Sven's rehearsals are right game plan

There would have been no place for Alan Smith in England's starting line up had the game with Portugal been a European Championship tie.

Now, though, the young Leeds striker is almost certain to be in from the kick off when England meet Slovakia in Bratislava in their opening qualifying tie on 12 October.

That, in a nutshell, is the value of friendly matches.

The debate over the worth of these games is infantile and Sven-Goran Eriksson should not allow himself to be badgered into forfeiting them by the powerful Premiership clubs.

They are as important to the national team as pre-season friendlies are to the Premier League clubs. If we are going to take international football seriously we must play friendly matches to prepare properly.

Eriksson's post World Cup questionnaire to his players should contain this little poser: Which nation plays more friendly games than any other on the planet?

The answer, of course, is Brazil. That says all you need to know about the importance of rehearsals in international football.

I agree that Saturday's 1-1 draw with Euro 2004 hosts Portugal had little to offer in terms of spectacle or entertainment but for Eriksson it was an invaluable exercise that will have contributed significantly to his plans for the approaching qualifying games with Slovakia, Macedonia, Liechtenstein and Turkey.

What doesn't help Eriksson's case is his obsession with serial substitutions. The public is entitled to feel short-changed and I question the value, for instance, of watching Owen Hargreaves at right back for 45 minutes.

If Eriksson wanted to watch Hargreaves in this position why not do the job properly and give him a full game? He obviously fancies Hargreaves in this role because the England coach recently sent his top scout, Dave Sexton, to watch him play in this position for Bayern Munich.

The contribution from Hargreaves was one of the few positive elements of the England performance in the second half. Far more significant for Eriksson was England's team play in the 45 minutes before the substitutions began to gnaw at the organisation and impetus that had been established in the first half.

It was important for him to address some of the failings that became apparent as England slipped so lamely out of the World Cup in June. Notable among these were England's poor passing, lack of movement and inability to create in the final third of the field.

This friendly match gave Eriksson the chance to look at some of these problems and 22-year-old Smith went some way to providing some of the solutions on a wet afternoon at Villa Park.

The speed and power he employed to head England's goal evoked memories of Alan Shearer. And that was not all. Like Shearer he happily worked out to the flanks, always made himself available, won his share of high balls and had the touch and control to play with his back to goal and draw team-mates into attacking positions.

Unlike Shearer, he actually looked the perfect partner for Michael Owen, certainly more effective than either Darius Vassell or Emile Heskey. Most importantly, he has learned to curb the temper that has tarnished his disciplinary record.

Eight years after walking out of the Football Association's School of Excellence at Lilleshall, claiming he was homesick, Smith was back - and this time looked as though he belonged in the white shirt.