Corluka seals switch to City

[Croatia123]

Manchester City have concluded the transfer of highly-rated Croatia international defender Vedran Corluka from Dinamo Zagreb.

The right-back or centre-half has signed for City for an undisclosed fee.

The deal is Sven-Goran Eriksson's sixth capture of the summer and is the second defensive recruit in the space of 24 hours following the arrival of left sider Javi Garrido from Real Sociedad.

The 21-year-old has penned a five-year deal, subject to him being granted a work-permit.

Vedran, who has nine international caps, played in Croatia's 2-0 win over England last season and faced Arsenal in a Champions League qualifier last August.

[Mary]

Not for nothing does the list of Football Association officials at England matches these days include a psychologist among all the men in grey blazers. Bill Beswick does not speak to the media, but his voice comes through when Steve McClaren does, echoing phrases from lectures or his motivational book, which is subtitled "Develop A Winning Mental Approach".

"Change negative to positive," Beswick emphasises, "limit stressful situations. Focus on what can be controlled." Thus is it that from the moment the artificial pitch England will encounter tonight first raised its potentially awkward head, McClaren's response has been either to play the matter down or make a virtue of others' doubts. "This is what's been put in front of us," he said when the subject first came up a month ago. "It's like everything that happens, injuries or problems. You have to cope with it." By this week, after exhaustive study of his beloved Pro-Zone statistics, the line had become: "There's no significant differences between the surfaces. It's a flat pitch, so there's no excuse."

"No excuses" is another key commandment from a sports psychologist's bible and one that McClaren's squad appear to be taking to heart. Paul Robinson, the goalkeeper undone by a divot on natural grass in Croatia last year, said: "It must be of good quality and we can't be putting excuses in the way about plastic pitches."

England's lions might also be advised to avoid use of the word "plastic", with its unconscious connotations of the loathed surfaces at Queen's Park Rangers, Luton Town and Oldham Athletic a quarter of a century ago. Those pitches were banned by the Football Association in 1988, and the quality of artificial surfaces (first used at the Houston Astrodome in 1965) has clearly improved. Unfortunately for the England camp, many of those who have played on the FieldTurf version laid down in Moscow's Luzhniki stadium and widely used in the United States and Canada, have had words as harsh as grazed skin for it.

David Beckham, conscious of the likely effect on his injured ankle, said of the FieldTurf pitch used by Toronto FC: "You can't play a game like soccer on that sort of field. What it does to your body as a soccer player, you're in bits for three days after that." Three other Major League Soccer clubs use the surface, including New England Revolution, whose coach, the former Liverpool and Scotland player Steve Nicol, admits: "There is no give in it. Grass is still the best surface."

Nicol's words were mild compared to his countryman Garry O'Connor, now back in Britain with Birmingham City after playing at the Luzhniki on numerous occasions for Lokomotiv Moscow. "A dreadful experience," he said. "I can't begin to tell you how tough it's going to be for England."

As well as potentially jarring joints, the degree of dampness appears to be a factor. Critics claim that, if the surface is too dry, the black rubber granules can fly up, making life particularly difficult for goalkeepers, whereas they stick to the ball when wet. Celtic were almost caught out when they played Spartak Moscow in August by watering on the day of the game after they had trained there the night before. The Russians are dismissive of such talk and their coach, Guus Hiddink, has said that this week's inclement weather would have saturated a grass pitch.

All in the mind, rather than underfoot, will be the Beswick-McClaren line. Reminding the players of Celtic's result might also help. A 1-1 draw would do very nicely tonight.

Group E

Remaining fixtures: Today: Macedonia v Andorra; Russia v England. 17 Nov: Andorra v Estonia; Macedonia v Croatia; Israel v Russia. 21 Nov: Andorra v Russia; England v Croatia; Israel v Macedonia.

What England have to do: A victory in Moscow today will seal qualification for Euro 2008. A draw would leave them needing a point against Croatia next month, while a defeat would mean they need to defeat Croatia and hope Russia fail to win their remaining two games.

[Mary]

NICKY SHOREY is determined to put his England heartache behind him by helping Reading to a first-ever victory at Blackburn Rovers tomorrow (3pm kick-off).

Royals’ left-back was part of the Three Lions squad which lost 2-1 in Russia on Wednesday night, leaving the country’s hopes of qualifying for the Euro 2008 finals hanging by a thread.

