So this is it. Crunch time. England go into this afternoon’s game knowing victory will see them book their place in next summer’s European Cup in Switzerland and Austria.
After all the trials and tribulations of the past 12 months it seems remarkable that they are actually within touching distance of the finals and the mass celebrations that will go with securing qualification.
However, before we get ahead of ourselves here, we have to bear in mind that it isn’t going to be easy today. Russia will be a much tougher proposition at home than they were at Wembley last month.
And, added to that, the game will be played on artificial turf giving the home side an extra advantage.
To be honest this shouldn’t be allowed. I appreciate that keeping real grass playable in Moscow is a difficult proposition thanks to the extremely dodgy weather they endure. But, even so, I am convinced that artificial turf, no matter how advanced its technology may be, gives those players who play on it regularly a considerable advantage.
The situation is made all the more questionable by the fact that the artificial turf is set to be ripped up and replaced with real grass in time for the UEFA Cup final. If it’s good enough for Euro 2008 qualifiers surely it’s good enough for a final?
However, even if the grass is fake, the opportunity for England is very real. Draw and they will have one foot in the door, win and they will be safely inside with the door slammed behind them.
Steve McClaren knows he is just one good performance away from absolutely silencing his critics if not positively ramming their words down their throats. At half time in the match against Andorra he was disgustingly abused by fans who jeered and sneered as he left the pitch.
Lesser men would have crumbled under that sort of abuse but, instead, he and his team have used it to build themselves up and have now gone on a run of five straight 3-0 victories.
Today they will be without Ashley Cole who joined the extensive injury list which reads like a Who’s Who of English football: Gary Neville, John Terry (maybe, maybe not), David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick, Keiron Dyer, Emile Heskey, Dean Ashton and Andy Johnson.
But, even so, the team that faced Estonia at the weekend is more than capable of getting the result every England fan craves.
In defence Sol Campbell is a more than adequate replacement for Terry if he doesn’t make it, the midfield seems to pick itself these days with Barry and Gerrard first choice in the centre and Wright Philips and Cole looking increasingly effective out on the wings. And, up front, Rooney is returning to something like his old form while Owen is looking sharp despite only just recovering from surgery.
England have the personnel, the balance, the shape and the tactics to win today and, in McClaren they have a manager who desperately wants victory to finally secure his turnaround from supreme villain to national hero.
And my money is on them doing it. It won’t be easy and, thanks to them having to play on pretend grass, it might not be pretty either.
But I genuinely believe they will book their ticket to the finals and give all us England fans something to look forward to next summer.
Frank Lampard
Talking of international football and England, I have to say how disgusted I am that Frank Lampard was booed by some sections of the Wembley crowd last Saturday.
It is just not right.
I will readily admit that his form for England has been far short of spectacular over recent months and that is why he is no longer an automatic choice in the side.
But to boo the man, well, that’s just plain ridiculous. He is, after all, a magnificent midfielder who would walk into most of the world’s top sides. He has, time and time again, done it for club and country. Just because it is not happening for him at the moment is no reason to get on his back.
After all, England fans have seen much, much worse players turn out for their country and given them no stick whatsoever. Over the years we have been treated to the delights of players like Carlton Palmer, Geoff Thomas, Andy Cole and even Lee Hendrie but none of those were treated anything like as badly as Lampard is.
As I said, I find it disgraceful that this small minority of fans can find it in themselves to kick a quality player while he is down. It’s almost as if they are never happy unless they have something to complain about.
In fact, I would love nothing more than for Frank to come on the pitch towards the end of today’s game and score the winning goal after a surging run into the box.
That would tell the idiots where to stick their boos.
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