By Myles Palmer
Denmark were the first team to catch my eye in this World Cup.
Centreback Martin Laursen was the first player to catch my eye.
Let’s get one thing straight : Denmark pass the ball better than England.
They have a better shape, a more finely-honed system, better habits.
Their style is based on width. They are the only European team who have a style based on width.
Right back Helveg works the touchline as steadily as a Danish Lauren.A strong, accurate player for AC Milan.
Dennis Rommedahl of PSV knows how to let the others use his pace within the team framework.
Martin Jorgensen of Udinese is a dangerous big winger who can dribble and pass and score. A very good player who could mesmerise Mills or Cole or both.
Jesper Gronkjaer could get Cole a yellow card within ten minutes.
My abiding memory of Gronkjaer is two seasons back at Highbury, before Ranieri could speak English.
Instead of the manager, Gronkjaer came up to the press lounge after the game. He sat there looking like a wickedly pretty pop star.
Somebody mentioned Lee Dixon’s arm smacking him in the face. Jesper smiled and said, “This is also football.”
Tomasson is a smart striker who loiters in the box quite a lot.Brainy, economical, able to read his wingers.
His goal in 44 minutes against Uruguay seemed to come out of nothing when the game was dozing into the break.
A one-two with Gronkjaer on the left, Tomasson stabs in neatly, 1-0. Made it look easy, no huffing and puffing like Owen and Heskey. It was surgical, accurate,perfectly executed
COACH MORTEN OLSEN is a proven tactician now, after that bold switcharound that baffled France.
If they can beat France 2-0, even a muddled, mis-firing France, the Danes have to be taken seriously.
The cool evening in Niigita, 250 miles north of where Sven’s boys might have playing Senegal on a blazing afternoon, should suit both sides and make it a British kind of game.
The midfield scrap could be Toftig and Gravesen against Scholes and Butt. Could be a war-zone in there, if the United boys can get tackles in.
MAYBE ENGLAND CAN SHOW US A FLUENCY THEY HAVE NOT SHOWN YET.
Who knows?
Three points in today’s papers were :
1. Owen is not scoring, but he will soon.
2. Kieron Dyer could be a supersub after an hour. Or even start in a 4-4-1-1 formation, replacing Heskey.
3. David Lacey says: I would start Wayne Bridge, not Ashley Cole.
Myself, I’m not surprised Owen isn’t scoring.
Dyer has had 20 minutes match practice, so he can’t start. Maybe he could play the second half.
But only on the right or in the middle- NOT ON THE LEFT, PLEASE !
Sven will play Ashley Cole because he is aggressive and quick and improving with every game.
Ashley can be rash, but he advances with a lot of verve and initiative. England need that.
Regular readers will know my views on Trevor Sinclair.
If we are waiting for a goal from Sinclair, or an assist, we will wait a long time.
Best comment this week was from Auxerre boss Guy Roux.
He said England don’t really have a playmaker because Beckham isn’t really a playmaker.
EXACTLY.
Becks, the cuddly icon so beloved of Japanese schoolgirls, is a quarterback who was ineffective in the heat of the Sapporo Dome.
He will be better against Denmark. But a matchwinner again?
England fans will be very nervous. There will be 15 million watching this game at home and five million in pubs and sports bars. Most will be nervous.
I’m not nervous.
It will be a low-scoring game because England’s defence is good. The back five have got England this far. Maybe the back five can take them into the last eight.
No team has put in back-to-back great performances yet in this World Cup. But from tomorrow they will have to.
Two teams will have to play well for four consecutuve games, or play well for three and get lucky in one.
14th June 2002.