Match preview: England v Montenegro

By David Lee Wheatley

England take on Montenegro this evening knowing only a win will do in their quest to reach the World Cup finals next year.

A decisive double-header awaits Roy Hodgson’s men against tricky opposition in the shape of the Montenegrins and Tuesday’s foes Poland, with maximum points required in order to make it mathematically impossible to be caught by closest rivals Ukraine in Group H.

Hodgson will be thankful that he can count on a clean bill of health going into tonight’s clash, having lost Ashley Cole to a rib injury before squad training began. Everton’s in-form left-back Leighton Baines is likely to take his place in the starting line-up, with Kieran Gibbs acting as back-up.

Aside from that, the predatory Daniel Sturridge regains his squad place after missing out on the last round of qualification matches with a thigh strain. The Liverpool star’s return hands the manager a dilemma as to how much attacking intent he wishes his side to portray at Wembley; does he plump for three out-and-out strikers, a tandem up-top or play his cards more conservatively?

The good news – if it’s to be believed – surrounds stylish forward Mirko Vucinic’s inability to feature through a knock picked up on Champions League duty for Juventus, which would be a huge boost for the home side but a bitter blow for the visitors. Others expected to be unavailable to Montenegro coach Branko Brnovic include goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic, defender Marko Basa and midfield player Miodrag Pekovic.

Lying one point clear of Ukraine and Montenegro, the English can seal their spot in Brazil with successive victories over the coming days. However, Montenegro held up well against England in past meetings and Poland are no pushovers. It’d be a massive disappointment should the Three Lions end up in a play-off or worse, making it imperative the men tasked with gaining the results Hodgson desperately seeks perform when it really matters.

Let’s hope England avoid any more astonishing embarrassments such as their demoralising failures in the run up to the USA World Cup of 1994 and Euro 2008. Crunch time is upon the nation and the finest footballers in the land must deliver the goods, despite the weight of expectation on their shoulders.

Twitter: @davewh1980

England v Scotland preview

By David Lee Wheatley

The oldest rivalry in international football resumes tonight when arch-enemies England and Scotland meet at Wembley.

On the face of it, the assumption would be that Scotland view this as a bigger match than perhaps England do at this stage. The home side have one eye on the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, which are absolutely vital to English hopes of making it all the way to Brazil 2014. Scotland, meanwhile, have no chance of making it to next year's showpiece and therefore will surely put more stock in tonight's result than Roy Hodgson and his men.

That said, there'll be a sell-out crowd in attendance and both sets of supporters will be equally desperate to get one over the opposition tonight, no matter how the players themselves may view the fixture.

Team-wise, the most interesting selection is Wayne Rooney, due to the rumbling saga surrounding his future at Manchester United. Rooney spectacularly proved his fitness in training while the gathered media looked on - he hit shots from all angles and looked very impressive in spite of new United manager David Moyes insisting that Rooney has been injured for the last few weeks. He certainly appeared in good nick in the run-up to tonight's clash and duly starts for England.

Another exciting development for England is the return to fitness of Arsenal star Jack Wilshere. The young midfielder has the hopes and dreams of a nation firmly resting on his shoulders and it'll be pleasing for all connected to see him back in the side.

Scotland arrive with a lot of spirit and determination, but sadly lacking in the world-class talent that they once produced regularly. Many of the starters tonight play their football in the second-flight Football League Championship south of the border, while Kenny Miller of the MLS leads the front-line.

The away team are up against it, but will take heart from the memory of Don Hutchison firing the Scots to victory on their last Wembley visit in November 1999.

It promises to be an intriguing tie, but how seriously England will take the friendly remains to be seen, especially with the FA Premier League season opener just three days away. The hope remains that both sets of players will give everything in order to put on a show for supporters, but also to breathe new life into a rivalry that has faltered in recent years.

A Scotland win could be on the cards if the English aren't prepared to battle for the victory - they must guard against complacency to cut out the possibility of an embarrassing home defeat.

Twitter: @davewh1980

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