England

4-0

Greece

Terry 14, Lampard 30, Crouch 36, 42

 

 

International Friendly
8.05pm, Wednesday 16 August 2006
Old Trafford, Manchester

The quality of England’s players has never been in doubt and tonight at Old Trafford new Head Coach Steve McClaren found a way to unlock it.

McClaren went into his first match in charge of the Three Lions determined to mark a new era in English football with a new style of play and a new ethos.

He urged his players, many of them regarded, of course, as some of the best in the world, to reproduce their club form on the international stage.

He wanted to do it by playing players in the same positions they play in their domestic leagues, putting round pegs in round holes as he described it - and it worked.

The formation was simple - 4-4-2 with Stewart Downing wide on the left and Steven Gerrard narrower on the right. And the message was even simpler - ‘let’s attack and get this game won’.

Perhaps most encouraging was that the side looked balanced, with every player completely confident in their own duties.

Owen Hargreaves, hero of the World Cup, played an energetic holding role in centre midfield, just as he does for Bayern Munich, and was as good as ever.

Gerrard played on the right side of midfield, as he does so often for Liverpool, and was inspirational - ending all talk of how to get the best out of him alongside Frank Lampard.

Downing played wide on the left, as he does every week for Middlesbrough, and produced three assists, while John Terry was told to lead in exactly the same way he does for Chelsea. And we all know what that means.

"I’m very passionate," Terry said in tonight’s match day programme. "I go out on the pitch and give it 100 per cent commitment. That is what I am about as a player.

"I can promise every single person that I am going to give it absolutely everything that I have got for my country. We are really, really going to try and win something with England. That is our target. It’s time to go about it and do it."

Those kind of stirring words are exactly why McClaren chose Terry as his leader on the pitch - and when it came to walking the walk he didn’t disappoint.

It took only 13 minutes for him to stamp his personality on the match, heading home England’s opening goal after Downing had nodded a clearance back into the box.

How typical of the Chelsea captain to stand up and be counted in such a highly visual way.

It was only his second goal in 30 caps for England but when Terry says he is going to step up a level you know something special is around the corner.

His goal set the tone for a fine England performance and that is what inspirational captaincy is all about.

He certainly inspired his Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard, who silenced critics who bemoaned his lack of goals in the World Cup by grabbing England’s second.

And he certainly inspired Liverpool’s Peter Crouch, who made it eight goals in 12 games for England by scoring twice.

Then there was Downing, racking up assists from the left wing, and vice-captain Gerrad who was outstanding.

Even in defence Ashley Cole produced two spectacular goalline clearances and substitute goalkeeper Chris Kirkland two fine saves on his debut in the second half. So this really was a day of positives for England. Perhaps at last we have got the balance right.

England
Robinson (Kirkland 45), Gary Neville (Carragher 78), Ferdinand, Terry, Cole (Bridge 80), Gerrard (Bent 78), Lampard, Hargreaves, Downing (Lennon 69), Defoe (Richardson 69), Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Young, Phil Neville, Brown, Dawson, Jenas, Wright-Phillips, Foster.

Greece
Nikopolidis, Fyssas (Lagos 29), Dellas (Anatolakis 64), Katsouranis, Antzas (Kyrgiakos 45), Vyntra, Zagorakis (Basinas 45), Karagounis, Giannakopoulos (Salpigidis 45), Samaras (Amanatidis 45), Charisteas.
Subs Not Used: Chalkias, Kafes, Gekas, Papadopoulos, Georgeas.

Referee: Wolfgang Stark

Attendance: 45, 864