A job for Beckham's wrecking crew

Nick Townsend feels that the duel between Germany's Ziege and England's leading man will be crucial

This time, it really will be all over. And not just for the Germans, should Kevin Keegan's team repeat the success of 1966. At Wembley Stadium, that memorial to England football's finest two hours, but a forlorn museum piece among Europe's modern arenas, we will say the last rites on Saturday with considerable sorrow but mostly with a sense of good riddance. As they prepare to bring in the wrecking ball it is a symbolic moment, too, for Keegan to ring in the new. The gradual transformation of his team quietly continues.

This time, it really will be all over. And not just for the Germans, should Kevin Keegan's team repeat the success of 1966. At Wembley Stadium, that memorial to England football's finest two hours, but a forlorn museum piece among Europe's modern arenas, we will say the last rites on Saturday with considerable sorrow but mostly with a sense of good riddance. As they prepare to bring in the wrecking ball it is a symbolic moment, too, for Keegan to ring in the new. The gradual transformation of his team quietly continues.

His squad, from which he will select teams to face Germany and Finland four days later, contains seven players of 22 or younger (and just as significantly no 38-year-old Stuart Pearce or 34-year-old Teddy Sheringham). Two of them are teenagers, with West Ham's 18-year-old attacking midfielder Joe Cole - prematurely in view of the relative rarity of his club performances - joining the19-year-old Gareth Barry.

However, it would be remarkable if the England coach selects anything but a starting line-up primarily weather-worn by international conflict for this of all games at the start of England's 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign; where victory is desirable, a draw acceptable, but defeat unpalatable.

Much will depend on the contribution of David Beckham, whose virtually automatic selection for his country is testimony not only to his wealth of talent, but also to his consistency. He has been somewhat controversially entrusted with the vice-captaincy in Sol Campbell's absence. Keegan's motive is, presumably, based on the expectation that the vice-captain's armband will help restrict the flow of blood to the midfielder's head; that the responsibility will help quell the less volatile side of his nature.

The England coach maintains that Beckham is "a leader" and that he believes him to be a future England captain. Frankly, that remains to be seen. If the responsibility merely encourages him to indulge in even more unwarranted dialogue with officials, which has always been a flaw, then Keegan's reasoning could be suspect. As Beckham concedes: "It [his temperament] is part of my game and helped me to get where I am. If I did not have that side I would not be the same player."

The other risk, of course, is that by adding to Beckham's burden, albeit a psychological one, it could also inhibit his individual effectiveness, whether from central or wide midfield. Both counsel are making their closing submissions on that one. The player himself says: "I would much prefer to be in the middle because I would be more involved." Keegan tends to concur, although Darren Anderton's absence (again) leaves the coach with limited options to take Beckham's place on the right. Not just as a celebrated cross-dresser but as a cross-driller, the Manchester United man is without peers. Ray Parlour, who has returned to the squad after injury, is the obvious answer to the conundrum, but his international credentials are suspect.

Keegan will also be mindful that, despite Christan Ziege's resolute shackling of Beckham in the Euro 2000 game at Charleroi, particularly before the interval, it was the England player who in effect jemmied a nervy deadlock. It was hissecond-half free-kick which beguiled the German rearguard and allowed Alan Shearer to steer home his penultimate England goal to inflict England's first competitive victory over Germany for 34 years.

That duel could well be the most crucial on Saturday and, if so, Beckham must contemplate a doughty challenge from the player who, now with Liverpool, was a galvanising influence as substitute in his club's Uefa Cup game against Rapid Bucharest on Thursday night. Ziege's accurate crossing and firm tackling as well as his lethal potential with a dead ball will have given Keegan much to ponder.

But then, no doubt so will Steven Gerrard, who displayed much assurance in the challenge and enterprise with his passing, even in a generally insipid performance by his club. The 20-year-old's exhibition as second-half substitute against Germany back in June was enough to convince Keegan that the Huyton-born player warranted an opportunity in the starting line-up against Romania. Injury denied him that chance, and since then has persistently punctuated his season. Finally, though, the strapping midfielder, whose attributes are comparable with those of Graeme Souness, appears to possess the luxury of fitness. If that state continues, it would not be a surprise to find him in a midfield with Beckham, Scholes and Nick Barmby, unless Keegan opts for the added security of Paul Ince in front of his defence.

Robbie Fowler's return to the Liverpool first team is also timely, although he and Michael Owen scarcely advertised the potency of their natural partnership against Bucharest. Unless Keegan perseveres with a lone striker ahead of Paul Scholes, the recent form of Owen and Andy Cole suggests strongly that the pair will form England's starting front line against a German defence who are vulnerable to pace.

The claims of Adams and Martin Keown, both formidable obstacles for Arsenal against the Serie A champions Lazio in Wednesday night's Champions' League game, are surely irresistible to the England coach. They could be flanked by Graeme Le Saux, England's sole left-sided full-back, assuming his fitness is in no doubt (the Chelsea man has not represented his country since the goalless draw with Sweden) and Gary Neville, if the coach deploys a four-man rearguard.

Young Barry decorated himself with such an authoritative display against France that he will also vie for that left-side defensive position, although the Aston Villa player is arguably better suited to a centre-back role. Whoever plays there will shoulder much responsibility, faced as they could well be by the exciting 20-year-old Hertha Berlin wing-back Sebastian Deisler, who scored his firstinternational goal against Greece four weeks ago.

On a day which will evoke England's deeds of 1966, Keegan will expect his men to respond as Moore & Co did to Alf Ramsey. There could be no more auspicious a moment to do so.