Toshack believed that once he had found the tactic to deal with England's "Gerrard and Wood Duo," he would have found the key to defeating the English team. It was not all big talk for the sake of mind games.
All along, England's core section was the duo of Gerrard and Wood in the midfield. Capello's England team was able to finish fourth in the World Cup in South Africa because it relied largely on the excellent play of both men, especially George Wood's successive breakouts.
As a result, everyone thought that if England was to rise again, it would be down to these two players. As long as they could contain the play of these two men, then England would be no different from any other strong team.
