Phillips: Don’t over-hype the Three Lions
FORMER England striker Kevin Phillips believes Fabio Capello’s men are primed for World Cup success in South Africa next summer – but has warned against over-hyping their chances.
The Birmingham City front man says England boss Capello has a wealth of talent at his disposal, but knows from personal experience that it does not necessarily lead to tournament success.
Phillips was part of Kevin Keegan’s squad which flopped at Euro 2000 in Belgium and Holland, and has stressed the importance of not getting too caught up with England’s impressive qualifying campaign.
“I might have played for England but I’m a supporter first and foremost and I’m delighted to see us qualify in the convincing way we did,” Phillips told City PM “As long as we don’t talk ourselves up too much, I really think we can do well. We’ve got the players and management structure in place, it all boils down to whether we can perform on the day when it really matters – that’s what let us down in recent years.”
Phillips’ main focus now, however, is winning back his place in the Birmingham side ahead of Saturday’s daunting visit to in-form Arsenal.
The 36-year-old has been branded a “supersub” by boss Alex McLeish this season having made just one league start for the Blues this term.
Phillips admits his lack of action on the pitch has frustrated him but says it is trips like the one to the Emirates Stadium this weekend which prevents him from seeking a move elsewhere. “Obviously, at this stage in my career I’d like to be playing more minutes on the pitch, but I’m not daft, I knew that would be the situation at the start of the season,” the ex-Watford and Sunderland hitman said.
“I decided I would have one season in the Premier League with Birmingham to enjoy the trips like the Emirates and Old Trafford – both fantastic stadiums with great atmospheres. We know we are in for an extremely difficult game but we went to Manchester United earlier in the season and performed admirably, and know that if we enjoy the occasion, battle hard and let our football do the talking, we can give Arsenal a good game.”