Dire England give it away with Wembley horrorshow

Not the shower of abuse that descended from an angry Wembley crowd. Not the verdict that will rate him as the worst England coach in history. Certainly not the sack.

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England's European Championship journey ended last night and so, surely, did McClaren's brief but difficult tenure.

He might curse his luck after Scott Carson followed Paul Robinson in committing another calamitous goalkeeping error. He might point to the absence of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand from a defence that was punished by Croatia for its inexperience. He might even bemoan the fact that he did not have Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.

But this qualifying campaign was contested over 12 matches and too often McClaren was exposed as an over-promoted, overconfident imposter. A coach who should never have even been considered for the biggest job in English football and entrusted with a so-called golden generation of players.

His record in a group Sven Goran Eriksson considered easy tells his employers all they need to know.

Defeats in Croatia and Russia, draws away to Israel and at home to Macedonia and then this, the final nail in his international coffin.

After the unexpected reprieve that came in the wake of Israel's win over Russia last Saturday, McClaren had to guide his side to at least a draw last night and so prove he was the man for the big occasion. But England were shambolic and every bit as 'shaky' as Croatia coach Slaven Bilic suggested they would be.

When Bilic said his side, having already qualified, would give it a go for the first 15 minutes, he wasn't kidding. By the 14th minute they were two goals up, thanks mostly to the ineptitude of England's defending but partly to the finishing of Niko Kranjcar and Ivica Olic.

There could only be sympathy for Carson. Thrust into the spotlight for his first competitive international after McClaren decided he could not risk another blunder from Robinson, the 22-year-old suffered for the fact that he had not had a save to make in Vienna last Friday.

Kranjcar was more than 30 yards out when he unleashed a shot in the eighth minute that was hit more in hope than expectation but Carson failed to get his body behind the ball and allowed it to spin off his left arm and into the back of the net.

If McClaren thought his side had just made the worst possible start, he was very much mistaken. Six minutes later and Croatia had scored again, this time thanks to some quite horrific defending.

McClaren finally responded at half-time, sending on David Beckham and Jermain Defoe and when the Tottenham striker secured what looked like a slightly fortunate penalty in the 56th minute, Frank Lampard reduced the deficit from the spot.

Indeed, the changes looked inspirational when Beckham provided the perfect 65th-minute cross for Peter Crouch to chest down and sweep home.

Suddenly, from being dire, England were in the finals — for all of 12 minutes.

Back in the game but not back in control, England then contrived to concede a third goal and so end their hopes of qualification. It was a decent shot from Mladen Petric but Carson perhaps should have saved it. Instead, the lightest of fingertip touches failed to divert the ball to safety.

One look at the pitch and part of Robinson was probably relieved to be among the spectators. Hours of rain and an American football game had left it in terrible condition — not the kind of surface that favours goalkeepers. If there was sympathy for Carson following his blunder, there was only disbelief and despair when Croatia increased their lead.

While McClaren watched from under his brolly, Eduardo Da Silva made light of the conditions and mincemeat of England's back four.

He turned inside Wayne Bridge and threaded a pass between Sol Campbell and Joleon Lescott and into the path of the advancing Ivica Olic, who was played onside by Bridge and Shaun Wright-Phillips. England looked for the flag but it never came and before Carson could respond, Olic had dribbled round him and tapped into an empty net.

England had created chances. Joe Cole threatened with a header and when Crouch guided the ball through to Wright-Phillips, the Chelsea winger should have scored.

Sadly for England, his technique, or lack of it, again let him down and Stipe Pletikosa made a simple save. Crouch then squandered a decent ball from Wright-Phillips. This was not good.

Croatia, already through to the finals and therefore so much more relaxed, continue to cut through England's defence with alarming ease. Eduardo sent in a teasing cross for Kranjcar, who had escaped the attention of Micah Richards but guided his header wide.

McClaren, still hiding beneath his umbrella, responded by turning 4-5-1 into 4-3-3. At that stage, though, Andorra appeared to be England's only hope as they were holding Russia to a goalless draw. Extraordinary.

England were as awful as the score suggested, playing onedimensional football that was all too easy for Croatia to cope with. On the bench, Beckham watched anxiously and so did John Terry as Carson directed a clearance straight to the feet of a Croatia forward. Already this game needed Beckham's influence. It needed someone to deliver a decent ball, a decent corner, a decent free-kick. Someone who has proved so often in the past that he is the man for the big occasion. A man who, when required, can come to England's rescue.

By now England's supporters were stunned into silence, with news that Russia had scored only adding to the sense of shock and disappointment.

McClaren was late returning for the start of the second half but Beckham and Defoe were ready to inspire what briefly seemed to be a miraculous escape.

Even after Petric's killer blow, England had chances, notably when Darren Bent clipped the roof of the net with a left-foot half-volley in the 86th minute.

But it was not enough for England and it was not enough for McClaren. Members of the FA will fly to South Africa tomorrow night for the World Cup draw but McClaren, it would now seem safe to say, will not be with them. m.lawton@dailymail.co.uk