THE traditional centre-half may be about to go the way of plain cotton shirts, concrete terracing and wooden rattles, a relic of the past only seen in backwaters or on special occasion.

That is the main conclusion to be drawn from England's absorbing, but rarely enthralling goalless draw with Croatia on Wednesday night.

Manager Terry Venables announced himself `encouraged' and had every right to be. There were no bad performances, chances were created, if not scored, and the three-man defence coped admirably with the new shape.

Beforehand Venables was anxious to play down the fundamental change in tactics but, afterwards, he admitted: "They were tentative for the first five minutes but to expect players to do something so different is asking a lot when you do not have them every day.

"I've been surprised myself at the development of some players and I think they are finding out things about themselves."

Chief among those were the defensive flank players Gary Neville and Stuart Pearce. Neville's rise to fame has recently stuttered. From being the best young right-back in the country he is now not even the best young right-back in his own family. The new position could have been made for him. As a central defender he has good awareness but a lack of height. As a full-back he is sound but not spectacular moving forward. Playing this new role accentuates his strengths and hides his weaknesses.

Pearce, while one of those players you would always want in the dressing-room, is not usually thought of as someone you would want playing the ball out of defence. On Wednesday he played within his limitations and rarely gave it away. His defending was as tenacious as ever and in the absence of Graeme Le Saux, his place seems assured.

In front of them Stone and Steve McManaman showed good concentration in defence while still being involved further forward. Between them Mark Wright belied his four years' absence. He was as commanding as in Italia `90.

A full assessment of the defence will have to wait until it is put under greater pressure - which will not happen until the Championship. What does seem certain is that if Venables, or his ideas, remain - and Bryan Robson appeared to have ruled himself out yesterday when he signed a two-year extension of his contract at Middlesbrough - the traditional twin towers will no longer form the heart of England's defence.

The shape of the future has flank players mobile enough to act as full-backs with a ball-playing central defender between them. Alongside, or in front of that defender will be someone capable of playing in midfield or defence. Paul In cc filled the role at Wembley. Gareth Southgate or Sol Campbell are other possibilities.

This means the partnership of Tony Adams and Gary Pallister, once the core of Venables's team, may not be seen again. While Venables said Pallister could play on the left of a trio the memory of his match against Norway in 1993, or against Barcelona's Romario a year later, suggests he was being polite. Wright is better equipped technically than either for the central role, though Adams, especially, could do it.

That is if he is fit. Venables said if he is not ready by Paul Merson's testimonial on May 8th he would not be considered.

The match made happier viewing for absent forwards. Alan Shearer may have watched Robbie Fowler blazing the ball over from six yards and thought `it's not so easy is it?' Les Ferdinand, whose goal in England's last game seemed to have been forgotten in the pre-match hysteria, will also be feeling less vulnerable.

Not that Fowler did badly. Unexpectedly it was his finishing that let him down, his all-round play was thoughtful and promising although his first touch, like that of most other English forwards did not stand up quite so well to the greater scrutiny of international football.