England may edge Scots into frantic contest

EUROPE will look on at Wembley today much like tourists at a bull fight in awe, puzzlement, wonder, utter horror possibly or maybe even a little admiration. A matter of life and death to the locals (indeed, the protagonists) it will be a parochial affair, rich with tradition and not without its gory bits and, in the overall context of Euro 96, perhaps the quicker it is over the better.

It's a certainty that not everyone will be standing at the end. It promises to be brutal: though depending upon how you look at it skilful too. Whether greater Europe turns its head away aghast, or keeps on looking in fascination hinges on whether it will be one of those Liverpool Newcastle Premiership type matches or one of its 100 mile per hour kindred spirits virtually devoid of good football.

The first 20 minutes especially are sure to be manic and frantic. Keystone cops football with skin flying everywhere. But then it might well surprise people and settle down. An early goal could even precipitate a classic of its kind.

There will be private feuds within the overall Battle of Britain and they say that too much familiarity is a dangerous thing in this game. Alan Shearer v Colin Hendry comes straight from the Blackburn training ground, Gascoigne v McCall from Ibrox,

There is about 700 years of history in this game. As the first at a major finals, and the first since England won 2-0 in Hampden Park seven years ago, it is also the biggest of their 108 meetings so far.

"You've got to compete if they're going to compete against us, we've got to stand up to that," admitted England coach Terry Venables. "But if it's a football game, we're set up for that, too. We know it's going to be competitive but we must concentrate on winning the game."

Italian referee Pierluigi Pairetto is unlikely to have encountered anything quite like this. Venables says he just wants him to be good: "He has an important role to play - he will be the barometer of how it's going to go on.

"He has to strike a balance between not letting things go and not hammering people not guilty of offences. It's a hard game - but I don't think it will get out of hand."

Conventional wisdom has it that Venables must beef up his midfield to accommodate Gascoigne, probably with the inclusion of Platt pending an early morning fitness check on his painful ribs. "He's better than he was. He had a training session and felt it a little bit. But the improvement's been good," says Venables.

Craig Brown's plans are comparatively unclear. He has hinted at reverting to the three man central defensive system that saw Scotland concede only three goals in 10 qualifying games - the lowest of any team in Europe.

They may well have the capability to shut England out for 90 minutes, especially if McCall successfully shackles Gascoigne or if the latter fades. The excellent McAllister and Collins aside, the threat of a Scottish win, or more pertinently a rare goal, will probably increase if that man for the big occasion, Ally McCoist enters the fray.

Given a rekindling of Scotland's Braveheart defensive spirit, and the evidence of all the football played so far (there hasn't been one comeback win yet and only four equalising goals) the first goal will be absolutely critical and it may be the only one.

Brown yesterday added another key dimension to the importance of the first goal. They (England) are under distinct pressure. There are great expectations in England and if they lose a goal you wonder how they would handle it. Both on the park and in the stands.

"Would the crowd be supportive or would they turn against them a bit? That's what we don't know but we would love the chance to find out," he added mischievously.

Brown also fears the adverse publicity which England have attracted, and with it a persecution complex, could generate a positive us against the world mentality. But then such was said prior to the Swiss game, and mentally England weren't up to much.

Mentally, and possibly physically as well, Scotland look the stronger and that could well negate any technical advantages England may take into such a unique game.

Yet England appear to have more attacking width in Steve McManaman and Darren Anderton, provided Venables does not follow the advice of some in the media and omit the former - bizarrely substituted in any event last Saturday.

Undoubtedly, the presence of Shearer, with his famine over, gives England the greater scoring threat. Ruud Gullit also made a prescient point the other night on television, when observing that this game has come at the right time for England.

After the footballing shock of a first competitive international against continental opposition in more than two years (albeit the limited Swiss), England may well flourish in the more familiar environs of a Premiership type contest in Euro 96 clothing.

The hunch is therefore, that the hosts may just edge it. The hope is that the match passes off without too many unsavoury incidents on the pitch, and more pertinently, off it.