Unless Sven-Goran Eriksson was deliberately trying to fool the Germans by fielding The Team That Never Was at White Hart Lane last night, England's warm-up for their World Cup qualifier in Munich in two-and-a-half weeks' time offered nothing but cold comfort.

On last night's evidence Holland, who are in danger of not qualifying at all, have less to fear against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin than do England, who should at least make the play-offs whatever happens in Germany.

Two goals in less than a minute towards the end of the first half, from Mark van Bommel and Ruud van Nistelrooy, confirmed Holland's superiority over an odd selection by Eriksson.

No more than three of England's starting line-up - David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ashley Cole - could be regarded as virtual certainties for the Germany game. Even Michael Owen started on the bench.

Eriksson's patchwork midfield soon found problems tracking down Phillip Cocu and Mark van Bommel and Boudewijn Zenden passed Ashley Cole on the left with ease.

Van Nistelrooy might have slid in to score from Zenden's low centre had Martin Keown not whipped the ball away and certainly the Dutch striker should have done better when a through ball from van Bommel left him clear and onside.

Nigel Martyn, quick off his line to narrow the angle, blocked van Nistelrooy's shot and even then England would have fallen behind had Kluivert not dragged the rebound wide of the far post.

England captain Beckham roused the team when he showed the ball to Giovanni van Bronckhorst three times before dribbling past Arsenal's new man to drive a shot at Edwin van der Sar.

Eriksson's oddments might still have taken the lead 11 minutes before half-time when Ashley Cole's cross reached Andy Cole, whose shot was blocked by van der Sar's foot, to be followed immediately by the goalkeeper saving acrobatically from Gary Neville.

But Holland struck in the 37th and 38th minutes. After Neville had been cautioned for a foul on van Bronckhorst the free kick reached van Bommel who, from 40 yards, produced an inspired shot which curled away from Martyn into the top right-hand corner of the net.

Less than a minute later Martyn, falling backwards, could only parry a snap shot from Zenden and van Nistelrooy scored from the rebound.

By half-time Holland could have been 3-0 ahead, as van Nistelrooy under pressure from Wes Brown, looped the ball over Martyn only to see it bounce down off the bar.

Van Gaal contented himself with five changes at half-time as England made eight, and in the opening seconds of the second half Dutch substitutes Edgar Davids and Jimmy Hasselbaink, worked in tandem only to be denied by a brave save by substitute goalkeeper David James.

ENGLAND: Martyn; G Neville, Brown, Keown, Ashley Cole; Beckham, Carragher, Scholes, Hargreaves; Andy Cole, Fowler.

HOLLAND: Van Der Sar; Reiziger, Stam, Hofland, Van Bronckhorst; Cocu, Van Bommel, Zenden; Van Nistelrooy, Kluivert, Overmars.

Referee: A Frisk (Sweden).