Gerrard: Mac is the man

Midfielder backing for England boss

By Peter Fraser   Last updated: 12th November 2007

England training Steven Gerrard

Gerrard: Backing boss

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Steven Gerrard believes Steve McClaren is the right man to manage England and insists it will be down to the players if England fail to qualify for Euro 2008.

England's hopes of progressing from Euro 2008 qualifying Group E rests in the hands of others following a stuttering campaign.

McClaren's men must hope Israel can earn a positive result against Russia on Saturday and must then target a victory over Croatia at Wembley on 21st November.

However, Gerrard - who is set to captain England in Saturday's friendly with Austria and against Croatia four days later - is adamant that McClaren has the support of the squad and that the players must face the responsibility if they fail to qualify.

Criticism

"I'm certainly backing him," Gerrard told Sky Sports News.

"I'm sure all the other players are as well. I think he's the right man for the job.

"At the end of the day it is down to the players to take the criticism, as well as the manager and the coaching staff, but the players have got to take the responsibility.

"We are in a bit of a difficult situation and it's really frustrating having it in other people's hands and waiting for other results.

"But we have got to try and be positive and hopefully Israel can do us a favour at the weekend and then we can put all our efforts and concentration into the Croatia game, but we're not giving up yet."

Comments

Elisha Tsindikidzo (Arsenal fan) says...

The reason why England, Scotland,Wales, Rep of Ireland will not win anyhting major for a long time is because the British stubbornly refuse to accept that they are one country. If they did as they do for Olympic Games, they would have produced fantastic football teams capable of consistent success over the years. Great players like Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, Paul Scholes,etc would have played in the same national team!! After isolating talent like that you then inflict upon yourselves the pain of having your "poisonous press" creating an exaggerated view of the capability of the England team, and when it inevitably fails to achieve anything all hell breaks loose on the coach!!! What is wrong with you people???

Posted 15:53 12th November 2007

Lee Mcguire (Liverpool fan) says...

David Storey.... I'll keep this brief... You "hate the english"as you so eloquently put it, because you plain and simple have a chip on your shoulder .... We English couldn't care less if Scotland qualify or not because you're insignificant!

Posted 14:28 12th November 2007

Simon Cotton (Arsenal fan) says...

I totally agree with all of the comments, The England Squad are a joke. To look at the team sheet you would think they are one of the best squads in the world but in reality they cant step to the plate. We need a manager who can drill passion into the team. Every manager starts well and then it just goes back to the same old style of play regardless of whos playing. we have no spark. We should have had Scolari when he was available because Mclaren is not right for the job. I do hope we qualify but i dont see why we have to wear are hearts in our mouths every single tornement, we can beat anyone if they play to their potential.

Posted 13:09 12th November 2007

Chris Prout (Liverpool fan) says...

I hope McClaren is kicking himself for not playing Jamie Carragher a while back, 'cos now there is only Richards and Campbell to play centre half. If he had picked Jamie in them games instead of King his selections would be made easy. As for midfield, if it's not broke, don't fix it, Barry and captain Gerrard in the middle, Lampard on bench. Beckham is a good choice for experience and he'll play some part in both games. McClaren doesn't need to watch him when he knows he's fit to play. It seems McClaren is making a mountain out of a mole hill with the England team, i just hope he doesn't go all out attack like he did with Boro in the UEFA Cup Final!!!!

Posted 13:05 12th November 2007

Laven Pillay (Manchester United fan) says...

Agree with Johnny Watson regarding heart and "bottle". People deride Becks, but he plays with passion. However, there are others who perform fantastically for their clubs (with pride and passion) but seem to only pitch for the photo opportunity when playing for their country. I believe that England's media play a huge part in dragging your national teams down. It cannot be easy to manage a team when one is attacked by the media as is the case in England. If the rugby team had believed everything they read; they would have stayed at home - England's media are so quick to focus on the expolits of the foreign contingent, and have such a feeding frenzy because of bad news that they invite and lust after failure. Please go back and look at how much media pressure was put on Owen, Rooney and the selection of Heskey before they came good. Please look at what failures Sir Alex Ferguson (SAF) and Sir Clive Woodward were perceived to be before they came good - there is a winning formula in longevity. If U think a person is good enough when U hired him, give the person 4 years to prove himself. Also, I have often wondered why SAF stuck with certain players and let others go - and the answer is that those players had BMT - big match temperament - Lampard does not have it; Gerrard and Beckham do. Thierry Henry was an abject failure in the UEFA Champions League final against Barca and against Italy in the World Cup final where he was arguably the stand-out player - ready to take over the mantle of firstly Ronaldinho and secondly Zidane - he failed because he can handle the pressure in an FA Cup final and against the lesser teams but he rarely scores in really crucial games or at crucial times. The manager of England must find players with BMT - who are able to handle the pressure of the match as well as your media who are always ready to use their poison pens to stab them in the back.

