Pearce ready for biggest challenge
Sunday, 28 June, 2009
Stuart Pearce is totally focused on England's final meeting with Germany.
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Stuart Pearce was in determined mood at the press conference in Malmo ahead of Monday’s Final between England and Germany.
Sitting alongside his German counterpart Horst Hrubesch, Pearce appeared in a steely-focused state of mind when questioned about the forthcoming match.
When asked who was likely to play in goal in place of the suspended Joe Hart, Pearce replied: "We never select before the morning of a match. I know the selection myself and the players will know tomorrow morning. It's the normal procedure for us."
In regard to preparations, Pearce said: "It is fantastic. I have 23 fit players and in my opinion they are all in good form. To come into a final with that - a coach can't ask for more."
When told that the country is getting excited about possible British wins through Andy Murray at tennis and the England team in the Ashes series, Pearce replied: "Strangely, I haven't had my eyes on tennis or cricket. I'm only interested in the Under-21s tournament, to be honest."
Asked about famous matches in the past between England and Germany - in particular the 1966 World Cup Final - Pearce was equally unmoved. "Any matches are in the past. Our only concern is Monday. The only history we're interested in is creating some ourselves in a victory. The only relevance is tomorrow."
He continued: "The Group game (against Germany) has no bearing on tomorrow night. It was an interesting game but both coaches know that what's gone before is irrelevant."
His message to the fans back home: "Thank you for your fantastic support. There are lots of families coming out to watch us tomorrow and we hope we'll put on a good performance. The tournament's been fantastic and the Final is a massive game. It's both England and Germany's national game."
Asked whether Fabio Capello was coming, Pearce explained: "There has been a lot of interest from Fabio and he is hoping to get a flight to come and see us tomorrow. Obviously all our back-up staff will be there. I hope Fabio has been impressed by some of our players and will use them in his future plans."
Pearce concluded: "We as a group feel we have had no success so far. The only way we'll feel that is if we have success tomorrow. That's the be all and end all. We set out as a team and a squad two years ago to win this trophy. For me, success isn't coming away as a gallant loser."
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