Media shatter Downing
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England assistant boss Terry Venables admits Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing suffered from media criticism last week.
In his column for the News of the World, El Tel wrote: "I don't see any point in pussy-footing around some of the more foolish commentators.
"We already lost one player in Croatia because people would not get off his back. I was almost relieved at the decision to leave Stewart Downing out - for no other reason than I could see the criticism was starting to affect him.
"Usually, the opposition has to take your winger out of the game. We did it ourselves. With encouragement, Stewart could be a better player and a very effective international. Instead he was jeered against Macedonia until his nervousness began to show.
"He'll be back, though. Stewart did a great job for us in Macedonia. And guess where he played? Left wing-back. Nobody mentioned that.
"We used a back three and Stewart played deep, with Ashley Cole tucked inside, becoming part of the back line, because Macedonia were particularly strong down the right flank.
"Stewart had to get up and back all night. He was tremendous. We didn't have him in Croatia because the relentless negativity had got to him. Are we proud of that?"
In his column for the News of the World, El Tel wrote: "I don't see any point in pussy-footing around some of the more foolish commentators.
"We already lost one player in Croatia because people would not get off his back. I was almost relieved at the decision to leave Stewart Downing out - for no other reason than I could see the criticism was starting to affect him.
"Usually, the opposition has to take your winger out of the game. We did it ourselves. With encouragement, Stewart could be a better player and a very effective international. Instead he was jeered against Macedonia until his nervousness began to show.
"He'll be back, though. Stewart did a great job for us in Macedonia. And guess where he played? Left wing-back. Nobody mentioned that.
"We used a back three and Stewart played deep, with Ashley Cole tucked inside, becoming part of the back line, because Macedonia were particularly strong down the right flank.
"Stewart had to get up and back all night. He was tremendous. We didn't have him in Croatia because the relentless negativity had got to him. Are we proud of that?"
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