Adams blames row on serialisation

Tony Adams yesterday promised that his forthcoming book would not contain any criticism of Glenn Hoddle's World Cup tactics. He did so, moreover, from the middle of a three-man defence which proved rather more solid than the English version embarrassed by Romania in Toulouse.

Flanked by the England coach and David Davies, the Football Association's director of public affairs and Hoddle's literary ghost, Adams blamed the Sun's serialisation of his autobiography, Addicted, for the fuss aroused by the aspects of England's preparations which he questioned.

These include making Alan Shearer captain instead of himself, belittling David Beckham's skills in training, treating the players like juveniles and expecting them to do too much, and encouraging Paul Gascoigne to have a drink the night before Hoddle dropped him from the World Cup squad.

The timing of the book, coming so soon after Hoddle's own World Cup diary, has cast a shadow over the preparations for Saturday's opening European Championship qualifier against Sweden in Stockholm.

Yesterday, Adams and Hoddle, far from being daggers drawn, backed each other to the hilt in a public show of unity rarely seen since Flanagan made it up with Allen.

Both will benefit financially from the Sun's generous serialisation fees. Naturally, both blamed the press for latching on to the newsworthy extracts that the Sun has seen fit to print. It was rather like streakers complaining they would rather have been photographed fully clothed.

"The serialisation has kind of sensationalised everything," Adams complained. "My comments about the training, for instance, are very complimentary. I think the boys actually needed that. I do feel I've got a lot to offer as a captain but that's fine, I respect Glenn's judgment."

"Tony's come out with a few honest opinions about what he thought at the time," said Hoddle. "We've spoken about it and there isn't a problem, there's nothing to clear up."

Both, however, appear to have missed the point of the debate, which concerns less what is in their books than the questionable ethics of a current England coach and a member of the present team each going public in this way. And it is not going stop there. If the runes are correct, almost every member of Hoddle's World Cup squad has a book lined up. Adams may not be a serial killer but, as the England coach has said, everybody has opinions.

Yesterday Adams, torn between defending his relationship with Hoddle and not wanting to give too much away before Monday's book launch, did well enough to suggest that the full read may be better than the Sun-bites. The story, after all, is mainly concerned with his alcoholism.

"You're missing the message of why I did this book," he told reporters. "This is about my disease. Two years ago I was dead."

This, of course, was round about the time Hoddle was choosing his England captain, which could explain a lot, but as Adams stressed: "If people see my book and I sober one person up, I've won." It is not known whether Adams intends sending a copy of his autobiography to Paul Gascoigne, described in the book as "an ill man" on the day Hoddle dropped him.

"Whether or not he's got an alcohol problem you've got to ask Paul," Adams said yesterday. "Any time he wants to speak to me I'm here."