With Wayne Rooney alongside Michael Owen up front, England will have to ditch the long-ball option. With no 6ft 7in Peter Crouch to aim for, it would be pointless.
Rooney will be running into the pockets and looking for the short passes threaded into him to feet. He has to be careful how he uses his energy but if Sven Goran Eriksson can get an hour out of him, that should be enough. Get him off, job done.
Owen should benefit from Rooney’s presence, renewing their vibrant partnership of old, rekindling their almost telepathic understanding. When Rooney has got possession, Owen must play on the shoulders of the defenders, looking to get across them quickly, to get that extra half yard for when the ball is released to him. He cannot afford to wait, he has to anticipate Rooney’s next move, his next pass.
Owen Hargreaves is likely to take the midfield holding role but I would prefer Jamie Carragher in that position. Hargreaves is a jack of all trades and does each job that he is asked to do with the minimum of fuss, but he is not a naturally good defender or reader of the game. Carragher is. Hargreaves will have to break up Sweden’s offensive plays, get the ball and move it on to a team-mate. No more, no less.
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The England midfield must play the ball into Rooney’s feet. In possession, he is a double threat. He can run at the defense and shoot or feed Owen. This means Mellberg and Linderoth will be drawn to the Manchester United forward. The fear factor means Owen may get more room as Lucic will be forced to cover his mesmerised team-mates.
STAT ATTACK
With Rooney alongside him for England, Owen has scored on average every 177 minutes, the equivalent almost exactly one goal per two games. Since Owen has scored 36 goals in 79 Internationals, his partnership with the Manchester United striker has yielded goals at roughly the same rate as the rest of his England career.
BILL EDGAR