After England U21's close defeat against Slovenia U21's, Edward Matthew has come out to apologose to all of the dissapointed fans. "We were close, but close doesn't cut it. A defeat is a defeat. This was an important game, with two very difficult games coming up. I wanted to push the guys to get the win, but unfortunately we just missed out." It could have been so different, with England up 3 points with 10 seconds on the clock. "They got 2 offensive rebounds in the last 10 seconds, and ultimately that cost us the game. They destroyed us on the boards all night, and it is something that needs addressing urgently."
But despite the dissapointing nature of the loss, Matthew was quick to point out the difference in ranking and salaries between the two teams. "They have some great players, and it shows in their world ranking. We took them right to the wire, and that's something to be proud of. It shows we have the hunger and the desire, and I am looking for my team to take that into their remaining games."
Another issue Matthew is facing is the decreasing game shape of some of his star players. "Some of our key guys are tired. They are being overplayed by their club teams, and I am trying to communicate to the clubs the importance of minute management. If the situation doesn't improve I may have to drop some of my star men."
Fans are speculating as to which players Matthew is talking about, but the general consensus is that Jason Day and Darryl Austin are underperforming due to their fatigue. The Club v Country war will rage on, but England supporters certainly hope the situation will improve.
If you would like to contact any U21 National Team staff members there is a full list of staff on the 'U21 staff' thread on the English forums.
Last edited by Edward Matthew (Eng U21 Manager) at 12/05/2011 18:43:07