A new manager will often swing the axe to clear a path. Having cut David Beckham from the England squad in perpetuity at the start of this season, Steve McClaren has now lopped Paul Robinson from this evening's friendly with Spain. Purely footballing motives are married to a desire to excise any complacency.
Watford's Ben Foster - on loan from Manchester United - makes his debut between the posts tonight because Chris Kirkland has hurt a shoulder, and he will be there for the entire 90 minutes since McClaren intends to use his six substitutions to inspect outfield resources.
The manager stopped short of promising that Robinson will start the Euro 2008 qualifier in Israel next month, even if he did describe him as the "first-choice goalkeeper". Such status is evidently open to review.
Other alterations have been forced on McClaren. Shaun Wright-Phillips will be on the right wing because a stomach upset rules out Aaron Lennon. Wayne Rooney will not be risked because of a back injury, with Peter Crouch the beneficiary. Following the withdrawal of Wayne Bridge, Phil Neville is preferred to Gareth Barry at left-back.
It is the decision over the goalkeepers that intrigues. "I haven't left out Paul Robinson," the manager stated tendentiously.
"It's a case of including Ben Foster. He needs a chance. None of our younger goalkeepers - Chris Kirkland, Scott Carson and Foster - have got the experience at international or even European level that Paul Robinson has got. Paul understands that."
That could have been taken as sensible planning if he had gone on to confirm that Robinson will be reinstated in Tel Aviv.
"How can I name my team against Israel?" McClaren said evasively. Robinson would have been disturbed by that answer.
The goalkeeper's confidence seems to have fallen off the graph. He merely touched Ronaldo's cross into the path of Paul Scholes for Manchester United's third goal on Sunday.
His judgment was awry, too, when he burst out towards Justin Hoyte in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final. The Arsenal right-back squared to leave Julio Baptista with an open goal for the equaliser in the 2-2 draw.
While McClaren exonerated Robinson for the goals conceded with England this season and pointed to the fact that, ahead of the 2-0 defeat by Croatia, he had been on course to equal Gordon Banks' record of seven consecutive clean sheets.
Statistics, though, need not have stopped him from worrying about the goalkeeper. The manager is eager to increase competition. "Ever since the World Cup and the disappointment of that, ever since my appointment, we've all got something to prove," McClaren agreed. "That's myself, that's the players. I do see it as a big year. We start with a friendly and hopefully finish it with qualification. We're not concentrating on whether it's a make-or-break year for me personally. That's irrelevant."
Some freshness comes from reaching into the past. Kieron Dyer returns along with Jonathan Woodgate, selected because of England's refusal to use John Terry so soon after back surgery. McClaren realises England have lacked mobile footballers who can beat their man and feels Dyer will make good that deficiency.
Should Spain be in the mood, though, the Newcastle United player will have to prove it against redoubtable opponents.
Guardian Service
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