Workshy stars blasted
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Last updated: 15th November 2007
Kerzhakov: Launched attack on England stars
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Russia's Alexander Kerzhakov claims England will not qualify for Euro 2008 because money has made their players lazy.
Kerzhakov believes Russia work harder during games and are more deserving of a place in next summer's finals.
"England have a team of big stars who earn an awful lot of money from playing with their private deals," he said.
"Russia have a compact group of players who don't have anywhere near as much money, but with far more hard workers on the field. That's the difference between the countries.
Strange
"That's why we are in a strong position and England have been left just hoping."
If Russia beat Israel on Saturday, England will be all but eliminated from the qualification race for the finals.
Kerzhakov added: "I understand that the Euro 2008 finals without players like Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney would be strange, but England have not performed on the field and Russia have more points, so that is how it should be.
"It isn't always the superstars who win football matches. We deserve to be in the finals because we've lost only once and that sums up our consistency."
Kerzhakov also accused England of freezing during last month's 2-1 defeat to Russia.
"Against England, we played without fear. The same can't be said of England," he said.
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Comments
John Tomlinson says...
I used to be a very keen football fan until the 70s when the ridiculous salaries paid to players started to get bigger and bigger. Long before they reached todays' obscene levels, I stopped going as the game became boring compared to the attacking style of play I grew up with in the fifties and sixties when we had FIVE forwards up front. The standard of English football today is very poor. It is camouflaged in the Premiership by the huge numbers of skilful foreign players who make up for the lack of ability in most English players. The England players are paid far too much for their mediocre and sometimes very poor skills.
Posted 01:18 16th November 2007
Rick Hadwick (Liverpool fan) says...
Who wouldn't play with fear with fans like ours!!
Posted 14:41 15th November 2007
Yann Aere (Middlesbrough fan) says...
It's funny to blame England players for being on to much money and that being the reason they lack desire. I look at Rooney, Terry, Lampard (who gets slated so much for England) & Gerrard and can safely say that I don't believe they lack desire. I wonder how much Robinho, Ronaldinho or kaka are on at their clubs and they still manage to play fine or how much F Malouda, Evra, P Viera, T Henry etc who were runners up in the world cup with mentioning winners Pirlo, Inzaghi, Nesta, Cannavaro. They're all well paid and so they should be because at the end of the day, they get paid a lot of money because of the money they generate for their clubs so if the players weren't getting this money, it would be the clubs earning off the players. In my opinion is that it is down to the manager to get the best out of the players because we all know England have some talented players there and I just believe it will take the right person to manage the team properly. It's the whole team that wins things which includes the manager and his staff as their jobs is to get the best out of the players because I am truely amazed that England have not done better in recent years with these players. Maclaren should have gotten better results against the weaker teams and tried to make some big decisions at the start regarding Beckham and it's all backfired now!
Posted 14:27 15th November 2007
Paul Williams (Stoke City fan) says...
I don't agree that England's players are lazy, and it's not their fault that their club teams pay them silly wages, they are just not good enough.SIMPLE.
Posted 14:06 15th November 2007
Mark Jaycocks (Manchester United fan) says...
I totaly agree with Alexander Kerzhakov. because of the vast amount of money they earn, its quite easy for them to become complacent and not work as hard as other countries. the reason in this is simple...on the big stage such as world cups and euro championships, most of the big players such as rooney, owen, gerrard and co have nothing to prove because there already branded as world class players anyway so do they really need to prove it on the internation scene?..of course but they dont as there clubs already pay them world class wages..£100k+ per week. Look at russia, Pick out a world class player..you cant. look at there position to qualify and look at ours. look at the hunger in those players as they want to suceed more and get noticed by top flight clubs and look at our players. if any of you readers can be really honest and yes im patriotic to my country. Ask yourself, as a national team are they really that good as a team. i dont mean as individuals coz they are very good as individuals. the answer is no there not. what i will say and this was proven only up until our last defeat to russia. When we play and include frank lampard we get beat or play very poorly. look at the games we played before that game and without frank lampard, we were winning and playing fantastic football and scoring plenty of goals. i love my country but i think we should really be honest with ourselves and just say it as it is.
Posted 13:07 15th November 2007
Kristian Williams (Manchester United fan) says...
I think there's some truth in there. Some players are less committed (or getting lazy). But I think it's the pressure that's getting to the players. It looks like they're scared of getting caught. Obviously you have a few who stand up and get involved. The likes of Rooney, Hargreaves, Smithy & Terry. If every player played with the same desire & commitment you'd see huge improvements. This is why United are looking scary this season, Everyone's looking hungry for success. Sorry, couldn't resist. CL winners? hmm
Posted 12:34 15th November 2007
Jack Nordon (Liverpool fan) says...
