McClaren looks to Israel for salvation

MOSCOW:Steve McClaren has insisted he will not consider quitting his job as England coach before it is confirmed that his superstar squad has definitely missed out on a trip to the Euro 2008 finals.

A 2-1 defeat by Russia on Wednesday night unravelled the good work McClaren and his players had done in putting a run of five consecutive 3-0 wins together in group E ahead of what was always likely to be a decisive fixture.

England looked to have the win it needed to clinch qualification in the bag when Wayne Rooney put his side ahead mid-way through the first half.

But two goals in the space of four second-half minutes from super-sub Roman Pavlyuchenko torpedoed England's hopes and left McClaren clinging to his job by the finest of threats.

"Nobody likes losing games, and I certainly don't," the former Middlesbrough manager declared.

"The players are devastated in the dressing room - but we stick together. This group is not over yet. It is out of our hands - but it is not over."

Russia will qualify ahead of England if it can secure wins in Israel, who secured a draw when it came to Moscow, and Andorra in its final two matches.

On Wednesday's evidence, that should not be beyond Guus Hiddink's squad but McClaren clings to hope that the Israelis can do England a favor by frustrating the Russians again in Tel Aviv.

"Russia have to go to Israel and win," McClaren said. "The pressure is still on them. We just have to wait. I've said all along, this group is decided over 12 games - not 10 or 11. Let's see where we end up."

Israel is not England's only hope: if Macedonia beats Croatia on November 17 then England could still overtake the current group leader by also beating it at Wembley four days later, although that would require an unlikely three-goal victory against the best side in the group.

With Israel already out of the qualifying race, the odds must be on Russia getting the two wins it need, Croatia joining them in the finals and McClaren being out of a job by the end of next month.

If things do work out like that, the England manager is likely to bear a lifelong grudge towards Spain's top referee, Luis Medina Cantalejo, who mistakenly judged that Wayne Rooney was inside the box when he fouled Konstantin Zyryanov for the penalty which allowed Russia to equalize Rooney's stunning first-half strike and change the momentum of the match.

McClaren branded the decision an "absolute disgrace" in the immediate aftermath of the match, but subsequently insisted he did not want to blame the match officials for the outcome.

"Things like that turn games," McClaren added. "We looked so comfortable and our attitude was excellent. We defended well, got the goal and they were running out of ideas.

"It was a mad four minutes after that when unfortunately we conceded a second but I can't fault the players.

"We knew we would have to defend coming here and we did that. We ended up losing a game that after 70 minutes I never thought we would lose. We had it in our grasp but we've ended up losing it."

McClaren's view of the match is partly justified by the fact that Russia had managed to generate just one shot on target before England took the lead.

A long clearance from Michah Richards was brilliantly flicked on by Owen and Rooney controlled it on his chest before sending a dipping volley over Vladimir Gabulov (from an offside position replays suggested).

The barricades duly gave way in the 69th minute.

Forced to cover for an out-of-position Joleon Lescott, Rooney fouled Zyryanov - who was marginally outside the penalty area television replays suggested - and the referee pointed to the spot.

Pavlyuchenko sent the spot-kick powerfully into the corner of the net to Robinson's right. The substitute's fresh legs then proved decisive as he reacted faster than the England defenders to the goalkeeper's failure to palm a testing shot from Zyryanov away from his goalmouth.

Hiddink rubbed salt into English wounds by suggesting McClaren's men were punished for over-confidence.

The Dutchman said: "I had the feeling at half-time if we could keep the pressure on and get an equalizer it would not be easy for them. With one goal they would start worrying.

"England thought at half-time that they were leading so even a draw would be a good result. But you must finish the job before you get what you want. That's what we did.

"I'm very proud of these guys. We did a lot on the sidelines but in the end we can be proud of what the players achieved on the pitch."

AFP

(China Daily 10/19/2007 page24)