mattsaunders

Well blow me, but this seems to have rather come round quick. Friday morning, and Macca names his squad for the games next month… two weeks tonight and it’s all over. Glory or bust. Well it will hardly be glory whatever happens, but we might at least sneak undeservedly into the tournament if others fail. And then of course by next June, we’ll be written up as world beaters again. It would be sort of funny if it wasn’t all so grimly predictable.

Anyway, here’s the state of play in Group E:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> P W D L GD PtsCroatia 10 8 2 0 +21 25England 11 7 2 2 +18 23Russia 10 6 3 1 +11 21 Israel 10 5 2 3 +6 17Macedonia 10 3 2 5 -1 11Estonia 11 1 1 9 -18 4Andorra 10 0 0 10 -37 0</pre>



And, for the avoidance of doubt, this is what we can look forward to in the next 14 days:

FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER

Austria v England: a friendly in Vienna. Why? I don’t know either… but at least it means we’ll get the chance to play at a Euro 2008 venue.


SATURDAY 17 NOVEMBER

Macedonia v Croatia: a win or a draw for the Croats will be enough to qualify them with a game to spare.

Israel v Russia: victory for Russia will see them leapfrog England into 2nd place in the group. Their last game is against Andorra, which they can’t fail to win, so they will have effectively qualified.


WEDNESDAY 21 NOVEMBER

England v Croatia: a draw or win for Israel against Russia, or Macedonia defeating Croatia would see England’s fate back in their own hands. Otherwise, Wembley could be a pretty empty place.



Gut feelings? I actually think we'll do it. Israel have got a great home record and I can't see Russia beating them in Tel Aviv. but I'm philosophical. i feel like we've played so badly in the last year, we don't really deserve to be there.

mattsaunders

Croatia squad is already out:

Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow), Runje (Lens), Galinovic (Panathinaikos); Corluka (Manchester City), Simic (AC Milan), Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Drpic (Dinamo Zagreb), Knezevic (Livorno), R Kovac (Borussia Dortmund), Vejic (Tom Tomsk); N Kovac (SV Salzburg), Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Kranjcar (Portsmouth), Vranjes (Werder Bremen), Babic (Sevilla), Pranjic (Heerenveen), Vukojevic (Dinamo Zagreb), Rakitic (Schalke); Eduardo (Arsenal), Olic (Hamburg), Petric (Borussia Dortmund), Kalinic (Hajduk Split).

retired_calyle

We have absolutely no chance

im going to the Croatia game

retired_brose

Eddy to score a hatrick a seal Englands fate thus ensuring we arnt subjected to a nation wide St Georges flag waving mong fest during the summer

retired_bec8643

We'll not even beat Croatia so it matters not.

mattsaunders

nah, we'll beat Croatia. definitely. especially if they've already qualified on the previous Saturday.

retired_mygem19

would actually be really funny if Russia drop points in Israel and then England lose to Croatia

mattsaunders

it really wouldn't

retired_paeng2000

I just don't think England will qualify. At least next summer I'll be able wtach and enjoy the football intead of the usual "DO IT FOR OUR COUNTRY" flag waving mongery

retired_bliss123

would be funny aye, but also actually quite likely to happen