Arena's public blast will fire US up, Convey says

HAMBURG, June 14 (Reuters) US midfielder Bobby Convey today said his team mates have accepted and digested the public criticism of their coach Bruce Arena after their 3-0 defeat by the Czech Republic.

''That's what he does he criticises players and that's his job,'' Convey told a news conference after a training session amid signs of disquiet on the team who face Italy in a crucial Group E match on Saturday in Kaiserslautern.

''I think people are used to it. Everyone's had a coach who yelled at him before.

''That's Bruce's job; to keep everyone on his toes. He's trying to keep everyone in line and concentration up. He steps on people's toes. It keeps them fired up.'' Arena had ripped into his team on Monday minutes after the loss and singled out key players such as Landon Donovan who ''showed no aggressiveness'' and DaMarcus Beasley - ''we got nothing out of Beasley'' for unusually public rebukes.

MORE DEFENSIVE The PSV Eindhoven midfielder later criticised Arena's strategy, saying his coach's decision to pull a defender in the second half and add a third striker meant he was forced into a more defensive role that was counter-productive.

''Next time I'll leave the guy and play as a striker instead of a midfielder and then we'll see what happens,'' Beasley said after the match in Gelsenkirchen.

Beasley might not get another ''next time''.

Arena has said he planned to make changes in his lineup. There was no word on what the US lineup might be. But none of the players Arena criticised were made available today.

The three who did appear at a news conference had received reasonably favourable reviews from the coach: Convey, Eddie Johnson and Oguchi Onyewu.

''He's the coach,'' Convey said when asked how the team was responding to the critiques. ''Our whole team is in the spotlight and our whole team is going to get criticised. Obviously some players are talked about in the media and by Bruce.

''But that's how it is. Landon and 'Beas' are big enough people.

They have big enough personalities to take it and they will be fired up. As a player you know you're going to get criticised and that's how it is.

''It's going to be up to us as a team to react.'' Ghana complete Group E.

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