Steve McClaren spied the end of a long and sometimes tortuous journey to Euro 2008 and pledged collective responsibility would see England reach their destination in one piece.
It is an unspoken truth that if McClaren's team fail to get the draw required against Croatia tomorrow to book a place at next summer's finals, he will get the sack.
The odds are against such a scenario unfolding, with most pundits believing England will fulfil their requirements against a team whose presence in Austria and Switzerland is already secure.
But, win or lose, McClaren wants his friends around him.
Messages of support have arrived from all corners of the land and injured skipper John Terry has been called in to provide added assistance, both in training today and in the dressing room tomorrow to ensure England make the most of a lifeline thrown to them in such unexpected fashion by Israel on Saturday night.
"It has been a long journey and it has been a hard journey," said McClaren.
"We started together and we want to finish together, which is why we will have John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney together with us tomorrow."
So often the subject of ridicule during his rollercoaster 17-game reign, there have been times even McClaren cannot have expected to reach this point.
In Croatia, against Andorra and only last month in Russia, he appeared to be teetering on the brink of dismissal.
Yet somehow, both McClaren and his team have survived. And now he can feel a groundswell of goodwill building as he strives for the minimum target of qualification.
"Any international manager, especially the England manager, expects to get stick. It is part of the job," he said.
"But, as I have travelled up and down the country, the public have wished me well and people within the game have also been very supportive and that is the most important thing for me.
"The opinions I respect are the ones from people who have been there and done it. Those who know me. Those who have crossed the white line and know what it is like. Those who know what it takes to manage teams at this level."
All the support in the world cannot deny the fact McClaren's head will be on the chopping block when he names his team, settling what many think are the two remaining issues still to be decided; namely who plays on the right side of a five-man midfield and who plays in goal.
Reports of a shaky training-ground performance by Paul Robinson yesterday have undermined the Tottenham man, yet, for all his faults, it would be a major surprise if McClaren dumped his first-choice now, especially in favour of Aston Villa rookie Scott Carson, who hardly had a shot to save on his debut in Austria last Friday.
Similarly, while David Beckham's fitness is open to question given his hour-long display in Vienna, as part of a five-man midfield, in which Owen Hargreaves will provide added defensive insurance, and with the energy of Micah Richards in the full-back berth behind him, the former Real Madrid man should be able to conserve his energy and remain focussed on planting a series of trademark crosses on the head of lone striker Peter Crouch, rather than relying on the less consistent delivery of Shaun Wright-Phillips.
"I know my team and I have done since the weekend - but I am not going to reveal it and I am not giving any clues," said McClaren, resisting the temptation to back Robinson as he has done so often in the past.
McClaren refuses to accept the theory his side are fortunate to be in their present encouraging position, despite the fact few thought Russia would be denied in Tel Aviv and Dmitri Synchev came within an inch of effectively knocking England out with a last-minute shot that bounced back off a post.
However, there is no denying the reprieve has had a galvanising effect on a group of players who must now show, once and for all, they can perform to the sum of their parts.
"There is a danger in looking for the finishing post too soon," said McClaren.
"I always felt the 12th game would be the crunch game.
"Last Saturday was hard. It is always difficult when you are watching something that is out of your control. The first six months were difficult but things have improved as the campaign has gone on and the results have proved that.
"But now, it is down to us. There is a togetherness; a strength and an attitude. There are no excuses. The players have to go out and prove they deserve to qualify."
SYDNEY BASED ENGLAND FANS – can catch all the live action from Wembley to see if England can secure qualification to Euro 2008 at Star City tomorrow morning on their huge screen in Trophies bar…kick off is 7am
The odds are against such a scenario unfolding, with most pundits believing England will fulfil their requirements against a team whose presence in Austria and Switzerland is already secure.
But, win or lose, McClaren wants his friends around him.
Messages of support have arrived from all corners of the land and injured skipper John Terry has been called in to provide added assistance, both in training today and in the dressing room tomorrow to ensure England make the most of a lifeline thrown to them in such unexpected fashion by Israel on Saturday night.
"It has been a long journey and it has been a hard journey," said McClaren.
"We started together and we want to finish together, which is why we will have John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney together with us tomorrow."
So often the subject of ridicule during his rollercoaster 17-game reign, there have been times even McClaren cannot have expected to reach this point.
In Croatia, against Andorra and only last month in Russia, he appeared to be teetering on the brink of dismissal.
Yet somehow, both McClaren and his team have survived. And now he can feel a groundswell of goodwill building as he strives for the minimum target of qualification.
"Any international manager, especially the England manager, expects to get stick. It is part of the job," he said.
"But, as I have travelled up and down the country, the public have wished me well and people within the game have also been very supportive and that is the most important thing for me.
"The opinions I respect are the ones from people who have been there and done it. Those who know me. Those who have crossed the white line and know what it is like. Those who know what it takes to manage teams at this level."
All the support in the world cannot deny the fact McClaren's head will be on the chopping block when he names his team, settling what many think are the two remaining issues still to be decided; namely who plays on the right side of a five-man midfield and who plays in goal.
Reports of a shaky training-ground performance by Paul Robinson yesterday have undermined the Tottenham man, yet, for all his faults, it would be a major surprise if McClaren dumped his first-choice now, especially in favour of Aston Villa rookie Scott Carson, who hardly had a shot to save on his debut in Austria last Friday.
Similarly, while David Beckham's fitness is open to question given his hour-long display in Vienna, as part of a five-man midfield, in which Owen Hargreaves will provide added defensive insurance, and with the energy of Micah Richards in the full-back berth behind him, the former Real Madrid man should be able to conserve his energy and remain focussed on planting a series of trademark crosses on the head of lone striker Peter Crouch, rather than relying on the less consistent delivery of Shaun Wright-Phillips.
"I know my team and I have done since the weekend - but I am not going to reveal it and I am not giving any clues," said McClaren, resisting the temptation to back Robinson as he has done so often in the past.
McClaren refuses to accept the theory his side are fortunate to be in their present encouraging position, despite the fact few thought Russia would be denied in Tel Aviv and Dmitri Synchev came within an inch of effectively knocking England out with a last-minute shot that bounced back off a post.
However, there is no denying the reprieve has had a galvanising effect on a group of players who must now show, once and for all, they can perform to the sum of their parts.
"There is a danger in looking for the finishing post too soon," said McClaren.
"I always felt the 12th game would be the crunch game.
"Last Saturday was hard. It is always difficult when you are watching something that is out of your control. The first six months were difficult but things have improved as the campaign has gone on and the results have proved that.
"But now, it is down to us. There is a togetherness; a strength and an attitude. There are no excuses. The players have to go out and prove they deserve to qualify."
SYDNEY BASED ENGLAND FANS – can catch all the live action from Wembley to see if England can secure qualification to Euro 2008 at Star City tomorrow morning on their huge screen in Trophies bar…kick off is 7am
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