Bumpy ride in store for England in Germany

MANCHESTER, England, May 31: Sven-Goran Eriksson's re-shuffled England face a bumpy ride at the World Cup finals judging by their laboured victory over Hungary.

Though there were several positives to take from yesterday's 3-1 success, there was also reason to rue once again the broken foot suffered by striker Wayne Rooney in his nation's hour of need.

Eriksson's response was to move attack-minded midfielder Steven Gerrard into a striking role behind Michael Owen and give central defender Jamie Carragher the equally unfamiliar job of a holding midfielder.

Gerrard won a dubious penalty just before the break and headed in England's 47th minute opener from a cross by David Beckham, who had a peerless evening at his former Old Trafford stomping ground.

But at times in the first half Gerrard looked lost in space.

Ill at ease in a number 9 shirt, he faces a steep learning curve given that England open their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 10.

Carragher made a decent fist of his new job, though arguably it was less of a change for an experienced defender.

The problem was that England were not really incisive until five minutes before the break. Even then, it needed an old-style solution of Beckham banging in a series of superb crosses from the right flank.

Owen, looking rusty after a four-month layoff since Dec. 31, should have converted one of them with a close-range header while Joe Cole hit the inside of the post with the other.

REUTERS