England will be red-hot favourites to collect the three points in Barcelona after overcoming the same opponents 5-0 at Old Trafford in September.

"My job is to make sure England reach Euro 2008," declared coach Steve McClaren after his side failed to even score against Israel.

"I am still confident we will be there. A lot of people said this was going to be a very hard game. The atmosphere is intense, Israel have a very good home and a lot of people said a draw would be a fair result.

"If we had won the game 1-0, everyone would have said it was a typical away performance in international football.

"I have been involved in many like that. Unfortunately, tonight, we didn't get the goal.

"We have scored once in five games so you can see where the problem is.

"But we still have seven games to play. The ultimate aim is qualification and I am confident the players in our dressing room are good enough to get us there."

Rio Ferdinand is aware nothing can be taken for granted after being part of the England side beaten by Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier in 2005 and the West Ham team dumped out of the FA Cup by Wrexham.

The Manchester United star said: "We're so used to playing cup football against so-called lesser sides and, if you don't apply yourself properly, then you're going to come a cropper.

"I've been on the receiving end of a cup upset before and it's not nice to be honest.

"The worst was probably against Wrexham when I was at West Ham at Upton Park. I think that was my first proper start for the club and it wasn't a great start to my FA Cup career.

"It was an embarrassment and, of course, it goes onto an even grander scale if it happens with England.

"The worst with England would have to be losing to Northern Ireland in Belfast. That's the one that stands out for me. A defeat against any home nation team goes down as embarrassing and disappointing.

"It's so close to home and people are there to rub it in. With the pool of players we had to choose from, it was almost like an FA Cup giant-killing."

Ferdinand added: "There is no hiding place with England but as players we're used to that. We live that week in, week out with our clubs where you are expected to win all the time.

"At Manchester United, there's no ground we go to where we expect to get a draw. Every game we play we want to win and expect to win.

"It's like that with England. You can't pull the shirt on and say `we'll draw this game'. That's not the case because our make-up is not like that in every day life or with our clubs. It's not going to change for England."

What Ferdinand does reject strongly is that the players do not care if results go against them for club or country just because they are financially secure.

He said: "United beat Bolton 4-1 the other day but it wasn't a good night because we conceded a silly goal. Losing games and going out of tournaments is going to be even worse.

"Anyone who thinks players don't care about playing for England, that going out of tournaments is water off a duck's back and they then just go and buy themselves a nice car, a present, a house, is talking out of their backside.

"We haven't got to where we are playing for our countries and our clubs every week without hard work and sacrifices and the discipline to do well."

Ferdinand concedes he is a bad loser and believes the current England squad have the same mindset.

"If you want to be successful you've got to be a bad loser, not a good one. I don't understand good losers myself. Whether you wear an England shirt, a United shirt, or a Sunday league shirt everybody is passionate and wants to do well.

"I am a bad loser, the coaches don't like me when we lose. I don't want to talk to anybody and going for meals and stuff gets knocked on the head. I just don't talk. I think a lot players don't like losing. Everybody shows it in different ways.

"In this England team, when we've lost it isn't a good atmosphere around the hotel or on the way back. That tells me that players don't like losing. You see it with the clubs, you shake someone's hand but inside you are burning with rage.

"I think everybody is like that in this squad. Hopefully that is what will set us apart and bring us through to be a successful side."