England to win
also watched the England-Scotland match in the Home International series. It %viol thrilling match, in which Scotland plaYeu well above themselves, and England at sonic; thing approaching their best form. Most °' the critics pointed out that the English sae. cess on Saturday depended to some extent on the fact that, in the second half, the Scot,s conceded the centre of the park to Englanris midfield trio, Ball, Bell and Peters. and the warned Ramsey that the best of our Wad. Cup competitors would never surrender toll:
toryso easily. I quite agree, but imagine O
i tt the inevitable return of iron man ball-winae' Norman Hunter of Leeds will do much w store fibre there. My concern is more with O.,' weaknesses of England's centre-half MacFarland, whose Derby manager Bria.: Clough went out of his way — rather uncoa vincingly, I thought — to laud his perforal ace after the match. MacFarland is ye'? weak in the air, and uncertain and uncoal,e mitted on the ground. Yet he seems to 110,, no rival in Sir Alfs esteem since the dep, ture of the great JaCky Charlton. I do resit), think England needs a new centre-half. f%I. hope that we will get one is somewhat b°, stered by a suspicion that, in spite of WI sey's unwillingness to experiment, this Woe Cup period, like that of 1966, will nonetheless.. see the emergence, during the close seaagr tour and the preliminary stages, of a nunn of new stars, who will form the backbone. what I believe will be a winning England ala in Munich in 1974.
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