Back to back 3-0 victories have lifted the pressure off England boss Steve McClaren, who not long ago looked as lame a duck as had ever been handed the poisoned chalice of coach of the three lions. A second Michael Owen brace in five days dispatched the much-vaunted Russia at Wembley in front of 86,000 fans and propelled England into second in Group E of the Euro 2008 qualifiers, three points behind Croatia, who terrorized Andorra 6-0 in their capital Andorra La Vella at the same time.

With Dutchman Dick Advocaat seemingly rubberstamped as the next boss of the Australian national team, caretaker coach Graham Arnold has departed by biting back at critics who accuse him of steering the Socceroos ship off course since the highs of last year's World Cup. It's been a tumultuous journey for Arnold, Guus Hiddink's former assistant, since accepting the national team senior position when Hiddink elected not to renew his short-term contract 15 months ago. It doesn't take much reading between the lines to recognise Arnold feels somewhat unappreciated in his efforts in transitioning an aging Socceroos line-up into one which can consistently compete with the rigours of Asian tournament football.

Saturday afternoon in north west London was surreal. England won a football match with ease and watching them was a pleasant experience. Come again? England are the great under-achievers of international football (or is that Spain?) who breathlessly struggle to qualify from the group stages of tournaments, only to hit their own particular glass ceiling, known as the quarter-finals, time after time.

PSV Eindhoven coach Guus Hiddink has been appointed coach of the Australian national team in a bid to lead them to the 2006 World Cup in Germany . The Dutch coach, 58, lead Dutch champions PSV to the semi-finals of last season's Champions League and was in charge of the South Korean national team which reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.