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Gerrard salutes 'unbreakable' England

Dunya News

I thought we defended really well and were resolute, he said.

Steven Gerrard hailed Englands unbreakable defence after managing to frustrate France to earn a crucial 1-1 draw in their Euro 2012 opener.The England captain led from the front with a tirless performance in central midfield as Roy Hodgsons side dug deep to hang on for a share of the points in sweltering conditions in the Donbass Arena.Joleon Lescott had headed England into the lead before Samir Nasir fired home a long-range equaliser.France went on to dominate for long periods in the second half as England faded but Gerrard believes his team-mates defensive resilience augurs well for the remainder of the tournament.I thought we defended really well and were resolute. When we turned over possession, we looked really dangerous so Im satisfied, Gerrard said.Considering we havent been together so long, I think the lads have taken the tactics on board really quickly.Were happy with the point but it only becomes a good point if we go and build on it now and try and well try to take the three points against Sweden.Gerrard meanwhile praised Hodgson for managing to gel the squad together despite only having been in charge for just over a month.Asked if he was surprised by the speed of Englands progress, Gerrard replied: Im not, because I know the manager really well and he puts the message across really well.But the boys have got to listen and take it on board and I thought tonight, we were unbreakable at times.Its a very good sign. To do well in these tournaments, you have to be good defensively and we were tonight.Gerrards central midfield partner Scott Parker, who also put in a huge shift in the English engine room, praised the heart and commitment of his team-mates.I think the one thing we showed today was that we brought a lot of heart and a lot of commitment, the Tottenham midfielder said.I dont know if that wins you tournaments but its certainly a base for us to build on.It was a very solid performance against a team that have undoubtedly very, very good individuals who seem to get into pockets all over the pitch; theyre very free off their formation.It was big hearts and a lot of courage from everyone out there, man to man. Hopefully we can now build on that and get more going forward. The formation stayed tight and we limited them to not a lot of chances, which was pleasing.Goalscorer Lescott meanwhile said the result would allow for England to look ahead to Fridays clash with Sweden with confidence.We can build on this, he said. It is always nice to score and this was extra special. It is the sort of goal you dream about.It is nice to keep clean sheets. We had a gameplan today and we are confident going into every game. We should be confident of getting a win. Our work ethic was important tonight.Frances left-back Patrice Evra said Les Bleus were left frustrated at their failure to break down England, comparing their performance to Chelseas defence-based victory against Barcelona in the Champions League.We are frustrated. I think we played much better. In the end it was a draw and we are a little bit frustrated, the Manchester United star said.At times it was like there were 15 bodies on the time at times. It was really difficult for us to find the space.They played in the way that Chelsea played against Barcelona. Maybe they want England to play more football but if they win the tournament like that, they will be happy.