Roy Hodgson says Hart is still England`s first choice keeper
Joe Hart remains England manager Roy Hodgson`s number one goalkeeper despite mounting criticism of his form following his poor display in Manchester City`s Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich
|Last Updated: Oct 03, 2013, 07:56 PM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Joe Hart remains England manager Roy Hodgson`s number one goalkeeper despite mounting criticism of his form following his poor display in Manchester City`s Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich.
Hodgson stood squarely behind Hart on Thursday when naming his squad for England`s World Cup qualifiers at home to Montenegro and Poland, saying he had faith in the 26-year-old.
Hart performed poorly for City against Bayern Munich in their group game on Wednesday, allowing well-hit but hardly unstoppable shots by Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben into his net in a 3-1 loss.
Television commentator Gary Neville, one of Hodgson`s coaching team, said Hart would be "disappointed" after conceding two poor goals but the England coach was quick to defend his keeper.
"I am not blind to the situation, I do realise it is not a good moment for Joe," Hodgson told a news conference.
"He is a proud man and a very good goalkeeper and I am sure when he is criticised he is unhappy.
"I have great faith in Joe and have no doubt he will come through these two games and we`ll get the results we need and he`ll put one bad game behind him.
Uncapped Fraser Forster`s performance for Celtic against Barcelona in midweek was in marked contrast to Hart`s but Hodgson said he would have to bide his time.
"Apparently (Hart) went through a bad period last night. But we have let in three goals in eight games so it will take a lot more than one bad game from any player to start suggesting he needs to be replaced, especially with our situation," he said.
"We need experience and need players who are tried and tested and playing regularly at the top level. Clearly looking at that criteria he`s our number one.
"It would be a mistake to suggest Fraser Forster at this moment in time should be given the responsibility in these two vitally important games," he added.
Hart`s form will cause jitters, however, as England can ill afford any slip-ups in their remaining qualifiers.
He was also to blame for one of Scotland`s goals in England`s 3-2 victory in a friendly in August and was culpable for Poland`s equaliser in a qualifier in October.
There have been several off-days for his club too, particularly in a defeat by Southampton last season when he allowed a weak shot to creep in at his near post and against Cardiff City this season when he failed to reach a cross.
"Maybe it`s a bit easier to criticise a goalkeeper for what you think is a mistake rather than a midfielder whose poor play provoked a goal chance a few seconds earlier," said Hodgson, whose other goalkeeping option along with Forster is Norwich City`s John Ruddy.
Strikers Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge return to the squad after injuries ruled them out of England`s last qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine.
England are one point ahead of Ukraine and Montenegro in Group H with three games left to play.
Reuters
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.