February 9 2005

Wayne Routledge

England U21 boss Peter Taylor gave Wayne Routledge plenty of encouragment after an abject display in the 2-1 defeat against Holland on Tuesday.

Spurs-target Routledge played the opening 70 minutes at Pride Park and became frustrated with himself after his crossing let him down.

"I think his end product wasn't as good as he liked," Taylor told www.cpfc.co.uk. "He's a little bit frustrated with himself, you can tell that in the changing room, but that's what happens with players sometimes. They don't go and play the same way they can play every time.

Taylor, a Palace player from 1973-77 and the last Eagles star to score for England, said Routledge should keep his chin up.

"With different types of opposition sometimes you are in top form," he said. "Sometimes the crosses aren't right or you are not beating people and that's how it goes.

"As long as you don't lose confidence from that then there are people like myself who are going to keep encouraging him to take people on then that's how it goes."

After making his U21 debut against Spain in November, Ben Watson was an unused sub against Holland.

"Ben is in my plans without a doubt," declared Taylor. "I've seen him play before and that's why I wanted to look at people in this game I hadn't seen before. Ben and Wayne have done alright for me and I'm sure they'll be involved in the next game."