Pearce singles out the subs
Monday, 05 September, 2011
Head Coach praises Lions' second-half show.
Click here to watch highlights of the match
Stuart Pearce was full of praise for his substitutes after England’s Young Lions came from behind to beat Israel at Oakwell.
England were trailing 1-0 at half-time to Mohammed Klibats’s 25th-minute goal for an Israeli side that dominated the opening period.
But Pearce switched things around during the break, with the introduction of Arsenal pair Henri Lansbury and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain making most impact.
Former Southampton winger Oxlade-Chamberlain played a part in three of England’s goals, and Lansbury scored the fourth, in stoppage time, to seal a fine victory.
Pearce was delighted by the turnaround: “The subs gave us a big lift and we were much improved in the second half,” he said. “We were awful in the first half, and the players didn’t gel at all, but we will learn from that.”
He also singled out Oxlade-Chamberlain, who moved to Arsenal this summer shortly before Lansbury signed for West Ham on loan.
“I thought Alex was outstanding,” said the Head Coach. “He has a bright future, but we have to nurture all of them to make sure they all have that.”
Next up for England Under-21s is another double-header, both away from home, against Iceland and Norway next month, two sides Stuart Pearce's men have faced in recent months.
To follow the team in the build up to the games, log on to TheFA.com, follow at www.twitter.com/thefadotcom or like at www.facebook.com/EnglandU21s