Cole makes strong claim

NEWS: England's bags for the World Cup are as good as packed but, after the 4-0 victory over Paraguay at Anfield on Wednesday night in the last warm-up game before the squad is announced on May 7th, Sven-Goran Eriksson may find himself altering names on one or two luggage labels.

Certain performances could have been anticipated, not least Michael Owen taking all of three minutes to score his first goal as England captain. And Steven Gerrard's reminder he is the best alternative on the right should David Beckham still not be fit. "I've seen Gerrard play on the right side many times," Eriksson reflected after the match. "Maybe his future is in a wide role. He will be a very strong candidate to do that job if Beckham doesn't make it."

Nor should Kieron Dyer's muted 45 minutes have suggested Eriksson is about to abandon his plan to employ the Newcastle player's speed and perception in this problematical area of the team. "I have seen Dyer play better," the England coach admitted, "but it is absolutely not a problem for me. I was very pleased to see him in the team and he can play there if we decide this is going to be the solution."

Nevertheless, Eriksson can hardly ignore the fact that when Joe Cole replaced Dyer for the second half he gave the team almost everything on the left which had been missing hitherto, namely the capacity to turn the defence, take on opponents and, above all, produce the unexpected.

What the England coach has to decide is whether the 20-year-old West Ham player can be a trick up his sleeve which will surprise and confuse the opposition in Japan.

Clearly Eriksson was impressed not so much with Cole's ability but with the youngster's strength of character in coming back so well after the mistake against Italy at Leeds three weeks earlier which plunged England towards a 2-1 defeat. Cole was criticised for this but returned at Anfield to instigate England's second goal, set up their third and run rings around Paraguay's paralysed defence.

"Good football is a question of making the right decisions and Joe Cole took the right decisions today," Eriksson said. "Joe Cole has always been a very special player," he added, "full of fantasy and full of special things which few football players have."

Clearly Cole is not going to keep Dyer at home. It may come down to a matter of picking one or two from Cole, Trevor Sinclair, Frank Lampard and Danny Murphy.

In his own mind Eriksson has probably settled all but two or three of the places in the squad.

Taking Owen Hargreaves to the World Cup was never going to be a problem. The England coach has always been keen on the Bayern Munich's man's versatility, aptly demonstrated against Paraguay when Hargreaves came off the bench first to make strong runs from midfield and then to switch to right back after Gary Neville was substituted.

Not that this is likely to be Hargreaves's regular task in June. Phil Neville can cover for both full-back positions and Eriksson may yet find himself choosing between Jamie Carragher and Danny Mills.

So much for the fringe and beyond it. Eriksson knows his best team and provided Beckham is fit it will be surprising if the side that opens the World Cup against Sweden in Saitama on June 2nd does not include 10 of the 11 players who started the qualifiers against Germany and Albania last October.

Dyer for Nick Barmby might be the one change in a team reading: Seaman; G Neville, Ferdinand, Campbell, Ashley Cole; Beckham, Gerrard, Scholes, Dyer; Owen, Heskey. If Beckham is out then Gerrard could move wide with Nicky Butt playing alongside Scholes in central midfield, as he did on Wednesday.