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Internationals

England U21 v Rep Ireland U21: Lennon to make the difference

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"Mystical" Mike Norman on why established Premiership stars like Aaron Lennon and James Milner should allow England to easy outclass the Republic of Ireland

I don't know about you, but I've never been a massive fan of Under-21 matches. Now that might come as a surprise with me being a football nut and all that, but there is something about an Under-21 game that reminds me distinctly of being in junior school.

Everything we did back then, like hanging our coat on the correct peg and being forced to drink a bottle of milk at lunch time, was geared towards preparing us for life at senior school. It's the same in football. An England Under-21 match is designed to give promising footballers valuable experience on the international stage, before promoting them to the senior squad once they pass their test.

I don't have a problem with the concept; it's the games themselves I'm not a great fan of. They can be low key affairs, often played at stadiums belonging to teams like Bristol City and MK Dons, with the atmosphere being made up of screaming school children - oh the irony. However, I'd be the first to admit that these games are growing in popularity of late, and this week's Under 21's clash between England and Republic of Ireland has a lot of importance attached to it.

The big talking point was the inclusion of Aaron Lennon in the 23 man squad, simply because it meant he had been overlooked by Fabio Capello for a place in the senior squad. Lennon wasn't at his best earlier in the season, but his performances of late have been excellent, and he is now showing the form that earned him nine senior caps. It was a surprise to me that he was left out, and I'm sure Lennon himself is now wondering just where he figures in the pecking order, with Bentley, Wright-Phillips, and possibly a fit David Beckham, seemingly ahead of him.

One man who will be delighted to have the services of Lennon to call upon will be Stuart Pearce. He was appointed the new Under-21 manager on a part-time basis in February of last year, so under the circumstances he did remarkably well to get them to the semi-finals of the European Championship, before eventually losing to Holland on penalties by a scoreline of something like 45-44 if I remember correctly. Pearce was then appointed as the full-time manager.

England U-21's have surprisingly struggled in the European Championships since the early 90's, and failed to even qualify for four consecutive tournaments. However, this did coincide with the senior team's dismal performance in Euro 92 and failure to qualify for the World Cup of 1994 - perhaps an indication that England simply weren't as good as what we thought they were around that time. Stuart Pearce is not a man who will settle for failure to qualify however, and England might just be the team to watch out for next summer - but frankly, who cares?

Pearce now has the task of juggling two jobs as he has also been appointed as one of Capello's coaches, a role that should give him some useful exposure at senior level. I'm a massive fan of Stuart Pearce, even if he does drink too much tea for my liking, and I believe he will be pivotal in any future success England have, whether it be the Under-21's or the senior team.

There will be a packed house at St Mary's tomorrow (due to the fact that tickets were sold on a '40 children free if accompanied by a teacher' basis) and this should ensure a noisy, if slightly high-pitched, atmosphere. I rate England as near certainties at [1.23] to confirm their superiority over the team they beat 3-0 just a few months ago. Republic of Ireland are available at [13.0], while the draw is available at [4.8].

The only other confident selection I could point you towards is England to lead at half-time and full-time, though I'd be looking for somewhere near [1.75], rather than the [1.51] that is currently available. With James Milner, Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott in the squad, an attacking England should get goals, so 'Over 2.5 Goals' would interest me if I can get matched somewhere near [2.1]. The correct score market is yet to take shape, but I'd look for England to replicate that 3-0 victory, and I would be looking for odds of around [10].