Former defender believes that the core of the squad does not possess what it takes to beat the likes of France, Germany, Italy and Spain in the continental competition next year
Former England defender Gary Neville insists that the current national team are "not good enough" to take on the big sides in the European Championship next year.The ex-Manchester United man's assessment comes in light of the 2-2 draw with Montenegro on Friday, as Fabio Capello's men threw away a two-goal lead to eventually draw the game.
A point was enough for the Three Lions to book their place in the 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine, but the 36-year-old remains sceptical about their mettle.
"The real issue is that the spine of the team is not good enough, as it stands, to take on Spain, Italy, France or Germany at Euro 2012," Neville wrote in The Mail on Sunday.
"We're now talking about [Wayne] Rooney possibly missing two games of Euro 2012 when what we should be talking about is the spine of a team that has no mobility and can't keep the ball.
"When I look at it coldly, a team that has John Terry, Gary Cahill, Scott Parker, Gareth Barry, Darren Bent and Rooney in its central positions is nowhere near good enough to take on the major nations such as Spain.
"I"m not having a go at individuals; there are some very good players among those names. Collectively, Rooney aside, there is hardly any pace, very little invention and hardly any rotation of positions."
He added: "Somehow, Capello has to do something that no England manager has done in 15 years, and that is make the England players believe that this next match could be the most important of their life."
England take on Spain in an international friendly at Wembley next month.
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