Terry tries to block negative vibes

Skipper John Terry has insisted he will not allow any negative thoughts about England not qualifying for Euro 2008 to seep into the dressing room.

Terry will have a major part to play in lifting England after the goalless draw with Israel on Saturday evening left them five points adrift of Group E leaders Croatia.

The calls for head coach Steve McClaren to be sacked after just seven months in charge are intensifying amid reports of a dressing-room disagreement with Wayne Rooney.

But Terry is trying to remain upbeat as England flew into Barcelona to prepare for Wednesday’s clash with minnows Andorra, who were hammered 5-0 at Old Trafford in September.

The Chelsea captain said: “We are where we are in the table and if we don’t start winning, we are not going to qualify. But that’s not even worth thinking about.

“We are not going to start thinking ‘we are not going to qualify’. That’s no way to start thinking, no way to have the atmosphere in and around the squad, and I won’t let that happen.

“We will assess things. We will try to take the positives from Saturday. We will look at the game again and try to take as many positives as we can – if there are any.

“On Saturday evening we were flat after the result. There was no point anyone speaking or having an argument after the game because it will have fallen on deaf ears.

“We have to absorb and reflect on what happened. We are trying to pinpoint why things aren’t happening.”

Terry admitted: “Wednesday’s game is vital and it’s about three points, simple as that. It is not about how many can we score and how many can we beat them by.

“It’s about picking up three points and that’s the message I’m going to try and get across.”