Could a McClaren get in pole position?

Who's going to win Euro 2008 then?

England.

Well, maybe.

Apart from gubbing Russia at home, they've been mediocre at best throughout qualifying, and, assuming they do the business tonight (if they don't then this post will be edited pretty damn sharpish), they will have qualified mainly through Russia and Israel blowing each other's chances.

Since when has qualifying form mattered, though?

Germany made the 2002 World Cup Final despite a pretty naff qualifying campaign. Brazil won it after one of their worst campaigns ever. Holland were Euro 2004 semi finalists despite being so poor beforehand that they had to beat us to get there. Meanwhile, France messed up at Euro 2004 and Portugal at the 2002 World Cup after being among the favourites after waltzing through qualifying.

So England have sucked so far. But they have 7 months to get to a point where they no longer suck. 7 months for their best players to find form, and for McClaren to finally find a system that works. The press appears to have an obsession with England's reliance on 4-4-2, but I challenge you to come up with a formation that would suit them better. 3-5-2 keeps being mentioned, but out of all the semi-decent international sides only Russia seem to use it, and to be honest they're not all that good at it, despite having a couple of natural wing-backs and beating England. Everyone else plays four at the back, and I suspect that this may be because it is the best option. Meanwhile, the lack of a target man of quality (Peter Crouch does not come under this heading) eliminates 4-3-3, I think. And what about 4-2-3-1? Well, with Rooney playing just off Owen, England practically play this already. Instead he needs a bit of luck with injuries at the back, and a bit of balance in midfield.

In short, this means he needs Owen Hargreaves back. The former Bayern Munich midfielder has been badly missed as England discovered that Lampard and Gerrard really can't play together and that just because Lampard makes Gareth Barry look good doesn't mean that Barry actually is good. With Joe Cole and Wright-Phillips increasingly making the wide midfield areas their own (surely David Beckham will never be an England regular again now that he plays in Mickey Mouse League Soccer) and a defence that remains on paper the best in the world after maybe Italy's, McClaren would then find himself one piece short of a complete Euro 2008-winning jigsaw. A fit, on-form Michael Owen.

If that turns out to be the case, McClaren could be caviar on the back of The Sun, instead of the root vegetable the world seems to think he is inexorably headed for.

L.