Clever Russia put the fix in fixtures

It was in a stuffy room not long after the draw for this competition was made that Dutch coach Guus Hiddink set the trap which he hopes his adopted Russian team are about to spring.

Hiddink identified this as the key match of this group and set about manoeuvring it into the calendar at a time of maximum opportunity for Russia.

Fixture meetings are hardly the sexiest events in global sport. Yet, during these seemingly dull discussions, qualification for the major tournaments can be won by the painstaking or lost by the unwary.

And while Hiddink was taking a Machiavellian approach to Russia's match programme — especially this particular game — England were represented by a manager with no interest in the outcome.

Sven Goran Eriksson was heading for Germany 2006, knowing he would be out of Soho Square as soon as that World Cup campaign was over. He simply gave us his customary smile and told us how it all looked good for England.

So where does that leave Steve McClaren, Eriksson's assistant at the time, as he takes England into the Luzhniki Stadium? At a disadvantage he could have done without.

By avoiding a match last Saturday, Hiddink has ensured all his team are fit and rested, giving himself a clear 10 days of preparation. How McClaren and his No 2 Terry Venables — Hiddink's bete noir since El Tel's England routed his Holland at Euro '96 — would have appreciated such benefits.

Instead they have embarked on this long journey in the aftermath of the game against Estonia which has cost them the services of injured Ashley Cole and with John Terry now ruled out too. Even though the second half at Wembley was largely an exercise in energy conservation for England, it is advantage Hiddink.

McClaren is doing his best to play down the importance of the artificial turf, which tends to freeze over when watered. Sensibly so, since there is nothing to be gained by planting either demons or excuses for failure in his players' minds.

Even so, the comparable surfaces on which they have practised are not full-size pitches. Consequently, England can be nowhere near fully prepared for the peculiarities of bounce and uncertainty of foothold in a full-scale competitive match.

That is why McClaren is likely to field as many of his best technicians as possible as he makes ball control a priority over attacking strategy. A highskill team also gives England more options for adjusting if Hiddink changes tactics.

Having committed his future under the patronage of Roman Abramovich to Russia, Hiddink will be acutely aware of how he needs a win here and then another in Israel. Victory would take England on to Austria and Switzerland next summer.

Should they lose, they would need Israel's help next month.

Hiddink, however, has taken out further insurance by plotting Russia's trip to Tel Aviv in the cool of November. Then, on the last day of qualification, he has them playing their joker, Andorra, while England meet group leaders Croatia.

As military generals have told us throughout history, victory is nine-tenths in the planning.

If England are to succeed in Moscow, where Napoleon failed, they must defeat not only a talented group of Russians but also Field-Marshal Hiddink's cunning plans.

Even the gods were playing his game. It was snowing when we flew into Moscow from balmy London on Monday evening and it was barely any less frosty yesterday.