BBC Sportfootball

England were virtually washed up in the debris of Euro 2008 failure, but the tide turned and they entered Wednesday's match against Croatia on the crest of a wave.

Steve McClaren's men needed only a draw to progress after Israel incredibly resisted the surge of a Russian red sea in the second half of Saturday's match and somehow nicked a last-gasp winner.

Suddenly the talk was no longer of Michael Owen's injury suffered in the friendly farce against Austria, mismanagement, prima donnas, and a football-free summer.

Win or draw at Wembley England and all would have been forgiven.