What: International Friendly

Who: England versus Czech Republic

When: Wednesday 20th August, 20:00 (GMT)

Where: Wembley, London

INTRODUCTION

An interesting encounter for two managers both considered rookies on the international scene. Fabio Capello has the benefit of overseeing proceedings on four previous England games, whereas Petr Rada takes the ‘Cecho’ reins for the first time.

Capello and Rada are provided with just 90 more pitch minutes - this is the last scheduled friendly in the international calender - before they embark on their separate World Cup qualifying campaigns.

Three Lions Must Roar

Wembley will be willing the national side on but an air of apprehension will no doubt encircle SW1. Since the humiliating humbling they received from Slaven Bilic’s efficient Croatian display, England have played with the heartache that fans have felt from watching mediocrity after mediocrity. They can’t keep drawing on the 5-1 German thrashing six years ago for comfort. From game to game though this year, there have been improvements.

The first match of the Italian technician’s tenure saw him pitted against Switzerland. About twenty minutes of good passing movement was the only positive to take from the game, that and the result.  Against the French in their Parisian backyard, they were just as uninspiring.

Against the USA, England started to find their stride. Still far from world-beating, but at least they began to control games. Whenever David Beckham plays, the England turn into the international version of Aston Villa - the majority of their goals arriving from set play - but is that an advantage or a disadvantage? If the team wins, surely it can only be beneficial.

Then against Trinidad and Tobago, there was a gulf in class. Despite a three-nil victory, England were capable of more, and probably could have gone on to net a few more times. It will take a while for Fabio Capello to get the team to come to terms with his strategies and tactics. But with the World Cup qualifying round looming, time is no longer a luxury Capello can afford.

Wayne Rooney has been told by managers at both club and country to be more selfish, to not help out his midfield as much, and to concentrate more in the final third. If he has taken this constructive criticism on board, England will play with more fluency. If Rooney plays well, England will play well. He can be the heartbeat. The only thing he has to keep on watching is his temperament. Opposing teams know they can rile him up, but a recently launched FA scheme - focusing on respect - starting this season, hopefully controlling his passion through the right channels will play on his mind.

John Terry has been named full-time captain, again. Hardly a surprising choice. He is the most vocal, a natural leader, and past blemishes aside, he does embody the traditional English ethic of work hard, never stay down, give 110 per cent.

This week Joe Cole stressed the need of a good start. He said all the players would walk through brick walls to pull on the white shirt of the Three Lions. Fabio Capello also mentioned that the English were technically comparable to the European Champions, Spain. As a cynic it appears this was said with the intention of appeasing certain English fans. It’s time for the Fabio Capello, and every member of that squad to do their talking on their pitch, because all they’re doing at the moment is blowing hot air.

Czech Mate

By their own standards the Czech Republic underperformed at this years European Championship. So like England, they will be carrying heartache, the only difference being England have had a bit of time to get over it. The game against the Turks was one of the matches of the tournament. Turkey looked all but out, the manner of their comeback was superb, but the Czech’s must have felt robbed of their passage through to the knockout stages. Petr Cech looked worse off, he was uncharacteristically at fault for his nation’s shortcomings.

Further bad news for the eastern Europeans is the news that they will be Koller-less. The tall targetman, Czech Republic’s highest goal-scorer, has bowed out of the international scene having retired after the summer’s competition. Libor Sionko will also be missed as a leg injury rules him out. Tomas Rosicky too will not be on the name sheet, but his exclusion won’t surprise Arsenal fans, who are used to the attack-minded midfielder’s absence.

A stubborn defence awaits England. Zdenek Grygera, Tomas Ujfalusi, and Marek Jankulovski wear the club colour’s of some of Europe’s heavyweight sides, kitting out for Juventus, Athletico Madrid, and AC Milan, respectively.

Vaclav Sverkos has been called up, who may be remembered for scoring Czech Republic’s only winning goal of Euro 2008, against the Swiss in their opening game.

