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Hart: Spain to find going rough versus England

Comment: 0 November 11th, 2011 by: admin

ENGLAND may be facing Spain with a depleted lineup but Joe Hart believes the Three Lions will put up a tough stance.

There were suggestions that the Spaniards, the reigning world champions, would roll over the English who will see action in their much-awaited friendly at Wembley on Saturday minus some key senior players.

The hosts’ not-so-serious treatment of the fixture also stirred talks that England are also trying to ‘hide’ something from the visitors.

‘No way, no way,’ said the goalkeeper. ‘There is no way we are going to look at this game like that. There would be no point in turning up on Saturday if we felt like that,’Hart told mediamen at the team hotel on Thursday.

England will miss the services of skipper John Terry, chief striker Wayne Rooney, veteran playmaker Steven Gerrard, defender Rio Ferdinand, winger Ashley Young and even young midfielder Jack Wilshere.

The Three Lions won the World Cup in 1966 but since then they have only beaten the reigning world champions two times – Germany (2-0 in 1975) and Argentina (3-1 in 1980).

With Spain parading a powerhouse roster for the event, the Three Lions are the heavy underdogs and not many believe they would add another world titlist to their victims’ list.

Hart said it’s going to be tough, but Spain would experience the same against them.

‘We have got some great quality and great young lads who are going to get an opportunity on Saturday and we are really looking forward to testing ourselves,’ he added. ‘We have got a lot of quality players who may not yet be established but have the potential to do that in the next couple of years.’

Against Spain, and also Sweden on Tuesday, Hart said they should not be distracted by the absence of their teammates like Terry, who is being investigated by the police and Football Association over his alleged racist slur against Queens Park Rangers’ Rio Ferdinand; and Rooney, who is still under suspension for the red card he incurred against Montenegro in England’s last Euro 2012 qualifier a month back.

‘You just have to go in and concentrate,’ he said. ‘What’s on the field and what’s off the field is what makes it so interesting and I think you have to deal with it.’

The Spaniards, who like the English have already qualified for Euro 2012 being their respective groups’ winners, have beaten the hosts in their last three collisions without conceding a goal – 1-0 in Madrid in 2004, 1-0 at Old Trafford in 2007 and 2-0 in Seville in 2009.

England’s last triumph over Spain came via a 3-0 rout in a friendly at Villa Park in February 2001.

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