Owen Injury Casts Shadow Over England

Let no one yawn that friendlies are meaningless. This fixture was all too significant for Steve McClaren, who lost Michael Owen to a thigh injury that will keep him out for a month. Should today's results involving Croatia and Russia favor the England manager his rejoicing wlll be tempered. It might then be that his team can qualify for Euro 2008 by defeating Croatia at Wembley but they would have to make that bid without the Newcastle United striker.

McClaren, of course, was already without Wayne Rooney and his task now includes a need to keep fatalism at bay. This game cannot have taken his mind off such subjects. England, predictably, were far from dazzling in a game that offered nothing to them. Peter Couch recorded the single goal, but the most useful aspect may have been the attempted rallies by the Euro 2008 co-hosts in the second half.

Joleon Lescott was then able to demonstrate that he will be an asset to the defence while others are missing through injury. All the same, it was the opposition who felt the real alarm.

The team sheet for this match bore some statistics that could leave a footballer feeling queasy. It showed that the visitors' line-up had scored a total 104 goals in internationals, compared to 25 for Josef Hickersberger's Austria.

As the first half wore on England, however, might have welcomed a glance at that sheet of paper just to confirm that they do possess such vitality. The most riveting incident before the opening goal was compelling solely for its gruesomeness. David Beckham swept a ball down the right and as Franz Schiemer headed it behind for a corner the shoulder of the pursuing Crouch thudded into the head of the onrushing Jürgen Macho.

The former Sunderland goalkeeper had swallowed his tongue and was briefly unconscious before being carried off, with a shoulder injury as the least of his concerns. He was replaced by Alex Manninger, once of Arsenal and now Siena. There was soon evidence of the innate ability that had once made the latter seem such an outstanding prospect. In England's neatest manoeuvre before the interval, Joe Cole crossed low, Steven Gerrard helped the ball on and Crouch flicked to Owen.

The latter's rising drive, in the 32nd minute, was firm and Manninger had to change direction to lift it over the bar. Almost immediately, Owen trooped of the field with a thigh strain and Jermain Defoe took his place. For an England manager who could yet crave a victory against Croatia next Wednesday that incident overshadows everything else that happened to England in the Ernst Happel Stadium.

This, for the record, was no more than a dutiful effort by his team against inadequate if earnest opponents. Beckham, erratic at first, may have got some benefit from practicing his distribution as he gets back to full fitness. Frank Lampard confirmed that he and Gerrard still do not dovetail in midfield, even though the latter tried to fill a more sharply defined role as he often kept to a deeper position.

Crouch did have impact, as he often does for England against sides riddled with inferiority. He was instrumental in creating the pressure that led to his opener in the 45th minute. Taking a low ball from Michael Bridge, he sent Joe Cole through and after Manninger had blocked his finish Crouch's effort hit Rene Aufhauser and went behind. The rest was much simpler. Beckham swung in a deep corner from the left and Crouch headed in at the far post.

England had seemed likely to break the deadlock eventually, if only because Austria are so fragile. There was nothing very sound about Hickersberger's men when they went forward either. The attacks were dealt with capably and Lescott and Sol Campbell, as far as anyone could tell, make for a useful combination while John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are unavailable.

On his debut, Scott Carson would have preferred a little less protection if it had given him some scope to impress. It appears that McClaren has made his mind up over whether the Aston Villa goalkeeper stays or is replaced by a returning Paul Robinson against Croatia. Had the manager been in doubt, nothing that occurred here could have guided him.

Any encouragement that Austria took came with the wave of England substitutes at half-time, as Wes Brown, Gareth Barry and Ashley Young replaced, respectively Campbell, Gerrard and Cole. Young did hit an excellent cross in the 59th minute but Crouch, inside the six-yard box, headed straight at Manninger.

Shortly before, Austria might well have had a penalty when Brown had hold of the captain Andreas Ivanschitz's jersey. The home support perhaps have seen worse than this in a run for the Euro 2008 co-hosts of one win in ten previous fixtures.

It is a galling thought for England that they may not feature in that tournament. Austria, for their part, can be concerned about the impression they make in that event when basic competence is yet to be achieved. The victory over Ivory Coast last month could have had some benefits, though, and there were spells when they at least had a purposeful air in attack.

England, all the same, have so much on their minds that the opposition can only have made the most shallow impression.