McClaren looking for right result in Zagreb as well as
Tallinn
TOM LAPPIN
IN ONE year and five days, European football fans can take a ruminative
bite out of a Toblerone, whistle Edelweiss and settle down to the European
Championship finals. In Austria, judging by their recent results, we will
have the happy prospect of a host nation substantially weaker than most
of the teams that fail to qualify.
Wednesday's latest round of qualifiers before European footballers head
for the costas (or in some unfortunate cases, straight to the early rounds
of the Intertoto Cup) is remarkably short on matches between sides we
might identify as real powers. It is indicative of the fragmentation of
the continent that so many marginal or freshly-minted nations are now
cast as the potential power-brokers in tight qualifying groups. Of all
the ties, the only match that seems to match two relatively strong sides
sees Croatia hosting Russia. This, as much as England's own banana-skin-lined
trip to Tallinn, will have a crucial bearing on Steve McClaren's immediate
future.
From the perspective of the England manager, with two qualifying places
still up for grabs, he can ill-afford to see the Croatians all but engrave
their name on one of them with a win over the Russians.
England, having dropped points against Israel and Macedonia, need the
group to remain a four-way scrap for qualification.
McClaren's misfortune was to find himself in a group without a single
outstanding team (UEFA's laughable misconception might have been that
the role would have been filled by England themselves), but, instead,
with three half-decent ones, and troublesome wild cards in Macedonia and
Estonia. The Baltic nation may not have scored a single goal in qualifying
before Wednesday's match, but were unlucky to lose against Croatia on
Saturday.
Slaven Bilic's Croatian side has a powerful first XI, but lacks strength
in depth. Their most potent attacking threat is naturalised Brazilian
Eduardo Da Silva (he might at least have made the effort to change his
name to Da Silvic). Indeed, with likely qualifiers Portugal, Spain and
Bulgaria all featuring naturalised Brazilians or Argentines in their squads,
Euro 2008 could turn out to be the first European Championship to be decided
by which nation has the best South American.
McClaren needs a Russian win or at least a draw in Zagreb on Wednesday.
The Russians, perennial underachievers since reaching the Euro 88 final,
seem to have responded to Guus Hiddink's organisational genius. Aleksandr
Kerzhakov, the languid Sevilla striker, reminds you of Glenn Hoddle's
damning description of Andy Cole as a striker who needs a dozen chances
to score once, but he managed a hat-trick against Andorra on Saturday.
Most English visits to Tallinn these days end up in a drunken fight between
rival stag parties in the old town square. Assuming McClaren's team can
avoid a similar calamity, the manager's future will be put on ice until
September. The FA negotiators (including McClaren's predecessor Sven-Goran
Eriksson) have gambled by scheduling three crucial home qualifiers in
September and November.
The double-header with Russia and Israel in September will decide whether
England qualify or whether McClaren needs to hire another PR agency to
put a positive spin on his CV for all those job applications.
If England do not claim six points at Wembley, Croatia may be over the
horizon by November, and leave McClaren's team relying on other nations
to do them a favour.
Of the other UK combatants, Wales are already a lost cause and Scotland
are beginning to see the stagger unwind in their group. The Faroe Islanders'
spirited 2-1 defeat at home to Italy makes Scotland's Wednesday visit
look trickier than anticipated.
Northern Ireland, if Nigel Worthington can maintain the progress made
under Lawrie Sanchez, are still in with a fighting chance. Their position
at the top of the group is presently the subject of a UEFA investigation
into the abandoned Denmark v Sweden game on Saturday.
With the game poised at 3-3, Sweden were awarded a late penalty. An irate
fan then attacked the referee Herbert Fandel. It has not been revealed
whether the pitch invader spoke with an Ulster accent, but the draw would
have been invaluable to Irish hopes.
As it is, the Swedes seem certain to be awarded the three points, which
would at least put the Danes out of serious contention, leaving Northern
Ireland in a three-way tussle with the Swedes and Spain for two qualifying
places.
It is a situation which both McClaren and Alex McLeish might already envy.
,
04 Jun 2007
Russian ladies dream about happy marriage.
Click on a photo...
