Wed 10 Oct 2007McClaren must plan without TerryRussia v EnglandSteve McClaren has acquired the
quirk lately of declaring England are in pole position. Unless
second is the new first this is untrue. Croatia are actually three
points clear in Group E, but the manager's statement was a reliable
account of his mood before John Terry was, in effect, ruled out of
today's game.McClaren was entitled to be approaching high spirits, even if
his side's rise in the standings was not quite so steep. Five
victories in a row over the Euro 2008 qualifiers was a heartening
run. Now, however, morale can no longer be so robust.