Cohen slams "awful" England
Gerrard will be hoping for a very different reaction following the latest game against Croatia
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Published by Gibson Square, out November 15th, 204 pages, £12. |  |
Friday, 16, Nov 2007 05:17
World Cup winner George Cohen has said it is "absurd" that England are struggling to progress from their qualifying group for Euro 2008.
The Three Lions, who are in Austria tonight for an international friendly, are reliant upon Israel taking points off Russia in Tel Aviv tomorrow, otherwise their hopes of making the finals next summer are effectively over.
But Cohen, who was part of the most successful side in English history that won the 1966 Jules Rimet Trophy, said he finds it "upsetting" to watch an "unenthusiastic" England team.
"Qualification should have been a matter of course but what is obvious now is that we're not as good as we were. We have been awful," he said.
"Ordinary teams make it hard work for us and some of them are no better than Championship sides. The fact we can't see them off is unacceptable."
Cohen continued: "Look at the sides we play - some of them are genuine third-world countries.
"We should be beating some of these sides hands down. Look at the last World Cup - Trinidad and Tobago gave us a good game.
"They made it hard for us and England should never have allowed that to happen.
"I found the last World Cup to be abysmal and embarrassing. Our stars were dreadful."
The outspoken 68-year-old also vented his frustration at current manager Steve McClaren, saying his position would become "untenable if England fail to qualify".
"If they gave Sir Alf Ramsey the sack, they can get rid of this guy," he claimed.
"He's been around the England team for several years, yet in the last four major competitions we've been outrageously poor.
"Morale is obviously poor and that's down to the manager. We look depressed."