McClaren backs players to perform
England coach Steve McClaren does not believe his players have failed him despite the dismal performances against Macedonia and Croatia last month.
England will look to put those disappointments behind them when they face Holland on Wednesday.
And McClaren said: \"I don't believe they consistently fail to produce.
\"You want to get players playing for their country as they do for their clubs. It may take time but hopefully it will start to develop on Wednesday.\"
He added: \"I cannot say we will never lose another football match again but I have faith in these players and I have faith in us qualifying for Euro 2008.
\"You've got to speak to the players and find ways of moving ahead, closing the Croatia game down.
\"That's what we did. I hope we will not see that sort of performance again.\"
Skipper John Terry says he is at a loss to explain why players cannot reproduce their club form at international level.
\"I know we have got the players but we cannot keep saying that,\" he said.
\"There is no point saying 'we've got this player who can do this and that'. We really need to now start showing and doing it against Holland and onwards from there.\"
Micah Richards will win his first cap in Amsterdam, while Andrew Johnson will partner Wayne Rooney as McClaren tries out a new strike partnership.
The England coach is hoping the change could benefit Rooney.
\"You see at club level when Wayne plays with Louis Saha, he likes people running away from him,\" said McClaren.
\"I am not saying he cannot play with Peter Crouch but Andrew is another option and something we need to look at.\"
