Rio Ferdinand: England can face criticism
England captain Rio Ferdinand has said his team should have no problem facing criticism for their performance against Montenegro this week, even if some of it may be unfairly levelled against them.
Fabio Capello's team failed to break the deadlock against a sturdy Montenegrin defence as their third Euro 2012 qualifier ended in a goalless draw.
It was the first game in which England has failed to score at the new Wembley Stadium, but Ferdinand played down speculation of a prolonged slump in form.
“It wasn’t too long ago that we had 11 wins on the bounce at Wembley," the Manchester United defender said. "Sometimes people should take that into consideration, but people pay their money to watch us perform and win games. Frustration creeps in sometimes
and that is part and parcel of being an international footballer. You take the rough with the smooth."
Opinions that the English players feel no pride in playing for the national team are voiced whenever the national team drops points, but Ferdinand insisted that his players take their international commitments seriously.
"It doesn’t matter how much you get paid, it’s about pride. You go back to your house, look yourself in the mirror and say, 'You've given 100 per cent' and 'I worked hard enough for my team'. My message to the fans would be to stay behind us. It's down to
us to perform to our level and we’re trying to do that."
Defends Wayne Rooney's performance
Wayne Rooney, who returned from injury against Montenegro, has had a slow start to the season, both for club and country. But Ferdinand said England cannot lay the blame for their collective failure to score on the star striker.
"Sometimes, for strikers, you need that bit of luck in front of goal and to get a chance. The ball didn't fall for any of our forwards to get a clean chance. To pick out Wazza wouldn't be fair, as the ball didn't fall for us in their box."
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