Shorey, who flew into Manchester from Moscow in the early hours of yesterday morning, said: “It is obviously very, very disappointing to have lost.
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“I thought we were in control, but we conceded two goals in four minutes.

“The performance was good and we still hope we can qualify, although that is now out of our hands.

“All we can do is look to beat Croatia next month and hope other results go our way. But before that I have games for Reading and I am really looking forward to tomorrow.

“I can’t wait to get out there. We had a good result against Derby in our last game and now we need to push on.

“But Blackburn will be a very tough game. They have very good players like David Bentley who was with me in the England squad.

“I could be up against him directly, but we are looking to get a result.”

With Ashley Cole injured, England coach Steve McClaren opted to play Everton’s Joleon Lescott out of position at left-back against the Russians instead of Shorey.

But the 26-year-old Reading ace insists he does not see the team selection as rejection.

He added: “The manager did have a chat with me to explain things and I will keep that to myself. I was disappointed not to play but I don’t see it as a snub. I will always do whatever job I’m asked to do or whatever the teams needs.

“The manager picks the team that he thinks can win the game. We didn’t win but I thought the performance was good and I thought Joleon played well.

“I will just look to play well for Reading and hopefully get another chance.”

McClaren’s job is now under real pressure with England’s hopes of reaching the finals in Austria and Switzerland next year looking bleak.

His men need to beat group leaders Croatia in their final game and hope Russia slip up in one or more of their remaining two games against Israel and Andorra.

But Shorey, who has won both his caps under McClaren, insisted: “He is the best man for the job, absolutely.

“We should stick with him. He’s a top manager and he has done really well, especially in the last few games. The performance was good the other night.

“The trip for their penalty was outside the box and we just had a poor few minutes. He is the right man to take England forward.”

Royals boss Steve Coppell admits he can understand Shorey’s disappointment at being left out in Moscow in favour of one-time target Lescott.

Coppell said: “I don’t see it is a snub. For 90 per cent of last season and the vast majority of this season he (Lescott) has played left back so I don’t think anyone can say ‘he’s been moved across’.

“I think he sees himself as a centre-half but it’s a decision the manager has got to make.

“Would it have made any difference, who knows? I can understand Shoresy being frustrated by it but a manager lives and dies by those decisions.”

* SIMON CHURCH is joining League 1 side Crewe Alexandra on a month’s loan.

Coppell said: “We have only four reserve games between now and January, so inevitably if Simon goes out and plays games he will be better off than if he stayed for our reserve games.

“Given the competitive nature of our four forwards, it could well be that the two forwards who are not playing would take precedence over Churchy.

“At Crewe Dario (Gradi) is not manager now but he’s still very much part of things and it would be a great opportunity I think and one we didn’t turn down.”

[Mary]

David Beckham has made his comeback from a long injury lay-off, appearing as a second-half substitute in LA Galaxy's 1-1 draw with New York Red Bulls.

The former England captain's return was greeted with muted optimism by team coach Frank Yallop, who refused to change his side to accommodate their top-earning star.

Beckham signed a £125 million, five-year contract over the summer to play for Galaxy and was expected to be a certain starter whenever available this season.

But with the team, minus the former Real Madrid midfielder, on a five-game winning run and on the verge of securing a surprise last-ditch playoff berth, Yallop opted to stick with his current lineup.

Beckham eventually came on to warm applause from the home crowd at the Home Depot Center in the 68th minute but was unable to inspire his side to victory.

Troy Roberts gave the home side the lead after 15 minutes, but Jozy Altidore equalised for New York almost immediately.

Beckham's contribution was limited to a few corners and a free-kick but he was otherwise muted, and Yallop claimed he was satisfied with the player's input.

"With the limited time that Beckham was in the game, he did about as much as we could expect from him," Yallop said.

"He's just not at match-fitness quite yet."

Beckham is hoping to prove his fitness and win a place in England's squad for the crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia and the friendly with Austria next month.

The Croatia game is a must-win for England if they are to stand any chance of reaching the finals tournament next summer

[Mary]

On the first day of the ITA Mideast Regional, freshman Ivan Salec (Oroslavje, Croatia) and sophomore Zack Watson (Harrisonburg, Va.) battled through three rounds of qualifying tennis on Wednesday to reach the main singles draw. On Thursday, Watson and junior Martin Sayer (Hong Kong) won their opening round match in the main doubles draw.

