Lions and Spain set for a close call

Following a break of three months, it's nearly time for the Euro 2008 qualifiers to recommence, before which the cobwebs will be blown away with some intriguing friendly's, none of which will attract more attention than that between England and Spain at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening. If Steve McClaren is to be believed, we are about to witness a new era with regard to the national squad. There will be some fresh faces about on Wednesday, most significantly the controversial figure of Joey Barton, while Jonathan Woodgate's excellent form at the centre of defence for Boro has earned him a deserved recall. Man City ace Barton was vocal in his disapproval of certain players' books being published shortly after the 2006 World Cup Finals, during which, the midfielder claims, the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard did not appear fully committed. According to the players in question, there are no hard feelings over these inflammatory remarks made by Barton. Gerrard insisted in a recent interview that there was no ill-feeling, joking: 'I'm going to give him a knock after the press conference with a signed book and he can read that over the next couple of days.' Let's hope this is the case - and there are no underlying grievances, for the one thing that England have consistently lacked as a team is basic cohesion - there just hasn't been the degree of understanding between the players which you observe when watching other national teams, such as Argentina, Brazil, Holland and Italy. This lack of inter-connectivity is what will continue to hamper the Three Lions' progress, unless they can gel as one. There is no room for personal agendas. No time for the pampering of inflated egos. No need for cliques. And certainly no reason that, with the impressive combination of ability and experience that the current squad possesses, whichever 11 men are on the field cannot play in unison. There have been 20 previous meetings between England and Spain, with the former nation prevailing on 11 occasions, three clashes ending as draws, and the Spaniards winning half-a-dozen of the games in question. Their last meeting was at the Bernabeu in 2004, a match that was marred by the racist jibes directed at the likes of Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Spain won 1-0. Neither England nor Spain can afford to approach their forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers without the benefit of confidence. Both sides have under-achieved in their respective campaigns thus far. Two sides from the five within each group will qualify. England are currently third in their's, while Spain are rooted to the bottom of their group with just three points. In many ways, the frustration of English fans is probably mirrored by that of the Spanish public. Indeed, these two nations are, it's fair to say, probably the two most glorious under-achievers on the international scene with regards to football in recent years. Luis Aragones, who is under mounting pressure as Spain's coach, has such an array of talent at his disposal but, as in the case of England, the ability of their hugely talented individuals invariably fail to deliver when tested as one whole unit. But one thing's for sure, with the likes of Fernado Torres and David Villa bearing down on them, England's defense will need to be at full strength. As such, it was heartening to see John Terry return to the fold during Chelsea's Premiership victory over Charlton at the weekend. Admittedly, it was merely a blowout that the skipper had, but he will have been sharpened up by that airing and, as ever, he will be pivotal in England's pursuit of glory - or, more imminently, pursuit of consistency. With both side's keen to approach next month's qualifiers with a good result under their belt, I imagine that this game will be a bit like a game of chess. I cannot envisage either team being too committal, mindful of the attacking threat posed by their opposite numbers. To my mind, if this game is won, a single goal may well settle it. But I wouldn't be too surprised if it were to end a stalemate. Therefore, my advice is to opt for 0-1 in the total goals market at 15/8 with Betfred. I am surprised that England are a shade of odds-on in places, despite home advantage, as Spain are formidable opponents went at the top of their game. Indeed, the question of who will be at the top of their game on the day will provide the answer as to who wins, if either side is to emerge victorious. But this is too tricky to predict, so the total goals recommendation is by far the safest option. In terms of key players, Barcelona's young playmaker Andres Iniesta and Arsenal's irrepressible youngster Cesc Fabregas will both have the spotlight shone on them, that's for sure, while for England it goes without saying that Wayne Rooney is a central figure, along with Frank Lampard, and if Aaron Lennon gets a run-out he'll give Spain's left back a torrid time.Verdict - 0-1 in the total goals market @ 15/8 (Betfred)