England go into Friday’s Group C qualifying match against Algeria with a point to prove — not just to their doubting supporters after an underwhelming 1-1 draw with the US, but to German legend Franz Beckenbauer.
Beckenbauer set the cat amongst the pigeons in a World Cup column when he blasted the way England played during their opening match on Saturday.
“It looked to me as if the English have gone backwards into the bad old days of kick and rush,” wrote Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as both player and coach. While England’s media predictably took up the gauntlet thrown down by the former standard bearer of one their oldest enemies, England boss Fabio Capello dismissed the comments.
But despite the public face, the barb must have stung some of the players who helped England cruise through their qualifying group along the way raising hopes they may be genuine contenders for the trophy they won for the first and only time in 1966.
The performance against the US has dampened expectations, but England can consider themselves unlucky to be going into the second match looking for their first win.
England’s talismanic striker Wayne Rooney believes the team didn’t play that badly. “Did the US have two or three shots at goal from distance, and one good chance? We took the game to them,” he said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get the win, but we didn’t play with fear,” he added.
The US were considered England’s toughest Group C opponents, but it took a horrendous error from keeper Robert Green — who allowed a speculative shot from Clint Dempsey to squirm through his gloves to let the US claw back Steven Gerrard’s early strike.
Capello has indicated he may consider dropping Green against Algeria, but that is not his only headache. Captain Rio Ferdinand was out with a knee injury before Ledley King picked up a groin strain during the first tie. — DPA