How have Roy Hodgson's England side fared in 2014?

Has 2014 been good for Roy Hodgson?

England's international year is done but how have Roy Hodgson's men done in the calendar year?

England's record in 2014 stands as 13 games played with eight won, three draws and just two defeats.

The wins all came at the start - a two game run - and then at the end, finishing the year on a six-game winning sequence. However, 2014 will only ever be defined by the World Cup and the two defeats that meant England finished bottom of their group, meaning their tournament, that they had spent so long preparing for, was over almost as soon as it began.

England have ended the year well, responding to the World Cup disappointment by winning all their European qualifiers so far, virtually guaranteeing a place in France in two years' time, but it is their mediocre record at the major tournaments that is causing most concern as we look ahead to the future.

England's year started back in March when they beat Denmark at Wembley with a late goal from Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge. It got the season off to a good start after England ended 2013 with two defeats in friendlies at home to Germany and Chile.

The Denmark game was also the last before manager Roy Hodgson had to name his provisional World Cup squad and was a chance for players including Sturridge, his Liverpool colleague Raheem Sterling and the Southampton duo Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw, to impress their manager and get themselves on the plane to Brazil.

As the domestic season came to an end, thoughts turned to the World Cup summer ahead with most of the squad finishing the campaign fit.

Roy Hodgson then named his 23-man squad for Brazil, the most notable inclusion being the young Everton player Ross Barkley, who had been in excellent form for his club. He was one of eight players under the age of 24 and the manager appeared to be planning for the future, though publicly expressing optimism for a good World Cup campaign ahead.

England were placed in a daunting World Cup group alongside Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica, so the feeling was to get through to the knockout stages would represent reasonable progress. They warmed up for the tournament with a game against Peru at Wembley followed by two in their training base of Miami.

Peru were beaten 3-0 with Wayne Rooney, who had been suffering from a groin injury, given some time on the pitch while Hodgson gave a debut to another young Everton player, defender John Stones.

The team then flew out to the United States and, along with training, played their last games before the tournament started in Brazil. The matches, with Ecuador and Honduras, both ended in draws with England failing to convince, but at least giving Hodgson time to take a good look at the squad.

The game against Ecuador saw Raheem Sterling sent off and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffering a worrying injury, but Hodgson did see more of Barkley's potential. The Honduras match saw the teams forced off the field for 40 minutes due to a lightning storm but England coped well in the heat and humidity. It was though a physical encounter and Hodgson was no doubt relieved to get through the game without any further injuries.

The World Cup came next in England's year and the country waited to see whether Hodgson would give youth its chance for the first game, against Italy in the Amazonian heat of Manaus. He obliged with the Liverpool duo of Sturridge and Sterling, together with Rooney and Danny Welbeck, giving England an exciting-looking attacking threat.

In an entertaining game, England played well and worried the Italians with their pace and movement up front but defensive frailties cost them and they lost 2-1. Sturridge equalised Claudio Marchisio's opener but Mario Balotelli, well known to the English team, rose above Joe Hart to head Italy back in front.

It was a defeat that offered encouragement as England had looked lively, especially in the first half, but it was still a defeat and, with Uruguay surprisingly losing to Costa Rica, the next game, against the South American side was crucial.

Another striker well known to the English defence, Luis Suarez was on the opposing side, making his return after a month out with injury and he broke English hearts with two goals that condemned the Three Lions to defeat and almost certain elimination from the tournament.

Wayne Rooney finally scored his first goal at a World Cup, equalising Suarez's opener, but a poor header from captain Steven Gerrard let in his then Liverpool team-mate and Suarez thumped the ball past Hart for a win that kept Uruguay in the tournament.

Italy could only draw with Cost Rica in the other game - a result that meant that England were out of the World Cup after just two games - the first time this had happened and the first time since 1958 that they had been knocked out in the group stages.

The subsequent game against Costa Rica was an anti-climatic goalless draw and England were on an early flight home. For all the talk of a young squad with potential for the future, the country expected more than such an early exit from the World Cup.

It was therefore little surprise that England's first fixture of the 2014-15 season, a home friendly against Norway was so poorly attended. The top tier of Wembley was shut as only 40,000 turned out to see a lacklustre game, England winning 1-0 thanks to a Wayne Rooney penalty.

In the time since, England have won all of their four qualifying games for Euro 2016, beating Switzerland, San Marino, Estonia and Slovenia so far this season. The victory away at Switzerland was especially impressive. Two goals from Danny Welbeck gave England the three points which were badly needed after the disappointment of Brazil.

England's year ended with a 3-1 victory away to Scotland at Celtic Park, Wayne Rooney scoring two goals and he is now only three goals short of Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 49 for his country.

It has therefore been an encouraging end to 2014. England are firmly in control of their qualification group for Euro 2016 and have responded well to the negativity surrounding their World Cup campaign.

However, in a World Cup year it is that tournament that dictates how it is ultimately judged and so 2014 will be seen as a failure solely because of the inability to get past the group stages of the competition.

One point from the three games against undoubtedly tough opposition in Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica was a great disappointment and continues a trend the team has of qualifying with ease only to struggle in the main tournaments themselves.

Even if England win all their remaining games in qualification, in two years' time it is how they perform in the European Championships in France that really matters.

There was some mitigation in that England had a relatively young team in Brazil and now, with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard having gone, the onus is on those younger stars to shine on the international stage. Jack Wilshere has ended the international season well; Raheem Sterling and Danny Welbeck are also in form and with a fit Sturridge and Rooney upfront, England look good going forward.

It is in defence where problems may occur. None of the back four had a good tournament in Brazil and, if England are to be a success in France in 2016, much may depend on how the likes of John Stones, Nathaniel Clyne, Keiron Gibbs and Luke Shaw develop in the meantime.

If England can tighten up a suspect defence, the future could yet be bright as they aim for glory in France 2016 and, looking further forward, the next World Cup, in Russia in 2018.