England v Russia preview: England beware Roman conqueror

Pavlyuchenko is the Russian blond bomber who has the brains and brawn to give Terry and Ferdinand a severe test

By Jonathan Wilson

Sunday, 9 September 2007

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Roman Pavlyuchenko is 6ft 3in and has a gleaming blond mullet, so England were unlikely to overlook him, but he has done little to make his arrival in this country surreptitious. Russia's biggest threat is no secret weapon. For one thing, the Spartak forward was top scorer in the Russian league last season. For another, he recently went on a spree of nine goals in six games, including the equaliser in Moscow in the first leg of the Champions' League qualifier against Celtic. He equalised again at Parkhead and, having struck the post with a penalty in normal time, had the cool to convert his kick in the shoot-out.

Given England's recent fallibility against the crossed ball, it is perhaps as much the manner of his goals as their number that should worry Steve McClaren. The goal against Celtic in Moscow was typical of him, as he found space and then held off Scott Brown as he steered a header past Artur Boruc; in the second leg, he cleverly used his chest to knock a back-post corner over two defenders before clipping home a controlled volley. There is craft as well as brawn about the 25-year-old.

Two goals from crosses against a British side have given Pavlyuchenko confidence. "With England you know you're going to come up against big, strong defenders and I'm looking forward to that challenge," he said. "It would be a great honour to score at the new Wembley, but I know it will be tough against defenders who are famous for their ability in the air."

That might sound diplomatic, but Pavlyuchenko doesn't really do tact. About his own shortcomings he is refreshingly straightforward. "I can't imagine what I'd have done if not for football," he said. "I was no good at studying. It was very hard for me at school. I can't do anything apart from playing football." He admits that in the past he has at times been rather too keen to give his views, and for a time he had a troublesome reputation as a loose cannon, swift with both tongue and fists. It all came to a head in the league game at home to Tom Tomsk last season.

Pavlyuchenko had been sent off in the away match and, when he scored against them at home, he made sure that the Tom coach, Valery Petrakov, was aware of the fact, carrying on the verbals after the final whistle and even, it was alleged, bursting into the referee's room.

Pavlyuchenko was banned for four matches, but, to general bewilderment, the Russian Football Union – usually a draconian body – overturned the decision on a day of unprecedented clemency on which they also pardoned the Brazilian forward Wagner Love and the Dutch defender Fernando Ricksen after the two fought on the pitch during a game between CSKA and Zenit. "I'm a hot-tempered guy," Pavlyuchenko admits, "but I'm more experienced now and I hope these days I can be more patient for the sake of the team."

There was a time when such tempestuousness would have kept a player out of the Russia squad, but the mood around the camp has been noticeably more relaxed since Guus Hiddink took over following the World Cup, something credited with helping to break the sense of paranoia and insecurity that has habitually pervaded Russian football. He has wiped the slate clean, and his side are full of players enjoying a second chance.

Igor Semshov once served a five-game suspension for kicking a referee up the backside, Dmitri Torbinsky is noted for the ferocity of his temper, while Dmitri Sychev – although he was in many ways the victim – was banned for six months after taking his former club Spartak to court in a wrangle over his contract. Most heart-warming is the case of Konstantin Zyryanov, whose wife committed suicide after killing their four-year-old daughter five years ago. He has reconstructed his life and, atthe age of 28, earned his first international call-up last year.

"He's a great coach who knows how to put a team together," Pavlyuchenko said of Hiddink. "He gives players confidence in themselves. He's already done a fantastic job and I expect further success in the future." And that means qualification for Euro 2008. "We can do it. If I'm being honest, I would say I want Russia and Croatia to be the winners of the group." McClaren and England have been warned.

The Russians at Wembley

22 october 1958: England 5 USSR 0

This was the fourth meeting of the year between the countries, and the only England win. Aftera drawn friendly in Moscow, a group match at the World Cup in Sweden ended 2-2, and the Russians won a play-off 1-0.But four months later, Bolton's Nat Lofthouse was recalled at centre-forward and Johnny Haynes hit a hat-trick.

England: McDonald; Howe, G Shaw, Clayton, Wright, Slater, Douglas, Charlton, Lofthouse, Haynes, Finney.

6 December 1967: England 2 USSR 2

Eight World Cup winners were augmented by Alan Mullery, David Sadler and debutant Cyril Knowles. Alan Ball put England ahead on a snow-covered pitch, then Martin Peters producedthe equaliser.

England: Banks; Knowles, Sadler, Moore, Wilson, Ball, Mullery, Charlton, Peters, Hunt, Hurst.

2 June 1984: England 0 USSR 2

Bobby Robson was an unpopular figure after failing to qualify for the 1984 European Championship, and defeat in this friendly brought chants for his head. Mike Duxbury had an unhappy game and John Barnes was taken off – eight days later he scored in a 2-0 win in Brazil.

England: Shilton; Duxbury, Fenwick, Roberts, Sansom, Chamberlain, Wilkins, Robson, Barnes (S Hunt), Francis (Hateley), Blissett.

21 May 1991: England 3 USSR 1

An unbeaten run of six games to begin Graham Taylor's England reign could only persuade 23,789 to turn out for the last meeting before the USSR briefly became the CIS. Mark Wright captained the team for the only time as David Platt scored twice and Arsenal's Alan Smith once.

England: Woods; Stevens, Parker, M Wright, Dorigo, Wise (Batty), Platt, Thomas, Barnes, Smith, I Wright (Beardsley).

Watch England take on Russia at Wembley on Wednesday on BBC1, kick-off 8pm