Source: Team_Talk
Burley happy to have Gordon
George Burley believes England would be better off if they had Sunderland and Scotland keeper Craig Gordon in goal.[LNB] After weeks of speculation about who would be handed the number one jersey for England's World Cup Group C opener against the United States, boss Fabio Capello opted for Robert Green over Joe Hart and the more experienced David James.[LNB]However, recriminations have begun after the West Ham keeper made a calamitous error to gift the USA their goal in the 1-1 draw in Rustenburg.[LNB]With England cruising towards the break following captain Steven Gerrard's early opener, Green allowed Clint Dempsey's tame-looking shot from distance to slip through his hands and once again England ultimately found themselves undone by a goalkeeping error.[LNB]Burley feels the Scots have a genuine top-class goalkeeper in Sunderland number one Gordon who, according to the former Scotland manager, would be in South Africa with England if he had been born south of the border.[LNB]"If Craig Gordon was English he would be in the English team - no doubt about that," he said.[LNB]"I think 99% of people in football would say the same thing.[LNB]"Scotland are very fortunate to have him and they are the envy of every country in Europe if not the world.[LNB]"He missed a few key games for me when I was Scotland manager and we let a few goals in but when he played he always performed.[LNB]"When he went down to Sunderland at first I think there were some slight question marks but not now.[LNB]"I watched him a lot last season and he was outstanding."[LNB]Whether Green retains his place for the game against Algeria on Friday remains to be seen - and it is the question which will be debated all the way until the team sheets are handed in - but Burley is reluctant to hand out any advice to Capello.[LNB]The former Ipswich, Derby and Hearts boss insists coping with goalkeeping conundrums is as old as the game itself.[LNB]"The game has never changed," Burley said.[LNB]"Goalkeepers are humans and they make mistakes, sometimes they get away with it but if not it usually ends in a goal.[LNB]"As a manager you have to makes decisions game by game[LNB]"I had a young keeper at Ipswich, Richard Wright, who I played when he was 17 and he made some mistakes when I first brought him in to the team but you have to have belief in their ability.[LNB]"But it is up to each manager, other managers are not in the position to tell them what to do.[LNB]"And I'm not one of those manager who tell other managers what to do because everything is not black and white.[LNB]"He will see how he reacts, and see how he does in training before naming his team."
