Gerrard may have striking role

FRIENDLY MATHES France v England:IF ENGLAND are truly to rise from the shameful failure to qualify from Euro 2008 they must climb through increasingly taxing levels.

A friendly with France in Paris this evening will therefore be far more enlightening for Fabio Capello than his first fixture, against a humdrum Switzerland at Wembley. Tonight's opponents have only Brazil to challenge their right to be called the best national team in the world over the past 10 years.

Raymond Domenech's side have been hit by a profusion of withdrawals but Capello was a little rueful that this paved the way for a reconciliation between France and the recently estranged David Trezeguet. The six-month stand-off could end with the attacker starting the game. His limitations as a footballer have always been stark but his scorer's instinct is every bit as glaring.

Even if Trezeguet had not been part of the Juventus squad when Capello was in charge there, the England manager would still have been sensitive to the degree of difficulty. It will indeed be invigorating for a man who must tolerate friendlies of lesser quality before competitive action resumes in the autumn with the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

There should be a real battle of wits at the Stade de France. With that it mind, it is far from sure that Beckham will pick up his 100th cap by starting the game, although that honour is guaranteed to be the former captain's in due course.

Capello's mind is teeming with possibilities to be explored and there was the merest hint that a new structure to the attack is being pondered.

"In the last few games I've seen [ Wayne] Rooney; he's been a main striker but I've also seen Steven Gerrard as a second striker," Capello reflected. "There's been a constant evolution from the

beginning of the league [ season] until now. That means I have greater choice as to where to play players."

Rooney was the spearhead against Switzerland but positioning Gerrard closer to him would be one answer to the traditional conundrum of how the Liverpool captain and Frank Lampard are to be accommodated in the same line-up. Capello, mulling over that issue and so many others, is keenly aware that his work with England has barely begun.

He was certainly not prepared to accept an invitation to discuss the technical or tactical ways in which England must develop. "It's about gaining the conviction that we can reach great targets," he said. Unless that hardened mentality is instilled, it is true that the specific duties assigned to, say, Gerrard and Rooney are of no relevance.

A different outlook is essential and the controversy arising from Ashley Cole's insubordination to referee Mike Riley last week, when Chelsea were at White Hart Lane, was Capello's cue to insist a more disciplined mentality. "We need to be role models when we play for England and when we play for our clubs," he said.

The priority for Capello is to create a stable environment into which newcomers can be introduced productively in the years to come. "We have been following young players very attentively," he said, "but I believe they need to be brought into a group that's working, [ rather than] rushing things. You need to give time."

There is still scope for change and not simply because the teenager Theo Walcott is part of the group. Capello could be tempted, for instance, to restart the international career of Glen Johnson, since the manager has been impressed by the recent showing of the right-back with Portsmouth.

It is feasible that Capello might discern a benefit in letting Johnson play from the outset against France. With no obvious right-backs at the Italian's disposal, while Gary Neville's extended absence from the game continues, England would be enhanced if Wes Brown, a centre-half by trade who is still making creditable showing for United in the role, were not the sole candidate.

There will be an excuse for those who do blunder since the pitch at the Stade de France is in atrocious condition because of the rugby matches recently played there. "This is what you get when you have multi-functional stadia," said a resigned Capello. Even so, every member of the squad understands that there will still be strict limits to the sympathy he shows to anyone who proves a bungler, irrespective of the turf.

Guardian Service