New recruits would do us proud in finals

I was up against him in the second half and he is a particularly clever player. With the positions he takes up, central defenders can't go and mark him and midfielders don't want to.

We changed our style against Holland, playing a 4-3-3 system. There was a spell in the first half when Holland were pinning back our two wide strikers but we rode the storm and made a couple of chances after the break, one of which fell to me when I put a header just wide.

Sven took the opportunity to have a look at a few different options. Ultimately, though, it is the way the players perform and their appetite to play, which is most important and I don't believe there will be any worries on that score, no matter what system we play in Japan.

I was disappointed not to start the game because I felt I had been playing well. There is something special about starting but I have to be realistic, wait for my opportunity and then take it.

In the event, I thought the second half went well and, hopefully, I have done my case some good. I will keep battling away and hope to force myself into the starting line-up.

It is difficult to say how long the experiments will continue. We have two more games at home and another two in the Far East before the finals begin. I recall Glenn Hoddle still trying things virtually up until the '98 World Cup began, with Michael Owen coming late and missing the warm-up in Morocco with an injury.

The England coaches will want to look at everybody. It will be great if players keep coming in and doing well because then Sven will have 25 to 30 players, all in tip-top form, from which to pick.

Another who did very well on his debut was Wayne Bridge. A lot of players have been tried in that left- sided role, although Graeme Le Saux hasn't yet been given the nod. It's tough on Graeme because I know he would love to be involved but he's been injured a couple of times and it's Sven's call.

I know Sven was pretty pleased with the result, especially after the Dutch beat us at White Hart Lane. He must have been delighted with some individual performances and next up it's Italy at Leeds next month.

There's a lot of football to be played in the meantime and, if experience counts for anything, I'm pretty sure there will be a few twists and turns yet, before that World Cup squad is finalised.