England's strengths point to further progress

There have been some fairly astonishing situations involving the hooligan element that attaches itself to the English supporters over the years but if England get the draw they need to progress in Charleroi this evening only to be disqualified for the behaviour of their fans we will, quite simply, have plumbed new depths of lunacy.

After a terribly disappointing start to their tournament Kevin Keegan's side now appear to have done the hard part in terms of getting out of Group A and into the quarter-finals. The importance of the win against Germany can hardly be understated for it took a great deal of character from everybody concerned and it sets the team up nicely for a game that shouldn't really be nearly so testing.

The Romanians undoubtedly have some good players but they need to win this evening's game while the English need only to draw and that makes a huge difference in terms of your attitude when taking the field as well as at key moments during a game.

In crucial areas the English have better players than their opponents. Coming off a win that will mean so much to everyone in the party will be ideal preparation after the stresses and strains that followed that opening defeat.

The Romanian cause is not helped either by the fact that they will be missing Gheorghe Hagi. At 35 the Galatasaray midfielder may not be the player he once was and probably wouldn't even have lasted the 90 minutes had the game involved any great pace. Over a shorter space of time, though, he still has the talent to turn a match and I can't imagine Keegan having been too disappointed by his absence.

More important, though, is what England do now. Keegan does not have the most talented players to choose from at this tournament and his claims that his team can win it are certainly on the optimistic side.

If they can book their place in the last eight this evening, though, then they will have done themselves credit after the start that they had.

On Saturday against the Germans they got the balance right as a team and played to their strengths. Keegan has four potential match winners in Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and David Beckham and as long as the rest of the team realise that they are primarily out on that field to let those four men do their thing then the side will always have a chance.

So far Owen has probably been the most disappointing of the four but the fact that he hasn't really grabbed hold of this tournament yet doesn't mean that he can't still make a major impact. Against the Germans he showed flashes of what he can do and there will probably be at least one more chance to shine after this evening.

The important thing now for Keegan is that neither the young Liverpool striker nor any of his team-mates should feel under any pressure. The coach, I'm sure, will just be telling them to go out there and give what they did against the Germans. If they do then, quite honestly, I can't see how they will not be all right.

After that, who knows. The most pressing danger to their fortunes is another eruption of violence around the stadium and a decision by UEFA to follow through on the threat to kick the team out of the championships. Personally, I can't see what more the English Association might have done or, for that matter, what punishing them now is going to achieve.

But finally to the rumours regarding my impending move to Celtic as a defensive coach. I'm not quite how this got started because nobody has said anything to me without smirking from ear to ear. Still I'm, er, flattered by the sudden rush of counter offers since the story broke. The phone, as they say, hasn't, eh, stopped ringing.

(In conversation with Emmet Malone)