national team again.
Northern Ireland 1-0 England (2005)
England may have quite comfortably qualified for the 2006 World Cup, but a defeat in Northern Ireland led to much criticism. A late David Healy winner gave the underdogs a famous victory at Windsor Park.
England 0-0 Algeria (2010)
After a disappointing draw in their opening game of the 2010 World Cup against the USA, Fabio Capello’s side desperately needed a dominant performance when they played Algeria in their second group game. However, they played out a boring goalless draw, and England went into the final game against Slovenia needing a victory to progress.