Lucky England??

I had it all worked out in my head. There was a way for England to qualify for Euro 2008 and get a new manager. It was an unlikely and convoluted scenario, which involved Russia drawing with Israel and Croatia losing to Macedonia over the weekend. This would have left the mid-week qualifiers as such: Croatia still needing a point against England, Russia needing Croatia to achieve said point while securing a win in their own match against Andorra. In my unlikely scenario, Russia crashes to a spectacular defeat against Andorra by some massive goal difference and England loses in the customary uninspired manner to a Croatia team that has something to play for. The upshot is that England qualifies, but only through the furthest back of backdoors and despite an abysmal performance. The vultures begin circling and McLaren's head goes on the chopping block for the umpteenth time.

Well, never mind all that. Israel beat Russia in exactly the sort of improbable circumstances that prompt comments about balls being round and there being no sure-things in soccer. The football was more chuck-bin than champagne, but it was dramatic stuff, complete with a last gasp winner for Israel after Russia had just hit the post moments earlier. For much of the 2nd half, I was resigned to a Russian victory given the lack of action in Russia's half of the field. Then, mayhem in the closing minutes and England was alive again.

My scenario could still happen (Andorra beating Russia and England losing to Croatia), but some sting has been taken out of the Wembley encounter. Croatia does not need to play for a result and England needs a draw and not a win.

McLaren might still find his job endangered. Certain factions of the England support base are actually disappointed that Israel has handed their team a lifeline, perceiving this as an unwarranted extension of McLaren's stint. Such is the degree of utter disillusionment with Second Choice Steve. I have said it before; it's part of why I find it enjoyable to support English sporting teams - they have the most fascinating fans!

Should SCS be kept? Frankly, until Wednesday's match, all arguments for or against are just so much tosh for column inches. If England falls to an abject defeat (possible), the hatchets will be out. If they stumble to an unconvincing draw or eke out a narrow win (probable), debate will rage. If they manage another 3 goal win at Wembley, all the while playing like Manchester United in recent weeks? Maybe the New Dawn would be heralded again.

It was just two matches ago when England was on a roll of 3-0 victories and the team was being praised. You're only as good as your last game. Sure, McLaren's hand was forced by injuries and suspensions; he probably got the team balance right despite himself. But he did manage to marshal limited resources and to work around the loss of key players. This is part of football management and he does deserve some credit for this.

Not that I am a McLaren defender by any means. I do realise that much of my dislike is completely subjective. I find him off-putting in his interviews, with his vapid smiles and usually meaningless utterances. He's not very interesting when he talks and he compounds it by being a charisma vacuum. He inspires neither affection nor respect. I am sure he's a regular likable fellow to those who know him, but he's also a regular PR nightmare. Part of the job of a national manager is to project intelligence and conviction; a sense of knowing what needs to be done and how to do it. He does not come across as being particularly astute and most gallingly, he does not even seem passionate about his job.

Are these reasons enough to give him the axe? Well, they should have been reason enough for him not to be hired in the first place. And since they did hire him despite these, I suppose they owe it to him to assess his performance based on the team's results. If England ends up topping the qualifying group, the objective yardstick would suggest that McLaren has succeeded. Yes, lucky, yadda yadda yadda, but seriously, have England been all that lucky? They've had to play several matches without various first team players, with Rooney, Terry, Owen, Lampard, Ashley Cole etc being unavailable at different junctures. As the luck factor usually does, it probably evens out in the final analysis.

So, until Wednesday, I am willing to give Second Choice a moratorium on the "stay or slay" discussions. He still has to get the result against Croatia and that is certainly far from being a formality.

I personally would like to see England in Euro 2008, even if I am not convinced that their football consistently warrants the spot. It's just always much more fun to follow the English media's coverage of any sporting event when they have a home team to support, despair over or sarcastically write off.