BACK TO ARCHIVE INDEX © All written site content is copyright ComeOnBoro.com 2004-2007, unless otherwise stated, and is not to be used without prior permission.	ENGLAND v MACEDONIA - McCLAREN TOTALLY IN CHARGE Head coach Steve McClaren insists he picks the England team and decides on tactics. Responding to reports suggesting that player power may be impacting on his authority at an early stage in his tenure, McClaren took his opportunity - before tomorrow's Euro 2008 qualifier against Macedonia - to make it clear who is in charge. "The players did not have a meeting. The players do not pick the team," he told Sky Sports News. "I don't mind articles if they are the truth and they happen but not things that haven't happened and I don't believe will happen. "At the end of the day of the day I pick the team and I take responsibility for that." McClaren has declined, meanwhile, to confirm a change of tactics for Saturday's match. His squad have experimented with a 3-5-2 formation in training this week - and they have been tipped to line up that way at Old Trafford. However, McClaren would say only "we'll have to see" when pressed on whether England may use the formation against opponents they beat 1-0 in Skopje last month. "As I said before the first game [McClaren's first game] against Greece, leading up to the campaign, we can play 4-4-2 - we've played three games already doing that and scored 10 goals and conceded none, but I want to be flexible. At times we might need to be that way," he said. "We tried 3-5-2 against Andorra for 30 minutes. "I believe we have got the personnel to do it. "We have had a couple of sessions doing it. It looks very good, and I'm sure the players can adapt to that and can do it in the future." McClaren added: "We know we can play 4-4-2 and 3-5-2 - the players have been comfortable with 3-5-2 over the last two days. "We were asked if we could play without Wayne (Rooney) and we did and won three games. "We are asked if we can play without Owen Hargreaves. Yes we can. "Yes we will ask the players [about formations], but you can tell whether it flows, if it's cohesive when you are in training. And it has been." The England boss is looking forward to the return of Manchester United striker Rooney after suspension. He said in a press conference televised live by Sky Sports News: "He is a delight to work with and it's great to have him back in the squad. Get him on the training pitch, get him in a match, get him in front of a crowd and he wants to play. "He has missed a number of games but Wayne Rooney will explode." He added on Sky Sports News: "We can use it defensively and to attack, it is a flexible system. We are just looking at different ways of surprising teams." When asked why he had not considered recalling former captain David Beckham, McClaren expressed his faith in other players. He added: "I feel we have got other players that can come in and do a job and we are looking to the future to do that. "We have got good good players out there that can come in and adapt to different situations." McClaren is enjoying working with assistant Terry Venables, one of his predecessors in the post, and believes together they can foster a winning spirit. Sven-Goran Eriksson's former assistant said: "I enjoyed my time working with Sven. He gave me a lot of freedom and I am trying to do that with Terry. "He has fantastic knowledge of the game and he can pass a lot on. We get on very well. "We want passion to play as a team and play good football. Generally if you do that you win football matches." By Bettingzone.co.uk Used with permission. SEND THIS TO A FRIEND ENGLAND v MACEDONIA MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
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