FORM GUIDE

England

21-11-2007 versus Croatia LOST 3-2 (H) Euro 2008 Qualifier

06-02-2008 versus Switzerland WON 2-1 (H) Friendly

26-03-2008 versus France LOST 1-0 (A) Friendly

28-05-2008 versus USA WON 2-0 (H) Friendly

01-06-2008 versus Trinidad & Tobago WON 3-0 (A) Friendly

Czech Republic

27-05-2008 versus Lithuania WON 2-0 (H) Friendly

30-05-2008 versus Scotland WON 3-1 (H) Friendly

07-06-2008 versus Switzerland WON 1-0 (A) Euro 2008

11-06-2008 versus Portugal LOST 3-1(N) Euro 2008

15-06-2008 versus Turkey LOST 3-2 (N) Euro 2008

TEAM NEWS

England

Peter Crouch is a notable absentee, deemed not worthy of a place perhaps due to not being a prominent member of the Liverpool line-up last year. Emile Heskey, who was an ever-present for Wigan Athletic, is instead favoured. Jonathan Woodgate may not feature - long-term fitness issued cited as his exclusion from training on Monday. Michael Carrick was in the original squad but has since been replaced with Jermain Jenas. Paul Robinson makes a return, as does Jermain Defoe.

Squad

Goalkeepers: David James (Portsmouth), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers), Joe Hart (Manchester City).

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Jermain Jenas (Tottenham Hotspur) Joe Cole (Chelsea) David Bentley (Tottenham Hotspur), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Theo Walcott (Arsenal).

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Emile Heskey (Wigan Athletic).

Possible Starting XI: James, Brown, Ferdinand, Terry, Cole, Beckham, Gerrard, Barry, Lampard, Cole, Rooney.

Czech Republic

Reading midfielder Marek Matejovsky has been ruled out of this fixture. He picked up an ankle inury during Reading’s tie with Nottingham Forest last weekend. Former Arsenal striker Papadopoulos may feature. Tomas Rosicky and Libor Sionko have not been called up due to injuries, whereas Jan Koller has stayed with his club. Czech Republic will forever have to make do without Tomas Galasek and Jaromir Blazek, because the pair both retired from international football following the Czech’s exit from Euro 2008.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Petr Cech (Chelsea), Daniel Zitka (Anderlecht).

Defenders: Zdenek Grygera (Juventus), Marek Jankulovski (AC Milan), Michal Kadlec (Sparta Praha), Zdenek Pospech (FC Kobenhavn), David Rozehnal (Lazio), Tomas Ujfalusi (Atletico Madrid).

Midfielders: David Jarolim (Hamburg), Radoslav Kovac (Spartak Moskva), Marek Matejovsky (Reading), Jaroslav Plasil (Osasuna), Jan Polak (Anderlecht), Stanislav Vlcek (Anderlecht), Jan Rajnoch (Mlada Boleslav), Radek Sirl (Zenit St. Petersburg).

Strikers:Milan Baros (Olympique Lyonnais), Michal Papadopulos (Mlada Boleslav), Vaclav Sverkos (Banik Ostrava).

Possible Starting XI: Cech, Grygera, Rozehnal, Ujfalusi, Jankulovski, Jarolim, Vlcek, Kovac, Plasil, Polak, Baros.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

England

Recently criticised for helping out his team too much, Wayne Rooney has been told by both club and country managers that he needs to be more selfish and focus on his goalscoring game. He is England’s best player, and when on form he makes the three lions tick. Providing he gets the right service, and doesn’t try to come back into midfield to do things himself, then he will be a handful for the Czech defence.

Czech Republic

Like Emile Heskey, Milan Baros is far from a prolific goal-scorer in club football, but like his English counterpart he makes a nuisance of himself in the oppostion half that his team-mates feed off. He won a penalty against Manchester United in the quarter final of the FA Cup for Portsmouth earlier in the year, and also fed Nwankwo Kanu a fine pass that the Nigerian duly slotted home in the Semi. Without his contributions in their cup charge, Portsmouth may not be playing European football this year. England will have to be on guard.

PREDICTION

England 1-1 Czech Republic

Ref From Alan Dawson - goal.com