Ukraine is a big, proud, troubled country with some fine players.
Tonight will be a difficult game because Ukraine will play for a 0-0.
But I’m expecting Fabio Capello to win it.
It will be a serious test because brainy coach Alexei Mikhailichenko was Lobanovsky’s assistant at Dynamo Kiev. I remember him taking the session at Wembley the night before they played Arsenal, as the old maestro stood alone on the sidelines, a mountain of concentration, absorbing every kick, pass and gesture.
A tall, blond midfielder, Mikhailichenko, 46, was brilliant when he first went to Sampdoria. Agent Pini Zahavi, who took Russian and Ukrainian players to Italy, told me that Mikhailichenko didn’t realise the team was run by Vialli and Mancini, not the coach, so he was only at Samp for one season.
Voronin was average at Liverpool but has scored 11 in 20 starts for league leaders Hertha Berlin and has a point to prove to English fans. Shevchenko is past it but like Eric Clapton. However old Eric is, he can still pull out one great lick. However old Sheva is, he can still pull out one great shot. John Terry has warned that we should not write him off.
Shevchenko has lost his pace but not his brain or strength and this is a big stage for him, a last hurrah. He terrorised Keown at the old Wembley and scared the living daylights out of Arsenal fans. He was awesome that night, back in the 20th century. That is ancient history, irrelevant to tonight’s match. But if you are as great as Shevchenko once was, you can never completely lose it.
Tymoshchuck is spinal. He is a leader, a giant, an awesome holding midfielder. He was 30 yesterday and shares the same birthday as Mikhailichenko : March 30.
Every serious team needs somebody like Tymoshchuck, a player with authority, experience and a strong character. He will sign for Bayern Munich on July 1st. Bayern are a team of men who might surprise you by knocking out Barcelona. They know that all teams need spinal players.
Our media reaction to the thrashing of Slovakia was hysterical and did not reflect the game I saw.
It was a friendly, Slovakia were only interested in tonight’s bug game against neighbours Czech Republic, they conceded an early own-goal that went in off Skrtel’s outstretched boot, and they tired badly and conceded three goals in the last 20 minutes to Rooney, Lampard, Rooney.
Tonight Peter Crouch will start his first game for Capello and that’s fine by me, as I’m a Crouch fan. I think he can play. Gerrard and Rooney are on form, and Gerrard combined well with Crouch at Liverpool. Crouch is a team player who knows what Stevie G wants to do, knows where he wants the ball. And Rooney can adapt and play with anybody, so Crouch having a different style is not a huge problem for him
Capello talks to Rooney a lot because Wayne is 23 and has a lot to learn. This is his 50th cap and he’s the youngest to reach 50. The manager thinks Wayne can improve his finishing and discipline. When he’s playing well, his boyish belligerence and instinctive passing are really fun to watch.
ANR readers say I write about Rooney far too much but I can’t help it. He is the best footballer England has produced since Bobby Charlton.
Less vulnerable than Gascoigne, more versatile than Hoddle, more skilful than Bryan Robson, faster than all of three. None of them played for England at 17.
But Rooney needs Capello on his case. And Capello needs to get more out of Rooney than the seven goals he has scored in his last four games. Tonight is a big game for Roo, a big test, and I reckon he will pass it. But it will be a very close, tactical battle.
Five wins in five games will put England in complete command of Group 6 and make the FA look good, which they rarely do. Adam Crozier, are you watching? You hired Sven, a groupie.
Frank Lampard says the new manager has made the England stars play less selfishly. That’s is why I love Capello. He is a teacher-colonel who commands respect from all the comprehensive school yobbos in his class.
A few months after Capello got the job I was talking to Martin Tyler about what the Italian was doing.
“I’ve only met him once, ” I admitted
“That’s once more than I have,” said Martin.
I went to Highbury to watch AC Milan train the night before they played Arsenal in the Super Cup. Capello was asked how seriously Milan were taking tomorrow’s game. He said, “Very seriously, we take every game seriously because we have fans all round the world and because of the traditions of the club.”
Then I went home on the tube with Brian Glanville, as I often did from Arsenal, Spurs, Wembley and West Ham (Not QPR or Chelsea because Brian cycled there from his house in Holland Park.)
Brian understood what Capello was saying before it was translated.
I said, “I’m very impressed by his gravitas. He’s a serious guy.”
“That’s the role, the responsibility that goes with his job, ” said Brian. “He was quite a jolly character as a player.”
One of the intriguing things about Capello’s career is that when Sacchi was the AC Milan coach, Silvio Berlusconi brought Capello into his company, where he spent time learning about business before taking over the team.
Best goal of last weekend was by Franck Ribery for France in Lithuania, a rocketing left-foot shot which won the match. They play Lithuania again tonight and it’s time for Benzema to step up to the plate