Come On England!

Last updated : 21 November 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

Steve McClaren has had two problems to deal with. Does he stick with the most over-rated English goalkeeper in recent history - Paul Robinson - and does he stick with Hollywood's Golden Balls - David Beckham?

McClaren says he resolved England's tricky goalkeeping dilemma within minutes of Israel's Omer Golan throwing open the door to Euro 2008 on Saturday night.

Although McClaren himself remains tight-lipped, it has emerged international rookie Scott Carson will make his first competitive appearance in tonight's must-not-lose encounter with Croatia at Wembley.

It probably represents the biggest gamble of his managerial career.

McClaren: "I made my mind up about the goalkeeping situation well before the players joined up on Sunday evening.

"I have made plenty of big decisions in the past and this is a big game when more big decisions will be made.

"It does not matter what age you are. You can be a big-game player at 18 or 33.
"Experience can be invaluable but so can the innocence of youth. There is risk in everything."

If David Beckham is to win a 99th cap, it appears he will do so as a substitute as Shaun Wright-Phillips is set for a start along with Gareth Barry, who has been preferred to Owen Hargreaves as the holding player in a five-man midfield.

McClaren: "The reason we have done so well in the second half of the campaign is that we have played as a team.

"It is not about individuals, it is about a team ethic. That is what we have in this squad and that is what we have to keep.

"The last three games Shaun Wright-Phillips has played at Wembley have been very good.

"He has scored a couple of goals and created chances. We have spoken about having pace on both flanks and Shaun has given us that."

The Newcastle-Mad boys will be in "The Crows Nest" in the Haymarket tonight, if anyone fancies a jar with us.