Mission impossible!

UNDER-FIRE BOOTHROYD SAYS UNDER 21 GIG IS CONSTANT BALANCING ACT

Aidy Boothroyd says managing England’s Under 21s is ‘the utterly impossible job’ and described tonight’s do-or-die clash with Croatia as the biggest of his career. England need a two-goal win and for Portugal to beat Switzerland to avoid an early elimination. Boothroyd’s contract expires this summer and his future has come under scrutiny after consecutive defeats and no shots on target from open play.

‘i know that the England senior men’s job has been called the impossible job. i think the England Under 21 job is the utterly impossible job,’ he said. ‘the reason i say that is the amount of players that have to be produced for the senior team and the fact that we are also expected to win.

‘there’s a reason why we haven’t won this for 37 years and why we haven’t progressed as much as we thought we would. Part of that is because our primary aim is to get players through to Gareth Southgate.

‘yes, i think it is (the biggest game of his career). We are capable of getting a result. We have had our final training session today and the players look lively. they know we have enough to qualify.’ England are without Chelsea’s Callum hudsonodoi, who has flown home with a shoulder injury and there are fitness doubts over six others.

Boothroyd has been missing key players during the group stage. he suggested a decision on whether Jude Bellingham would feature in this tournament or join Southgate’s squad was taken late. Bellingham played 45 minutes against San Marino and didn’t feature against Albania. injuries to Mason Greenwood and James Justin also hampered preparations beforehand.

‘We hoped for Mason,’ he added. ‘We’ve lost Callum. there was a situation with Jude. i don’t want to be the whinge bag who goes on about not having players to try to defend myself. they are facts but they are what the job is. you just crack on with it.

‘Could you imagine a reserve team manager asking a senior manager for their best players to win the reserve league? that just wouldn’t happen. the only team that needs to win is the senior team. My job isn’t to ask for Jude, Phil Foden, Mason or plenty of others. it is about the senior team and it always will be.’