Rooney boasts spur fuming Algerians

Wayne Rooney’s confident prediction England will beat Algeria even if they do not play at their best has triggered an angry reaction from the north Africans.

Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra said Rooney had effectively delivered Algerian coach Rabah Saadane’s pre-match speech for him with his dismissive comments on a team he admitted to knowing little about.

“Rooney can say whatever he wants,” Bougherra said. “It’s his problem. We will play to win this game. We want to qualify as well.”

Rooney said this week he is “pretty confident” that England will get the three points they need here on Friday, then exacerbated the implied insult by adding: “Against Algeria we can not be at our best and win the game.”

The Manchester United forward also admitted that Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj was the only Algerian player he was aware of.

Asked what he knew of his side’s next opponents, Rooney replied: “Not much. Belhadj from Portsmouth, but I don’t really know much more about them. I’m sure the manager will point out their strengths and weaknesses to us.”

Algeria, like England, desperately need to win Friday’s match after losing to Slovenia and Bougherra said the squad would rely on the spirit that got them through an explosive qualifying play-off against bitter rivals Egypt.

“Algeria always react when we are under pressure. You saw that in the play-off against Egypt.”

Saadane believes England will be under intense pressure on Friday night after a much-criticised display in the 1-1 draw with the United States.

“England also have their backs to the wall,” he said. “We have nothing to lose and have everything to win.”

That theme was echoed by Ryad Boudebouz, a midfielder who is being tipped to play up front against England.

“England are the team under pressure. They are the ones who claimed that they came here to win the World Cup.”

Portsmouth’s Belhadj has meanwhile identified England’s depleted back four as the Achilles heel of Fabio Capello’s squad.

England are without injured skipper Rio Ferdinand and his first-choice back-up, Ledley King, and there are concerns over the relative lack of pace of John Terry and Jamie Carragher as well as the defending of right-back Glen Johnson.

“The defence is one of England’s weak points, it’s easy to create chances against them,” the Portsmouth defender told Algerian sports weekly Le Buteur.

“As for strong points, I have to recognise that there are several. They have an excellent midfield and a phenomenal attack.

“But that doesn’t mean we will just lie down. We will have our say in the outcome of the match.”