Adams backing for under-fire Johnson

England warmed up for their crucial 2010 World Cup qualifier against Croatia with a 2-1 win at Wembley on Saturday.

However, Johnson has been largely blamed for Slovenia's late goal in the latter stages of the encounter, with many now calling for the former Portsmouth right-back to be dropped by Fabio Capello for Wednesday's qualifier.

While BBC pundit Mark Bright has even gone as far to state that Johnson could cost England the World Cup should the Italian continue to persist with the 25-year-old in his back-line.

However, Adams - who won 66 caps for his country and worked with Johnson at Portsmouth - has pledged his support for the under-fire full-back, insisting that singling the former Chelsea man out for criticism is unfair, and that the entire team must defend from the front.

"I have always felt a team defends together, you attack together and you defend together," he said in a video interview available to watch in FourFourTwo.com's interviews section.

"Glen Johnson flying down the right hand side is arguably then one of our best attackers, so you have got to have some kind of balance.

"But it is all about everyone pulling together, I was only as good as the protection I got in front of me.

"In the centre, Matthew Upson has done well and there is still Rio [Ferdinand] to come back in.

"I would just like to think that it is about the whole team having to defend together."