Litmus test
WC QUALIFIERS KANE UNDER SCANNER LIFELINE FOR ROONEY PRESSURE ON SOUTHGATE ELSEWHERE…
LONDON: England and Scotland renew the oldest rivalry in international football on Friday in a 2018 World Cup qualifier that has been dogged by a pre-match row about commemorative poppies.
The football associations of both countries have pledged to defy a FIFA ban on political, religious or commercial symbols by wearing black armbands with red poppy emblems.
It leaves both teams at risk of sanctions from FIFA, but England and Scotland are determined to observe the custom, by which people in Britain pay respect to the country’s war dead on November 11.
“As head coach, I was keen for us to wear poppies,” interim England manager Gareth Southgate said this week.
“It’s important we represent the nation and wearing the poppy is the right thing to do.”
Players on both sides have backed the stance taken by their national associations.
But the risk of punishment by world governing body FIFA has led Northern Ireland to decide to wear plain black armbands without poppies on for their home game with Azerbaijan on the same day.
On the sporting front, Friday’s game at Wembley represents Southgate’s penultimate opportunity to show his Football Association bosses he deserves to be awarded the manager’s job full-time. Southgate was promoted from his role as England Under-21 coach when Sam Allardyce was brought down by a newspaper sting after just one match at the helm.
His four-game tenure has been underwhelming so far, with a laboured 2-0 win over Malta followed by a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia in which England were indebted to the reflexes of goalkeeper Joe Hart.
But England remain top of UEFA qualifying Group F, two points clear of Lithuania and Slovenia, and the Daily Telegraph has reported the job will be Southgate’s barring a disastrous result against Scotland.
England host Spain at Wembley on Tuesday in their final game of 2016. Harry Kane returned from a seven-week injury lay-off only last week and there will be question marks over his fitness.
Yet, the Tottenham talisman has never been known to shirk work and as far as he is concerned, fit for Spurs means fit for England. With Daniel Sturridge and Jamie Vardy having their own struggles at club level this term, Kane looks likely to bear the bulk of the goal scoring burden. Wayne Rooney (left) has been handed a chance to reassert his authority within the national team and will return to England’s starting lineup as captain against Scotland.
Southgate has confirmed Rooney will begin the game at Wembley even though the 31-year-old was left out for last month’s game against Slovenia. That was the first time Rooney had been dropped by England since breaking into the setup in 2003, and followed a period on the fringes at Man United, reflecting on sluggish early season form and apparent confusion over the best position for him in the field. While Southgate (in pic) has shown that he is not afraid to make big calls, the caretaker manager oversaw underwhelming performances in his first two matches. He would not be seen as a permanent appointment if his team fails to be convincing against Scotland. While he will have a full strength squad, it remains to be seen whether he will sit on the fence with his strategy or go all out. Kevin Gameiro (in pic) ridiculed his five-year absence from the France team by making a decisive return last month, scoring twice against Bulgaria and immediately showing a thrillingly sharp understanding with
Antoine Griezmann.
France followed that up with a 1-0 win in Holland and on Friday they could take sole lead of Group A by winning at home to Sweden, with whom they are currently level at the top with an identical points tally and goal difference after three games.