Rio Ferdinand has jumped to the defense of embattled England manager Steve McClaren, insisting he is "doing all he can" to try to find a solution to England's problems.
Defender Ferdinand said that the team and not the manager are at fault as they head to Barcelona for today's Euro 2008 qualifier bidding to end a five-game winless run against minnows Andorra.
"I think, even before the boss came in, we weren't consistently playing to our capabilities, to our potential," he said.
"Many of these players in the squad could walk into any other team in Europe -- if not the world -- but we've not been able to do that over a consistent period," Ferdinand said.
"The manager we've got now is doing all he can to find the answers to all the questions that arise from Sven-Goran Eriksson's era and his own period [in charge]. But the players have got to take some responsibility as well. The manager can do it any way he wants but if we're not performing right then it's not going to happen," he said.
"I think a lot of us haven't been performing how we perform for our clubs. It's been, here and there, high-class performances from individuals but not as a collective team. The first half against Sweden in the opening group of the World Cup last summer was a great performance, but, other than that, there hasn't been a stand-up performance," Ferdinand said.
McClaren's days as England manager appeared numbered on Monday as he was forced to deny reports of a rift in his relationship with Wayne Rooney against a background of claims he could be sacked for a cut-price ?2.5 million (US$4.9 million).
According to media reports, Rooney was allegedly angered by McClaren's decision to single him out for criticism in the dressing room inquest after Saturday's goalless draw with Israel.
Rooney reportedly responded by throwing his boots and kit at the wall in frustration and the argument was so loud it could be heard in the neighboring Israel dressing room.
"What happens in the dressing room is private and I don't discuss that," McClaren said on Monday. "But a rift between me and Wayne Rooney is absolutely ridiculous.
"The belief and togetherness of the squad and the staff has never been better," he said.
It emerged on Monday that McClaren's contract, which runs until 2010, includes a clause which allows him to be dismissed in return for a severance payment equivalent to one year's salary.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set