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England eye redemption in Montenegro
Fabio Capello's Lions on the verge
England eye redemption in Montenegro | If you were closely following England’s Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, particularly as a supporter, it must have been a nightmare watching it all slip away in a bitter finale at Wembley.
It was the month of November in 2007 and Croatia were in town having already qualified themselves but certainly relishing the opportunity to shatter the Lions’ dreams.
Although England had themselves to blame for a shaky display throughout the qualification stage, there is no doubt that in the end, none of that mattered when every England fan knew that Steve McClaren’s men controlled their own destiny.
A positive result against Croatia was what the doctor had ordered but as this writer experienced first-hand on a rainy night in London, another nervy performance condemned the England squad to defeat, which then led to unprecedented consequences.
England had forgotten what it feels to not be competing in a major tournament and when it was confirmed that they won’t participate in Europe’s biggest international competition the following summer, criticism was aimed sharply towards each and every member of the infamous squad.
Passion, loyalty, dedication, and of course, even the talent – name it and all the qualities a football player can be proud of were questioned by the England faithful when it came to evaluating those who took the field against Croatia.
Tonight, England face a similarly daunting opponent in Montenegro. Not many realize that current Premier League stars such as Simon Vukcevic and Stefan Savic are Montenegro internationals while Chelsea target Stefan Jovetic and Juventus ace Mirko Vucinic will lead the attack for the hosts.
However, at the end of the day, none of that should matter for England in Podgorica as a solitary point is all that is needed to put the heartbreak of four years ago well behind them.
In fact, there would be no better way for the Three Lions to demonstrate their confidence than winning convincingly away from home.
Skipper John Terry has already played his part in encouraging the right mindset.
“Obviously it is my dream to take the England side to a major tournament. That is my goal on a personal level but the team is the priority. We must do the right thing,” the Chelsea skipper told TheFA.com.
He added: “We have prepared well and full of confidence. We are top and playing well – the manager has got us in the right frame of mind. I think we have made progress. We have come together collectively and we are very pleased with how things have gone.
“But we need to get over the line now and make sure we get to the Euros.”
Can the Lions finish the job in Montenegro tonight and join the likes of Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and holders Spain in the set of already qualified teams for Poland-Ukraine next year? Have your say below!
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wit rooney and welbek up front, nt even spain can stop us. Go ENGLAND