Former England forward Robbie Fowler Friday said he doubted Roy Hodgson would ever find the source of a dressing-room leak which threatened to spark a race row around the manager.
Fowler said it was "disappointing" that a player leaked details of an ill-judged monkey joke which Hodgson told at half-time of England's World Cup qualifier against Poland.
Hodgson apologised for the mistake but he was said to be furious that the controversy overshadowed England's success in clinching a World Cup spot after Tuesday's 2-0 win.
"Obviously someone's said something, we've not got a clue who," Fowler told AFP at the Singapore offices of property firm Castlewood Group, sponsors of the IG Masters Football Sixes tournament.
"It is disappointing -- the fact is, he's in a dressing room talking and all of a sudden it's leaked. I don't think he'll ever get to the bottom of it.
"But it's not the first time and it certainly won't be the last time that things have been said and got misconstrued."
The incident also suggests potentially damaging disloyalty to Hodgson in the England camp as they begin preparations for next year's tournament in Brazil.
England's Football Association has backed the manager over the matter with chairman Greg Dyke saying Hodgson was "a man of the highest integrity" and has the body's "full support".
Hodgson was reportedly using the joke, about a monkey on a space mission, to make his point that his players should pass the ball more to winger Andros Townsend, who is of Cypriot and Jamaican descent.
Hodgson issued a statement apologising for any offence but he later told Britain's Daily Mail that "the players are as angry about this as I am".
Fowler, 38, who earned 26 England caps, will play Sunday's IG Masters tournament along with other ex-Liverpool and Manchester United stars such as Louis Saha and Patrik Berger.
He backed Hodgson's version of events, saying the manager "didn't mean anything by it".
But he also said England also needed to accept they were lagging other nations and improve if they want to make an impression at the World Cup.
"They get to a lot of tournaments and flatter sometimes," Fowler said.
"I think the manager (is) and there's some players who are very, very good, but I think there's other nations out there who are better than us at the minute.
"We've got to accept that and try and push on a little bit more."
AFP
Sat Oct 19 2013
Pesara tentera maut dilanggar lori menggelongsor
Orang ramai yang mempunyai maklumat berhubung kejadian diminta menyalurkan maklumat berkenaan kepada pegawai penyiasat kes.
25 terbunuh bas terjunam gaung di utara Peru
Bas antara negeri itu membawa 50 penumpang apabila insiden itu berlaku kira-kira 10.10 malam waktu tempatan.
Jepun, Uzbekistan berentap final Piala Asia B-23
Pasukan yang kalah dalam penentuan tempat ketiga itu akan menentang Guinea yang berada pada kedudukan keempat.
Che'gu Bard tiba di Mahkamah Sesyen Johor Bahru berdepan tuduhan lagi
Beliau yang hadir bersama peguamnya, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, dijangka berdepan satu lagi pertuduhan mengikut Akta Hasutan 1948.
Niaga AWANI: KWSP: Melestari kehidupan persaraan
Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) dikatakan bukan satu-satunya organisasi yang bertanggungjawab dari segi menambah baik kehidupan masyarakat. Namun KWSP telah memperkenalkan Akaun Fleksibel dan berkuat kuasa mulai 11 Mei 2024. Bagaimana pengurusan persaraan selepas ini dan apakah pendekatan terbaik bagi meningkatkan literasi kewangan dalam kalangan masyarakat?
CapCut juga mungkin akan diharamkan di Amerika Syarikat
Menurut laporan The Washington Post, Amerika Syarikat turut akan memerlukan CapCut dijual untuk terus beroperasi di negara mereka.
Niaga AWANI: WEF: Exploring multiple dimensions for energy transition
Current climate change has left a significant impact on the health of the planet. Therefore, global at this time gives special focus on energy transition efforts. Head of Centre for Energy and Materials; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum, Roberto Bocca shares on this at the World Economic Forum from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Niaga AWANI: WEF: Addressing the economic spillover of Middle East tensions
With the Middle East conflict escalating following Iran's attack on Israel early on Sunday, fears are mounting that another series of destructive shockwaves will reverberate through global markets. Head of Research, MIER, Dr Shankaran Nambiar, speaks further on this matter.
AWANI Pagi: Pendidikan kanak-kanak Malaysia ketinggalan?
Ikuti perkongsian pandangan Pensyarah Kanan Jabatan Asas Pendidikan, Fakulti Pendidikan UiTM, Dr Khadijah Said Hashim susulan laporan yang dikeluarkan Bank Dunia baru-baru ini.
AWANI Ringkas: 'Geng Bob' tumpas, lima ditahan disyaki edar dadah
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
COVID-19: Perlawanan sosial remehkan SOP boleh pengaruhi Liga-M
Dijalankan mengikut norma baru, segelintir peserta bagaimanapun dikatakan gagal mematuhi prosedur operasi standard (SOP) yang ditetapkan.
[INFOGRAFIK] Rekod karier Aaron Ramsey di Arsenal
Pemain tengah Arsenal, Aaron Ramsey sudah lama berkhidmat sejak dari 2008 lagi dan di penghujung musim EPL ini beliau akan menyertai pasukan Juventus. Ini adalah rekod karier beliau.
Debar sepak mula makin terasa, semangat #webelangtogether kian membara
Penyokong Malaysia dan Thailand mula membanjiri Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil bagi menyaksikan pertemuan separuh akhir pertama Kejohanan Bola Sepak Piala AFF Suzuki 2018 malam ini.
Ronaldo signs for Juventus from Real Madrid
Five-times world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Italian champions Juventus from Real Madrid.
Kenali Alireza Beiranvand, bekas gelandangan jadi wira gagalkan penalti Ronaldo
Beiranvand pernah melarikan diri dari rumah semasa kanak-kanak kerana impiannya menjadi pemain bola sepak dihalang oleh keluarga.
Former England captain Wilkins dies aged 61
Former England captain Ray Wilkins died on Wednesday in a London hospital at the age of 61 following a heart attack.
Virgil van Dijk sertai Liverpool dengan nilai 75 juta pound sterling
Pemain Southampton Virgil van Dijk sah menyertai kelab Liverpool dengan nilai 75 juta pound sterling, rekod tertinggi pernah dicatat untuk pemain pertahanan.
M'sia gagal ke pusingan akhir kejohanan AFC B-23 2016
Hasrat Malaysia meraih slot ke pusingan akhir Kejohanan Konfederasi Bola Sepak Asia (AFC) Bawah 23 2016 tidak kesampaian selepas mengalami kekalahan kedua malam tadi.
FAM ambil tindakan tegas terhadap pihak cetus kekecohan
Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) akan mengambil tindakan terhadap mana-mana pihak dan individu yang mencetuskan kekecohan pada perlawanan bola sepak di negara ini.
Gerrard dinamakan Pemain Terbaik England 2012
Steven Gerrard dinamakan Pemain Terbaik England tahun 2012 selepas memenangi lebih 40 peratus undi peminat, mengikut Kesatuan Bola Sepak England.