|
 |
ENGLAND v CROATIA - McCLAREN TIGHT LIPPED ON TEAM NEWS
Steve McClaren planned to give nothing away in his final press conference before England's make-or-break Euro 2008 qualifier with Croatia on Wednesday night, though he did describe experience as "key".
That means David Beckham looks likely to start on the right side of midfield with McClaren widely expected to change to a 4-5-1 formation at Wembley.
But he has so far remained tight-lipped on his final team selection - when offered the chance to give Paul Robinson his backing ahead of the clash on Tuesday afternoon, he refused to give anything away.
McClaren told Sky Sports News: "I'm not revealing the team at all. The players might have an idea but they won't know until 6.30 tonight."
As far as the rest of his selection concerned, McClaren gave a hint to his thinking when he said: "Experience is a key thing in big games."
McClaren was glad to have his captain John Terry at training on Tuesday but confirmed the Chelsea defender will not play.
He said: "Although he's not fit to play, it's great to have him around. We've also got the likes of Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney there.
"But it's all about the players who are crossing that white line and the subs who might make an impact."
The former Middlesbrough boss insists he is not concerned about his players freezing under pressure.
"They're used to big games, they play in cup finals and Champions League matches all the time.
"These are experienced players and they play in big games week in, week out.
"This game is for qualification but we want to go even further than that. We want to play these kind of games more often."
McClaren also called on the supporters to provide maximum support.
"They can be so, so important. We've seen that in the games against Israel and Russia. The crowd were the 12th man. Wembley is an intimidating atmosphere and we need that."
McClaren also defended the team's form over the course of his first qualification campaign.
He said: "The first six months were difficult for various reasons but in the second half of the campaign we've stepped forward. That is myself, as a staff, as a group of players.
"Apart from 10 minutes against Russia we've performed very well as a team."
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
BACK TO ENGLAND v CROATIA MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
 |
|
|
|
