By Myles Palmer
MACEDONIA are 87th in the FIFA rankings, so why am I apprehensive?
This is a must-win game for England.
If England can win, and draw in Turkey, they top the group and qualify for Euro 2004.
If Macedonia draw again, Sven’s millionaires might be in a play-off
OK, England can always score.Beckham could bend in a free kick in 10 minutes.
But can they defend?
The back five will be David James, Gary Neville, John Terry,Sol and Ashley Cole.
Can that back five keep a clean sheet against a side that drew 2-2 in Southampton?
I’m quite worried.
Macedonia are not France, not even Greece, but they might give us 90 minutes of frustration.
Still, Frank Lampard looks slimmer this season.
He looks quicker, more mobile, more energetic.
Lampard is a more reliable passer than Scholes and more of an all-rounder than Platt.
But Platt and Scholes scored goals.
There ain’t many chances in England games.
So goals are precious and qualifying goals are golden
Sometimes Frank looks bang average, a nearly-man.
Nearly a superb pass, nearly a great shot, but three or two feet wide.
It’s a big step up from Under-21 level. It’s a MASSIVE step up.
People don’t realise what a huge gulf there is between Under-21 and senior level.
Sven won’t play Frank wide. He will play Owen Hargreaves on the left and let Frank break beyond Wayne Rooney, who is more likely to play him in than Michael Owen.
What Frank can do is get into scoring positions.If he gets two chances, and scores a goal, England can win 2-1.
This is a crucial game for him. And for John Terry.And for the whole England team.
THE MIDFIELD DIAMOND hasn’t worked defensively, but Hargreaves can give Ashley Cole the cover he has lacked when the diamond has been stuttering.
Hargreaves is intelligent and can play to orders. I like him a lot.
Ashley hates the diamond because it leaves him with two against one too often.
To sum up : Rooney and Lampard are diamond players.
They can make the diamond work. Rooney has instinct, vision, power,two feet, huge potential.
It’s the right decsion to play him. Sven has to play him.
After the World Cup I said that Sven had to choose between playing Heskey and playing football.And he has seen the light atlast. He has decided to play Rooney.
It’s the only way to go.
Rooney can give Lampard two killer passes tomorrow in Skopje.
And those two passes could be the difference between winning the game and losing it.
Rooney and Lampard, this season, can reduce the dependence on Becks and Owen.
FIFA RANKINGS for August 2003 are as follows.
With some teams ranked equally.
1.Brazil
2.France
3.Spain
4.Holland
4.Mexico
6.Argentina
7.Turkey
8.ENGLAND
9.USA
10.Germany
Ranked 80 to 90 are :Qatar, Belarus, Libya, El Salvador, Haiti,Cyprus, MACEDONIA ,Togo, Albania and Indonesia.
GILBERTO is with Brazil, who go to Colombia.
The 2006 World Cup qualifers start here in South America.
Interesting to see how Ronaldinho gets on.
He is the most exciting player in the world.
Zidane is the best player, but Ronaldinho is the most exciting player: strong across the hips, a good tackler with a fantastic range of improvised passes, great in the air for his size, and monkey-quick from a standing start.
Colombia will be waiting for him. I wish Ronaldinho luck and a safe return to Barca.
ARGENTINA are at home to Chile.
Bielsa is an intellectual who ruined their World Cup by over-thinking it.
He comes from a family of radical lawyers
HE MIGHT STILL OVERTHINK IT. But Argentina will beat Chile.
If they don’t, I’d hate to be there.And I’d hate to be Bielsa.
Have a good weekend. And don’t watch too much football.
It’s only a game.
September 5th 2003
PS Friday 10pm : ANOTHER MYLES OWN-GOAL : Ronaldinho is suspended !