Salec had a first round bye and reeled off two straight set wins over Charlotte's Michael Anders and ETSU's Daniel Isaza. Watson won three matches. After a default in the first round, he downed ninth seeded James Eason of the Citadel and Alex Funkhouser of Old Dominion in straight sets.

In the first round of the main draw on Thursday, both Salec and Watson dropped their opening matches. Watson was defeated by Duke's Alex Stone and Salec fell to ETSU's Enrique Olivares.

In doubles, the 11th seeded duo of Watson and Sayer defeated Duke’s Aaron Carpenter and Alain Michel, 8-5. They will face off against Virginia’s Teddy Andglinos and Lee Singer on Friday.

Also during qualifying, senior James Lloyd (Cobham, Surrey, England) went 1-1 and junior Mehdi Benhammou (Rabat, Morocco) lost in the first round. Lloyd earned a 7-5, 7-6 (3) victory over UNC Greensboro’s Arsel Kumdereli, but fell in a tough three set match to North Carolina’s Andrew Crone, 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1.

No. 26 Sayer, the No. 2 seed, will begin play in the singles bracket after an opening round bye. He matches up with Wake Forest’s Steven Forman in the round of 64 at 9 am.

[Mary]

Teenage striker Ben Sahar has returned from injury to join Israel's squad for the 2008 European Championship qualifier at Croatia on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Sahar, who plays for Premier League team Chelsea but is currently on loan at Championship strugglers Queens Park Rangers, has recovered from an appendicitis operation.

Two other England-based players were named in coach Dror Kashtan's 23-man squad on Sunday. Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun, the Israel captain, and Chelsea defender Tal Ben-Haim are expected to play in the Group E match in Zagreb.

Israel is in fourth place in the group on 17 points, six behind leader Croatia.

A number of high-profile players were dropped by Kashtan after Israel's 3-0 loss to England at Wembley last month. They included Maccabi Haifa captain Yaniv Katan, Hapoel Tel Aviv's Walid Badier and Betar Jerusalem's Michael Zandberg.

Israel held a practice session at Ramat Gan Stadium on Monday, and will train Tuesday and Wednesday before flying out to Croatia on Thursday.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Nir Davidovitch (Maccabi Haifa), Liran Shtrauber (Maccabi Netanya).

Defenders: Tal Ben-Haim (Chelsea), Shimon Gershon (Betar Jerusalem), Avi Strul (Maccabi Netanya), Dedi Ben-Dayan (Maccabi Netanya), Yuval Shpungin (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Yigal Antebi (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Zeev Haimovitch (Bnei Yehuda), Itzik Azuz (Bnei Yehuda), Eyal Meshumar (Maccabi Haifa).

Midfielders: Yossi Benayoun (Liverpool), Itan Tal (Betar Jerusalem), Gal Alberman (Betar Jerusalem), Aviram Bruchian (Betar Jerusalem), Salim Toama (Standard Liege), Tamir Cohen (Maccabi Netanya), Moshe Ohayon (FC Winterthur).

Forwards: Barak Itzhaki (Betar Jerusalem), Toto Tamuz (Betar Jerusalem), Elyaniv Barda (Genk), Omer Golan (Maccabi Petah Tikva), Ben Sahar (QPR).

[Mary]

Do you know, I've tried to write summat about 50 times but it's really difficult to know where to begin.

First of all, we woz robbed. I don't even think it was a free-kick and it was definitely outside the box. The lad's done a Dida as soon as Rooney's arm's gone out. Rooney's done a Klinsmann over the top of him and the ref's done a Styles (hence the phrase we woz Rob-bed).

Secondly, Robinson was an accident waiting to happen and McClaren should've ditched the lad. His 'save' for the second goal was a case of 'To Russia, With Gloves'.

Thirdly, the goalie blunder aside, England played fine. It was a disgrace to allow an international side to play a game on an artificial pitch in the first place, let alone allow them to hose the place down like it was some sort of fire brigade training exercise.

Nevertheless, our lads looked good on it. They created chances. Rooney was lively and back to near his best. And the back four, for the most part, were on the ball.

Even the timid Lescott did OK once he'd got used to the fact that his turning circle didn't have to be slightly wider than your average Mondeo estate.

So what do we do with McClaren? Well for the first time, I felt a great deal of sympathy with the bloke.

He's made an awful start to the job and dug in when the crap was really flying. Yes, he's stumbled on a team that has got him out of trouble, but which of you would have played a different 11 last night?

