Pre-Match Report.

England v Scotland 13.11.99.

Leicester Lads to Clinch It ?!!!!!!!!!!!

Peter Gilbert 12.11.99
So here we are on the eve of a potentially great game of football........certainly it is a great game if you measure it in terms of importance.
The winners will receive an invitation to Euro 2000 which will be undoubtedly fascinating although other people might assess it's importance financially.
So what can we expect........well a hoard of bitter and twisted Jocks probably who will view the game as revenge for what may or may not have happened in some mediaeval battle or other. As for us English we are not burdened with such hang ups and we will see it as an opportunity to exercise our superiority.
Personally I was sorry to see the home internationals tournament abandoned on fairly wimpish ground 'it was too much trouble.'    I really used to enjoy the England/ N.Ireland/ Wales and particularly Scotland matches.......although if it was re-born I would like to see the Irish Republic involved.
England and Scotland have played against each other on many occasions with Scotland winning 40 and England winning 44, so it's still a pretty close run thing. Sadly though the Scottish footballer seems to have become almost extinct and I'm surprised they can actually field 11 players these days. At one time every self respecting English team had a clutch of Scots playing for them but nowadays only John Collins of Everton fits the bill (Come on Matty be honest). The Scottish league is now so over run by 'Johnny Foreigner' that's there's hardly room for Jock McTavish to strut his stuff. Beware England - the same could happen to us.
So what are we expecting tomorrow? A narrow England win in my opinion followed by a slaughter at Wembley, and how fitting that it should be England's last match there before the 'new Wembley' is born.
I will be on the edge of my seat willing England to put the Jocks to the sword but as a Leicester fan I shall be expecting just a little more.........
For sake of argument we'll gloss over the fact that Muzzy Izzett has been overlooked when he is at present one of the most effective midfielders in the Premiership.......such lightweights as Redknapp and Scholes really aren't fit to lace his boots, and if you need proof of this just watch the game as it unfolds.
We'll also forgive KK for not picking Flowers(excuse the pun) whilst preferring the drippy David Seaman, the vacant Nigel Martyn and the clueless Ian Walker.

We do have two players in the squad though; Steve Guppy and Emile Heskey.
I expect Steve to start the game and this time I hope the England clique actually pass to him so that he can do his thing, and let's face it 'Nobody Does it Better'.
Towards the end of the game I expect England's front runners of Shearer and Owen to run out of ideas and steam and then they will have to bring on Emile Heskey who will score the only goal and pave the way for the Wembley farewell.
I can just see it, Guppy picks up the ball in his own half he advances 10 yards and flights a ball forward which Emile wins.......Shearer starts yapping for the ball but Emile lays it off to Steve who scorches down the wing dinks over a high ball which eludes everyone except Emile at the far post. He brings it down shrugs off a defender and buries it in the top left hand corner past the flailing arms and legs of the Scots. Wow...........that'd do for me as long as KK gets his selections right in future.