Ferdinand has not been up to scratch
England defender Rio Ferdinand admits his form this season has fallen below the standard he expects.
The Manchester United centre-half’s position in the England team is under threat for the World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Poland.
Sol Campbell has returned to fitness and is in form for Arsenal, while Chelsea’s John Terry is almost certain to take one of the two central defender roles in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side.
But Ferdinand is confident he can return to his best.
“I set myself high standards on the pith and know I have not always lived up to them this season,” Ferdinand told The Sun. “But you have to show the strength of character to come through the difficult times
“I know I have got that and I know my team-mates have it as well. Every one of them has incredible mental belief.”
Fear of failure will motivate the England players for the final two qualifying matches, with two wins guaranteed to book the team’s place at next year’s finals in Germany.
“Nobody wants to be associated with failing to qualify for the World Cup finals. I cannot imagine the shame of it,” said Ferdinand.
“There is a huge responsibility on all of us to get England through. It would be one of the biggest disasters in sports history if we blew it and we must make sure it does not happen.”
England lost their last qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast, allowing Poland to take pole position in the group.
Ferdinand said: “I think some of the criticism has been a bit over the top but it probably reflects the passion for football in our country.
“When we win, everything is fantastic and when we lose everything’s a disaster.”
