• World Cup

Dawson and Parker treated like 'ghosts' - Redknapp

ESPNsoccernet staff
June 2, 2010
Harry Redknapp believes Fabio Capello never gave Michael Dawson and Scott Parker a real chance to break into England's World Cup squad © Getty Images
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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has accused England boss Fabio Capello of treating Michael Dawson and Scott Parker like 'ghosts' during the Three Lions training camp.

Spurs defender Dawson and West Ham United midfielder Parker were axed from Capello's final World Cup squad on Tuesday and did not get any playing time in warm-up matches against Mexico and Japan.

Redknapp said: "People on the inside who I know tell me Scott was fantastic in training every day. He worked his socks off and could not have done any more, but whatever he did he wasn't going to go.

"Someone said to me he felt like a ghost on the trip, like Dawson - they were there but not there, and they could sense that.

"They never kicked a ball and the manager didn't really speak to them or give them much feedback. Capello might as well have taken 25 to Austria instead of 30. They made up the numbers."

Capello's trimmed his squad from 30 down to the regulation 23 and telephoned each of the axed players to explain why they had been omitted. This approach caused a delay in the squad being announced and the final squad appeared in the media well before it was officially announced at 16.00 BST by the FA.

Redknapp also criticised the way news of Capello's selection leaked out. "I've been getting messages all day saying which people aren't in. It shouldn't be like that," Redknapp said. "I don't know why they couldn't all have been sat down and told."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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