Football 365

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The Big Match Action

Saturday 13 June 1998

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'I'll Take Care Of World's Best Strikers'

ENGLAND'S defensive brick Tony Adams has promised to call on all his knowledge of top international strikers to blot out the world's best and help send his country all the way to World Cup glory.

Adams respects but does not fear the likes of Ronaldo, Salas, Batistuta and Co and he believes that by studying them and others he has enough info stored inside his now crystal clear head to know how he is going to stop them.

The Arsenal skipper knows he has a key part to play in England's push for glory even though he is playing in his first World Cup, having missed out on Italia 90 at the expense of Mark Wright and Des Walker.

He takes his job as leader of the back line even more seriously these days and is proud of the knowledge he has built up and which he expects to stand him in good stead when it really counts.

This knowledge thing has been built into me. That's what I'm about. I'm a professional and I go and do my job, he says. "I've got to look at the strikers, but I don't hype them - I keep it in reality.

"I look at their right foot or left foot, see if they're good in the air, where the strengths and weaknesses are, if they're quick or strong. That's my job. Of course I do that - I'd be pretty naive if I didn't.

"I have to watch them more so, to see if players are as good as people are making out. We put foreign people on a pedestal. We did as players, and when we saw them week-in, week-out we saw the reality, that we've got some talented players in this country, that they're not all as good as they're cranked up to be."

It is sometimes hard to recognise the Adams of today, the player given a new lease of life by Arsene Wenger, with the clenched-fist image of Adams 'Mark One'. That was the Adams built and maintained by George Graham, a player who summed up the manager's Arsenal ethos - success means everything.

Not that Adams himself sees it quite the same way. "That was the media wasn't it?" said the 30-year-old, far happier with his lot now he has won his well-documented battle with the bottle.

"It's not all black and white. If it was, then all I did then was head the ball and tackle, and now I go forward, and it's beautiful and I score wonderful goals. Look at reality. Yes there are changes, big, big changes, between the two players.

"Everybody changes as they grow older. But if you look back, that player could play a bit as well."

The next thing on Adams' agenda, of course, is winning the World Cup, but he insisted: "We have to beat Tunisia first. If we do that would be a hell of a good day at the office. I can't focus on the quarter-finals, the last 16, getting to the semis or winning it.

"My focus is bang on Tunisia. I will know all their strengths and weaknesses, will know every player by the time the game comes around."

And Ronaldo? "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be out there. I'd relish the chance to take him on. You've got to go forward all the time and I want to play against this type of opposition. Don't worry, I think I can handle him, and the rest.

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