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BRAD TO WORSE

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date27 March 2024
Publication titleDaily Star (England)
Instead, the national boss is adamant the time for his team to peak is still months away

Clarke's boys had to listen to some boos from the Hampden crowd last night but he didn't overreact following the 1-0 loss to Northern Ireland.

Rising Liverpool star Conor Bradley pounced on a mistake by Nathan Patterson to strike a deflected first-half winner. But

Clarke declared it's Euro 2024 where it counts after Northern Ireland savoured their first win in Mount Florida in almost 50 years.

He said: "I don't see signs that things are going terribly wrong.

"You look at what you're going to do in the summer. The time to peak is June. Sometimes in the bad moments you learn more. You learn a lot about the players and your team. Tonight was decided on a small margin. We have to be better and move on to our next games.

"We probably had to create a bit more in the final third. Northern Ireland got the deflection for their goal and that gives them a platform to defend."

Clarke will now set about the final selection for Germany and added: "I want everybody fit and all ready to go. I will watch the games, Turn to Page 46 ¦ From Back Page watch the lads play for their clubs, make my selection - hopefully the right selection - and then we go to the tournament."

The national boss added: "We've had a little chat after the game.

"I won't speak to them again en masse until we are back together in June."

But experienced defender Liam Cooper (right) is adamant the squad won't start pointing any fingers of blame at each other after the run without a win reached seven games in the rain.

He said: "I don't think we ever got too high when we got out of the group - and now's not the time to turn on each other and dig each other out.

"We've got to be ready to get back to ourselves, work hard and be the team we know we can be come May and June."

The Leeds centreback felt a lack of patience was costly as the home side slipped to a shock defeat to a team ranked 40 places lower...

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