McClaren again looks to Gerrard for inspiration

When McClaren was at his lowest ebb, held to a goalless first half by part-time Andorra in the Olympic Stadium and jeers and cat-calls rang round his head, Gerrard was the man who launched a single-handed rescue mission.

Just as he has done so often for Liverpool, Gerrard was the inspiration for a victory which has launched England on a run of three straight European Championship wins which would leave them on the brink of securing a place in Austria and Switzerland next summer if they can make it four against Russia at Wembley tonight.

The sudden transformation in fortune seems barely credible and McClaren himself admits he does not know exactly how it has happened.

He is, however, aware of when the spark was lit. And the common theme since has been restoring Gerrard to his favoured central midfield berth.

The Merseysider is clearly relishing a responsibility never afforded him by Sven-Goran Eriksson and while McClaren has not quite given Gerrard the freedom to do what he likes, he certainly has settled on a man he can build a team around.

''Steven is the one player who can unlock doors and win a game in a split second,'' said McClaren.

''He always has a job to do but with that comes a certain amount of freedom to play.

''You would have to ask him whether he lacked confidence before. All we are trying to do is get inside the person and put him on the pitch where he is most comfortable.

''I don't think he has ever been wasted but he does give more to our team in the middle.

''I always reflect back on that Andorra game. That night he was special and everyone followed. I think he has grown from that.''

That night in Barcelona will always be remembered as a seminal moment in McClaren's career.

Subjected to possibly the worst abuse ever directed at an England manager, it would have been easy for him to walk away.

Instead, he came back fighting, backed by a team he is convinced was ready for the battle too.

''Against Andorra we just bottomed out,'' he said.

''We'd all had enough and in the dressing room afterwards there was a great determination and a great togetherness.

''Despite all the criticism that was flying about, there was a renewed vigour amongst everyone because knew it was up to us to do something about it.''

Such is the fine line between success and failure McClaren straddles just now that any outcome other than a draw will either pitch him into the realms of ecstasy or the pit of despair.

Win and England will require a maximum of five points from three games to get through, provided one of them came in Moscow next month. Lose and Russia will hold a four-point lead it would be almost impossible to claw back.

Some critics remain unconvinced by McClaren. Yet there was a swagger and authority about England's win over Israel at the weekend which suggests the coach has finally unearthed a winning formula.

True, injuries to Frank Lampard and Owen Hargreaves have spared him from difficult decisions over the make-up of his midfield.

But the return of Emile Heskey worked wonders and, even though McClaren is coy about a team selection he will not confirm to his players until lunchtime, it would be a huge surprise if the Wigan man lost out to Peter Crouch, who was suspended on Saturday.

''As much as I would like to keep the same shape, formation and personnel, we have to be able to adapt, so we may have to tweak one or two things.

''It is not about being brave, it is about making decisions you feel are necessary to win the game. It doesn't matter whether they are brave or stupid as long as they work. When it works you are brave, when it doesn't you are a fool.''

Quite aside from the need for points, the game comes with the intriguing subtext of an appearance at Wembley by Guus Hiddink, one of the men in the frame for McClaren's current job until the Football Association turned to Middlesbrough for Sven-Goran Eriksson's replacement.