00:00Daniel Neville and Stuart Pearce.
00:02Rangers' Paul Gascoigne was the playmaker
00:04and hitman Robbie Fowler started an international for the first time.
00:08Some exciting players in that Croatian line,
00:10including Prozinecki, Suker, Boban and Boksyc.
00:13Commentary from Trevor Brooking and Barry Davis.
00:20You could certainly make a case for saying
00:22this is England's biggest test before the European Championship.
00:26This is a side that finished higher in their group
00:30than Italy having beaten them in Palermo.
00:38First challenge for Stone.
00:44And this is Robert Yanni.
00:56Stuart Pearce.
01:09Great roar as Paul Gascoigne gets possession.
01:17Great strong challenge, very effective.
01:19Sieringer.
01:28Jürgen, one back, Fowler, in comes Stone.
01:36And he scored a couple of times for England,
01:39but he didn't really look like getting on the end of that
01:42and over the top of the ball.
01:46They won the ball well, England,
01:47London, Fowler, Dinkin went towards the far post.
01:49It sat up, nice, tried to side-foot it,
01:51but just sliced it.
01:55Good play by Robbie Fowler.
02:00Boban.
02:07Pavicic is on the touchline.
02:09This is Boban.
02:13Pavicic would come in.
02:17Italian contest there.
02:21Between the two clubs of Milan,
02:22with Boban getting the better of Ince.
02:25Now McManaman.
02:28Still McManaman.
02:31Well, he managed to get a man over,
02:33but Yanni closed the door.
02:38Stone.
02:39Now comes Stuart Pearce.
02:47Here comes Stuart Pearce.
02:47Sheringham has called for it.
03:02Little lunge again,
03:03and the goalkeeper in trouble,
03:04and then foul Sheringham,
03:06and foul that goes on,
03:07but the referee is coming to give a free kick.
03:10He has not signalled a score.
03:16To the disappointment, clearly, of the crowd.
03:19But it seemed to me that initially,
03:21Sheringham was pushed there.
03:25Then when he got up,
03:26well, there was an arm from Sheringham,
03:28which might have given the referee's excuse.
03:30Then, clearly, a foul there by the goalkeeper.
03:33Fowler carries on.
03:34Puts the ball in the net.
03:37But the referee will not allow it.
03:40There's a long hanging cross,
03:41which really should be the goalkeeper's, Nurmich.
03:43I think Teddy Sheringham's arm is up there,
03:45as it touches his head,
03:46but then he does hold him down
03:48and stop him retrieving the situation.
03:51The linesman didn't give anything this side.
03:52It's the actual referee who's a fair way away
03:55who actually gave the foul.
03:59One on one here.
04:00The referee tells you where,
04:28which is on the darker shade of green.
04:36Well, that foul is.
04:37Good stop.
04:39But he got between the two defenders
04:40and was unchallenged.
04:44Well, Bielic and Jekan the sweeper
04:46got called out.
04:47They seemed to leave it for each other.
04:48Robbie Fowler's not the tallest of strikers, is he?
04:51But he does jump well.
04:53Of course, it's his runs that make the difference.
04:54You see, he can get between the two defenders.
04:56And in the end,
04:57he'll feel he should have scored.
04:58But he didn't head it cleanly.
05:00He headed it down.
05:01But it took just the pace off the ball.
05:02Shearingham.
05:08And he's got to do something about Pablicic,
05:12like showing me yellow card immediately.
05:15He's playing the wrong code at the moment.
05:20Good action by the Polish referee.
05:23He probably wishes he hadn't been selected at the moment.
05:26Pablicic.
05:26Puntie forward here.
05:40Puntie forward here.
05:40Puntie forward here.
05:41Puntie forward here.
05:41Puntie forward here.
05:46in the net for the second time, but pushing header by Rush, Abahia, Scheringham, beautifully
05:57played but Plath had moved too soon. Neville, staying forward right side, Scheringham also
06:08on the right side, back to Pearce on the left, that's going faced by Bourbain, pulled all
06:18back bar two, Scheringham, Stone, driven cross this time, Fabulicic, surprising his goalkeeper
06:34a little bit, he didn't seem to be as dangerous as he thought, he wasn't actually challenged,
06:41I wonder where McManaman was perhaps, he's here, couldn't be, that could very nearly have been
06:52though, by Scheringham, it's a good save, wasn't room for the overhead from Ince, but Scheringham
07:00ahead of him found the room, and it needed a good stop, I've been totally convinced and
07:09up there in the air, the Croatians up to now, I think if there is a sign of weakness, it
07:13is on crosses, got a push and shove in the six-yard area, and Mermic, that did a bit, but got
07:20enough contact, Kozinetski, isn't entirely convinced Johan Cruyff at Barcelona, he might have appreciated
07:35that with a skill until the end, he hasn't found the ball into the box, Steve Stone, that England
07:44here, been looking for, Neville, better clips, good save from Platt, but what a difference
07:52it makes when the cross is a good whipped in ball, and David Platt, we've got on the end
07:58of the cross from Gary Neville, must have thought it was going to be goal number 27 of his England
08:03career, certainly got plenty of power, but the goalkeeper found it coming straight to him,
08:08was able to block it, I mean the marking on crosses is suspect there, again Pavlicic, the
08:14fullback, was the one that got the wrong side of David Platt, Terry Rennerwood will be disappointed,
08:20his side is not in the lead, at half-time, but the 54th different opponent, two-face England,
08:27have in truth been really disappointing, one change in the Croatian side at the start of the
08:36second half, of this green flag international, on comes Mario Stanic, who plays for the Belgian
08:42champions Bruges, he's on in place of Bobin, who clearly isn't match fit, and the captaincy
08:48is taken over by Davos Suker, presumably would like to see rather more of the ball in the second
08:54half, count by the referee, away-going England, who certainly had the better at the first 45 minutes,
09:05but, do you just wonder how much the opposition are steadying themselves, just getting the
09:12feel of playing in England, the European Championship starting in 45 days, June the 8th, when England
09:21plays Switzerland here, in Group A, Karats are in Group D, along with Denmark, Portugal and Turkey,
09:30for the next 5th, in Group A, Karats, and then, as well seen, by Stiemetz, who's got the shooting
09:39chance, and was close.