And but for an idiot referee, he'd be wearing that daft grin and no one would resent it.
England have woken up too lateDerek 'Robbo' Robson

Having said that, he's got to go. After Croatia, of course, but he's got to go.

The Beckham boomerang effect, where he keeps on coming back, the sticking with Robinson when the lad's confidence is shot, the five at the back farrago v Croatia, and the Sven-like coupling of Lamps and Gerrard has undermined him totally.

The seven points dropped last year in three games meant there was no room for error and in 12 games you're always going to get one that goes completely against you like that one on Wednesday night.

Mind, we've got to face up to some hard truths. I wish Hansen would stop banging on about how many great players we've got. It's not true, Al.

There are those that aspire to greatness, but if you look at this qualifying campaign, who's even been consistenly good? Rio, possibly. Gerrard, definitely not...in the last few games he's looked like a little Scouse mouse.

Rooney? Well, he's just been ratty and ragged 'til the last couple of games. Lamps? Well, no. Which is not to say he's a bad player like some of you out there say. He certainly doesn't deserve the boos from the booze boys. But he's not been great.

Besides, if you look at Scotland's brilliant run, how many greats have they got? None. (The Scots keeper's top class, mind. I have NEVER written that sentence before in my life!!!)
Good team, though.

It took the likes of Barry, Heskey and Richards to remind the all-too-comfy big names that playing for your country is a privilege and a reward, not a guarantee. And they've woken up a bit - a bit too late, that is.

The new man will have the same baggage to deal with. Let's drop all this bilge about how it must be an Englishman.

Let's have a bloke with a bit of objectivity who can look at the whole situation, knock a few overly-coiffured bonces together and start nailing a few results.

We want somoene who cherishes dour success. Someone who doesn't do comfy. Someone used to taking the flak....

[Mary]

EDUARDO DA SILVA is praying his Croatia side can make it to the Euro 2008 finals BEFORE they face England in the last Group E qualifier at Wembley on November 21.

The Brazil-born Arsenal striker, 24, netted the winner against Israel in Zagreb on Saturday to keep them three points ahead of the Three Lions.

Now Eduardo wants a point against Macedonia to book that ticket through.

He said: “It would be good if we’ve already qualified. Croatia are top now but I always thought England would be there as well.”

[Mary]

The England manager doesn't have the ability to change the course of a game with tactical awareness and the proper use of substitutes.
'Gus Hiddink is quoted in The Guardian as saying he “outthought” McClaren to lead Russia to victory and he is 100% right'
It was billed as a must-win game . . . and we didn’t. As usual, England expects, but England did not deliver. Immediately, the daggers are out for Steve McClaren, and rightly so in my opinion.

I read with interest the headline on Philip Smith's article: “FA just as much to blame” and hoped he was going down the route that this article will take. However, Philip, in his infinite wisdom chose, to a degree, to back McClaren and blame the surface, the referee and Sol Campbell’s slow reaction. Absolute rubbish.

Everywhere I turn, people are blaming the pitch. The ‘plastic pitch’ as they like to call it which makes it sound like recycled bits of bottle had been chucked on top of concrete to form a pitch. It was nothing of the sort. In the North East of England, we have the JJB Soccerdome which employs “Field Turf”, the same stuff used at the Luzhniki Stadium. Unlike the old astro turf that regular five-a-side players are used to, this is very different and plays very much like normal grass. I doubt Philip has ever played on it and therefore, probably is not in the best position to comment.

Furthermore, we are told that the Russians are used to playing on it; they are so familiar with it, it is like going out and walking the dog. However, what Philip fails to recognise is the universal appeal of Field Turf. Indeed, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle, Arsenal, Fulham and Barcelona all have installations of Field Turf within their training complexes. Surely the Premier League stars could have acquainted themselves with the turf before the game?

If it was not the pitch, it was something else that saw England lose to Russia and, potentially, eliminate themselves from the race to qualify for Euro 2008. That factor, for me, is Steve McClaren.

There was no plastic pitch when England faced Macedonia at Old Trafford last October and drew 0-0. There was no plastic pitch when England faced Croatia in Zagreb and lost 2-0 and there was no plastic pitch when England went to Tel Aviv and only managed a 0-0 draw against Israel. The Russia game, due to its proximity to the end of the qualifying campaign, is seen as the decisive result but in reality, it was the results against Macedonia, Croatia and Israel that have left us looking likely to miss our first major tournament since USA ’94.

