Cole backs England to find top gear
Joe Cole admitted England need to “peak at the right time” during next summer’s World Cup after criticism of their performances in qualifying for Germany.
Cole knows all about dealing with the brickbats after the way Chelsea have come under fire in some quarters, despite winning their opening eight Premiership matches.
In the same way Sven-Goran Eriksson and his players have been subjected to a barrage of flak, even though they have achieved their objective of qualifying for the finals.
But Cole is confident in the quality of Eriksson’s squad after a 1-0 win over Austria at Old Trafford on Saturday ensured there will be no nerve-jangling moments in the final group game against Poland on Wednesday.
Cole told PA Sport: “It is all about doing it at the right time next summer and peaking then. We want to play brilliantly every game but you can’t do it.
“It’s like with Chelsea. We get the same criticism put at us that we don’t win games amazingly every time but you get on with things and deal with that.
“I am sure people will put a negative spin on things because we only won 1-0. But on Saturday we showed grit and determination when down to 10 men after David Beckham was sent off and it can only bode well for the future.
“We showed some great spirit and played really well in the first half, created three or four chances, and were also solid at the back.
“Hopefully everything will be forgotten next summer if we do well. This is a fantastic squad. We know what we can do and we hope we can hit the right levels at the right time.
“It’s a long way off, eight months. We just want to win Wednesday, top the group after getting to the World Cup, put it to bed and then just concentrate on our clubs.”
Cole was impressed with the contribution of striker Peter Crouch in his first competitive start for his country.
He said: “Peter gives us an option. He was very impressive. He did his job well. He got his head onto a few crosses and nearly scored. He gave them a big problem. ‘Crouchy’ is a fantastic player and a great member of the squad.”
Defender John Terry echoed Cole’s sentiments and said: “It was important for Peter to hold the ball up well – and he did. I thought he did well and brought players into play. It’s looking good for him.”
