England humiliated as Pennant dismissed

England Under-21 0 Croatia Under-21 3

Wednesday, 20 August 2003

England started this game with three players named Jermain(e) and finished with two following a fully deserved red card for Pennant. But what was more germane than the slap by the errant Arsenal midfielder into the face of Niko Kranjcar was the way the Croat playmaker and his team-mates totally eclipsed an England team lacking any pattern.

England started this game with three players named Jermain(e) and finished with two following a fully deserved red card for Pennant. But what was more germane than the slap by the errant Arsenal midfielder into the face of Niko Kranjcar was the way the Croat playmaker and his team-mates totally eclipsed an England team lacking any pattern.

The 19-year-old is one pedigree Dalmatian: son of a legendary manager, Zlatko, protégé of Davor Suker, heir apparent to Zvonimir Boban and club team-mate of Robert Prosinecki. He knows how to dictate a football match and, in a fine Balkan tradition, infuriate his opponents.

Pennant was dismissed on the hour after clashing with Kranjcar, who protested when the Leeds United-bound player ­ being watched by his club manager Arsène Wenger ­ refused to put the ball out of play following an injury. It was further embarrassment for Pennant who was sent home by the England Under-21 coach, David Platt, earlier this year after breaking a curfew. Another sign that, as Wenger has suggested, he needs to grow up.

"Jermaine has got to learn. He has got to learn about everything that has happened in his career," Platt said afterwards. "But that is not an excuse. He and we have to be more professional." And more mentally, physically and tactically strong, Platt admitted. Not much work to do there then before the qualifiers against Macedonia and Portugal next month.

His team ­ which included four full internationals ­ were uncomfortably inferior to a Croat side who top their qualifying group for the European Championships and in Kranjcar have a genuine talent. The Dinamo Zagreb player ­ whose profile at home is likened to Michael Owen ­ struck the crossbar with a clever free-kick in the first half and was at the heart of all his team's cleverly constructed moves. Croatia went ahead in the 11th minute when a ponderous Glen Johnson ­ who had been tipped for the senior squad ­ was dispossessed and the impressive Goran Ljubojevic reacted first to a quick ball in.

England were knocked back and, despite Pennant also hitting the woodwork and Francis Jeffers ­ in search of a 14th and record goal for his country at this level ­ coming close twice, they deservedly fell further behind. Kranjcar was again first to meet a knock-down from a corner at the start of the second half and then, in injury time, the Croats added embarrassment to the score-line.

A marvellous flowing move ended with Matt Murray, England's goalkeeper, stranded on his backside and Daniel Pranjic chipping audaciously into the empty net. Even the stadium announcer was moved to declare: "That was some goal." It was. The comment was also the only thing that was friendly about this less than friendly encounter.

Goals: Ljubojevic (11) 0-1; Ljubojevic (52) 0-2; Pranjic (90) 0-3.

England (4-4-2): Murray (Wolverhampton Wanderers); Johnson (Chelsea), Parnaby (Middlesbrough), Clarke (Everton), Konchesky (Charlton Athletic); Jenas (Newcastle United), Barry (Aston Villa), Prutton (Southampton), Pennant (Arsenal); Jeffers (Arsenal), Defoe (West Ham United). Substitutions: Sidwell (Reading) for Barry, 46; C Cole (Chelsea) for Jeffers, 70; Jagielka (Sheffield United) for Clarke, 74.

Croatia (3-4-1-2): Vranjic; Jese, Lucic, Drpic; Buljat, Tomic, Carevic, Pranjic; Kranjcar; Ljubojevic, Klic. Substitutions: Zahora for Kilic, 51

Referee: T Skjerven (Norway).