Rooney: 'Players to blame, not McClaren'

Updated 16.25 Sat Oct 27 2007

Keywords: Champions League, Premier League, Euro 2008, England, Steve McClaren, Manchester United, Wayne Rooney, football, sport

Wayne Rooney believes England's players should be blamed for the team's Euro 2008 qualifying shortcomings and not boss Steve McClaren.

McClaren's future has once again come under heavy scrutiny after England's hopes of booking their place in next summer's European Championship finals were taken out of their own hands following last week's 2-1 defeat in Moscow

"We're the ones playing the football, we're the ones representing the country and we feel responsible for it" - Wayne Rooney

Indeed, unless Russia drop points in either Israel or Andorra or Group E leaders Croatia fail to pick up the point they need in their remaining qualifiers England will fail to reach their first major tournament since the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

And Rooney said: "Before that Russia game everyone was saying how well the side was playing and how well the manager was doing.

"Of course everyone was really disappointed to lose - but one defeat doesn't make you a bad side or him a bad manager. These things happen - no one's going to win every game. Steve's come in and done a great job.

"Everyone in the camp's really happy and the players really feel a sense of responsibility for what's happened. We're the ones playing the football, we're the ones representing the country and we feel responsible for it."

England know that they must beat Croatia in the final Group E game at Wembley on November 21 to stand any chance of playing in Euro 2008.