Manager Roy Hodgson thinks it is vital that England start Euro 2016 with a bang next summer.
England will make it 10 wins from 10 qualifying matches today provided they overcome the straightforward task of beating Lithuania in Vilnius.
Should England beat the 116th-ranked nation in the world, they will become only the sixth country in history to reach the tournament with a 100 per cent record.
History shows a good qualifying record counts for little when it comes to major tournaments, however.
Fabio Capello took England to South Africa after just one qualifying defeat, but the Three Lions scraped through an easy group at the tournament in 2010 before being hammered by Germany in the second round.
After negotiating his way through a difficult qualification group Hodgson took England to Brazil brimming with confidence and hope, but a damaging early defeat to Italy and a loss to Uruguay meant they were eliminated at the earliest possible opportunity.
Hodgson has seen England’s rugby team suffer a similar fate recently and he knows a strong start will be key to his squad’s chances of success in France.
“What would have given us a better chance in the tournament last time is winning the first game, or certainly not losing it,” the England manager said.
“Tournaments are three cup finals. It’s not a league. The qualification period is a league, but when you get there you just need that little bit of luck.
“The World Cup is three matches. We’ve just seen it with rugby.
“That’s how simple tournaments are. For all your preparation, for all your work, if you get there, play brilliantly in the first game but lose it 1-0 to a dodgy penalty, you’re a disaster. That’s what we’ve understood.”
The final preparation stage for France 2016 starts next month when the tournament hosts come to Wembley and England travel to the holders Spain for two stiff friendly tests.
World champions Germany await England in March and the FA is also planning a friendly against Holland before the finals.
The match in Vilnius is therefore a big opportunity for the fringe players to prove they deserve a chance to go to the European Championship.
“This is maybe the last game where I could happily give people a chance to show what they can do,” Hodgson said.
Over three years after making his England debut, Jack Butland will earn his second cap.
Jamie Vardy, who set up Raheem Sterling for England’s second goal in their 2-0 win over Estonia on Friday, “might well” start in Vilnius, Hodgson said.
And Hodgson is likely to give Dele Alli more playing time after he earned his first cap off the bench on Friday.
With Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Joe Hart among five players sent home to recuperate, Hodgson has to decide who will lead the team out at the LFF Stadium tonight.
“Someone will be (captain) but I need to give it a bit of thought,” he said.