Steve to give Lescott the Cole role
By MATT LAWTON
Last updated at 00:01 16 October 2007
Steve McClaren could spring a surprise in Moscow on Wednesday by handing Joleon Lescott a daunting full competitive debut and leaving Frank Lampard on the bench.
The England coach continued to
keep his players guessing
on Monday but their training
session on a plastic pitch at a
school in Altrincham pointed to
just two changes to the team
who beat Estonia 3-0 on
Saturday.
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While a fit-again John
Terry will return for Sol
Campbell, yesterday's action
would suggest that Lescott will
replace the injured Ashley Cole
at left back.
McClaren has considered a
change of formation as well as
personnel, switching to a 4-3-3
line-up that would allow
Lampard to return as part of a
three-man midfield. Given that
Guus Hiddink likes to organise
his Russia side in a 3-4-3
formation, there is certainly a
case for such a reshuffle.
But the players now feel that
McClaren will resist the
temptation to tinker with a
winning formula and remain
faithful to a team who secured
a fifth successive 3-0 win in this
European Championship
qualifying campaign.
After missing Saturday with a
knee problem, Terry came
through yesterday's session
unscathed and was given the
all-clear by the medical experts
from Chelsea and the FA to
travel on England's afternoon
flight to Moscow from
Manchester.
While McClaren should again be
admired for having the
strength to make tough
decisions, one has to hope it is
not a rigid 4-4-2 he intends to
deploy at the Luzhniki Stadium.
Against Russia at Wembley he
positioned Emile Heskey wide
left of Michael Owen and urged
Shaun Wright-Phillips to push
forward, thus creating a front
three, and he should consider
doing the same this time.
Wayne Rooney has played wide
left for Manchester United
before, while Wright-Phillips
can again join the attack.
Selecting Lescott is a bold
decision, but one that was
difficult to avoid in the absence
of Ashley Cole and Wayne
Bridge. Phil Neville is
predominantly right-footed
and Nicky Shorey has suffered
from a loss of form at Reading.
Lescott looked a little nervous
on what was his debut against
Estonia, which was perhaps
understandable as he came on
as a second-half substitute for
Rio Ferdinand then had to
switch to left back when Ashley
Cole disappeared with a badly
twisted ankle. McClaren,
however, recognises Lescott as
defensively sound on the flank
— a role he filled regularly for
Everton last season.
As the squad arrived in Moscow
last night, Steven Gerrard
reminded his team-mates just
how important a contest this is
tomorrow evening. 'The
incentives and rewards from
this game are massive,' he said.
'A draw wouldn't be a bad
result, but we know that we can
qualify with a win and that's
what we're aiming for.'
Gerrard likened the game to
England's crunch qualifier in
Istanbul four years ago.
He said: 'I can remember the
tremendous atmosphere in the
dressing room before that
game. You looked around and
you knew you could trust the
player next to you. We gave
everything and came through.
The feeling now is similar.'
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