Source: Team_Talk
Milner: No major gulf with Brazil
The 23-year-old Aston Villa midfielder made his first start for his country after five successive substitute appearances during Saturday's 1-0 defeat in Doha.[LNB]England fielded only Gareth Barry and Wayne Rooney of their first choice XI, but Milner, his country's record appearance holder at under-21 level with 46 caps, is adamant the game was valuable.[LNB]"Is there a significant gap between Brazil and England? I don't think so," he said.[LNB]"We knew it was going to be a tough game. But it's a learning curve. We can play better than that and keep the ball better but you've got to make sure we learn from that game and take what we can from it.[LNB]"I think we had chances as well. It is about learning from these games and maybe being a bit more patient."[LNB]A host of injuries forced manager Fabio Capello to play numerous squad players in Doha and Milner said it was a welcome learning experience for the emerging players.[LNB]He added: "Do you sense the strength in depth is not there? I don't know about that.[LNB]"We played Brazil and lost 1-0 so it is a chance for other players to come in and prove what they could do.[LNB]"We were disappointed with the result but we were missing a few players. The main thing is we learn and improve from it."[LNB]Milner, who played on the left of England's midfield, found his battle on the flank with Brazil's rampaging full-back Maicon difficult.[LNB]"Personally it was tough, getting up and down the line and the right-back bombing on a lot," he added.[LNB]"You were playing against good players and obviously the heat came into it as well.[LNB]"But I keep saying you gain experience from playing in those sort of games against the top teams and in those sort of conditions.[LNB]"Was it a worthwhile exercise? I think so. It is important you gain these experiences and play different sorts of teams going into the World Cup.[LNB]"I think it was a valuable experience and as long as we have learned, it was a good thing."[LNB][LNB]
