Dubai: England’s players need to win something with their clubs before they can be expected to do something for their country, according to former Three Lions captain Rio Ferdinand.
“Listen, you can’t expect a lot from this England team,” he said following their qualification to next year’s World Cup, which was confirmed earlier this month — speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of a Football Escapes soccer school at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jumeirah on Friday.
“Yes, they are at big teams a lot of them, but a lot of them haven’t won anything yet individually with their clubs, so they’ve got a lot to do to make that transition to be winners with England as well.
“Qualifying doesn’t mean anything because you get such easy groups, teams are there just to be beaten really and I think England don’t really struggle to qualify, a lot of the big teams don’t, because there are so many teams that are just non-events from the beginning.
“Their qualifying campaign will have no bearing over how well they can do [in Russia],” added the former Manchester United defender who featured in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, earning 81 caps for the Three Lions between 1997 and 2011.
“I think England in recent tournaments have been disappointing and I think there just needs to be an improvement on that,” he said in reference to their group stage exit in the 2014 World Cup and a Last 16 defeat to Iceland in last year’s Euros. “They need to get out of the group, that would be an improvement.
“They haven’t been good enough, it’s as simple as that. I don’t think you can dress it up either way. Maybe the set-up wasn’t right and individuals haven’t been good enough, collectively they haven’t been good enough.
“I think there is talent there but they’ve got to be honed and drilled the right way. My generation had the talent to match anyone in the world but it wasn’t put together right — it doesn’t work.
“Over the years there was too much expectation, but it’s a lot more realistic now considering the last couple of campaigns they’ve had, so hopefully that will help us.”
Meanwhile, of his former club Manchester United, Ferdinand said it was too soon to write off their title chances despite the Red Devils dropping five points from the last two games.
“Three or four weeks ago you would have said United are going to score more goals than Manchester City this season. It ebbs and flows, there are swings and roundabouts. At this stage last year City were doing what they are doing now, blowing teams away, and then it fell away. So, time will tell.
“Those two [City and United] will be out there because they are frontrunners but to say who’s going to win, it’s too early.
“City are going out there and taking games off people and not leaving it to chance, whereas if you look at United they are going into big games away from home, like Liverpool the other week, trying to nick results. If United can sort out their form against the top six sides, they’ve got a real good chance, but City for me look in form and the team to beat.”
