Spat over national sides performance runs its course.
England manager Roy Hodgson has buried the hatchet with Gary Lineker following the former Tottenham star’s criticism of Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Ukraine, he revealed on Friday.
Lineker, the second-highest goalscorer in England history, was scathing of the negative performance of Hodgson’s team as they played for a draw in their World Cup qualifier in Kiev.
Although Lineker subsequently backtracked and insisted he was right behind Hodgson, he remains convinced England must do better when they are in possession.
However, Lineker on Friday indicated he had spoken to Hodgson and the former Liverpool boss confirmed he has made his peace with the BBC television presenter.
“I have no problem with Gary at all,” Hodgson told talkSPORT radio. “I have known him a long time and I understand him as well.
“Reflection changes things and makes us look at other aspects of a performance.
“I am looking at the criticism that we didn’t attack as well as we could. I am accepting that as fair criticism.
“Gary is saying we defended well and the discipline is good.”
Hodgson conceded that, with passions running high in the aftermath of a result that could turn out to be crucial in the battle to reach next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil, he had reacted in too extreme a manner when he was critical of Lineker after being told of his comments during the post-match press conference.
“These things always happen because it is so close to the end of the game,” he said.
“It is not a reflective reaction. Once you see the game again you put things in a different perspective.”
Chief among the wider complaints was that England had shown little inclination to attack after half-time, and seemed happy to settle for a point rather than chase a victory that would have put them within touching distance of automatic qualification.
Instead they must now beat Montenegro and Poland at Wembley next month to make certain of reaching the final 32.
“We were so much in control I might have been tempted to throw more attackers on,” Hodgson conceded.
“On another day we might have thought let’s have a go.”
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