International double headers back in schedule

With the 2006/07 Premier League is only 'three days' old, managers have already started complaining about their long lists of injuries. They all point to international gatherings as one of their major reasons.

The 'dual duels' are back this month. This afternoon, England will play a European Championship qualifier against Andorra at Old Trafford and next Wednesday face Macedonia in Skopje.

A new era for England started with the resignation of Sven-Goran Eriksson after the World Cup finals in Germany and the appointment of Steve McClaren with former England boss Terry Venables as his assistant.

After the 4-0 annihilation of Greece in a friendly, some players remarked that they enjoyed the freedom given to them by McClaren, (England's 11th coach since the war) something they did not experience during Eriksson's reign.

Venables, at the helm of the England side a decade ago, admitted that his time away had only increased his enthusiasm for the game.

McClaren, formerly of M'boro, said that Venables was tactically astute.

"He knows football inside out," he said, "and can give me the best advice. I wanted someone to have experience at this level and someone the players can learn from and respect."

Post World Cup match

The following denotes England's first international outing following a World Cup finals tournament.

1950
October 7 (Belfast): vs Northern Ireland (HC) 4-1: Baily 2, Lee, Wright.

Formation: Williams, Ramsey, Aston, W. Wright, Chilton, Dickson, S. Matthews, Mannion, J. Lee, E. Baily, Langton.

1954
October 2 (Belfast): vs Northern Ireland (HC) 2-0: Haynes, Revie.

Formation: Wood, Foulkes, Byrne R., Wheeler, Wright W., Barlow, Matthews, Revie, Lofthouse, Haynes, Pilkington.

1958
October 4 (Belfast): vs Northern Ireland (HC) 3-3: Charlton R. 2, Finney.

Formation: McDonald, Howe W., Banks T., Clayton, Wright W., McGuinness, Brabrook, Broadbent, Charlton R., Haynes, Finney.

1962
October 3 (Hillsborough): vs France (ECQ) 1-1: Flowers pen.

Formation: Springett R., Armfield, Wilson, Moore, Norman, Flowers, Hellawell, Crowe, Charnley, Greaves, Hinton A.

1966
October 22 (Belfast): vs Northern Ireland (ECQ) 2-0: Hunt, Peters.

Formation: Banks G., Cohen, Wilson, Stiles, Charlton J., Moore, Ball, Hurst, Charlton R., Hunt, Peters.

1970
November 25 (Wembley): vs East Germany (F) 3-1: Lee, Peters, Clarke.

Formation: Shilton, Hughes, Cooper, Mullery, Sadler, Moore, Lee F., Ball, Hurst G., Clarke A., Peters.

1974 and 1978
England failed to make it to the World Cup finals.

1982
September 8 (Copenhagen): vs Denmark (ECQ) 2-2: Francis 2.

Formation: Shilton, Neal, Sansom, Wilkins, Osman, Butcher, Morley, Robson, Mariner, Francis, Rix (Hill).

1986
September 10 (Stockholm): vs Sweden (F) 0-1.

Formation: Shilton, Anderson, Martin, Butcher, Sansom, Steven, Hoddle, Wilkins, Hodge, Dixon, Barnes (Cottee).

1990
September 12 (Wembley): vs Hungary (F) 1-0: Lineker.

Formation: Woods, Dixon, Pearce (Dorigo), Parker, Walker, Wright M., Platt, Gascoigne, Bull (Waddle), Lineker, Barnes.

1994
England fail to make the finals.

1998
September 5 (Stockholm): vs Sweden (ECQ) 1-2: Shearer.

Formation: Seaman, Campbell (Merson), Adams, Southgate, Anderton (Lee), Redknapp, Ince, Scholes (Sheringham), Le Saux, Shearer, Owen.

2002
September 7 (Villa Park): vs Portugal (F) 1-1: Smith.

Formation: James, Mills (Hargreaves), Ferdinand (Woodgate), Southgate, Cole A. (Bridge), Bowyer (Sinclair), Gerrard (Dunn), Butt (Murphy), Heskey, Smith, Owen (Cole J.).

2006
August 15 (Old Trafford): vs Greece (F) 4-0: Terry, Lampard, Crouch 2.

Formation: Robinson (Kirkland), Neville G. (Carragher), Ferdinand, Terry, Cole A. (Bridge), Gerrard (Bent), Lampard, Hargreaves, Downing (Lennon), Defoe (Richardson), Crouch.

Key: HC - Home Championship; F - Friendly, ECQ - European Championship qualifier.

Eriksson third

Eriksson is third in the post-war classification of the 10 managers in charge of the England national team.

The coaches and their achievements read as follows:

1. Alfred Ramsey (February 1963-May 1974).

World Cup: 1966 winners, 1970 quarter-finals, 1974 did not qualify.

European Championship: 1964 exit first round, 1968 third place, 1972 quarter-finals.

73.01% - P 113, W 69, D 27, L 17, F 224, A 98.

Note: Ramsey was appointed in October 1962 but did not take up his duties until February 1963. During the interim, two games were won and another drawn.

2. Terry Venables (March 1994-June 1996).

European Championship: 1996 semi-finals.

72.92% - P 24, W 12, D 11, L 1, F 36, A 13.

3. Sven-Goran Eriksson (February 2001-July 2006).

World Cup: 2002 and 2006 quarter-finals - in Germany bowed out on penalties.

European Championship: 2004 quarter-finals, exit after penalty shoot-out.

72.39% - P 67, W 40, D 17, L 10, F 128, A 61.

4. Glenn Hoddle (September 1996-November 1998), World Cup: 1998 second round exit after group phase.

71.42% - P 28, W 17, D 6, L 5, F 42, A 13.

5. Ron Greenwood (August 1977-July 1982).

World Cup: 1982 second phase.

European Championship: 1980 exit first round.

70.91% - P 55, W 33, D 12, L 10, F 93, A 40.

6. Walter Winterbottom (September 1946-August 1962).

World Cup: 1950, 1958 first round; 1954, 1962 quarter-finals.

European Championship: 1960 did not enter.

67.65% - P 136, W 76, D 32, L 28, F 375, A 194.

7. Bobby Robson (July 1982- July 1990).

World Cup: 1986 quarter-finals, 1990 fourth place.

European Championship: 1984 did not qualify, 1988 exit first round.

65.26% - P 95, W 47, D 30, L 18, F 154, A 60.

8. Graham Taylor (July 1990-November 1993).

World Cup: 1994 failed to qualify.

European Championship: 1992 exit first round.

64.47% - P 38, W 18, D 13, L 7, F 62, A 32.

9. Don Revie (July 1974-July 1977).

World Cup: 1978 failed to qualify.

European Championship: 1976 did not qualify.

62.07% - P 29, W 14, D 8, L 7, F 49, A 25.

10. Kevin Keegan (March 1999-October 2000).

European Championship: Elimination in group phase.

58.33% - P 18, W 7, D 7, L 4, F 26, A 15.

Note: Joe Mercer (1974), Howard Wilkinson (twice: 1999 and 2000) and Peter Taylor (2000) acted as caretaker managers.