Posted 13:05 12th November 2007

Stuart Cullimore (Liverpool fan) says...

McClaren is a joke, id rather have Graham Taylor than him, he aint got a clue and the FA would be MAD to keep him on even if we qualify!!

Posted 12:59 12th November 2007

Michael Steinmetz (Newcastle United fan) says...

The Premier League is the best Football leage in the world, and any England player could walk straight into any premier league team. The players are good enough to have qualified, but, like always England is a country of under-achievers. Id rather see a bunch of youngsters play for england these days, because it looks as if the excitement and passion of playing for you country has gone from the current squad.

Posted 12:58 12th November 2007

Bill Browning (Rangers fan) says...

The arrogance of England never ceases to amaze me !Why should you have DEFO qualified? Its now McLarens fault, before it was Eriksons and before him Keegan or was it Taylor. Have a look at your premiership...where are the top English managers 1st--No 2nd...No 3rd maybe...No. You are a mediocre fotball team with even more mediocre coaches!Every England player who has a decent game is lauded as World Class.....I struggle to nominate one WC player, perhaps Gerrard, definatlely not Terry or Ferdinand How dare you call Scotlamd ateam of nobodies...this only highlights your complete lack of knowledge of anything that is nopt from England.

Posted 12:53 12th November 2007

Jatinder Chana (Liverpool fan) says...

Steve McClaren must go if England fail to qualify. It happened to Graham Taylor so what's so special about Steve McClaren. He has not managed a top 6 side and he has not won any major trophy. The only club trophy he won was the Carling cup, and that not a big one to win. We need a manager with a proven record.

Posted 12:50 12th November 2007

David Storey says...

"Scotland who are made up of a team of nobodies"???.....wonder why we hate the english?......if footballl was based on hype you'd have won about 20 world cups.......but guess what the england side is garbage and always has been lol.........

Posted 12:46 12th November 2007

David Taylor (Liverpool fan) says...

I can't for the life of me understand why the squad has 3 left backs in Cole, Bridge and Shorey (4 if you include Lescott) without a recognised right back to balance it up. Richards will play central so instead of calling up Luke Young or Glen Johnson we seem to be playing people out of position. David Beckam ok, but where is Lennon? I don't like to critisise managers as a rule but I can fully understand frustrations when we don't pick players for position. Install Venables full time.

Posted 11:18 12th November 2007

Steve (liverpool fan) Cox says...

We defo should have already qualified, McClaren must go!!! He is one of the worst Managers England have every had. FA its about time you listened to the fans and sack McClaren so England can achieve the glory that players are capable of.

Posted 11:08 12th November 2007

David Harvey (Liverpool fan) says...

It will be a joke if England dont qualify!! They have a great squad and there under 21s are all first team regulars at big clubs. Miss management by the association in giving the job to a yes man from ericssons era rather then taking a gamble with someone like rednapp or Alardyce who got reults for years on a consistent basis!!

Posted 11:07 12th November 2007

John Smith says...

100% agree with Daniel Jackson....if we honestly want to consider ourselves as being in at least the top 10 teams in the world, then qualifying for a major competiton should be a given. It should never have got to this point, McClaren clearly doesn't have a clue and his recent visit to America to check on the fitness of Beckham just underlines this. If we are in this position now I hate to see where we will be come the World Cup qualifiers. He should have been sacked after the draw with Macedonia simple as.

Posted 11:02 12th November 2007

Johnny Watson (Manchester City fan) says...

Once again we find outselves stuggling to get through , the last time it went to the wire to go to a major final competition and same happens again. just think that obviously we think too highly of our team , we are a joke when we cant beat minnows who have never won anything before in their history. The nation have to stop thinking we can be world beaters and stop living in the past. The bottom line is we havnt been good enough to qualify so therefore we shouldnt be there. On the other hand Scotland who are made up of a team of nobodies can manage to beat teams like the Ukraine and France twice well come on , just shows you what determination and heart in playing for your country is all about.

Posted 10:31 12th November 2007

Daniel Jackson (Leicester City fan) says...

we should have qualified by now it was a shocking choice of players and the manager should never have been appointed

Posted 09:41 12th November 2007

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