Couldnt agree more. England no longer has its own style of play. Unwittingly allowing more and more Foreigners into the English game has watered down the traditional English game of a combination of men being men - tough tackling, strength and ability. Its true to say theyve brought us awesome technical attributes, and flair, but the success that comes from that, only seems to show itself when foreign players and English players are playing side by side (English teams' performances in European competitions for example). When there are 11 English players on the pitch representing England, we have maybe 6 or 7 players that have the flair and technical abilities to match top foreign players, against a team full of players with a traditional background of technical ability and flair, and a playing style that they have developed over the years. This is why, whenever England play any of the top sides of the World (Brazil/Argentina etc), they are outclassed. People are looking to the future, theres a lot to be said about looking to the past.
Posted 12:26 15th November 2007
Mark Smith (Manchester United fan) says...
couldnt agree more with all the comments above. yes money wasn't an issue when we smashed them at wembley, but where was that performance against minor european teams away such as isreal etc. the point is we have a quality quality squad, but we just bottle it ever time we should have sailed this group and now probably not qualify, we cannot blame one person its wrong. every single attribute needs to be lookd at from grass routes to experience of english players in teams and in europe and stop messing around going round in circles because we need to address this its only going to happen again and again, it will just get worse until something is done!! for the sake of english football, staff, players, fans, fa, and government need to take a step in a different direction.
Posted 12:14 15th November 2007
Jean-paul Ramjattan (Manchester United fan) says...
I have to agree to some extent that England have become lazy in some regard. I don't believe its so much about the effort they put out on the field physically, but mentally. With the likes of Rooney, Gerrard, Owen etc. you really can't say these guys don't work hard. But I believe what is lacking is their hunger for victory. You see the heart of the young players striving but as for the "stars" it seems they put out more for club rather than country. Which goes back to the amount of money which does play a factor. All in all I believe that Russia have worked harder in many respects and unlike England do play without fear, but its not over till its over. Somehow I think the shame of not passing the group stages may be needed to shake the players up a bit.
Posted 12:05 15th November 2007
Michael Emmons (West Ham United fan) says...
Kerzhakov is correct when he states our players earn vast amounts of money and no one can argue with that fact. However the FA are the people we need to point the finger at because everyone could have told them Mac wasn't the right person for the job, i mean what had he ever done to prove his worth ?? They clearly didn't think he was the top choice as Martin O'neil apparently made big demands and Big Phil also turned his back at the last minute so why make a rash and quick choice picking the wrong man in the process !!! If Sven was still in charge we would have been through to Euro 2008 already but he's not. I do not expect Isreal to get anything so we will be out and Mac should get the boot, but even if we do somehow manage to get through the FA should realise there mistake sack him and get someone who is right so he has time to change things for the finals because lets be honest anyone would be able to do what Mac has with the players we have !
Posted 11:53 15th November 2007
Emma Pat (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...
Yes, I strongly believe that England will and can not qualifier from group level because they always believe in players like Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney. Let's us tell ourself the true. Is Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney good at all? NO and once they continue to play Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney in England team believe me or not, England can not win anything even with the best coach in the world. Wayne Rooney is very rude in match and outside match and Michael Owen time is gone for long. Believe it or not.
Posted 11:51 15th November 2007
Drew Anderson (Rangers fan) says...
I think Alexander Kerzhakov is spot on, if you look at all the England players and the money the players are on! It is shocking that they are counting on another country to put them into the European Championships they should be automatic qualifiers! Also dont mean to brag but look at Scotland!
Posted 11:28 15th November 2007
Chris Taylor (Manchester United fan) says...
I don't remember income causing any laziness when we slaughtered them at Wembley.
Posted 11:15 15th November 2007
Chris Priest (Hartlepool United fan) says...
Couldn't agree more with what he was saying, English football has never been worse off because of all the money involved.
Posted 11:11 15th November 2007
Paul Kennedy (Portsmouth fan) says...
Kerzhakov has a point that England play with fear, however I don't agree that our players are lazy. To see the reason why England fail in major competitions you have to look at why Italy (and in the past, Germany) do so well. Italy have technically gifted players with great touch, control and passing ability. They are also strong both physically and mentally. If teams try to put Italy under pressure, they are composed enough to hold onto the ball and pass their way out of trouble. When England are pressurised, they panic and kick the ball aimlessly up field. It wont make any difference who is England manager until we change our mentallity (starting from junior school) and reduce the number of foreigners representing our clubs (thus gaining valuable international experience) in the Champions League every year.
Posted 10:43 15th November 2007
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