We can still produce our best, says Upson
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Your support makes all the difference.Matthew Upson has called on the England players "to get the best out of themselves" in this afternoon's must-win World Cup encounter against Slovenia in Port Elizabeth.
England have turned in two poor performances so far in South Africa, against the United States and Algeria, leaving their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages hanging by a thread.
Upson has been told by manager Fabio Capello he will start today– with Ledley King injured and Jamie Carragher suspended – and the West Ham defender is calling for a much-improved display. He said: "We are all good players, everyone has great ability. We need to get the best out of ourselves and that's an individual thing as well as a team thing.
"It's down to us as individuals to make sure we are in the right frame of mind and let it flow, let it happen and hold nothing back."
The goalless draw against Algeria on Friday dented England's hopes of getting out of Group C and saw some of the fans turn on the players. But Upson insists the result, and performance, are now out of the players' systems.
"Everyone was disappointed after the Algeria game," he added. "We had some spare time in Cape Town and everyone went off and reflected on what happened.
"We have had to put that behind us and move on to the next game. It's all down now to the game on Wednesday."
Despite some fans questioning Capello's squad and team selections so far, Upson insists the Italian coach has got it spot-on on the training field. "Our training through the whole five weeks has been outstanding," he said.
"The sessions have been first-class. The matches haven't been a reflection of how well we have trained as a group which is frustrating," Upson added.
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