Cagey Hiddink still sweating over qualification

English hopes of qualifying for next summer's European Championship finals rely on a win or a draw for Israel but Guus Hiddink's Russian side are heavy favourites to triumph and secure their place in Austria and Switzerland next summer.

The coincidence is, of course, a cruel one. England's fate lies in the hands of the man who would not even have an interview when the FA were scouring the world for a successor to Sven Goran Eriksson last year.

Who could ever have imagined that?

Yesterday Hiddink was not terribly keen to talk about that particular episode but nevertheless the job he has done with Russia only serves to illustrate that the Dutchman is an outstanding coach.

Israeli manager Dror Kashtan described him as 'one of the great coaches' yesterday and the evidence appears to back that up. Russia were a disorganised, under-achieving bunch when Hiddink answered their call after their failure to qualify for the last World Cup. It has been a quiet but quick revolution.

'We have not qualified yet,' said Hiddink after his team arrived from a training camp in Cyprus. 'But if we get through then it would be a tremendous achievement by the team and for us all. Importantly, it would accelerate the process that we are in over in Russia.

'We had to change the old team to a younger and more attractive side. The average age is only 23 or 24. To get to the finals would speed up their development.

'But it would also improve the infrastructure of football in Russia. It would help to build new stadiums, training centres and improve the education of young players and coaches.'

A coach who achieves success at national level through playing attractive football and brings change at grass roots level at the same time? Sounds exactly what the FA wanted when they put together a blueprint for the future less than two years ago.

While Steve McClaren's stock in England has fallen through the floor, Hiddink's reputation — already sound after success with South Korea and Australia — has gone from strength to strength.

'We're entering the final qualification rounds and it's great to still be in charge and in control,' said Hiddink, a sentiment that must make McClaren envious.

'We have just two games to go and we're in command. There have been so many changes as we have built up this team that it's a great achievement just to be where we now are.

'This is a crucial game and I expect it to be difficult. Israel's home record is strong.'

Hiddink can also be a difficult character but, as he showed when romancing Korea to the last four of their own World Cup five years ago, he can be a captivating orator. And it is not difficult to imagine the hold he must have over a dressing room.

Yesterday he was informed of the tribute paid to him by Israel coach Kashtan and, in particular, comments about the role his father Gerrit played in helping Jews during the Holocaust.

The subject appeared to make him a little uncomfortable but he said: 'My father is still alive and in the past 20 or 30 years he has not talked about this much. But as he has got older he has started to tell me things. For him, it was normal.

'In the village and around the area where I was brought up, it was normal to help people who were in need or in danger.'

Having beaten England 2- 1 in Moscow last month, Russia head to tonight's game with confidence. Indeed, some Russian journalists were even wearing T-shirts with slogans about next summer's finals but Hiddink injected some caution by saying: 'Football is too complicated to exclude the unpredictable.'

It had been anticipated that Israeli sympathies were likely to be with England but it now seems that is far from the case.

And there is one further piece of news to distress England fans hoping for a miracle. Israel lost to their own reserve team on Thursday. Can it get any worse?