Sheringham has a case for recall

ENGLAND'S footballers awoke here yesterday to the strains of Bonnie Dundee piping up from the ground floor of the modern, Austrian owned hotel which has settled on the outskirts of this slightly battered old city like a visitor from outer space.

This is British Week in Georgia, and like British Weeks everywhere the occasion would not be complete without a kilt and a set of bagpipes. Naturally, the tavern, in the basement is serving pub grub which includes an authentic Ploughman's and a passable Shepherds Pie, as well as mash with dodgy looking banners.

But for the moment Glenn Hoddle's players are being cossetted in reasonably familiar surroundings, a Western European oasis in the Caucasian hinterland. This will change somewhat radically tomorrow, however, when they face Georgia in a World Cup qualifier in front of 75,000, noisily partisan fans in the Boris Paichaidze Stadium.

Tomorrow, unlike those balmy Wembley days and nights in Euro 96, football will not be coming home. But, since England's prime concern will be to come home with three points, one of the most crucial decisions facing Hoddle is what to do about the attack in the absence of Alan Shearer, who is recovering from a groin operation.

Hoddle is not short of options, but he is short of internationally viable options. The likely alternatives are in good form for their clubs, but only Teddy Sheringham has anything approaching an England pedigree, and that was due principally to the success of his partnership with Shearer in the European championships.

The choice facing Hoddle, broadly speaking, is this: Sheringham or Nick Barmby lining up alongside Ian Wright or Les Ferdinand. Robbie Fowler and Matthew Le Tissier are less likely possibilities.

Barmby was seen as a natural successor to Sheringham when he scored twice in the 3-0 win against China in Beijing on the eve of Euro 96. Hoddle played him in Moldova, where he scored again. Sheringham was unfit for that game and was only on the bench against Poland at Wembley.

The case for recalling Sheringham now has been made stronger by Shearer's absence. The Georgia game is surely one which demands the Tottenham man's ability to hold an attack together, a quality as important defensively as it is in the matter of scoring goals.

Yesterday, however, Sheringham appeared to doubt whether he would be in. "I wouldn't say I expected to be back, but I would hope to be," he said. "Every manager has his own opinions and he goes by them. The last manager (Terry Venables) liked me. At the moment this manager doesn't. I'm hoping to change that, like every player who is in the squad but not in the team."

The 40 yard pass that sent Ferdinand through for the winning goal against Bulgaria in March was strong evidence of Sheringham's qualities. That evidence became overwhelming with his massive contribution to the 4-1 victory over Holland in the European championships. As well as scoring twice in this game, he provided the pass which instigated the movement that led to Shearer's opening penalty, and then set up a second goal for Shearer after the sweetest of feints had flat footed the Dutch defence.

"I'm not the sort of guy who picks the ball up on the half way line, goes past five players and then puts it into the top far corner with everyone saying `What a great player'," Sheringham reflected. "There are a lot of different aspects to my game, and that's for me to know and people to find out."

His biggest handicap at the higher level is a lack of pace which occasionally finds him out in one to one situations. This is where Barmby might have a distinct edge when Hoddle comes to pick tomorrow's team.

But without Sheringham, can the England coach find any sort of combination which even begins to compensate for Shearer's absence? Hoddle appears to be thinking seriously of bringing back the in form Wright for what would be the Arsenal striker's first international in three seasons. "He's as sharp as a razor at the moment," the England coach observed yesterday.

Not that anybody looked that sharp when England rounded off yesterday's training with one of those lackadaisical shooting sessions which had the 100 odd spectators roaring with mirth as the finishing became increasingly haphazard.

Nevertheless, Paul Gascoigne, for one, looked confident and relaxed. "He slept well," said Hoddle laconically, bagpipes notwithstanding.

. Vinnie Jones wants Wales to show the never say die spirit of Scottish warrior William Wallace when they go into battle against Holland on tomorrow night.

He knows Holland are hot favourites to win the group seven return after beating Wales 3-1 in Cardiff last month.