ENGLAND SHAKE-UP
ALL the Football Association selectors will go to today's League matches with new orders about how future England teams will be chosen. They have each been briefed to watch one specific player chosen from a list of forty possibles. And they will concentrate on deciding if their particular man can fit into the kind of team England will choose.
This is the result of a new policy, which was hammered out at a recent meeting of all selectors. It is based on the belief that there are plenty of world-class players in English soccer—but that the right blend has yet to be found. The meeting decided the basis of the playing style they want the England team to adopt in future.
   That is still top secret—and so is the list of more than 40 players who are likely to fit in it.
This is the biggest step forward that has yet been taken toward building a successful international team. The players have always been there. The 'X' factor which has been missing was the ability to mould eleven stars into a match-winning combination. A top-ranking F.A. official told me yesterday why the old methods have been scrapped. He said:
   "We have had a special meeting of all selectors and the idea was to get down to a player-viewing programme as distinct from a match-viewing programme. This means that a selector goes out to study and report on a particular player, and not just watch a game and say he thought some played well and others played badly. We have issued each selector with a list of more than forty players who have been recommended or who played in international football last season. They will be watched consistently by selectors to weigh up their current form. Every selector will be watching the players to discover whether they will fit into the type of team we have now decided to build. In particular, we shall look at players who are being considered for what we believe are the problem position. The fact that a Football League side and an Under-23 side have been chosen for matches next week does not necessarily mean that the team to play Wales in the frst international at Cardiff on October 17 will be entirely drawn from these twenty-two players."
  

IT was an appalling day's weather at Ninian Park for this international and the big crowd had to endure a driving wind and heavy rain as well as a poor performance from the Welsh side. Before the match, Wales were hot favourites as England with five new caps seeked to rebuild a team able to challenge the best again. It fell to Ronnie Clayton to succeed the inimitable Billy Wright as captain and it was with immense pride that the Blackburn Rovers player led his side out at the start.

His teammates then responded well to the task and in the first half especially the game gave England hope for a brighter future. All the new faces settled quickly with Tony Allen the pick of them with a cultured display at left-back. Wales, meanwhile retained their usual style but alas for them the way they play is the beginning to look more and more outdated.

England attacked from the start and they were soon threatening Kelsey's goal. Unfortunately for the visitors, the Arsenal goalkeeper was in fine form and his saves were vital as England pushed for the early breakthrough. Brian Clough, who had made his name as a big scorer with Second Division Middlesbrough, saw an effort cleared by Williams from the Welsh goalline after good work by Edwin Holliday.

Then Kelsey made a superb save from Bobby Charlton, England's star player. The Manchester United man was everywhere and he tried all he knew to conjure up a goal. He and Holliday both put in good attempts and then Jimmy Greaves missed a great chance when he shot over following a lovely cross by John Connelly.

At last England finally scored the goal their play deserved when Greaves netted in the 25th minute. He was brilliantly put through by Charlton and although Kelsey blocked his first shot, the inside-right, typically, followed up to score from the rebound. Half-time arrived with England still one goal up but regretting the fact that it could. and should have been more.

After all this first-half promise from England, the second half came as a bitter disappointment and fell way below the standard one expects from an international football match. Only the occasional glimpses of class from Woosnam of Wales and Charlton from England brightened the gloom. The bad weather never relented and there were precious few moments of note in an uninspiring second 45 minutes.

England had some plusses, though, and all the newcomers did well. Allen continued his good start and although Trevor Smith looked a little cumbersome at times, Clough, Holliday and Connelly all showed promise. The visitors did not seem in too much trouble from the poor Welsh attack and all looked set for a narrow but comfortable victory. But with barely a minute left the red-shirted Welsh Dragons suddenly produced a goal out of nothing.

Jones, who had been largely anonymous up until then, summoned up his first positive run of the game. At the end of it he sent over a perfect cross to the far post and there was Moore to head home.

It was a bitter blow for England and they looked back ruefully on their first half dominance and many missed chances.
  

For the first time in 71 matches, England kicked off without the indomitable Billy Wright leading them out. Brian Clough at long last got the England chance his stack of goals with Middlesbrough deserved. Into the team with him from the England Under-23 Party came Tony Allen, John Connelly, Cloughie's clubmate Eddie Holliday and, taking the place of Wright, Birmingham centre-half Trevor Smith. It was a mix that did not work, and it was a first-half Jimmy Greaves goal that saved England from defeat against a Welsh team operating without either of the Charles brothers. The unfortunate Smith spent much of his debut limping with a calf muscle injury in what were pre-substitute days, and he could not prevent twenty-year-old Graham Moore from scoring a late equaliser for Wales. Driving wind and incessant rain made conditions intolerable, and Cloughie later described it as "one of the most frustrating games of my life." Jack Kelsey, the exceptional Arsenal goalkeeper, made a series of magnificent saves in a weather-wrecked game that rarely rose above the mediocre. Bobby Charlton, for England, and Phil Woosnam, for Wales, occasionally brightened the gloom with flashes of brilliance, but it was a match that would be quickly erased from the memory.
  

It was inevitable that changes would be made in the line-up following England's disappointing performances in Brazil, Peru, and Mexico. Allen was given his chance at left-back; Trevor Smith took over from Billy Wright who had retired; Connelly and Holliday were on the wings; Clough, who had just netted all five goals for the Football League against the Irish League, led the attack. Despite a strong wind and driving rain, both teams played skilfully. England were on top in the first half, with Connelly and Holliday leading a series of raids, initiated by Charlton who was playing well back. Greaves and Clough also looked dangerous and likely to score. But Kelsey and Nurse were cool and resourceful in the Welsh defence and it was nearly 30 minutes before a goal came - from Greaves, after the goalkeeper had been unable to hold a fierce drive from Connelly. England continued to press and looked certain to add to to their lead, but good efforts by Holliday, Greaves, and Connelly all missed narrowly. Only Woosnam among the Welsh forwards had seemed to be making any headway, but after the interval Wales were dominant, though they had to wait until the very last seconds to equalise - a long centre from Cliff Jones was headed home beautifully by Moore.