Gus Hiddink is quoted in The Guardian as saying he “out-thought” McClaren to lead Russia to victory and he is 100% right. Sky Sports, on their text service, had an excellent headline, “Russian sub torpedoes England”. We seem to be forgetting, in our search for a scapegoat, that it was Hiddink's introduction of Roman Pavluchenko that changed the game. This was after 58 minutes - and 15 minutes later, England were losing 2-1. McClaren is simply not good enough to manage England and it is proved with each and every game we play.

Football management is not just about picking the starting 11, it is about influencing the game from start to finish, and I feel McClaren does not have the ability to do this. Joleon Lescott endured a torrid time at left-back but that is because he is a central defender. Naturally, he will drift inside and it was up to McClaren to correct this, or pick a natural left-back to begin with. Lescott has been in outstanding form this season and perhaps he should have been ahead of Sol Campbell for a centre-back slot rather than putting him out on the left.

However, and more importantly, his substitutions are weak and not probably thought out. Throwing Frank Lampard, Peter Crouch and Stewart Downing into the game did nothing to address the imbalance in the team that was created by playing four centre-backs in a 4-4-2. It was pure desperation. This is where the FA are to blame.

Phil Scolari seemed a natural to take over from Sven Goran Eriksson, yet the FA pushed him into making a decision before a major tournament. What did he do? Went and put us out in the quarter-finals and told us where to go. Had we waited, we could have had one of the best International managers anywhere in the world. Now we are left facing the prospect of missing out on a major tournament and failing, yet again, to harness a golden generation of footballers.

[Mary]

European champions Greece, Czech Republic and Romania will join Germany in the European Championship finals next year after qualifying on Wednesday.
It was Thierry Henry who grabbed the limelight on a busy night, however, scoring twice against Lithuania to break Michel Platini's record of 41 goals for France and propel them to the top of qualifying Group B.
Greece, who beat hosts Portugal in the final in 2004, earned a trip to Austria and Switzerland with a 1-0 win over rivals Turkey in Group C in Istanbul, with a 79th minute goal from striker Ioannis Amantidis.
Turkey dropped to third place after Norway beat Bosnia 2-0 in Sarajevo and will have everything to play for when they travel to Oslo next month.
The Czechs strolled to a 3-0 away win over a toothless Germany, who had already qualified from Group D and were depleted by injury and suspension.
Libor Sionko put them ahead in the second minute, with Marek Matejovsky adding a second in the 23rd and Jaroslav Plasil making it three in the second half.
Romania beat Luxembourg 2-0 away in Group G with goals from Florentin Petre and Ciprian Marica, which was enough to secure qualification after Bulgaria managed only a 1-1 draw in Albania.
Bulgaria cannot now catch Romania but still have a chance, in their last two games, of overtaking second-placed Netherlands if the Dutch slip up in their last two qualifiers next month.
ENGLAND JEOPARDY
Two second-half goals from substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko, one a controversial penalty, earned Russia a 2-1 win over England in a chilly Moscow, keeping alive their hopes of qualifying from Group E and putting England's in jeopardy.
The comeback win after striker Wayne Rooney had put England ahead in the 29th minute propelled Guus Hiddink's side to 21 points behind Croatia on 26 and England on 23.
The rejuvenated Russians now have to win away matches against already-eliminated Israel and Andorra to qualify.
Croatia face Macedonia away before finishing their campaign against England at Wembley on Nov. 21, and needing only one point from the two games to get through.
England, who had put together a run of five 3-0 qualifying wins going into the match, have played one more game than their rivals and must rely on a slip-up by Russia or a collapse in form from Croatia to qualify.
England's neighbours Scotland also suffered a big setback in a tough Group B. The Scots, looking to compete in their first major tournament since the World Cup in 1998, went down 2-0 in Georgia, who are already eliminated.
Scotland had been riding high in the group but the defeat reinstalled last year's World Cup winners Italy, who did not play on Wednesday, and runners-up France as favourites to qualify.
Portugal earned three points in Group A when goals from Ariza Makukula and Cristiano Ronaldo gave them a 2-1 win over Kazakhstan.
The group is too close to call, with leaders Poland, Portugal, Finland and Serbia, who romped to a 6-1 win over bottom side Azerbaijan in Baku, having two games to play and all still in with a chance of reaching the finals.
Sweden are within a point of qualifying after a 1-1 draw at home to Northern Ireland in Group F, a result that kept the visitors's hopes of a Euro 2008 spot hanging by a thread.