England v Macedonia Match Programme || Neville: Time To Deliver

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ENGLAND v MACEDONIA - NEVILLE: TIME TO DELIVER

Gary Neville insists England do not "have a God given right" to win a major tournament and need to start performing when it matters if they are to end their 40-year silverware drought.

Despite a disappointing World Cup campaign which ended at the quarter-final stage, Neville's faith in the current crop of players remains undiminished and he is confident they can make amends at the European Championships.

But the fit-again Manchester United captain knows success is all about gelling as an effective unit rather than relying on outstanding individuals as Steve McClaren's side continue their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign on Saturday against Macedonia at Old Trafford.

Neville said: "We've got to get to that finals arena again in two years time and, when we get there, we've got to perform.

"I've said before it's a joke England have not won anything for 40 years or have not contested semis and finals on a more regular basis.

"That's what England should be doing although we don't have any God given right to do it. The players have to perform and do their jobs and that's what we hope to do in the European qualifiers and in the tournament.

"I do genuinely believe in the players that are here with England. I look around Europe and see them performing in the Champions League.

"We have got some great individuals - but we have to perform as a team - and we have to perform in every game up until to the European Championship and then deliver in the tournament."

Neville admitted: "I would understand if the public were dubious about us (winning a trophy). If I were a member of the public, I would think exactly the same thing but, as players, we have to believe in ourselves.

"You have to recover and you have to pick yourselves up and go all over again. That's the way it is.

"We can either sit around and say 'we failed in the World Cup and we are not ever going to be good enough' or try and do something about it.

"There is a genuine belief, and there was before the World Cup, but we didn't do ourselves justice in the World Cup. There is no doubt about that.

"We had an opportunity in that World Cup. We were a kick of the ball away from reaching the semi-finals. We should have been doing better in that World Cup.

"But the fans continue to have faith because we are British. The British and English have a way of dealing with things in life. We all suffer disappointments.

"This last World Cup was a huge disappointment for our country but we always respond to things like that, pick ourselves up and go again. That is our way.

"The fans showed with their response against Greece and Andorra that they have picked themselves up after a disappointing summer and were ready to go again and the players are the same. That's the way we have to be.

"You don't lie down on the floor and take it. You get up and start again. I don't believe the expectation levels have changed. England have to go and win a tournament."

Neville admitted McClaren and the players have attempted already to right some of the wrongs of the campaign in Germany under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

He said: "It wasn't just a case of picking ourselves up and 'here we go again' without trying to put things right. Self-analysis took place.

"The new manager has analysed every last kick of the football during the World Cup and the players after the tournament would have been doing the same saying things like, 'did I perform to the best of my ability, what could I have done differently?'

"We have to put those things right and I am confident we can put some of the things right that were wrong in the summer."

By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.

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