FA backs under-fire boss McClaren

Updated 15.07 Thu Oct 18 2007

Keywords: Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Guus Hiddink, Russia, Brian Barwick, FA, Euro 2008, Steve McClaren, England, football, sport

Steve McClaren still has the Football Association's backing despite England's Euro 2008 qualifying hopes being taken out of their hands.

McClaren is coming under fire once again after his men crashed to a potentially costly 2-1 defeat in Russia after five successive 3-0 Group E victories.

England now have to beat Croatia in their final Group E clash at Wembley on November 21 and hope that Guus Hiddink's men drop points in either of their remaining qualifiers in Israel or Andorra

But FA chief executive Brian Barwick told reporters: "Steve has to get on with his job and we are behind him of course. His job is to get those players ready. We are still in this group. We are not in the position we'd like to be in the group.

"We are not out of this group. We need help from other teams. There is still plenty of football to be played in this group. Steve has to concentrate on England v Croatia and I know he will. We're still in the mix."

Two goals in the space of four second-half minutes from substitute Roman Pavlychenko, after Wayne Rooney had fired McClaren's men in front, turned the game and the group squarely on its head.

England now have to beat Croatia in their final Group E clash at Wembley on November 21 and hope that Guus Hiddink's men drop points in either of their remaining qualifiers in Israel or Andorra.

And McClaren is determined to remain upbeat, saying: "This group is not over yet. It is out of our hands but it is not over. Russia still have to go to Israel and win.

"The pressure is still on them. We just have to wait. As I have said all along, this group is decided over 12 games, not 10 or 11. Let's see where we end up."

Steven Gerrard insists England's players and staff must take full responsibility if they fail to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals.

The stand-in skipper, who missed a gilt-edged opportunity to put the game beyond Russia at the start of the second half, said: "I can't believe it is out of our hands.

"We have worked so hard over the last five or six games to put ourselves in the driving seat and make ourselves favourites to go through.

"We went 1-0 up in Russia and you start believing you are nearly there, that you have got one foot in the finals, but football is a cruel game.

"Chances and decisions and mistakes turn football matches and that is what has happened.

"But for England not to make the finals will be unthinkable. As players and staff we've got to take the responsibility for that.

"However, it is important that we don't give up. We are waiting on other people to do us favours but as players we've got to stick together, focus and believe to the end.

"Israel are capable of getting a result against Russia but, with them not being able to qualify, it's certainly a difficult situation."