And then there were two… The ink has barely dried from the discussions of England’s European Championships debacle, courtesy of Croatia who cruelly drove the final stake into the coffin, and fate has brought them together again.

Last Sunday, the results from the preliminary 2010 World Cup draw revealed that both teams are now in Group 6, together with Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra.

The draw, attended by South African president Thabo Mbeki and other soccer dignitaries, was beamed live to more than 170 countries worldwide. Europe were assigned 13 spots, Africa six (including the hosts), Asia and South America four, and CONCACAF three.

It is automatic qualification for winners of the nine European groups while the other four spots are left to the eight best runners-up to compete in a playoff. When the England-Croatia pairing was announced, there was an audible gasp from the audience. Not too sure if it came from the England camp but definitely the mention of Croatia these days is tantamount to opening up old wounds.

Since England degraded itself into an unseeded position, beggars can’t be choosers. If they clash with any of the traditional powerhouses like Italy, France or Germany, it will take a brave heart to believe they can make the trip to South Africa - adios to the “golden generation” as they slip into oblivion without any major honors. As luck would have it, they face-off with Croatia who is ranked 10th in the world. On paper, that should be cause for celebration, barring the memories from the fateful night at Wembley a few days ago.

Taking a close look at Group 6, most will agree it is not easy. If England set their sights on World Cup qualification, then they should start their preparations right away. Speaking of “easy”, England must have looked wistfully at Group 2 with Greece and Switzerland as main threats accompanied by minnows Moldova, Latvia and Luxembourg.

Over the weekend, we have Michael Owen expressing his thoughts about England. He was presumptuous (bordering on arrogance), to imply that no Croatian player would be good enough to play for England. Just because he got injured and was spared the flaming from the press doesn’t give him a license to utter rubbish. I am disappointed to see a supposedly intelligent player think in this manner. He needs to get a reality check before he can represent England again, top scorer or not. What is worrying is that Owen is not alone and his comments typify the superiority complex of the England team.

Delusions about their greatness while feeling that Croatia got lucky will not get England anywhere. Croatia merit the accolades and respect, having defeated England twice (3-2 and 2-0) in Euro 08 qualifying matches. In fact, since their independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, this East European nation has been a force to reckon with. Their impressive, but short, footballing history will put England to shame.

Croatia finished third in the 1998 World Cup, with Davor Suker clinching the Golden Boot award. They also qualified for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups without dropping a qualifying match. An undefeated record in all competitive matches played on home ground since 1994 still stands today. If England, the founders of modern football, can put together such steady performances on a regular basis, at least fans sporting England jerseys can hold up their heads higher.

To the egocentric players, how about looking in from the other side of the fence? How many of you will be able to step into the Croatia team? From what I have seen, the Croatians have a great first touch and dazzling movement that left England chasing shadows. They made simple yet effective short passes - which is the way this game should be played. With the exception of Joe Cole, who made an effort to keep the ball on the ground, the rest prefers to send the ball into the air at the slightest opportunity, unleashing long range missiles to the front line relentlessly, hoping for the best.

Players like Eduardo, Modric, and Corluka, would be welcome into any England team. Eduardo will certainly give Owen a run for his money, being younger, quicker, less injury-prone, strong in the air, etc. Maybe England has never heard of all these players or have seen them in the Premier League, thus assuming none of them are on par. That is a simplistic thought.

I am beginning to feel that England overachieved under Erikkson. Although the buck rightfully starts with the manager, the harsh reality is that most English players thrive only domestically, in the junior school of English football. This bunch of prima-donnas can talk tough about “blood and guts,” but when it comes to the crunch, they lack the technique and skills. Most importantly, they do not know how to play as a team.

Besides Croatia, the new coach will do well to consider the strength of the other teams in Group 6. Ukraine cannot be underestimated. They made it to the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup, but missed Euro 2008 by coming in fourth behind Italy, France and Scotland. Andriy Shevchenko scored a goal in the 2-2 draw with France and if he returns to his lethal form as he was for AC Milan, he will be a handful for England.

Belarus is another team with strong technical players. They beat Holland in the euro qualifiers and in the last world cup qualifiers came close to beating Italy away. They step up a gear or two against major teams but tripped over easier opponents. With Alexander Helb in the team (and he isn’t even a key player for Belarus), England should not let their guard down.

As for Kazakhastan, most people will think of the blockbuster movie “Borat.” Not much is known of their footballing abilities but the travelling distance will be a hindering factor. We mustn’t expect our jet-lagged multi-millionaires to be at their best, so this will need some handling. Andorra should be a face-saving grace for England if all else fails. Getting six points from them should be a breeze.

It will be interesting to see who the FA appoints to be the new England coach. Think positive, on the bright side, England may be rejuvenated once the FA get their act together and appoint somebody with the proper credentials and passion. The players can now string more than five passes together, have a winner’s mentality and exact revenge on Croatia for the humiliating defeats.

Yes, I will go to sleep on that thought. Till tomorrow.