World Cup 2010: Jermain Defoe urges fans to persevere with England

[mawspurs]

Source: Goal

Tottenham striker understands fans' disappointment...

Jermain Defoe urges fans to persevere with England following boos after Algeria draw.

England striker Jermain Defoe insists he can understand the fans’ frustrations after their goalless draw with Algeria but has urged his country’s supporters to continue following their team at the World Cup.

Fabio Capello’s Three Lions were booed off following their second successive Group C draw and, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the game, the Tottenham Hotspur man sympathised with the supporters.

"Obviously you can understand the fans’ frustration they have travelled miles and miles to support the boys and obviously we didn’t win tonight," he said.

"I think it is important for the fans to persevere really, keep supporting us and hopefully we will put things right on Wednesday."

Defoe also insisted he felt his side were a little unlucky not to score against Algeria but claimed he was confident the Three Lions could beat Slovenia in the final group game on Wednesday afternoon.

"A little bit more luck and maybe we would have scored, the spirit is still good which is important and hopefully we’ll win the next game," he explained.

"Sometimes it’s difficult, you have to be professional and keep working hard. We have a great bunch of lads, everyone wants to win.

"Hopefully on Wednesday we will put everything right and win the game."

The Tottenham Hotspur man also insisted that despite their poor start to the campaign, England are a great team with world class players.

"I think the lads have got to realise we are a great team. Regardless of what anyone says tonight we are a great team," he added.

"You look around the dressing room and we have world class players.

"I think we have got to stick together, that’s the key. If we stick together I am sure we’ll win on Wednesday."

[pezinhoTHFC]

One thing that has annoyed me above and beyond anything else since Friday evening is the amount of ridicule and criticism levelled at the squad and management. Whilst I completely understand fans' disappointment in the performance, I think the press (and subsequently the fans) have gone overboard on the reaction to the game.

Ive heard people saying that these are the best players in England and yet they're not fit to wear the shirt which is a complete contradiction in terms. Ive heard people correlate the performance to the amount of money the players earn and that they're overpaid. Ridiculous. Overpaid compared to what? They're paid according to the market in which they work. Moreover, the money that they earn is largely accredited to the work of their agents whose interest it is in because of their % commission and also to the clubs for offering x amount of money. Anyone would bite the arm off if offered large amounts of money like footballers are. To suggest that these large amounts of money have "bought" the footballers out of their desire, passion and dream to win the World Cup is ludicrous.

To the fans moaning about the amount of money they paid to go to the World Cup to watch England - all I can say is at least you're there when there are many others who couldn't afford to be. I would also add that spending thousands of pounds to go and watch England in the World Cup does not guarantee you an enjoyable or successful experience. Would you be moaning as much if you'd spent £50 to see them lose at Wembley? Id argue probably not.

Yes the team played poorly and yes we should have won but let's remember a couple of things:

1. Algeria had as much, if not more (with 0 points) to play for than England. Their tournament depended on that game as much as ours so to assume they were going to be a pushover is nonsense.

2. We're still in the tournament and it's in our hands which is the best we can ask for right now.

3. Until we're out of the World Cup, let's get behind the team, support them and the Spurs players involved and cheer them on as much as we can. Likewise, let's stop the dissection of the situation, the pointless continued and prolonged assessment of the game and the ridicule. We're still in it, let's support them as we were doing before the USA game.

[chrisp]

Couldn't agree more. The press and fans as usual have gone completely off the deep end. Certainly it seems like we have very short memories that don't extend much beyond 2006 as that was about the only time since 1966 that we've not made heavy weather of the group stage to some extent (and even then people were moaning about the fact that we didn't put 5 or 6 past trinidad & tobago).

In fact, it seems that in over 40 years, and in stark contradiaction to the facts we have failed to re-set our world cup expectations since we won it in 1966. We've actually failed to even qualify three times since then but despite that everyone seems to expect at least a runners-up medal despite the fact that away from home soil we've only progressed beyond the quarters once!!!!

Other things to remember:


The rubbish teams have all been eliminated by this stage - everyone has come through a tough qualification campaign so the minnows we can expect to give a 6-0 drubbing to have been left watching at home
The Algerians actually beat Egypt - the african cup of nations champs - in playoff game to get here - so they can get a result when they need it
The level of parity in world football is greater than ever before - most of the players in this tournament are playing for top european leagues week in week out.
It was a toothless performance against a team we should have beaten, yes, but we were not 'outclassed' byt he Algerians. they sat back and defended for 90 minutes and were happy with that. We enjoyed more posession and more shots on goal...

[spud]

Couldn't agree more. The press and fans as usual have gone completely off the deep end.

It was a toothless performance against a team we should have beaten, yes, but we were not 'outclassed' byt he Algerians. they sat back and defended for 90 minutes and were happy with that. We enjoyed more posession and more shots on goal...


While I agree with your general sentiment, Algeria clearly did not sit back and defend for the whole game. This wasn't N. Korea against Brazil or Switzerland against Spain. It was open, and one of England's failings was simply that the players lacked the imagination / ability / desire (pick one or more according to taste) to exploit what should have been - but patently during the game were not - weaker opponents.

[pezinhoTHFC]

While I agree with your general sentiment, Algeria clearly did not sit back and defend for the whole game. This wasn't N. Korea against Brazil or Switzerland against Spain. It was open, and one of England's failings was simply that the players lacked the imagination / ability / desire (pick one or more according to taste) to exploit what should have been - but patently during the game were not - weaker opponents.

Whilst you're right in that the game was more open, to be overly critical of an England performance actually detracts from Algeria's own solid performance. Yes it's a game we should have won but, as I said in my original post, Algeria had as much, if not more, to play for than we did so to EXPECT us to thrash them, let alone win, is a prime example of the over-the-top expectation the British press and a large majority of England fans place on the team.

[spud]

......so to EXPECT us to thrash them, let alone win, is a prime example of the over-the-top expectation the British press and a large majority of England fans place on the team.

I never expect England to win, pez; I got over that years ago.

Now I confidently expect them to flatter to deceive, to scrape through first round groups more by luck than good play, and to be knocked out by the first team they meet that is any good. Or by the first major footballing nation, whether or not they are any good, simply because England haven't got the mental strength to beat them.

[pezinhoTHFC]

I never expect England to win, pez; I got over that years ago.

Now I confidently expect them to flatter to deceive, to scrape through first round groups more by luck than good play, and to be knocked out by the first team they meet that is any good. Or by the first major footballing nation, whether or not they are any good, simply because England haven't got the mental strength to beat them.

Im talking as a whole. The British press and a large majority of England fans as a whole have this perception that if we win a game (regardless who the opponents are) we're world-beaters and if we lose / draw a game (regardless who the opponents are) we're absolutely crap. My argument is that there were other factors involved in the Algeria game, other than our own players' poor performance, that contributed to that performance.