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England stars plead for time
27/03/2008 22:18 - (SA)
Paris - England's high-profile players have called for supporters and critics to be patient as new manager Fabio Capello picks over the evidence of a defeat against France in his second match in charge.
The Football Association has made Capello one of the highest paid coaches in world football in a bid to revive a side that failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals under previous incumbent Steve McClaren.
But there were few signs of the green shoots of recovery in Paris as a Franck Ribery penalty gave France a 1-0 friendly victory over an England team that failed to create chances despite retaining possession for long periods, particularly in the first half.
The match was the second in a string of five friendly fixtures planned by Capello to prepare England for a World Cup qualifying campaign which begins in September and there is clearly much work to be done; work that England's players are convinced will be fruitful.
Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, who was asked to play a more advanced role in Paris as back-up to lone striker Wayne Rooney, said: "I thought there was a slight improvement and it is all about patience and getting used to what the manager wants.
"I think there were signs of that, certainly in the first half. We were happy, controlling the game, but we conceded a stupid goal which we will have to eradicate in the future.
Brand new set-up
"It is going to take time. We've had two games together, four or five training sessions and it is a brand new set-up, not just the manager but the whole coaching side, so it will take time for us to adapt to each other.
"Everyone has to be patient, we need time to work on different formations and tactics. The important thing is we peak in September. The manager wants to be a lot more aggressive without the ball and pass it a lot more."
Capello has many issues to address before England's World Cup campaign begins in earnest with a trip to Andorra on September 6 and a tie in Zagreb against Croatia four days later.
Not least of those is who to name as captain after turning to Gerrard in his first match in charge (a 2-1 win over Switzerland last month) and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand in Paris, leaving McClaren's choice John Terry wondering if it will ever be his turn.
Terry was unable to stake any kind of claim in the Stade De France, coming off at half-time because of a slight hamstring problem, but will hope to be given a chance before September, along with other potential candidates such as Gareth Barry or even the 23-year-old Rooney.
- AFP
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