Beckham: 'We didn't do too bad for a bunch of no-hopers'
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Your support makes all the difference.David Beckham said last night's win was "a performance for the manager" and said he hopes it will allay criticism of Sven Goran Eriksson. "He's had a lot of stick in the last few weeks and it's not something he deserves," the England captain said. "Tonight was for him most of all. We didn't do too bad for a bunch of no-hopers."
Eriksson was wholesome in his praise for his players. "The boys did excellent," he said. "They were focused, they were determined, they were professional. The importance of this win is huge. Suddenly we are top of the group and what happens to us depends on us now."
Eriksson revealed that he had decided to give Wayne Rooney a first international start after England played Liechtenstein last weekend. "I didn't want to let people know that I was going to play him," said the Swede. "It was good to keep that secret. I didn't want too much talked about it or written about it. He was happy when I told him he was starting and he reacted very well. He played excellent tonight and showed he's ready for big games."
When asked whether Rooney was ready to become a regular international, he replied: "I can't see a reason to leave him out now."
Beckham echoed his manager's praise. "He [Rooney] doesn't need me to say that he's a quality player," the captain said. "He was exceptional tonight and he scared the opposition."
Beckham admitted that the atmosphere between the players had become heated but said he thought England had handled the situation well. "You're going to have these things [heated incidents] in such a passionate atmosphere," he said. "I'm sure some people will say that the red mist was coming back [over me] but it wasn't." He added that there were kicks and pinches from the Turkish players "trying to get a reaction". "But we were disciplined and at the end of the day they were most upset because they lost to a better team."
Darius Vassell, who scored England's opener, said his goal came as result of a team effort. "This was a team performance," he said. "You never know when your chance might come but it's always good to be involved in the squad. Today was definitely one of the ups."
The England goalkeeper David James, asked whether he felt any pressure, told reporters: "Only from you. We needed two wins. It doesn't matter how they happen.
"Every man did their part. It was as simple as that. If we win all our games, we will win the group."
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