09:42That was an excellent strike, wasn't it?
09:45Confidence to push forward, and just with the outside of his right foot, just drifting away
09:53away from the post, SEMA probably had it covered.
10:06Stone.
10:09Oh, it pulls away. Got a little touch in McManaman!
10:15Oh, unlucky McManaman. Real pace in that. End by Stone. It actually bounced off Fowler.
10:29McManaman was quick but just wide.
10:33Well, this was all Robbie Fowler trying to control and set it up permanently for McManaman.
10:37Just cleared Murchmich's body and took it beyond the post but unlucky McManaman. Coming
10:42through the central position for once.
10:44Platt wanted it early.
10:48McManaman again. A little bit of pushing and Fowler over the top.
10:54Bobbled a bit in front of him.
10:57McManaman made all that happen really.
11:01Platt was the player who gave the final ball.
11:04He just watched as the ball comes across.
11:06It sat up a little bit. He got underneath it and over the top.
11:10Good ball in.
11:12The Manaman breaking from that center and put his left foot this time.
11:16Setting up Robbie Fowler and should have scored.
11:20How do you play this style of football, make the transition but still have that cutting edge
11:26to score the goals that you're going to need at this level, particularly as you're the host
11:29nation and English supporters are going to have to be very, very patient if they're going to play this
11:33style because it might not be the normal goal mount action that they're used to.
11:36And it was too far outside.
11:53More up than away off his head.
11:55More up than away off.
12:00The Manaman.
12:07Krosi Netsky.
12:09England ball.
12:10I think he remember his first match here
12:19Nearest yet
12:38Really sorted himself out well McManaman
12:44And unlucky on the follow-up with Shearing
12:47And the final whistle
12:52Ends a disappointing evening for the crowd
12:55And well he will tell us what he feels
12:58But I think the general feeling is we just don't know
13:01With Euro 96 in mind
13:02Do you think England are becoming more adaptable?
13:05We've got to
13:06Because it's all very well having the expectancy
13:08And saying we're going to do this
13:09If we're not going to be up to date with what other teams are doing
13:12We're going to come unstuck
13:15And we want to do
13:17And I want to do everything I can
13:20To make sure we don't
13:21All we can do is do our best
13:24And that's what we're doing
13:25And I think everyone is concentrating
13:27And listening to what we're doing
13:28And that has been very satisfying
13:31From our point of view
13:33As coaches
13:34Willie that boiled down version of the game
13:36Showed England being pretty unlucky
13:37They had a lot of chances
13:38But for long periods of the game too
13:40There was a lack of spark about them was there not?
13:41Well I think it's a problem
13:43And it's been a problem for some time now
13:46And they're playing friendlies
13:47And it's very difficult for players to get themselves lifted
13:50For friendlies
13:51It's difficult for the crowd as well
13:52Terry Venables is trying so many permutations
13:56And so many different players in different positions
13:59He's still searching for his best team
14:02But I keep getting back to their playing at home
14:04They're playing all their games at Wembley
14:06The last time they did that was in 66
14:08And we know what happened then
14:09So I think they'll be strong
14:10I still think England will be strong
14:12Come the time
14:12Is it a problem Billy
14:13That Terry Venables has too many strikers to choose from?
14:16It's not a problem we have
14:17No it's not
14:18Well it seems to be
14:19And it's astonishing when you look at the quality of striker that he has
14:22I don't think they're all that far away
14:24Because to me they looked at more than a reasonable side tonight
14:27And they were a bit unlucky when it came to finishing
14:29They hit the post a couple of times
14:31One or two things got scrambled away in front of goals
14:34But I honestly think they'll be a threat
14:36And to underestimate them would be very, very silly
14:39Well the Terry Venables is not slow to bring in the young players
14:42And it looked as if maybe the young players are almost the best thing about the side at the moment
14:45The likes of Neville, McManam and Fowler
14:47Confident young players
14:48Yeah I think you've got to give young players their chance
14:52But you know these guys are playing at the top level week in week out
14:55Not only are they playing at the top level week in and week out
14:57They're doing very well at the top level
14:59So it's not a difficult decision for a manager
15:02If he's going to these top games and he's seeing the players perform well
15:05They're young players but they've got old heads and young shoulders
15:08Billy the Croatian coach tonight accused England of being too predictable and sterile
15:13Well we hear that all the time
15:15But I think that's what Terry Venables was saying
15:18He's got to try and get rid of that image
15:20When you think of the type of player who's got Gascoigne in his team
15:24He's got Sheringham up front
15:25And it's hard to imagine a team being predictable with players of that quality
15:29But you know I think they'll be there
15:31And anyone as I say who would dare to underestimate them
15:34Might be certainly wrong
15:36Okay thanks
15:37If England or Scotland are to reach this
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