England v Andorra: Andorra are most unlikely to take any points off England in the Euro 2008 qualifiers but they could add a few to the disciplinary records of Steve McClaren's players. That, at least, seems to be the manager's main concern about this afternoon's game at Old Trafford. The visitors do not act with the meekness of men resigned to their fate. Today, for instance, their side will be without Ildefonso Lima, a centre-half at the Italian Serie B club Triestina who is serving a six-match ban for spitting at an Armenian player last year.
Andorra can bring out the worst in the opposition as well. In the course of an otherwise gentle 4-0 home win for Holland over Andorra in the World Cup qualifiers, the PSV Eindhoven midfielder Phillip Cocu was dismissed for violent conduct. So McClaren emphasised the importance of restraint and used his press conference to alert the Austrian referee for today's match, Bernhard Brugger.
"What I am going to stress to the players," said the manager, "is that we keep ourselves under control and do not get antagonised. In all the tapes I've watched they've not been afraid to upset opponents and to get involved.
"In the Holland game Cocu got sent off. in the Romania (World Cup qualifier) there were quite a few incidents where players came together, and what I am looking for is a strong referee."
Phil Neville replaces his injured brother Gary at right back and Wes Brown deputises for his Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand, whose bruised toe may heal in time for him to face Macedonia in Skopje on Wednesday.
The proliferation of excellent English centre halves has meant little attention was paid to Brown's plight. He made his England debut seven years ago but today will bring merely his 10th cap. The last one came on the summer tour to the US in 2005. He has been hindered, in particular, by ankle problems, yet his worth has stayed clear in the mind of McClaren, who witnessed his promise as assistant manager at Old Trafford.
"I worked with Wes when he was a young lad coming through at United - great potential," McClaren said. "He had everything: great pace, read the game well, good in the air and aggressive . . . He has started this season very well and I had no hesitation including him."
The back four should not have many opportunities to show their worth against Andorra, but McClaren is pleased by the prospect of a future benefit to the defence as Ashley Cole, in the wake of the move to Chelsea, spends his club career with John Terry to his right and Joe Cole directly in front of him.
McClaren saw the "relief on his face" when the left back's transfer from Ashburton Grove to Stamford Bridge started to take shape on Thursday. He assumes Cole's form will be bolstered by that gladness and that he will be influential in stretching Andorra. Neville has the same duties on the other flank.
The manager, recalling how frustrated England were before Peter Crouch broke the deadlock late in the World Cup match with Trinidad & Tobago, counsels patience. "It is not about the amount of goals," he said. "It is about the performance, playing good football and winning the game."
McClaren knows England have far to go before anyone will again be persuaded to rank them as a major force. "Beating Andorra," he said, "will not prove anything."
Guardian Service
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