• World Cup

England don't perform as a team - Klose

Germany striker Miroslav Klose says England's "world-class" players failed in South Africa because they were unable to play as a team.

England arrived at the World Cup as one of the pre-tournament favourites, but they struggled through the group stage before crashing out with a 4-1 defeat to Germany in the second round.

With the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry all proven stars in the Premier League and Champions League, Klose feels England should have been one of the strongest teams in the tournament, but he says the lack of teamwork cost Fabio Capello's men.

"Look at players in that England team," he said. "They're world class, that's the long and short of it, but the key thing is presenting yourself as a team and I don't think that was the case with England.

"We thought that the famous 40 years of hurt could come into play here. That England could have been the team that at last ended that wait, yet we realised after six or seven minutes that they're not really up to it and we can beat them.

"Germany keep pulling through because of a certain quality we know we have. You see it every day in training. It's crucial to present yourself as a true team. This is what helped take the wind out of England's sails. We played as a team and they didn't seem to.

"Look at the names, one against one, and you have to consider Argentina as the strongest side for the weekend. That's true against England, too. On paper they were more renowned, more famous, but that didn't translate to their performance on the pitch.

"We're just a compact unit. It's proved we're a tournament team, one which gels as the tournament goes on. I don't know whether my experience adds anything to this England debate, but they have fantastic players."

Despite their poor showing, England had cause for complaint in the match as Frank Lampard saw an equaliser not awarded despite clearly crossing the line. While Klose says he is not in favour of video technology, he feels technology could have been used to prevent Sunday's decision.

"If technical solutions are there, they should be used," he said. "TV evidence is another thing altogether, but a chip inside the ball or a goal-line light beam barrier would make sense. It's visible in tennis and other sports, so why not football?"

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