Redeem Team

FOOTBALL: England

It was the worst day I have ever experienced as a fan of football, possibly even as a fan of sport. As the rain poured down at Wembley and on England's Euro 2008 qualifying ambitions, Croatia celebrated in the cold November night. England had many chances to qualify for that tournament, the most harrowing being the game against Russia in Moscow where England were a whisker away from qualifying before capitulating to the team that would ultimately take their place at Europe's showpiece. It was a truly terrible qualifying campaign and even defeat in Moscow wasn't the end as Israel beat Russia to ensure that England's fate remained in their own hands. England didn't deserve a place at that tournament, poor performances coupled with disappointing results against the likes of Macedonia and Andorra ensured that a team more used to spectacular, gallant failure endured a painful, pathetic end to a torrid attempt to qualify.

Nearly two years on from those painful memories, England, now under the stewardship of Fabio Capello, are a different team. Qualifying has seemingly been a breeze for the Three Lions and are now just one victory away from the World Cup finals in South Africa next year. A victory against Croatia on wednesday would surely banish any lingering memory of that defeat and will allow England to move forward.

England are a completely different outfit from the solid, if unspectacular days of Sven Goran Eriksson and certainly from McClaren's hapless spell in charge. No player is sure of his place, players such as Carlton Cole are being blooded and may well force their way into the reckoning should England qualify. Gone are the days where reputation preceeded form as a criteria for selection as Capello moulds a team rather than a collection of eleven, although talented, individuals.

England are far from the finished article as Saturday's friendly against Slovenia showed, but they are drastically improved. Defensive options beyond Terry and Ferdinand are unproven and as yet unconvincing and although Capello's recent squads have been relatively settled, the names of the 23 members of the potential World Cup squad remain a mystery.

Hopefully England can clinch a place at South Africa 2010 and take their place at a tournament where they have an outside chance of victory, especially with the likes of France, Portugal and Argentina struggling to book their place to the first World Cup in Africa.