STEVE McCLAREN endured a torrid 90 minutes in Barcelona last night... but couldn't handle more than two minutes of the after-match press conference.

After watching his side struggle to beat minnows Andorra, the England coach - who was subjected to constant abuse from England fans in the Nou Camp, calling for him to be sacked - answered no more than two questions before storming out.

Initially, he spoke of his admiration for a team who eventually proved their hunger.

"I said at half-time they had to show real guts and character. They did that," he said. "I am proud of the players. It was a difficult situation for them."

But as questions turned to his own future, he added: "There is no concern for me. Nothing concerns me about what people write or say. There is a great determination to prove people wrong. A few players have grown up tonight."

He then got to his feet and fired: "You can write what you want to write, that's all I am going to say."

McClaren is a man clearly under pressure.

Yet his decision to drop Chelsea's Frank Lampard - who it was reported tried to hire a private jet to fly him back to London before the game - in favour of giving Steven Gerrard a central midfield berth paid off.

Gerrard's role allowed Aaron Lennon to start on the right, where he too looked far more effective than he did in Israel at the weekend.

The question for McClaren now is whether to bring Lampard back for the next tie in Estonia on June 6, where a win would put England back in the hunt for a qualifying berth.

His job would appear safe until then, with skipper John Terry leaping to his defence today.

"Fans are entitled to their opinion. But for the players' sake, and England's sake, it is best if they keep their opinions until after the game. The booing or McClaren shouts are not helping. The players have taken responsibility for underachieving and we take that, not the manager."