Venables is loyal and humorous despite woes

The tribulations of Terry Venables's England squad deepened yesterday with the news that their 48-hour leave had produced two further damaging episodes.

One cost Venables the services of Steve Howey, who twisted an ankle during a training run and is almost certainly out of the tournament. The other led the coach to accuse the press of seeking to damage England's chances by turning the public against the team.

After the affair of the China Jump Bar and Cathay Pacific Flight CX125, the tabloid papers have been on the alert for more episodes of social indiscretion.

On Saturday they were handed the ammunition when Teddy Sheringham, Jamie Redknapp and Sol Campbell chose to hold their private inquest into the disappointing performance against Switzerland at Faces, a disco in Ilford. Essex. Yesterday the Sun led its front page with the news that they had been seen drinking beer and had left the club at 2.20a.m.

"I haven't read the papers but I know all about it," Venables told the morning press conference after a training session at Bisham Abbey. "And as far as we're concerned it's finished."

Asked if he minded players being out at that time of night, he replied: "No. Look, everyone had gone home to their families. These were three young boys who kept together and ha a beer. They've come to me altogether, aghast with it all They just sat in the corner and had a couple of beers. How long it was, I don't know. But I accept their word."

They were allowed to drink alcohol on their days off, he explained, although there was no drinking while they were in the team's hotel.

"In Italy and Spain the players drink wine every day with their meals. I was at Barcelona for three years and we had to drink red wine for lunch and dinner. When the Irish were doing it you were all thinking how funny it was. But all of a sudden it's us, and it's a different attitude altogether. I don't understand it."

Venables told reporters that he was dismayed by the way the players have been portrayed. "I think it's awful. But we're getting hardened to it. We just don't understand that it's necessary to do what you're doing. There are a few that seem like traitors to us. They re turning the public against the players, which can turn them against them in the stadium."

Had the poor performance against Switzerland made any difference? "I'm not going to say you can have a beer if you win and you can't if you lose. That would make me seem like a silly little boy. I'm trying to get them to stick their chests out and play like men, so they have to be treated like men. In my opinion as yet they haven't abused that."

Four days before the next match, against Scotland, Venables reaffirmed his support for Paul Gascoigne in the face of calls for the midfield player to be dropped.

"He wants to play for England one hundred per cent and he does understand what they're doing to hi hat was so wrong with performance on Saturday? How can we be expected to take notice of any of these suggestions when one paper says he should never play for England again and another says we won't go another round without him?"

He also defended his decision to give the squad a two-day break. "Sometimes you can let things fester, especially if everybody's down. I think it's, better to get away, clear your head, think about it, and come back.. We had a good chat this morning. I said whatever was necessary. It was a frank discussion and we all joined in."

The accident to Steve Howey occurred on Monday during a perfectly innocent run at Maiden Castle, the Durham University ground.

This time striding out and thinking of England, he caught his foot in a hole and damaged his ankle badly enough to jeopardise his participation in Euro `96. "It doesn't look good," "Venables said.

Despite his trials, the coach's sense of humour is not entirely exhausted. As he reflected on a list of crocked centre backs in which Howey now joins Gary Pallister and Mark Wright, Venables was informed that a player could be replaced during the tournament only in exceptional circumstances, such as if one of them was injured in a road accident.

"Let's take him out and run him over, then," he suggested. And a few reporters too, presumably.

UEFA's method for deciding quarter-final places is further bad news for Venables.

UEFA has elected to use respective qualifying records for the last three major championships - Euro 92, the 1994 World Cup and Euro `96 - to decide who will qualify for the quarter-finals should teams finish level.

It leaves England, who failed to win a place for the World Cup in America two years ago and as hosts have not been involved in the qualifying rounds for Euro `96, at a distinct disadvantage to their group rivals, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland.

Holland have the best record, having reached all three finals, winning 18 qualifying matches in the process. Scotland won 15 matches while Switzerland also won 15 matches. Italy now 7/2 to take trophy

The odds on Italy winning the European Championship were cut yesterday after their 2-1 victory over Russia, a leading bookmaker said. They are now 7 to 2 from 9 to 2 but they remain second favourites behind Germany who are quoted at 11 to 4.

Other fancied teams include France at 5 to 1, the Netherlands at 6 to 1 and England at 8 to 1. The odds on Russia lengthened to 50 to 1 from 18 to 1.