Don't blow it, McClaren

There is Guus Hiddink's reputation in the eyes of Roman Abramovich, Steve McClaren's reputation in the eyes of the FA, and the not-so-small matter of England's Euro 2008 qualification.

While Hiddink can go some way to securing the position of eventual successor to Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, McClaren has to save his job rather than land his next one. It is not the end for McClaren if England drop points tonight, but anything other than another victory will leave both the team and their coach in an alarmingly precarious position.

Thanks to that fine performance against Israel on Saturday, McClaren and his players do at least go into this game in buoyant mood.

Confidence has been restored after a desperate run of two wins in nine games and, with it, a sense that England can, indeed, secure their passage to Austria and Switzerland. Yesterday John Terry did not discuss Euro 2008 in terms of "if we qualify". It was "when we qualify".

In Hiddink, however, McClaren is about to face the most dangerous adversary of his brief but difficult England tenure.

The Dutchman is a coach of the highest quality, a winner of the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven. Euro 96 and a Dutch team in meltdown aside, he has a proven pedigree at international level.

After that 4-1 loss to England at Wembley in 1996 came a World Cup semi-final with the Dutch two years later, a World Cup semi-final as coach of South Korea in 2002 and qualification for the last World Cup with Australia. Terry Venables might have outwitted Hiddink 11 years ago, but not even El Tel could pull that one off.

Beat Hiddink, and McClaren will earn respect and recognition. Fail, and the Dutchman and his players will become favourites to progress alongside Croatia from a surprisingly competitive group.

Not only that. Brian Barwick, the FA chief executive, would recall how he could have appointed Hiddink as successor to Sven Goran Eriksson.

As it was, Hiddink refused to join McClaren, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Martin O'Neill and others in attending an interview.

"Offer me the job or forget it," was the tone of the message that came from the 60-year-old.

McClaren moved a little uncomfortably in his seat yesterday when he was asked if Hiddink deserved to be ranked among the world's best coaches.

"I've great respect for him," he said. "His record is very, very good, but it's not about Russia, it's not about Guus Hiddink and it's not about me.

"It's about the players, the performance, the atmosphere and the fans. All of that came together on Saturday and the performance helped the fans and the fans helped the performance. I respect Guus Hiddink, but it's about England and it's about us.

"This game is a different challenge to Israel. Russia and England have the two best defensive records in all the qualifying groups. They're very organised and hard to break down and I expect them to be like that. I think there'll be very few chances, but we need to take one of the ones we get and I expect us to win."

As Sportsmail revealed yesterday, McClaren will stick with the side that so impressed in Saturday's 3-0 win. The team which, it is worth noting, crushed a side who secured a goalless draw in Moscow.

McClaren hoped to replace Gareth Barry with the more defensively minded Owen Hargreaves. But the Manchester United midfielder is injured and his absence could yet pose a problem for England against the technically gifted Russians.

The selection of Emile Heskey ahead of Peter Crouch represents another sound decision when England intend to go into this game with much the same attitude as against Israel.

They plan to adopt a high-tempo approach with aggression and pace. As Terry said: "We need to get in their faces and stop them playing."

It might not sound like the Total Football Hiddink was raised on but it has worked for England in the past. When they simply have to win against inferior opposition, it will do for now. Whether they can win tournaments with such one-dimensional football is another matter, but they need to get to the tournament first.

McClaren did insist that there would be a little more to it than good old-fashioned 4-4-2. England, he said, would try to play with more fluency, with Shaun Wright- Phillips and Joe Cole both encouraged to push up and join the strikers.

Again, Steven Gerrard will be given the freedom to impose himself in a fashion that had McClaren describing him as England's "inspiration".

"I always reflect on his performance in that Andorra game in March and he was an inspiration for England then," said McClaren. "That night, everyone followed. There was a great determination in the dressing room afterwards and a great togetherness despite all the criticism.

"Since then we've given Steven the freedom to be our inspiration and give us what he gives Liverpool and I think he's delivering that."

Tonight, however, McClaren has to deliver as well.

HOW THEY LINE UP

ENGLAND (4-4-2): Robinson; Richards, Ferdinand, Terry, A Cole; Wright-Phillips, Gerrard, Barry, J Cole; Heskey, Owen.

RUSSIA (3-5-2): Malafeev; V Berezutsky, Ignashevich, A Berezutsky; Bystrov, Semshov, Zyrianov, Bilyaletdinov, Y Zhirkov; Kerzhakov, Arshavin.

Referee: Martin Hansson (Swe).

TV: BBC 1 from 7.30 (kick-off 8.0).

SO, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TONIGHT?

An England win would see them leapfrog Russia in Group E. If they then beat Estonia at home — as expected — draws in Russia and at home to Croatia would be enough to qualify.

A draw tonight and England would remain third in the section, probably needing wins in Russia and at home to Croatia to guarantee qualification for next summer's finals in Austria and Switzerland.

Should England lose tonight, they would be four points behind Russia, not only needing three wins but possibly requiring a slip-up from Russia's trip to Israel or, less realistically, from Croatia's relatively comfortable run-in.

CLOSING FIXTURES

ENGLAND — Oct 13, Estonia (h); Oct 17, Russia (a); Nov 21, Croatia (h).

CROATIA — Oct 17, Israel (h); Nov 17, FYR Macedonia (a); Nov 21, England (a).

RUSSIA — Oct 17, England (h); Nov 17, Israel (a); Nov 21, Andorra (a).

ISRAEL — Oct 17, Croatia (a); Nov 17, Russia (h); Nov 21, FYR Macedonia (h).