When Erich Ribbeck described his German team as 'rank outsiders' for Saturday's match with England, opinion was split over whether he was being ironic or pessimistic.

That Herr Ribbeck had preceded this comment by praising England for their 'very good game' against Portugal suggested he had his tongue firmly in cheek.

Then again, the fractious atmosphere around this German squad - with Lothar Matthaeus once again the spark for unrest - may have simply brought a depressed-looking Ribbeck face-to-face with some disturbing realities.

The coach is prepared to put his faith in Matthaeus, despite the fact that every single pundit, newspaper and even a few team-mates would like to see the 39-year-old dropped.

If the bold Lothar proves his fitness, he will line up at libero, despite his ineffective and invective-inducing display against Romania on Monday.

Ribbeck manfully tried to turn some of the pressure on England, pointing out that their need for victory far outweighs that of his own team. But he is clearly a man straining under the most intense scrutiny over his handling of the Matthaeus affair.

While former World Cup-winner Rudi Voeller provided some words of comfort for both teams, declaring that the winner of Saturday's contest could easily end the tournament as European Champions, Ribbeck can't afford to think that far ahead.

Trying to hold his disintegrating team together, the coach said: 'Whether a player is on the pitch or not depends on his performance.

I am confident that Lothar Matthaeus will improve and all the critics, as well as his team-mates, will see how fit he is.

'No players have approached me trying to get rid of Matthaeus, that definitely hasn't happened. Lothar is under pressure, which I feel is unjustified because he is in a league of his own. It is totally unfair to blame not winning the first game on him.

'I will try to help him cope with the pressure and help him steer a course where he will continue to be important to the team. At this stage we can't say it will be successful but we hope and pray that it is.'

Ribbeck also hinted at the internal debate threatening to pull the squad apart, saying: 'We want people who are willing to take responsibility. Some players interpret it as criticising team-mates, which isn't the way you should take responsibility.'

Ribbeck added one escape clause to his unstinting support for Matthaeus, warning: 'If I see, from the next few training sessions, that he is in the same state as when he left the pitch after the Romania match, he is not going to play.

'Having said that, I trust there will be plenty of objective observers who will see his excellent training performances and realise he deserves to play - then he will prove the critics wrong.'

If he does, leading Germany to victory, Voeller believes his country could go all the way. 'There is not one really fantastic team here, so whoever wins on Saturday will probably go to the quarter-finals, then they have an excellent chance of winning the entire competition,' he said.