Jonathan Wilson
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Group G's surprise leaders are ready to show England at
Wembley why they are a rising force to be reckoned with
Podgorica on Friday night throbbed with red and yellow. Strangers kissed in the street, the air buzzed with the cardboard hands that had been handed out before kick-off and the flag with the two-headed eagle was everywhere. There was joy, but it was mixed not, as is so common in football with a sense of expectation matched or failure averted, but with a gleeful incredulity.
"I cannot believe what is happening," said a barely coherent Stefan Savic. "This ... we never thought this was possible. We go to London without pressure and we can surprise them. But we're not just going for the shopping."
The 19-year-old central defender, making his debut at right-back to replace the injured Savo Pavicevic, endured a nervous start and was caught out by a couple of early long diagonals, but recovered to help Montenegro to a 1-0 win over Switzerland. Improbably, they go to Wembley as group leaders. In three-and-a-half years since being admitted to Fifa they have climbed from 208th to 40th in the world rankings. That would be a vertiginous rise for anybody, but particularly so for a nation whose entire population could be accommodated by seven Wembley Stadiums.
Dejan Savicevic, the former Red Star and AC Milan great who is now president of the Montenegrin Football Federation, was telling everybody who would listen on Friday that all Montenegro need to do to take second place in the group and a play-off spot is to beat Bulgaria at home. Any other points they pick up, in two games against England, away to Switzerland and Wales, are a bonus.
The foundations laid The foundations laid by Zoran Filipovic were impressive enough, but it is since Zlatko Kranjcar replaced him in February that optimism has really been kindled. Montenegro were among the fifth pot of seeds when the draw for the Euro 2012 qualifiers were made, but with new-found defensive resolve they have beaten the teams ranked fourth, third and second. "When the draw came out," Kranjcar said, "I thought it was a tough group but that we could compete with Bulgaria, Wales and Switzerland, and with some luck maybe finish second. England are a different level, though."
That sounds suspiciously like he's buttering up England, trying to evoke a mood of complacency. "I just want to be the more relaxed team at Wembley," he went on, "make sure we work hard and, if England give us a chance, make sure that we can take it."
Jonathan Wilson
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