‘Captain’ Owen wants Team improvement

England Striker Michael Owen, who will captain England in tomorrow’s final World Cup qualifier against Poland, admits his team have been poor and lack confidence.
Saturday’s 1-0 win over Austria in Manchester, secured despite a red card for skipper David Beckham, helped England qualify for the finals after a season littered with defeats and miserable performances.
“There is no hiding the fact that we have been below par,” Owen said in a Times newspaper column yesterday as he prepared for the game at Old Trafford.
“The competitive results have been decent enough —seven wins, one draw, one loss.