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McCLAREN AWARE OF SHOCK POTENTIAL
Steve McClaren will have Nuneaton in the back of his mind when England launch their Euro 2008 campaign against minnows Andorra this afternoon.
McClaren's Middlesbrough team needed a replay to knock non-league Nuneaton Borough out of the FA Cup last season.
The England boss will not forget that as his team of superstars prepare to take on the part-timers from the Pyrenees, ranked 132nd in the world.
McClaren believes there has been plenty of evidence in recent years that small teams are capable of over-achieving.
"We had it last year with Middlesbrough when we went to Nuneaton and everyone said that was an easy game and it wasn't," he said.
"Manchester United must have thought Burton was an easy game last season and it wasn't and that's football.
"That's why we love it and that's why it is so unpredictable."
England found out how hard it can be to break down a stubborn team from the lower reaches of FIFA's world rankings when they faced Trinidad and Tobago in the World Cup.
Two goals in the last five minutes secured a 2-0 win but it was far from routine.
McClaren said: "We have to treat every opponent with respect, make sure we do the job, be professional and treat Andorra like we were playing Brazil or Argentina.
"Patience is going to be a key word. We must keep playing football and keep the ball moving at a good tempo.
"Trinidad put 11 behind the ball and it was difficult to break them down and we lost our patience a little bit.
"We need to make sure we keep that and keep the width."
McClaren will also demand his players keep their cool as he expects the Andorrans to try to provoke them.
He also urged Austrian referee Bernard Brugger to be on the lookout for wind-up tactics.
McClaren said: "What I am going to stress to the players is that we keep under control and not get antagonised.
"In all the tapes I've watched, they've been very aggressive in their tackling, are not afraid to upset opponents and to get involved.
"We must stay in control, stay calm and finish the game with 11 players on the park.
"They do commit many fouls and we need to be in control and the ref needs to be strong."
Andorra are ranked 132nd in the world and arrived in Manchester without two of their best players.
Leading scorer Ildefonso Lima, who plays for Italian Serie B club Triestina, is serving a six-match ban for spitting at an Armenian player in a World Cup qualifier.
The team's only other professional player is Marc Bernaus, but Andorra have agreed to let him play for his club Elche in the Spanish second division this weekend.
England face Macedonia on Wednesday and want maximum points from their opening two games in Group E.
McClaren said: "We need to be consistent, we need to qualify for Euro 2008. That's our ultimate goal now.
"Six points from two games is the target and that is the expectation.
"We have to make sure we perform and attain that."
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
ENGLAND v ANDORRA & MACEDONIA MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
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