Neville - Not good enough

"A team that has John Terry, Gary Cahill, Scott Parker, Gareth Barry, Darren Bent and Rooney in its central positions is nowhere near good enough to take on the major nations such as Spain."
Gary Neville Quotes of the week

The ex-Manchester United right-back, now working in the media with Sky Sports, won 85 caps for his country but was part of a number of sides that failed to deliver at a major tournament.

Friday's 2-2 draw in Montenegro ensured England's qualification for next summer's European Championships, but Neville has highlighted a number of areas in the current squad that he believes will stop Fabio Capello's men from making an impression in Poland and Ukraine.

England will start the tournament without the suspended Wayne Rooney following his red card on Friday, but Neville feels there are greater problems to address.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he said: "The real issue is that the spine of the team is not good enough, as it stands, to take on Spain, Italy, France or Germany at Euro 2012.

No mobility

"We're now talking about Rooney possibly missing two games of Euro 2012 when what we should be talking about is the spine of a team that has no mobility and can't keep the ball.

"When I look at it coldly, a team that has John Terry, Gary Cahill, Scott Parker, Gareth Barry, Darren Bent and Rooney in its central positions is nowhere near good enough to take on the major nations such as Spain.

"I"m not having a go at individuals; there are some very good players among those names. Collectively, Rooney aside, there is hardly any pace, very little invention and hardly any rotation of positions."

England face the world's No.1 side, Spain, in a friendly next month, and Neville wants Capello to make his players step up and prove they can match them.

He added: "Somehow, Capello has to do something that no England manager has done in 15 years, and that is make the England players believe that this next match could be the most important of their life."