England players to meet with Capello to discuss poor performance against Algeria

Can we talk? England players, Capello to meet

RUSTENBURG, South Africa — England players were planning a team meeting with coach Fabio Capello to discuss what went wrong in their disappointing 0-0 draw with Algeria that left them facing possible elimination from the World Cup.

Defender John Terry denied reports of a rift between Capello and the players, but acknowledged that there was a lack of passion from the team during Friday’s game and says he understands why fans jeered the team from the Cape Town field.

“We’ve got a meeting tonight, watching the game to see where we went wrong,” he told reporters at the team’s training camp Sunday. “Everyone needs to get off their chest exactly how they’re feeling.”

The Chelsea captain said all the players were behind Capello and dismissed reports that there was unrest in the training camp.

“I have seen a few reports this morning and, on behalf of the players, I can say there’s no unrest in the camp at all,” Terry said. “We’re obviously still disappointed from the game the other night but we have to pick ourselves up and go into our last game needing to win.”

England has only two points after two matches, but Terry remained confident the team would beat Slovenia in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday and qualify for the round of 16. The Slovenians lead the group with four points, England and the United States have two apiece and Algeria has one. The simplest way for England to advance would be to defeat Slovenia.

“We realize the last game was totally unacceptable,” Terry said. “The good thing is we can go into this next game four days later and prove people wrong, go out there and put on a performance but more importantly get the three points and get us through the group.”

Although Capello guided England to the World Cup with a record of nine wins and one defeat in qualification, the team went into the competition hampered by injury problems and with key players such as striker Wayne Rooney unable to recapture their domestic form.

The draws with the United States — 1-1 after taking the lead in the fourth minute — and Algeria have led to doubts about Capello’s ability to get the best out of England in his first World Cup as a coach.

Terry tried Sunday to quiet speculation about growing rifts within the team.

“I am not going to sit here and question the manager,” Terry said. “I am here on behalf of the team and we’re all fully behind the manager. Since the manager came in he has had his ways and his philosophies and his ideas and that’s worked in the campaign. So nothing’s changed from there.

“We shouldn’t be looking at excuses or criticizing the manager.”