Free Kick: England have to strengthen their wing play

Will Joe Cole get a game for England against Liechtenstein at Old Trafford tomorrow? If not, why not?

Trevor Brooking, himself once the fulcrum of the England attack, was urging he be bought on, during his television commentary on England's pitiful first half display in Skoje last Saturday against Macedonia.

During those ghastly 45 minutes, they were immensely lucky not to concede a goal when, after a bad blunder in midfield by Frank Lampard, compounded by Gary Neville's typical failure to move up fast enough to spring the offside trap, a clearly wrong offside decision saved England from disaster.

But disaster duly struck when Sol Campbell, in a moment of clumsy inaptitude inexplicably stopped - not to conquer but to try ineptly to head away a ball he should have kicked. It ended with Hristov, once a Barnsley striker putting Macedonia ahead.

Ashley Cole, so defensively maladroit a left back, took blame for that goal as well. David Beckham industriously apart - and he was kicking the tunnel wall at half time in his justified frustration - there was hardly an English player who impressed in that first half though the team did improve in the second, when Emile Heskey came on (repugnantly jeered by the racist crowd) to nod the ball back for young Wayne Rooney's goal.

True, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and Stephen Gerrard were all missing, but that didn't excuse or explain the performance.

England's second, winning goal, was a penalty which should never have been given away, when Macedonia's Brazilian substitute needlessly tripped the England centre back John Terry, of all people in the box.

It was clearer than ever that England have to strengthen their left flank, where Ashley Cole is a hazard, and where Bayern Munich's right footed Owen Hargreaves looked a fish out of water.

Tomorrow I shall be at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff where Wales have to beat Finland to stay in the race even for the runners up spot in their European group. On Saturday in Milan, Italy simply played them off the park and their manager Mark Hughes, was simply whistling to keep his spirits up when he said afterwards that his team had done so well in the first half, keeping the Italians at bay.

Francesco Totti is currently regarded as the best of all Italian players, the motor of the national team, but he was hardly missed.

Del Piero excoriated by Italian fans for his two blatant misses in the final of Euro 2000 in Rotterdam, was in glorious, form, crowning his display with the fourth Italian goal, scored from the penalty spot after Simon Davies, sed at right back, had brought down the right footed left flanker Glanluigi Zambrott.

But just as Wales had had to go to Belgrade without their key player in attack John Hartson so at San Siro they were without their key defender Cardiff's young Danny Fabbidon. Against Finland, Wales know they will be without Robbie Savage, Craig Bellamy who played despite the fury of Newcastle United, his club, concerned about his injured knee - both suspended and probably Gabbidon again. The Italians play Serbia away and will doubtless hope to do better than in a limp display in their home game.