Tel refutes Kaiser 'school team' jibe

With McClaren's side on the verge of failing to make it to next year's Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland, the England head coach is fighting to save his job and credibility ahead of the final round of group games in mid November.

Although McClaren received predictable backing from assistant Venables yesterday, there was a damning indictment from The Kaiser — part of the great German side who lost to England in the 1966 World Cup Final.

Beckenbauer, who watched Germany beat England in a friendly at Wembley in August, said: "It was like a school team, they were not talking and not supporting each other that night. That was for me the biggest surprise. There is no life in this team.

"The first time I played against England in 1965, then the World Cup in 1966, there was always a certain spirit. That has to be there."

Venables, however, was adamant that McClaren's team are more than equipped to be successful.

He said: "That's his (Beckenbauer's) view and he is entitled to that. But I don't agree. I don't think it's about noise on the pitch. It's about much more than that.

"Ultimately, of course, it's about winning games. It is no good me saying we have been fantastic because we haven't but we have been getting better."

Venables was speaking at the launch of the PFA's 'One Goal One Million' campaign, which aims to raise £1million towards facilities at the Manchester Children's Hospital.

As part of the fund-raising, Venables will manage an England Legends XI against Sven Goran Eriksson's World Legends XI for a game at the City of Manchester Stadium on December 2.

Before then, though, Venables must hope that Russia fail to beat Israel and England go on to beat group leaders Croatia and qualify for next summer's finals.

He said: "There might have been too much respect for each other — among the players — but I think that has gone and they have got animated.

"When we played Andorra and were up against it, it drew the team together and they said that 'If we've got to fight the world, we'll fight them'.

"There is nothing like a cause but you can't create a cause, as much as I'd like to at times."

McClaren has admitted in recent times that some players perhaps need to be more vocal.

Last night former England boss Graham Taylor said: "I think there is life in the team but I understand where Beckenbauer's coming from.

"There isn't a Tony Adams, a Stuart Pearce, a Paul Gascoigne, who, as well as playing with their feet, played with their mouths. That is one of the things the present England team are short of. I don't think they are loud enough."