Steve McClaren takes England into a European double header against relatively unknown quantities, with a 100% record. England first play Macedonia at Old Trafford on Saturday 7^th October followed by an away game against Croatia the following Wednesday.

Convincing and morale boosting victories over Greece (4-0) and Andorra (5-0) helped erase the painful memories of the World Cup.

These promising opening results were however swiftly followed by a relatively unconvincing 1-0 win over Moldova. Granted, any away win against a European minor should be taken, however the performance did somewhat deflate the optimism that the media, fans and probably the players were feeling.

The upcoming games, on the face of it, would appear to hold few fears for a resurgent England. There are however a number of issues that Steve McClaren will need to address prior to the games, a quick look at the squad structure should highlight this.

Goalkeeper

Paul Robinson has firmly established himself as the England No.1, however his uncertain form during the World Cup and the subsequent games under Steve McClaren bely the talent that he possesses. Although he will not be replaced for the upcoming matches, strong competition from the likes of Chris Kirkland (when fit) and Ben Foster would be welcome before calls for a return for David James gather any more credence (please no!)

Defence

England’s defence would appear to be in fine fettle. The one area for concern would be cover for the right back position. Luke Young, although a solid performer at Charlton doesn’t appear to have the ability to excel at international level, one hopes that Glen Johnson can prove a revelation at Portsmouth and fulfil the potential he displayed at West Ham before watching his career stall and confidence plummet at the development school at Stamford Bridge.

In the meantime the peerless Gary Neville provides experience and a strong voice.

The central defence is unquestionably strong with Ferdinand and Terry the firmly established centre back pairing. The likes of Carragher, the recently returned King and the evidently rehabilitated Woodgate all provide not only cover, but also competition.

Ashley Cole is undoubtedly one of the best left backs in the world and, once recovered from a dip in form (probably resulting from his desperate sprint across London on deadline day), he will continue prove this. Wayne Bridge provides cover, and as evidenced by a fine display for Chelsea against Levski Sofia on Wednesday, competition too.

Midfield

Joe Cole’s supposed return from injury would have been warmly received by McClaren, unfortunately however he is continuing his rehabilitation. Downing, after some relatively poor performances (despite McClaren’s protestations to the contrary) should therefore continue on the left wing where he provides natural width. This could in some respects be a blessing in disguise as I will outline later.

With Lennon injured, Gerrard will continue on the right of midfield where he has been employed with surprising (not because he lacks the talent to play there but more because he is more effective working from central areas). It is Gerrard’s success and inclination to play through the centre that often sees him drift inside.

Countering Gerrard’s tendency to roam was the diligence of Hargreaves whose intelligent covering and ability to cover vast amounts of the pitch allowed for the fluid midfield that McClaren has employed to date. Hargreaves, much to McClaren’s disappointment (one would assume), is out injured with a fractured leg and herein lies the problem.

With Gerrard not a natural winger and Downing struggling to impose himself currently at this level (although I have no doubt he will prove an effective international player in time) the loss of the covering Hargreaves could impact hugely on England. Once Joe Cole returns the problem could be greater as he has a similar tendency to roam centrally and England could find themselves playing very narrow.

McClaren will place huge importance on selecting the right player to cover in Hargreaves’ absence. There will no doubt be calls for King or Carragher to play in the holding role (as indeed there already have been for the former), however I am one who feels it is ludicrous to even consider playing a top class player in a position he rarely, if ever, plays for his club.

This leads us to Carrick and Parker – and a debate has already started in the media. Carrick’s form for Manchester United has been good, although not outstanding. My reservation with Carrick is he is more creative than destructive (a concern that would appear to be shared by Sir Alex Ferguson, who opted for limited talents of O’Shea over Carrick during the recent match against Arsenal).

Parker represents a more defensive midfielder however he again should not be typecast as a holding midfielder. Parker’s greater strength is his ability to get up and down the pitch whilst chipping in with priceless goals.

Phil Neville should surely be considered. I certainly wasn’t one of his fans during his time at Old Trafford however he has thrived on the extra responsibility (not to mention regular football) at Goodison Park and plays the position with discipline.

Another player I would like to see being extended an opportunity is Joey Barton, I think he is an excellent player who seems to be happy to take responsibility on the football pitch. This may not however be the opportunity to blood him in international football – perhaps best to leave it until the November friendlies when Woodgate should also make a welcome return.

No doubt McClaren will be influenced by what he sees during training. It seems likely that Parker will play the holding position although he will be required to be more limited in his forays forward.

Strikers

Wayne Rooney returns from an international ban which, after coinciding with a domestic ban, appears to have had a detrimental effect on his form. Rooney will no doubt start the game and will fill the hole between midfield and the lone striker. Rooney’s return should hopefully ensure that Gerrard (and Cole on his return) need not stray too far from their wide positions (at least not on a regular basis).

As for the lone striker – well the candidates are Crouch, Johnson and Defoe. Personally I was surprised to see Bent drop down to the U21’s although I guess this may have been impacted by the U21’s important play off game against Germany. Crouch would appear to be leading the way for selection although I have to say I would prefer to see him used as an impact player with Johnson (based on his current form) being used for his strength, pace and ability to drag defenders out wide.

It has to be expected that England will comfortably win the upcoming games however Steve McClaren has much to ponder between now and 7^th October. Possibly more so when Joe Cole returns to the fold.