England should not qualify!

[InsaneApache]

So says Paul Parker.

England failure 'would be good'

Under-fire England boss Steve McClaren faces a tense weekend

Former England defender Paul Parker believes failure to qualify for Euro 2008 could be the wake-up call the English game needs.

If Russia beat Israel on Saturday, England will be all but eliminated from the qualification race for the finals.

"If it takes us not to qualify for Euro 2008 for the penny to start dropping, then so be it," said Parker.

"We need to get everybody looking at the real problems and so I hope we do not qualify."

Parker was part of the last England side that failed to qualify for a major tournament, the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
We deserve to be in the finals because we've lost only once and that sums up our consistency


And he says the authorities must address the issue of foreign players and English players coming through the ranks.

"There are too many foreign players in this country," the 1990 World Cup semi-finalist told the Mirror. "But it's more than that.

"Just because the top players are getting paid £100,000 per week doesn't make it the best league, just the best-paid league.

"What we need to see is younger players coming through into the Premier League from the lower divisions.

"The scouts aren't interested in drudging around the lower leagues, they just want to fly off to Italy and Spain and sit in a warm directors' box. We're the only country that doesn't look at its own.

Parker won 19 caps for England at right back


"It could be a major bonus for English football if we don't go through to Euro 2008 - but only if the Football Association and everybody else starts talking and come to the realisation that we're not good enough as a national team."

Meanwhile, Russia striker Alexander Kerzhakov says England are struggling to qualify for Euro 2008 because money has diminished the work ethic of the players.

"England have a team of big stars who earn an awful lot of money from playing with their private deals," he said.

"Russia have a compact group of players who don't have anywhere near as much money, but with far more hard workers on the field. That's the difference between the countries.

"That's why we are in a strong position and England have been left just hoping."

England need Israel to pick up at least a point against Russia, or for Macedonia to beat Croatia, if they are to realistically stay in with a chance of qualifying.
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And Kerzhakov says he has little sympathy for England's plight.

"I understand that the Euro 2008 finals without players like Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney would be strange," he said.

"But England have not performed on the field and Russia have more points, so that is how it should be.

"It isn't always the superstars who win football matches. We deserve to be in the finals because we've lost only once and that sums up our consistency."

England take on Austria in a friendly on Friday before their final qualifying game against Croatia next Wednesday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 095794.stm

Err no nosey, it's because McClaren is a twerp.