Being negative about Rangers? Ask Gary Lineker… | OneFootball

“What ex-players or ex-players who are pundits now have got to realise is it is very hard not to listen to it now, especially for some players who are not used to it or some players who are new to the environment. I always feel like they [pundits] have a responsibility – I know they have got to be honest and give their opinion but also, they have a responsibility of being an ex-England player that a lot of players look up to. People do listen to them and people do care what they say. The bottom line is we haven’t won anything as a nation for a long, long time and a lot of these players were part of that as well and they know how tough it is. So it is not digging anyone out. It is just the reality that they do know it is tough to play in these major tournaments, and tough to play for England. I would never disrespect any ex-player. All I would say is, remember what it is like to wear the shirt and that their words are listened to. Some of the lads… I don’t know how many, but we do hear it. We all want to win a major tournament and I am sure they want us to win a major tournament, and being as helpful as they can and building the lads up with confidence would be a much better way of going about it.”

“We’ve been critical of England’s performances, as has pretty much every journalist, but you know how it happens. We’ve talked about this a few times before, about journalists not being brave enough to ask their own questions. I guarantee whoever that was was probably critical themselves. They do it a) to stir the pot and b) because they’re too scared to ask a question from their own selves. It puts Harry on the spot. I thought he answered it fine. There was one bit there where he says that we have responsibilities as ex-England players, that we should know better and that we never won anything or words to that effect. Fine, he’s absolutely right. But I will say one thing. The last thing in the world we want to be is downbeat and critical. We want the England team to perform well on the pitch. The best punditry of all is when England play well.”

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