IT'S almost 15 years to the day when Terry Butcher, his white England shirt turning crimson from a head wound, helped Bobby Robson's side claim the precious point in Stockholm, Sweden, that ultimately led to them earning World Cup qualification.

So, at a time when Sven-Goran Eriksson is being criticised for failing to lift the team spirit in the camp, the former Sunderland boss is as well positioned as any to cast judgement on the current crop.

Butcher only had a slice of the talent David Beckham possesses and the two do not come close to comparing when it comes to split-second, match-winning ability.

Yet you can't imagine Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen or David James ducking for cover when Beckham vents his frustration - just as Gary Lineker, Peter Shilton or Chris Waddle may have done back in Butcher's era.

Nor can you picture Eriksson's captain rallying the rest of the team when the going gets tough.

Take Saturday's calamitous draw in Austria when they let slip a two-goal lead against a pretty poor home side.

Ever since Beckham was handed the skipper's armband, the rest of the country's football faithful were prepared to overlook the fact that he lacked the drive required to lead England in favour of the world-class aura he carried with him.

However, as Butcher quite rightly pointed, his displays on the pitch have never really hit the heights expected on a consistent basis in recent seasons.

And that Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford three autumns ago, when Beckham's trademark right-foot free-kick secured a last-gasp place in the 2002 World Cup, was the last time he hit his peak in England colours.

Nevertheless, after recovering from a rib injury, the official member of Real Madrid's Galacticos will retain his place in the starting line-up in Poland tonight - once again escaping the axe being called for in many quarters.

Eriksson's refusal to acknowledge that one of his star players is no longer turning in star performances is another sign that the manager is losing his way.

Confidence in the Swede from the public is at the lowest it has been since taking over, particularly after the set-backs to his reign in recent matches against France, Portugal and now Austria.

A similarly disappointing result in Poland this evening and, providing the Football Association can come up with the substantial pay-off, Eriksson could well be on his way.

He is already a dead-man walking, with many of the chiefs at Soho Square still sharpening their knives from the embarrassing Faria Alam scandal earlier in the summer.

Eriksson escaped that time but it's hard to imagine the FA being quite as lenient this time around if Poland stop Beckham and Co hitting top form once again.

Ask the squad whether Eriksson is the right man to take England forward and there is always an unequivocal 'yes'. But that show of support and solidarity is nothing new, after all none of the players want to lose their place.

Changes are needed now. Whether those be on the pitch or off it. Otherwise the 'Golden Generation' that was supposed to succeed in a major tournament before 2006 will once again fail to achieve.

It will be 40 years since England reached a final by the time the World Cup in Berlin comes around, by which time Beckham will be the wrong side of 30.

The time for mollycoddling and treating England's class of 2004 like Hollywood stars is over. It is time to give them a severe touch of British passion.

Can Eriksson deliver? It's doubted