INTERVIEW

Friday, February 18, 12:00am London Time
Keegan defends Wise inclusion despite tunnel fracas
By Nigel Clarke


Perhaps little men always stick together but yesterday England manager Kevin Keegan steadfastly made a very public defence of Dennis Wise.

The Chelsea captain is the kind of spitfire player that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson suggested could pick an argument in an empty room.

And Wise is due before an FA court soon to answer a misconduct charge for his alleged participation in the Stamford Bridge tunnel brawl last Saturday.

So at a time when public opinion is hardening towards footballer stars who consistently fail to behave themselves, on and off the pitch, Keegan missed an opportunity to warn players that he will not tolerate the lowering of standards he expects from his high-profile squad members.

Wise, sent off 11 times in his career, and twice this season, is included in the party from which Keegan will select the side to face Argentina at Wembley next Wednesday.

Keegan said: 'I had no qualms about putting him in. He is innocent until he's proven guilty, and you have to be careful about pre-judging people. Until such time as I discover what happened at Chelsea, why should I penalise him?

'It is not a problem, I would like to see play-ers turn up for England, perform for England focused on the job ahead, but draw the line at breaking rules. You want players who give 110 per cent but sometimes they are going to over-stretch and break the rules.

'I will pick these players warts-and-all because I want those who are committed to

the cause. If Wise is guilty and receives a suspension, he will miss out on games and match fitness. This could ultimately cost him his place in Euro 2000.'

Wise has already been included in referee Peter Jones's match report to Lancaster Gate over the tunnel flare up. But Keegan was resolute in defending his decision.

'I know Wise is already on a misconduct charge and I know the referee reported him,' he said. 'But every lawyer when he goes to court thinks the guy is guilty. Are you going to be judge and jury? Don't you think whoever it is has the right to go in front of someone and defend himself? Cases of mistaken identity have happened before.

'The FA is addressing things and rightly so. I, along with everyone, including the supporters, say the bad behaviour has got to stop. The players now have been warned that if they do it again they'll get a red card.

'They can't turn around and say: "What happened?" As from this week the FA is not going to put up with it. They'll make the clubs answerable, so the managers have got to say: "We don't want this?.

'I have had two players sent off since I have been in charge and, if players do go, it has got to be for two mis-timed tackles going for the ball, not dissent. We should be fining players for that.'

'I don't have a code of punishment. If someone is sent off they miss a game and then the chance to join up with England and win perhaps another two or three caps, so the punishment is there.

'The discipline of the players has been excellent since I took over. I am strict on it: times of meals, not abusing things, doing things right. But on-field discipline becomes the problem for the referees.'

Keegan also indicated that by the time England play Brazil on May 27 he will have pencilled in eight or nine of the players who will play the opening match of Euro 2000 against Portugal.

But the squad deadline falls only two hours after the match against Ukraine four days later and the FA has requested an extra 12 hours. Keegan says: 'I'm not whingeing about it, because it's the same for the other countries.

'But I can't see the sense of it because you could be robbed of the best players. It is as if UEFA is saying: "We don't care if they are not the best players you have, you've got to announce them anyway".

'So although I will have in my mind the final squad, I've got two hours after the finish of the match to finalise it, and it will be a case of going into the dressing-room and saying to the physiotherapist: "Is he going to be fit to play by June 12?"

'In an ideal world I'd like to be able to tell the players straight after the game because if someone does get a bad injury then that's going to be tough.'

Keegan has called up Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and Gareth Barry from Aston Villa, but has left out Barry's team-mate Paul Merson, Darren Anderton (Spurs), Steve McManaman (Real Madrid), Steve Guppy (Leicester,) and Teddy Sheringham (Manchester United).

Gerrard is nursing a groin injury picked up at Arsenal on Sunday, but will still travel to join up with the squad at England's Buckinghamshire headquarters.

Keegan said: 'If the game was on Saturday he wouldn't be able to play. If he is not fit enough to train by Tuesday he will not be considered.

'But he has a great future ahead of him, and I have watched him four times. His performances have been outstanding. He can play short passes, or hit 50-yard balls, and overall he looks a tremendous prospect.

'I have watched Barry and he has been fantastic, his defending has been good, and his concentration has also improved. His use of the ball and his calmness under pressure is what really impresses me.'

Already without Tony Adams and with his Arsenal colleague Martin Keown currently under treatment, Keegan may well choose this match to blood at least one youngster.

England squad: Seaman (Arsenal), Martyn (Leeds), Wright (Ipswich), G Neville (Man Utd), P Neville (Man Utd), Barry (Aston Villa), Southgate (Aston Villa), Campbell (Tottenham), Keown (Arsenal), Ferdinand (West Ham), Beckham (Man Utd), Ince (Middlesbrough), Froggatt (Coventry), Wilcox (Leeds), Dyer (Newcastle), Gerrard (Liverpool), Parlour (Arsenal), Scholes (Man Utd), Sinclair (West Ham), Wise (Chelsea), Cole (Man Utd), Phillips (Sunderland), Heskey (Leicester), Shearer (Newcastle).