As Steve McClaren agonises over the composition of the team that will determine his future he may he surprised to learn the opinion of tomorrow’s opponents: stop David Beckham and you stop England. Beckham was regularly identified as England’s danger-man when he captained the side for five years, but with his powers diminished by age and injury even he may be shocked to discover his sustained status in Croatia.

Only in the lesser waters of Major League Soccer across the Atlantic is his famous right foot still so feared. Goran Vucevic, Croatia’s chief scout, begs to differ however, with his view of England’s 1-0 win over Austria last Friday leading him to conclude that McClaren is in charge of an average side occasionally enlivened by Beckham’s delivery.

“I watched England in Vienna and they didn’t show much development from when we beat them in Zagreb,” Vucevic said. “The one thing we must do it stop Beckham. He can put the ball on [Peter] Crouch’s eyebrows and that can be dangerous.”

Although more respectful towards a country where he clearly hopes to land a job, Slaven Bilic, the Croatia head coach, is equally confident, referring to his side’s historic opportunity to record a famous victory at Wembley.

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BACKGROUND

• Robinson suffers crisis of confidence

• Crouch must respond to taller orders

• England’s case for the defence

• Fail or succeed, McClaren must go

BACKGROUND

• Ever-changing world of England line-ups

• Beckham the man Croats fear most

• Cole ‘rewards’ Israeli team-mate

• Pearce aims to show seniors how it is done

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• Cole ‘rewards’ Israeli team-mate

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“England are definitely favourites, but we have to be confident and try to give them a good game,” he said. “If we beat England, people would talk about it as the best game in 20 years. We’ll try to play our normal game and it’s a great test for us. We’re not going to be under immense pressure but we are playing for our country at Wembley against very good players.

“We want a quality result and I expect a great spectacle. We know England very well. This is Wembley, this is a lifetime opportunity. Pelé once said his biggest regret was not playing at Wembley, but we will get that chance.”

For all their confidence, Croatia have selection problems of their own, with a virus sweeping through their camp. Mladen Petric, the Borussia Dortmund striker, is likely to be ruled out because of a high temperature, leaving Ivica Olic to partner Eduardo, the Arsenal striker, up front despite the fact that the SV Hamburg forward is still taking antibiotics.

Bilic reaffirmed his support for McClaren despite the fact that a Croatian victory would cost him his job.

“I think he should continue,” Bilic said. “He is definitely a good manager. In modern football, especially with big teams like England, you don’t have the time. If at a big club you need a year or two years in charge, as an international manager you need even longer because you get the players only five or six times a year.”