Two second-half Steven Gerrard goals and a poacher's effort from
David Nugent were enough to win the game but Steve McClaren's job
prospects now depend on the FA turning a deaf ear to the chants of
mutinous England fans in Barcelona.
During a tepid, goalless opening period, the thousands of
travelling supporters gave full vent to their emotions, abusing
McClaren and his underperforming team by the minute, rounding off
their repertoire with `You'll be sacked in the morning'.
At that stage, sacked in the evening might have been more
appropriate.
But while Gerrard and Nugent at least kept stumbling England moving
forward on the road to Euro 2008, the verdict from the stands was
pretty unequivocal: 'Still want McClaren out.'
Whether they get their wish is a matter of debate but as the four
minutes of first-half injury time ticked down, McClaren sat in the
visitors' dugout certainly looking like a condemned man.
A decent bloke and, by all accounts a damned good coach. Yet there
he sat, presiding over what was quite possibly the most
embarrassing 45 minutes England's long-suffering fans have ever
been unfortunate enough to witness.
At a rough estimate, the team McClaren sent out to play a country
whose entire population fits into Old Trafford with plenty of seats
to spare is worth in excess of £200million. Over-valued, over-hyped
and definitely, definitely over-rated.
It was 20 minutes before the England supporters turned on their
team. They were lucky to get that long.
The high tempo McClaren speaks so often about was missing. Instead,
it appeared as though the England team were engaging in an extended
session of keep-ball.
Any break in the exhibition of meaningless passing came through
Andorra's desire to tug and pull and grab an opponent, particularly
Wayne Rooney, at any opportunity.
Rooney's frustration threatened to boil over. England got mad. But
really, what is the international footballing equivalent of the Dog
and Gun supposed to do in the face of such supposedly mighty
opposition.
Starting in his preferred central midfield role alongside Owen
Hargreaves, Gerrard belatedly tried to take the game by the scruff
of the neck.
The Liverpool skipper forced a good save out of Andorran keeper
Koldo with a swerving shot and Stewart Downing, preferred to Kieron
Dyer in a team lacking injured Chelsea star Frank Lampard, did the
same.
But they were sporadic efforts among a series of over-hit
free-kicks, mis-placed passes and disappointing shots that sailed
wide. Little wonder the thousands who travelled to one of
football's citadels chanted long and loud for David Beckham.
And that was one of the least vicious taunts to roll down from the
stands of a stadium that will forever be part of British sporting
folklore because of the Olympic champions it crowned in Linford
Christie and Sally Gunnell.
This was an altogether different kind of sporting spectacle and as
McClaren turned to head for the tunnel, mercifully close his
touchline berth, he was greeted by a sea of angry faces eager to
tell him exactly what they thought.
Thankfully, England started the second period with markedly more
energy than they had done the first.
Within five minutes Hargreaves had fired just wide, Rooney drilled
an effort across goal and Koldo needed to scramble to smother
Downing's low shot at the second attempt.
The opening goal was coming and duly arrived when Ashley Cole
nodded Lennon's far post cross to Rooney, who flicked it neatly
sidewards for Gerrard to launch a 20-yard volley into the bottom
corner.
Having shown the positive side of his game minutes earlier, Rooney
then got himself booked for his latest spat with Oscar Sonejee, a
yellow card that will rule him out of the June 6 trip to
Estonia.
Rooney was still moaning when Micah Richards was caught
accidentally by Marc Pujol. The Manchester City man exited on a
stretcher, Rooney left as well, replaced by Jermain Defoe as
McClaren made a double change that also involved the arrival of
Dyer.
The Newcastle man's direct running certainly injected some life
into what had been a pretty pedestrian midfield, although his
woeful attempt to turn home Lennon's cutback hardly helped
England's cause.
Still, for a while the visiting fans enjoyed themselves, ignoring
the rain sweeping over a stadium with inadequate cover at one side
and none at the other.
Why, McClaren even managed to get to the touchline to bark a few
orders without being abused.
The atmosphere was just beginning to change again when Gerrard
charged through, as he does so often for his club, took Defoe's
return pass, then produced a neat finish.
David Nugent's arrival 12 minutes from time gave Preston their
first England international to cheer since Sir Tom Finney almost 50
years ago. He scored too, running in to belt home Defoe's shot
which was about to slither over the line.
It was a notable day for the Championship club. But if the fans get
their way, it will be a momentous evening for something else
entirely.
