Eriksson's limp lions

He hinted before last night's match that the team he wants to face the French would be the one that started against Japan. Was that still the case after last night's insipid display by England? "Maybe," he replied.

Big questions remain over the make-up of his midfield. Frank Lampard diligently followed Eriksson's instructions in an unfamiliar holding role, but is clearly happier going forward in support of the attack.

To play in his favoured position would mean leaving out Paul Scholes and, to be honest, that would be no real loss at the moment.

Scholes is weighed down by his own anxiety and frustration and is not playing well enough to expect an automatic place in the side. Leaving him out though would be a big decision for a coach who goes out of his way to avoid confrontation.

Similarly, David Beckham's recent family problems seem to be gnawing at his confidence. By his standards he had a poor game and was totally eclipsed by the vibrant, committed contribution from Steven Gerrard.

Supported by the adventurous spirit and energy of Ashley Cole, Gerrard had a powerful game on the left though, like Lampard, would probably be used more effectively in a central position.

To be honest England's midfield, particularly in the second-half, looked shambolic at times and on this evidence is unlikely to trouble the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira.

Lampard's attacking instincts are what will worry the French, not his ability to sit in front of the back four and make tackles. If Eriksson considers this type of player necessary to subdue Zidane then he must select Nicky Butt, who in a brief 10 minute cameo appearance as a substitute cruised like a shark snapping at Japanese heels. That is what he's good at.

Eriksson fielded a diamond-shaped formation specifically because he feels that this is the best way to handle the French. It clearly wasn't the best way to handle the Japanese.

Shumsuke Nakamura and Shinji Ono revelled in the time and space they were given though Zico claimed: "They weren't given it. They created it."

England's frustrations multiplied in the second-half when, according to Eriksson, fatigue began to set in, which is a little worrying considering it's nearly three weeks since most of them last played.

"We had a hard training session the day before the game and we also trained on the morning of the game," he explained. "All our work at the moment is focused on the opening match in Portugal and we will not be training like that just before we play the French.

"But I believe that our fitness levels are higher than they were just before the World Cup two years ago. If we could play for 90 minutes in Portugal as we did for the first 30 against Japan I should be very happy."

But, for me, there was little in this performance to generate optimism. Gerrard and Cole played well and Michael Owen provided a timely reminder of his predatory penalty box instinct with England's goal in the 21st minute.

Unfortunately his young strike partner Wayne Rooney again revealed his immaturity with a recklessly raised arm that would have produced a caution in a competitive match. "I'll have a look at the video and talk to him if I think it's necessary," said Eriksson.

David James also reminded us of the unpredictable nature of goalkeeping when Feyenoord's Ono hit the equalising shot between his legs in the 53rd minute.

England now face Iceland in Manchester on Saturday but, whatever the result of that, we can console ourselves with the fact that, although Eriksson's team suffer regularly in friendly matches, they always seem to come to the boil when it really matters.