Hiddink: 'England look scared'

Updated 11.31 Tue Sep 04 2007
Keywords: Guus Hiddink, Russia, Steve McClaren, England, football, Euro 2008, sport

Russia national coach Guus Hiddink believes England are "scared to express themselves".

Hiddink was among the candidates to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson after last year's World Cup finals in Germany, but instead opted to take the Russia job.

"England have played with anxiety and looked scared to express themselves. That is not the England the world has always looked to for leadership in football" - Guus Hiddink

The Dutchman, who will be looking to get the better of Steve McClaren's men in their Euro 2008 qualifier at Wembley next week, has been quoted as saying: "I have always been an admirer of the England team but they have underachieved in the last two World Cups and were not the England I have come to expect.

"England's passion and desire, their willingness to attack, that's what's been missing in recent years.

"They have played with anxiety and looked scared to express themselves. That is not the England the world has always looked to for leadership in football."

Russia are one point better off than England in the race to qualify for next summer's European Championship finals in Switzerland and Austria and Hiddink believes Group E will go down to the last round of qualifying matches.

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