McClaren keeps faith with Robinson

The Tottenham goalkeeper has been under pressure after a series of high-profile errors, and there had been calls for McClaren to turn to Scott Carson, who has begun the season in superb form for Aston Villa.

 "Are you concerned Robinson had a dodgy game against Liverpool?" McClaren asked himself. "It doesn't bother me at all. He starts on Saturday.

 "Sometimes players go through a bad spell and have bad games but you have got to have belief and faith and trust in your squads.

 "With this squad, if they have performed well in the past, then that is taken into consideration. That is with every player, not just Paul Robinson.

 "I try and treat the players how I would want to be treated, to be told straight and honestly, and that is the situation.

 "Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes but ultimately it is my decision. I trust Paul Robinson. I wouldn't play him otherwise."

   A win on Saturday followed by a draw away to Russia the following Wednesday would leave England needing just a draw from their final qualifier against Croatia next month to reach the finals of Euro 2008.

DPA