04/05/2006

Stripped of their leading attacking light, Manchester United huffed and puffed their way to an unconvincing goalless draw with Middlesbrough.

Given that Rooney now seems certain to miss the vast majority of this summer's World Cup as well, it was a far from satisfying sight.

Without their talisman, Sir Alex Ferguson's side were rendered utterly impotent. Eriksson's challenge in the next five weeks is to devise a system that prevents England suffering an identical fate.

If past experience is anything to go by, the Swede's initial reaction will be to keep disruption to a minimum by reverting to a tried-and-tested 4-4-2.

Assuming Michael Owen is fit, and despite Saturday's slight setback that remains more than likely, the Newcastle striker is a guaranteed starter when England open their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 10.

In a 4-4-2 model, he is almost certain to be partnered by Peter Crouch. Tottenham's Jermain Defoe is woefully short of match practice having spent most of this season on the bench and the likes of Darren Bent, James Beattie and Andy Johnson remain fringe performers at best.

Crouch is an enigma, but he linked up well with Owen as England staged a thrilling late fightback to beat Argentina in the autumn and opened his international account in tidy fashion as Uruguay were beaten in March.

Still though, can you honestly imagine a world-class defender quivering at the thought of facing Crouch? Cumbersome, yes. Awkward, undoubtedly. Dangerous? Only to England's prospects of making the last 16.

Eriksson has tended to use the beanpole striker as a shock tactic in the final 15 minutes of a game. Despite the undoubted advances he has made this season, that remains the only role for which he should be considered in Germany.

If Crouch is deemed to be of insufficient quality to start, perhaps Eriksson should look for a direct replacement for Rooney in the 4-4-1-1 system he has assembled to accommodate the stricken star?

Rooney's primary weapon at international level has not been his goalscoring. Instead, it has been his ability to drop deep, directing affairs from Owen's shoulder, linking midfield and attack and creating valuable space in front of the opposition defence.

Given the fluidity of his role at Chelsea, perhaps Joe Cole is the perfect person to fill his boots, with Stewart Downing slotting in on the left-hand side?

Saturday's sensational strike against Manchester United provided a timely reminder of Cole's skills. The 24-year-old remains one of the few players in the country able to conjure something from nothing in a congested final third.

But while his occasional flashes of genius are enough to turn a game, Cole is neither as disciplined nor as direct as Rooney.

He will not close down or tackle in the same way Rooney does and he will not make the same unselfish off-the-ball runs that created so much space for the likes of Owen and Frank Lampard to exploit.

By the same token, neither will he score as many goals. The 25-yard rockets that so terrified opposition defenders when Rooney was in the team are conspicuously absent from Cole's attacking armoury.

So, if you can't get the players to fit the system, what about changing the system to suit the players?

If Rooney's injury has highlighted one thing above all others, it is the lack of attacking depth in the current England squad. Therefore, why become so fixated on playing two strikers in the first place?

My choice for life after Rooney would be a 4-1-4-1 system that effectively accepts the limited attacking options open to Eriksson.

The first key change is the addition of Tottenham's Michael Carrick in a holding role in front of the back four.

Arguably, such a move was preferable anyway before Rooney's metatarsal gave way. Now, it is the surest way to start compensating for the Manchester United striker's absence.

Carrick's presence negates the need for any other midfielder to devote too much attention to their defensive duties, so both Lampard and Steven Gerrard can play in attacking midfield positions behind Owen, with Cole and David Beckham providing the width on either side.

While Owen will be somewhat isolated when his side does not have the ball, both Lampard and Gerrard will be given license to spring beyond him whenever England attack.

Both players boast the energy and vision needed to make such a roving role a success and, crucially, they have proved adept at finding the net this season.

Lampard and Gerrard boast 42 goals between them this term - 12 more than Crouch, Defoe and Beattie combined. If they have proved themselves the best midfield finishers in the country, why not afford them the freedom to do what they do best?

Of course there will be those who claim it is folly to change formations so close to the start of a major championship. Eriksson will probably be one of them, given his resistance to making radical changes in the past.

But the days of English players knowing nothing more than a basic 4-4-2 are long gone. To Cole, Gerrard and Lampard, a five-man midfield, with two players functioning as supplementary attackers, is arguably more recognisable than the more rigid system adopted by Eriksson in the qualifiers.

Rooney's absence presents obvious problems but, handled correctly, it can create significant opportunities as well. Solving the complexities of a malfunctioning midfield could yet be the one major positive to emerge from last weekend's disaster. When it comes to identifying goalscorers, let us hope Eriksson has the foresight to think outside the box.

Published: 04/05/2006