MX23RW : Saturday, October 5 07:55:44| >> :600:117834:117834:

Roy Keane surprised by severity of England struggles

Roy Keane admits that even he was surprised by how much England struggled at the World Cup as they failed to progress from the group stage in Brazil.

Roy Keane has admitted that he was surprised by how badly England struggled at the World Cup.

The Aston Villa assistant manager was pessimistic about Roy Hodgson's side's chances before the start of the tournament. However, he has revealed that he was taken aback by the Three Lions' exit from the group stage without winning a single game.

Keane told The People: "I wasn't showing football knowledge. I was asked whether they would struggle or do really well. I said they'd struggle. But I didn't think they would struggle that much.

"If you look at the squad, they should have done enough to get out of the group. But a lot of them still lack vital experience – whether it's Champions League experience or big-game experience.

"People are ranting and raving about the younger players, but they still have a lot to do. A lot of them are yet to win a trophy, yet people still expect them to go to the World Cup and get to the quarters or semi-finals."

Keane joined Villa this summer as number two to Paul Lambert in addition to his duties as assistant boss of the Republic of Ireland.

ID:163547: cacheID:163547:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2339:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
 Luke Shaw of England is challenged by Bryan Ruiz of Costa Rica during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match between Costa Rica and England at Estadio Mineirao on June 24, 2014
Read Next:
Shaw to oust Baines as England starter?
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool65011221015
2Manchester CityMan City6420146814
3Arsenal6420125714
4Chelsea6411157813
5Aston Villa6411129313
6Fulham632185311
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle632187111
8Tottenham HotspurSpurs6312125710
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton623110829
10Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest62316519
11Bournemouth622289-18
12Brentford6213810-27
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd621358-37
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham6123610-45
15Ipswich TownIpswich6042510-54
16Everton6114715-84
17Leicester CityLeicester6033812-43
18Crystal Palace603359-43
19Southampton6015312-91
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves6015616-101


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!