Peter Crouch says Capello gives self-confidence to England at the World Cup
England and Tottenham Hotspur forward Peter Crouch has made it known that Fabio Capello is making sure self-confidence within the England camp at the World Cup is not diminishing.
The Three Lions only managed to gain point from their opening game with the United States, following a goalkeeping gaffe from bungling Rob Green. This was a game that they were fully expected to win, and this result poses questions about the team’s credentials for winning the World Cup.
In spite of that faltering start though, Crouch insists that spirit remains high in the England squad, with the boss working the players hard to make certain standards get better against Algeria on Friday.
"The manager knows we can do better," Crouch told reporters.
"He told us he saw things in the first game that were encouraging, and he has taken them and told us we should still believe in ourselves and what we are doing.
"Those are the things we need to take into the next game.
"Obviously we can improve and we know that we have to, but there were those encouraging signs as well.
"We were very disappointed not to have won the game.
"When we scored the early goal, we thought we'd go on and do just that, but it wasn't to be and we have to move on.
"I think a lot of the first games in the group stages, don't quite live up to expectations. It's often the way in the World Cup.
"Hopefully we will go on and do a lot better from now on. We all know that and we have to make sure we get it right, starting against Algeria. But we didn't lose the game, like a lot of people seem to be making out, and we've got to go forward with confidence and believe we can still do well."
Much has been made of the incident in which Capello chose to to notify his players of the starting line-up for the game, just two hours in advance of kick-off.
Crouch cannot comprehend the upheaval that is being made, from something that he believes is fairly common practice in football, and says that most of the players have a pretty good idea what role they will be playing.
"I don't think what time the team is announced is an issue," he said. At Liverpool, Rafael Benitez picked the team just before we got on to the coach and we seemed to perform well without any adverse affect. We could've guessed pretty much most of the team from training. Some players like to know earlier but others don't mind."
"Every one of us knows the job we have to do if we are called up into the starting eleven. If Emile Heskey is playing, I know I'll probably come on for him and Jermain Defoe will come on for Wayne Rooney."
Crouch himself came on as a late substitute in England's opening match. However, he is hoping to be something more than just a squad player as the competition continues.
"It was nice for me to play a part. Everybody wants to start games and play in the World Cup but I was just pleased to get on to the pitch," he added.
"Hopefully I will have a bigger part to play in the rest of the tournament. I'd just have liked a scoring chance when I did come on. We know from what we've done in the qualifiers and the friendlies that we are a team that creates chances but I just didn't get one. But there's a lot more time left in the tournament."
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