McClaren admits to lack of finesse

12 April 2012

Steve McClaren criticised England's lack of quality after his side were booed off Old Trafford after slumping to the first home defeat of his reign.

A second-half goal from Barcelona's Andres Iniesta consigned England to a 1-0 loss to Spain which means McClaren's side go into the vital European Championship qualifier against Israel in Tel Aviv next month having lost twice and failed to win in their last four games.

He said: "It is disappointing to lose and I can understand the reaction. Nobody is blinded to the fact that we lost the quality in the final third that wins football matches. Playing a good final ball let us down and we lost to a very good goal from Iniesta."

He added: "We don't like losing football matches, especially this one being the last one at Old Trafford. We finished it on a low. It was a hard game and we lost it.

"It is a huge disappointment and we can't get away from that. We didn't hear that (booing) after Holland. But the expectations were there and I can understand their reaction."

McClaren, however, insisted it had been a difficult preparation with key players dropping out with injury.

He said: "We came and had two days which were disrupted with players going. To be honest that is not an excuse, but a reason. We had six or seven players missing who would have been in the starting line-up.

"You are bound to lack cohesion and we did. The attitude and the effort was there. It was the quality in the final third which was missing. We started well and then started giving the ball away and you cannot give the ball away like we did."

McClaren praised the form of Kieron Dyer and the displays of goalkeeper Ben Foster and defender Jonathan Woodgate as "three positives" while admitting Shaun Wright-Phillips started brightly but faded.

He added: "But there were a few performances out there not up to the usual standard. The players know that and that will be made clear. We lacked players who were in Holland who gave us balance and cohesion. But this match was a building block to the future."

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