By Myles Palmer
Martyn; G Neville, Keown, Ferdinand,Powell; Beckham, Murphy, Scholes, Anderton; Heskey, Owen.
That is the team expected to face Sweden at Old Trafford in Saturday afternoon’s friendly.
What can I sensibly say by way of a preview?
Not a lot because it’s only an important game for Anderton, Murphy and Keown.
Darren Anderton has been one of my favourite players for about eight years. He would be a major asset to Sven next summer and I’m sure he will go.
I’ve always said he was better than Macca because he can score goals.
And – I’m gonna get stick for this, I know – but I will say it again : I’ve always thought Anderton was better than Beckham because he is two-footed and has a harder shot and a wonderful temperament.
Anderton is a natural international player, one of our best,when he is fit.
I’ve talked to Martin Tyler a lot about Anderton and we agreed a couple of years back. Martin said, “If he’s fit, he’s in the team.”
That was exactly how I felt. I would pick him without discussing it because Anderton makes the step up to international level look far easier than it is.
I think Sven will have enjoyed watching Anderton train and will realise that he is an unselfish team player who can hold it, use the ball from awkward positions, beat people, cross superbly, take free-kicks and hit thunderous shots from 25 yards.
And he very rarely kicks opponents or swears at referees. So he is an all-rounder who can link the play even when he is not making the play.
It’s worth making an obvious point : international football is bloody difficult and if you are not a top, top player you just won’t be able to play at this level.
It’s far, far harder than club football and miles above Under-21 football.
However, David Beckham is durable and plays for England’s most successful club.
Phil Thompson said last week that Danny Murphy was tactically his best midfield player. He is tough, versatile, mobile, quite skilful and has started scoring goals.
I would play Murphy wide and Anderton central. But if Sven wants to look at the Spurs man on the left this is a good time to do it.
Keown has been playing badly for Arsenal, so I doubt if he will make the World Cup squad.
He must grasp this chance and form an effective partnership with the colossally impressive Rio Ferdinand, who has improved by 80% since joining Leeds.
It looks a workmanlike England side without Gerrard.His absence makes the always elusive midfield balance difficult to achieve
Terry Venables was pretty radical when he picked three dribblers in Euro 96 : Gazza, Macca and Dazza.
We wondered if it would work and at times it worked very well indeed. Tel had five or six or seven in midfield in most games because he was always terrified of being outnumbered in midfield.
Sven has Gerrard, so he doesn’t need to think like that.
Sven’s conception of the game is more dynamic, more penetrating, a bit like Wenger’s.
He has no Batty or Ince – only Scholes, who makes blunders in his own half of the field.
Sven, who sometimes plays 4-3-3, wants his team to win the ball and give it to Michael Owen , a greyhound striker who might not have suited Venables and didn’t really suit Hoddle.
Sweden are without their three best players, so England will win if they play well.
If they don’t play well it could be a draw.
I was there at Wembley when Schwarz mugged Scholes, conned him into a silly foul and got him sent off.
Utter stupidity by Scholes to commit the kind of fouls he gets away with all the time for Man United.
The Swedes have often punched above their weight in world football, as they did when finishing third in USA 94.
Larsson, Ljungberg and Andersson are their mainstays, though, and a team that is missing one key player from attack, midfield and defence will not be at its best.
It might be an entertaining game if there are plenty of mistakes. But it will not be a meaningful game – except, perhaps, for the three players I mentioned.
Did you see David Dunn slalom past five orange shirts in Utrecht last night?
Holland 2 England 2 was the final score and Dunn scored a a Gazza-style equaliser in the 58th minute. Terrific dribble, super finish, a low shot in off the post.
David Platt’s Under-21s need to win the second leg of the play-off at Pride Park on Tuesday night.
Ledley King looked good in defence alongside John Terry.
King versus Henry and Bergkamp will be intersting in two weeks time at White Hart Lane.
That’s enough for tonight. I’m tired, I haven’t thought much about England v Sweden, and I’m writing this off the top of my head.
9th November 2001.